Niel's POV

I had carried her in my hands like a bride down to this place. I remembered how I heard that little beat from her pale heart and how I carried her to Eric, Jake and the rest of the rogues. Eric gave me a balm he said he got from his mother which I applied all over her body but she didn't even wake up. Her hands and feet were still cold and her face was emotionless and she laid still like a statue.

“I know somewhere that she would be healed.” Eric had told me about an old friend of his who was a witch and who could bring Irene back to life.

I had wasted no time in rushing her down to this place. It was like the end of the world. I ran with her for hours with Eric leading the way before we finally got to this place.

Who in the world would know this place exist?

And why in the world would someone stay alone here.

Adelaide, the witch stayed in this deep forest alone, in a small hut, with a little garden of herbs and spices surrounding her hut. Her hut was decorated with totems and other witchy stuff. At night  it gave a eerie feeling that's why I never slept in it. Eric had said she lived in solitude and she hardly mingle with people. He had met her when he was casted away from his pack.

Once in a while, she would call me to come hold Irene's hand and say something to her. That was always beautiful because I get to be close to my mate and also sorrowful because holding her cold hands reminded me that she almost died.It's been four days now and Irene had not even coughed or sneezed. She had not even stirred she still laid still like a statue.

Eric had gone back the same day he brought me here leaving me with the witch and Irene. I wasn't afraid to be here alone in this deep part of the forest, I was only afraid that Irene would be lifeless forever. Though Adelaide had assured me that she would bring her back to life but every time I close my eyes and picture the time I saw her beside the river; almost dead, sadness swells inside of me. Just a brief thought of that is almost enough to break me down completely. These four days had been hard, I tried to get my mind off Irene, I did whatever would make me busy, I ran errands for Adelaide getting her the herbs she needed to wake Irene up. I had even cleared weeds from her garden of spices. I also went on hunting but it wasn't enough because whenever I come back and expect to hear good news, I get slapped by the cold hands of bad news.

She still sleeps.

“Are you sure she would be able to bring her back?” I had asked Eric in doubt that Adelaide was powerful enough to bring Irene back but he had assured me that she was the most powerful witch he had seen and she definitely would be able to bring her back.

I hope he was right.

“Can you beg her to fight to come back.” Adelaide said to me and that night I spent my time begging her to come back. Adelaide said she was reluctant to come back that's why she was holding her spirit back.

That night, I apologized for my mistakes, I apologized for my parents mistakes and I also apologized for my ancestors mistakes. I apologized for what I was meant to do and failed to do. I begged her to come back to me. Adelaide said she was listening and she could hear whatever was said to her, so I said all the sweet words I could think of that night. Despite all my sweet words, despite saying things that would make a teenage girl blush and giggle through out the night, Irene still had a blank dead face.

She didn't wake up.

I sat on a fallen log and stared deep into the forest that always had a different shape each night. I looked up at the night sky, the moon was shining brightly and it looked like the stars danced around it.

It's a happy night for you up there. I smiled, as I imagined that the moon was smiling at me.

I looked back at the hut in time to see Adelaide come out of her hut. Her partly white and partly black hair were tied in a ponytail and when she had to bend down to come out  of her hut, the ponytail fell to the front of her face. Her fat body squeezing itself out of her small door also squeezing her print loose gown. The first time I had seen her, I had wondered why she had a house that didn't fit her body stature.

She walked towards me stealthily and if I had not seen her come out of the hut I wouldn't have known she was coming. It was always like she was sneaking up on me, whenever I was lost in thoughts, her gruff voice would bring me back from my thoughts. The first time she had done that, she really gave me a scare. I wondered what she wanted to say to me this time.

Was I to find another herb?

Or was I to come talk to Irene again?

It was absolutely impossible to read Adelaide round face because her face never ever gave out what she felt. Today she had a calmer look and somehow I think I saw her lips twitch and her look a little bit softened but I think it was because she was about to say something to me.

“How are you, young lad?” Adelaide never really open her mouth when she talks and that gives her weird accent.

“I'm fine. How is she?” I asked.

Adelaide smiled.

She smiled.

Does this means it is going to be a good news?

“She has woken.”

Just that short statement had me on my feet and I ran to the hut to see Irene. I knew Adelaide was following me behind and she was taking her time to get to the hut but I couldn't wait for her, I dashed into the hut to see my mate.

She has woken.

I bent down to enter the hut and I was  hit by a strong smell from whatever herb Adelaide was preparing. I scanned the hut with my eyes and I saw Irene sitting up at a corner. She had her back turned towards the door and was facing the wall. I silently walked up to her and sat behind her but she didn't look back.

Maybe she didn't feel my presence.

My wolf was jumping up and down with excitement and it was hard calming him down because I also wanted to do the same.

“Finally.” I whispered.

She became tensed, the hair on her skin stood up and she immediately had goosebumps like a chilled breeze blew around her. She slowly turned back to see whose voice it was and when she saw my face, her eyes widened. She turned so she was facing me and moved away like a frightened child dragging her derriere on the floor. I stretched my hands to touch her hands to tell her to calm down but she moved again before my hands got to her. I withdrew my hands Immediately and looked at her with both joy and pity.

With the look on her face I knew she was shocked to see me. Her lips trembled and sometimes twitched like she was about to say something. I knew she would have so many things to say to me.

Get out might be one of them.

Adelaide squeezed her body into the hut again and went over to where she was boiling the herbs that was giving a repelling smell in the hut. She raised the black pot and poured the liquid into a small wooden bowl she had beside her. She brought a bowl which contained a purple looking liquid to Irene and gave her to drink.

“Drink child.”

Irene took the bowl from her with shaky hands and pulled the bowl to her lips. She was shaking like she was very cold and I looked around to see if there was a big opening that was allowing too much breeze inside. But the hut was only ventilated by a small window that a five years old child could not sneak out of and the breeze from the small door was being blocked by Adelaide big frame.

She just got back from the land of the dead. It surely would be so cold there. That's why she was still shivering. I thought to myself.

Irene drank the liquid with her eyes still fixed on me and mine too fixed on her.

I had so many things to tell her.

I wanted to express my joy to her.

I wanted to pull her into my warm embrace and beg her not to try to leave me again.

But all I could do was sit and watch her. Sit and admire her beautiful face. Sit and be captivated by her enchanting sapphire eyes. Sit and imagine when her soft lips would be parted into a smile for me.

I want happy moments with her moon goddess, that's not too much to ask.

She dropped the empty bowl on the floor and continued to stare at me.

“How do you feel child?” Adelaide who was standing behind me asked.

“Hungry.” Her voice came out coarse as she shifted her gaze slowly from me to Adelaide.

“What would you like to eat?” I asked, prepared to go to the extra mile to get her whatever she wanted.

“I feel like I can finish a full animal.” She said with her eyes still fixed on Adelaide.

“What are you waiting for lad, you now have a reason to hunt, and also it is the best time to hunt and get a good catch. Go get her an animal. A big one” Adelaide said to me. With the way her voice sounded, I knew she was smiling behind me.

I got up and gave Irene one last look. She had her head bent down and she was fidgeting with her hands.

“I'll be back soon. I promise to get you a fine one.” She looked up at me in shock and threw her gaze away just as suddenly as she looked up.

I walked out of the hut and changed into my wolf form to go hunting for my mate.

Adelaide was right.

Now I have a reason to hunt.

Also now I have a reason to live.

*              *                 *                *              *

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