Chapter 1
Liwanu POV
I grab Zoe without hesitation and run for the exit. I push passed the smoke and head back toward the truck. Everyone is already there, engines running. Nausea hits me hard. From the smoke, the stench, or the fact that I have a mate. I don’t know which one. I push it down and run from this god forsaken place.
I bound through the trees and breathe in the cleaner air. The passenger door flies open and Kuruk is ready to hit the gas. I look down at Zoe and she’s in some kind of trance.
She just stares at the distant fire behind us. She’s stiff in my arms and I can tell she’s damaged goods. Just like me. I decide the best course of action is to just keep her in my lap for now. Kuruk looks at me in shock, no doubt seeing the wild expression there.
“Go!”
My shouting brings him back to the pressing danger and he floors it. No one speaks on the drive home. We don’t even link each other. Ash, blood, and soot covered we look like our ancestors after battle.
As planned, we all head to the hospital for evaluation. Maisie runs straight to Kuruk and hugs him. He smiles down at her despite the circumstances. Weird. I shake my head, clearing it.
“We found her. She needs looked at first. The rest of us only breathed in the smoke and are dirty.”
“Okay, the doctors are ready for guys. Let them take care of you. I will help her. Li, you can sit her on bed 2 in the triage area.”
It’s still odd hearing Maisie bark orders. She’s usually timid and quiet. But it seems here in the hospital she’s totally in control. No one questions her. She’s the chief’s mate and her dad is a legendary physician among the tribes. And after she saved Archer and tried to save Callian, she earned a lot of respect.
I nod and take off down the sterile corridor. Zoe is still frozen in my arms but now her hands grip my arms weakly. She’s nervous and confused. Her brown hair is matted and greasy. Big, brown eyes look around for an escape. She has welts on her wrists from the chains and they look infected. She looks like she hasn’t eaten in days. Her lips are cracking from dehydration.
“Hey, uh, Maisie is gonna help you now.” I fumble around for comforting words but can’t form any coherent sentences.
Zoe finds my hand as I sit her down on the triage bed. A silent plea to stay I think. It freaks me out. I don’t want to stay. I want to run. But I stay. I can’t leave her. I’m not that cold. She’s terrified, confused, and wounded.
Her eyes glance across the room and finally light up. I look up to see what’s changed.
“Zoe!”
Clay is squirming in Maisie’s arms, trying to get to her.
“Clay,” Zoe’s voice breaks as he reaches for her.
She reaches for him too and Maisie sits him on the bed. Kuruk stands on alert behind Maisie, no doubt feeling that this is reckless. But, I think Clay could honestly take her. She’s skin and bones right now.
“I sorry I left you,” He cries and she does too.
I shift uncomfortably next to them as he sits in her lap. She strokes his hair and kisses his cheek.
“I thought you were dead!” She’s hysterical now. Trembling all over.
“No, I found a mommy and daddy. They take care of me. They saved me. I told them about you. They saved you too.”
Zoe cries even harder if that’s possible.
“Thank you for remembering me,” I try not to cry too.
The whole thing is too much. My throat burns from the pain of holding back tears at their sweet little reunion. I can’t imagine what they went through together.
“I am so glad you are okay. What is this place, Clay?”
“You’re on the reservation.” I speak up and she just nods.
“They tried to hurt people here and steal. Maisie found me when uncle died.”
Well, he was murdered but I leave that part out. We were being ambushed and we were within our right to kill those animals.
“Thank God that monster is finally where he deserves to be,” She grumbles.
She wipes her face and looks at Maisie.
“If I let you examine me can I see him after?”
She looks determined now, her demeanor a peek at who she once was maybe.
“Of course,” Maisie promises as she preps the IV line.
“Okay, I will see you soon, Clay. Right now I need Maisie to help me, okay?”
She doesn’t even look at me again. Like seeing Clay helped her remember something important.
He nods and jumps into Kuruk’s arms.
“You can go to room 4, Li. A doctor will examine you after you shower off, okay?”
I nod at Maisie and I flee the scene without hesitation. I practically run to any empty room I can find and wretch into the wastebasket. Over and over until there’s nothing left. My hand hits the wall for support. I groan as the images of my family leak into my brain.
Seeing Zoe is a horrible reminder that I was once broken. That a mate to someone like me, is a curse not a blessing. I am so screwed.
