Chapter 1 Left for Dead
Chapter 1
“Left for Dead”
POV Aura.
At the age of fifteen, my sisters and I stumble upon the most breathtaking man I have ever seen.
His leg is sticking out of a thick bush, like he has been tossed there to die.
“Come on, girls, help me pull him out.” We pull on one leg, and the rest of him comes with a thud.
“Is he a prince, sister?” Sarah stares at him, her eyes widening.
“We’re not going to find a prince in a bush, Sarah. This isn’t a fairy tale.”
“I shall call him Prince Charming,” she gushes.
He’s young and strong, but his face is pale and that of a pretty boy, with high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and dark hair that covers his eyes.
That’s when I notice the blood dripping from his belly. Someone has stabbed him deeply multiple times.
“Girls, go back and grab the wheelbarrow now,” I order.
I push down on his wounds to stop the bleeding, and for a moment, he calls out a woman’s name.
“Emily, my love.”
How I wish it were my name.
Twenty minutes later, the girls bring the wheelbarrow.
The house is empty when we return.
My father is the town drunk and already at the bar.
The moment we get Prince Charming into the spare bedroom, my sisters gather the supplies, while I immediately set to work.
I’m a healer.
I rub my hands together to warm them up, then slowly lower them over his belly and feel them heat up.
I spend hours trying to close his wounds until I’m drained. There’s much more work to be done. Someone really wanted him dead.
I cover his wounds with bandages and fall asleep on the floor beside him, my hand resting on his.
“Hello?” a voice says, waking me from my sleep.
His eyes are the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.
They’re a mesmerizing sea blue that takes my breath away.
Then he smiles, and I’m completely awestruck.
“Are you okay?” he asks in a deep, husky voice.
“Um… yes… definitely yes,” I say, starting to stand up.
“Are you sure?” he chuckles.
“Most definitely,” I ramble when I realize my hand is still on his.
I pull it back and fall, landing hard my tailbone.
He tries to sit up to stop me, but he tears open his wound.
Ella and Sara run in to help me after hearing the thud, and stop in their tracks when they see him awake.
“Girls, please help me up, before he bleeds to death.”
My tailbone hurts, but not as much as my pride. They help me to my knees, and I rub my hands together to start healing him again.
“Go make breakfast and get ready for school now,” I bark.
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for school?” he asks.
“Only if you want me to let you die. Now, shh.”
His eyes light up at my response, and he closes them and relaxes.
Keep those eyes closed is all I can think. I don’t know if I can get anything done with him watching me so closely.
Father walks in hours later. “Aurethia, did you bring home another stray?”
“He was left to die, Daddy.”
“Those wound dressings are expensive. He better at least cover the cost,” My father barks, leaving us alone.
“I’m one of your strays?” the man laughs.
“Shh!”
He obeys.
When I’m done, he pulls out his wallet and gives me a couple hundred pounds.
“Oh, that’s too much,” I gasp.
“No, it’s not nearly enough for your expertise. You have a soft touch.” He smiles.
“Stop that,” I hiss.
“Stop what?”
“That smile and those eyes. Please, just stop,” I sigh.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Rest. I need to eat and shower.”
“You’re going to leave me alone?” He gives me a sad look.
“Stop trying to charm me.”
I leave and head upstairs to shower.
When I return later, his eyes are closed, and he looks peaceful. I lean against the wall and admire his beauty.
“Do you not have chairs?” he asks startling me.
“Yes.”
“Then please grab one and keep me company.”
I obey immediately.
“What happened?” I ask. “My sisters and I found you in the bushes, left for dead.”
He sits and thinks for a bit. “I was off to visit Emily…”
That name makes me cringe, and I hardly know him.
“And then I was ambushed by rogues, and that’s all I remember,” he says in his husky voice, that makes me blush.
I’m sitting so close to him, that I can smell his musky, intoxicating scent. I find myself leaning into him then pull myself back, slamming into my wooden chair with a thud.
I regain my composure quickly and pretend to examine his wounds again.
The whole time, his blue eyes watch me carefully as he asks question after question, making my heart pound in my chest.
“How long will I be here?”
“A few more days until you’re ready to shift. Your wolf is weak. Your wounds are the most extensive I’ve ever treated.”
“Have you been training very long?” he asks, his blue eyes full of curiosity.
“Just for my father. He is an old alpha. His pack was poisoned while he was out of town, his mate was killed, and he went into a deep depression, eventually married my mother and turned into a drunk.”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“Sorry, your eyes are very distracting.”
He smiles.
“To answer your question, my father likes to pick fights with everyone. I’m constantly having to heal him. It’s always come naturally to me. I have no training. I first healed myself when I was six, after twisting my ankle.”
“Intriguing.” He puts his hand to his lips.
“If you say so. May I have your name?” I ask.
“Yes, it’s Benedict James.”
“I’m Aura Price.” I hold out my hand.
He shakes it and smiles.
“How old are you?” he asks.
“I’m fifteen, and you?”
“Nineteen,” he says.
“Are you married?” I ask.
“No.”
Well, I’ll be eighteen in three years,” I ramble on. “My father says my red curly hair and green eyes will fetch me a good man. If you’re ever looking for a wife, you know where to find me.” I light up.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he says.
“Oh, I’m not trying to be funny. I’m very serious. I have a plan.”
“A plan?” he asks.
“I want to be married at eighteen and have my first child by the time I’m twenty-one.”
“You’re just a child yourself.”
“Hmm, not for long. Let me get you something to eat.” I give him my best smile.
We spend the next three days chatting about everything. He’s so easy to talk to and kind.
I wake up four days later in his bed. He must have picked me off the floor. He never returns.
