Avalyn
Imporia
I don’t remember how long Nik had been running through the dark, cold tunnel. It had been a never ending way up the tunnel. It was dark and I was cold. And I was in pain. My wolf was in pain, to be precise.
She had been feeling weak since a very long time but right now, she felt… sick. Like extremely sick.
My fingers clutched Nikolai’s soft fur tighter, “h-how much lo-longer?” My throat felt dry and scratchy. I could barely speak. And whenever I did, it hurt.
His chest rumbled as he let out a low growl. I couldn’t feel our link. He couldn’t mind-link me anymore. Tears appeared in my eyes. What is happening to me? Why do I feel like this? Why is it always me?
After what felt like an eternity, Nikolai stopped. It was so dark that I couldn’t see, my wolf wasn’t here to help enhance my senses anymore. I felt his leg shift and then he moved backwards.
I felt the ground he stood on vibrate and the sound of rocks shuddering grated my ears. Bright light suddenly hit my eyes and I had to squeeze them shut. Too much at once.
Nikolai took off again.
I slowly fluttered my eyes open and saw we were inside the palace now.
How?
I looked around. We were surely home. There were a lot of people here, more than usual. There were hundreds of people here and most of them were children and old people.
Nikolai let out a loud growl as he ran from one hallway to another and the people jumped out of his way.
He ran into the empty throne room and then went to the side, placed his paw on the door of the observatory room with the bonsai tree in it.
The door open and Nik trotted in, his pace slowing down considerably.
He lied down on his belly and let out a low growl. Taking the hint, I slid off his back and sat on the floor. I didn’t even have the energy to stand up at this point. Even breathing felt like difficult task.
I felt like my insides were burning, like my blood was on fire and yet, my veins were ice cold. I was going crazy.
I want this pain to stop. Please. Please. Please.
Nikolai shifted into his human form and plucked a white fruit from the tree before he crouched in front of me and pressed it to my lips.
Last time I was sick, this fruit had healed me.
So this was Nik’s plan. It was perfect. It would heal me again. Hopefully. I ate it. Just like last time, it tasted divine, almost like it was the moon itself. I had never had anything like it. I wanted more.
Nikolai sat down beside me and cupped my face, brushing away tears that coated my cheeks. “I was so fucking worried, Moya Lyubov.”
I know. I could see it on his face, feel it in his touch. His worry was almost tangible.
“Do you feel better?” He asked just after I gulped it.
I shrugged, my eyes lowering. I felt like a burden. I know the pack is under attack. I don’t know the details but I could feel it. It was extremely far away in my mind but the agony of it was undeniable. A lot of people were dying and a lot more were wounded and in pain. It was hurting my heart.
Nikolai should be out there, doing what he does best-protecting and saving lives.
Instead, he was here with me. Taking care of my weak self.
“I love you, Avalyn.” He kissed me. Softly, deeply. Even though we couldn’t feel each other through our link, couldn’t feel each other’s emotions, he knew what I was feeling anyways. “You are the most important person to me in the entire universe. You are everything to me. Everything.” He caressed my face soothingly, a look of pure torture all over his face. “I just need you to be okay.”
I don’t feel okay at all.
In fact, the pain was increasing. I wanted to rest a little. I wanted to go to sleep. For a long, long time.
“Do you feel better now?” He asked again but I felt like my throat was too closed up to speak. I felt like I had almost lost my voice.
“Y-you sh-should go.” I managed to croak. My throat hurt. My head hurt. My soul hurt. I felt like I was… dying.
Now Nikolai will leave. He will leave me alone in pain.
But he’ll save many more lives.
Was this it? Was this going to be the end of me?
Could my body not take Papa’s powers? Was him sacrificing his life for me a waste? Was all of this for nothing? Was my wolf too weak to even fight to live? Thousands of thoughts passed my mind.
A wave of searing pain shot through my chest and I felt my heart contract agonisingly. A sob choked in my throat and more tears slid down my cheeks.
Dying would be better than this pain.
“Never tell me to leave you.” His voice trembled as captured me in a hug. It felt good. Just being in his arms felt good.
My eyes slid shut. Yes, I can sleep now. I can finally rest now.
“I will let everyone die if it means I can stay here and make sure you are okay again. I can take every life in this dimension if it means you’ll be all well again,” his voice was thick with emotions and I knew he truly meant it.
I was making him cry.
I want to sleep. I want to be free of this pain. I want peace.
“Your heart is slowing down, Avalyn.” Nik’s panicked voice hit my ears. But he seemed too far away.
I just need to rest a little, I need to go away from this pain.
“Breath for me, Avalyn,” Nikolai begged, his breath caught in his throat as he rocked us back and forth. “Breath, breath, breath,” he cried, pressing me against his chest, hugging me harder. “Please, Avalyn!”
But not breathing felt so good. It hurt to breath, it hurt to live.
And then I just… let go.
Another searing pain shot through my heart and I almost cried out. But then I was pulled away from the pain into an all-consuming brightness.
“Avalyn…” Nikolai’s heartbreaking scream was the last thing I heart. It urged me to open my eyes again but it felt too good here. If I opened my eyes, all the pain would come back.
It was peaceful here. I didn’t hurt here. I felt… light.
The pain that lasted for what felt like an eternity finally ceased.