KEILAH
I stood frozen at the balcony door, watching Ralph leap into the storm with a mix of fear and admiration. He was doing the right thing, even if it took some pushing. The wind howled, and the rain battered against the glass, making it nearly impossible to see, but I kept my eyes glued to the scene below, praying for his safe return.
Time seemed to stretch on forever, each minute a torturous eternity. I clutched my robe tightly, my heart pounding with every flash of lightning. When I finally saw Ralph leading the man and child to safety, a wave of relief washed over me. He had done it.
But then, as he began to climb back up, the wind seemed to fight him every step of the way. My heart sank, my eyes widening in horror as I watched him slip and disappear from view. The next thing I heard was a loud, sickening thud. Panic surged through me as I nervously opened the balcony door, the rain slapping against my face. I looked down, and my heart nearly stopped. Ralph was sprawled on the wet ground below, motionless.
“Ralph!” I screamed, my voice lost in the storm. Without thinking, I dashed out of the room and down the stairs, barely registering the concerned looks from other hotel guests. My breath came in short, and desperate gasps as I ignored the hotel workers’ warnings to stay inside and pushed past them.
When I reached him, the sight of his unmoving body sent a fresh wave of terror through me. Dropping to my knees beside him, my hands trembled as I checked for signs of life. “Ralph, please wake up,” I pleaded, my voice choking with tears. He was breathing, but barely. Desperation clawed at me as I looked around, praying for help. “Somebody, help us!” I shouted into the storm, hoping against hope that someone would hear.
I held Ralph’s head in my hands, feeling something warm and sticky against my skin. My stomach twisted in fear as I looked down to see my hand covered in blood. Panic kicked in, sending my heart into a wild frenzy. “Somebody, help us!” I screamed again, my voice raw with desperation.
The storm seemed to respond to my cries, the rain suddenly stopping as if an unseen hand had flipped a switch. The silence was deafening, broken only by the soft patter of raindrops falling from the eaves. In the eerie calm, I saw hotel workers and other guests emerging cautiously, drawn by the urgency of my pleas.
A couple of hotel workers rushed over, their faces pale with urgency. One of them, a burly man, knelt beside me, checking Ralph’s pulse and looking into his eyes. I watched his face intently, my breath catching in my throat. “We need an ambulance,” he shouted to his colleague, who ran back inside.
The wail of sirens in the distance was both a relief and a new source of anxiety. I watched as the ambulance approached, its lights flashing through the remaining droplets of rain. Paramedics jumped out, swiftly taking over, their practised hands and calm demeanour providing a glimmer of hope.
“He’s going to be okay,” one of them assured me as they loaded Ralph onto a stretcher. I clung to that promise, my heart heavy with fear but lighter with the knowledge that he was in good hands.
As they lifted Ralph into the ambulance, I followed, determined not to leave his side. The doors closed behind us, and with one final glance at the crowd, we sped off, praying that Ralph would make it through.
As the paramedics worked frantically on Ralph, I sat beside him, clutching his hand tightly. My mind raced with guilt and fear, replaying the moments that led us here. It was my insistence that pushed him into the storm, my voice that egged him on despite the danger. Now, seeing him pale and motionless, I cursed myself inwardly for not stopping him for not considering the risks. Tears streamed down my face as the ambulance sped through the rain-soaked streets towards the hospital. Each bump in the road felt like a sharp jolt of guilt.
And then, suddenly, as if in response to the turmoil in my mind, he gasped loudly. I jumped, my grip tightening on his hand as he sat upright with a start, dislodging the IVs from his veins. The paramedics sprang into action, swiftly attempting to calm him and secure the medical equipment, but Ralph appeared stiff and bewildered as he surveyed his surroundings with a look of utter confusion.
I watched in horror as he tore off his oxygen mask, his face contorted with fury and breath ragged. Fear gripped me, but I reached out, taking his hand in mine. “It’s okay, Ralph,” I pleaded, my voice barely audible over his erratic breathing. “You’re going to be okay.”
His gaze dropped to our clasped hands, his expression hardening with sudden hostility. He ripped his hand away and shoved me aside with unexpected force, sending me crashing against the ambulance door. I staggered, a cold knot of dread forming in my stomach as I looked up at him, seeing a glimpse of the old Ralph, his eyes filled with something primal.
I struggled to compose myself, attributing his outburst to shock, but then he lashed out again. He seized both paramedics by their collars, his voice booming with a raw intensity. “Stop this goddamn ambulance!”
The paramedics tried to explain calmly, their voices soothing yet urgent, “Sir, you need to calm down. You’re not well. We need to get you to the hospital,” they implored.
Ralph’s response was a thunderous roar that made my soul momentarily leave my body.
In a sudden burst of strength, he hurled the paramedics towards me, knocking us all down. Before anyone could react, he lunged for the partition separating us from the driver, his voice cutting through the chaos like a thunderclap.
“Stop the fucking ambulance!”
Startled, the driver slammed on the brakes, bringing the ambulance to a jarring halt.
I stared at him in disbelief, my heart pounding in my chest. Without saying another word, he turned towards us. His eyes, once warm and familiar, now held a chilling emptiness. His gaze swept over me, but it was as if he didn’t recognize me. In that moment, his eyes held a distant, cold look that sent a shiver down my spine. Before I could react, he shoved past the paramedics and me with such force that we stumbled backward. I crashed against the side of the ambulance, pain shooting through my ribs. He pushed through us, heading for the ambulance doors.
I gathered myself quickly. Ignoring the ache, I scrambled out of the ambulance and onto the rain-soaked street.
“Ralph!” I called desperately, my voice drowned out by the fading sound of sirens. I ran after him, my feet splashing through puddles, each step sending a jolt of pain through my stomach.
As I pursued him through the dimly lit streets, the pain in my stomach intensified, but I pushed through it, driven by the sole thought of reaching him. I called out his name again and again, my voice hoarse and strained.
Finally, my legs gave out, and I dropped to my knees, rain soaking through my robe. “Ralph!” I cried out one last time, my voice cracking with exhaustion and despair. To my surprise, he stopped and turned, his expression unreadable in the dim light.
A faint smile tugged at my lips. He had heard me. I was scared. But before I could say anything, his face twisted with anger, and he lunged towards me, grabbing my robe collar roughly.
“Stop calling me!” he growled through gritted teeth, his voice laced with venom. “I don’t know you, woman. If you keep following me, I swear I’ll tear you apart!”
Shock and hurt pierced through me as he released me, letting me fall roughly onto the hard ground. Pain shot through my stomach anew, but I barely felt it compared to the ache in my heart. I watched in numb silence as he turned away and hailed a taxi that had just pulled up nearby.
As I sat there, bewildered by his abrupt transformation, my mind spun with thoughts and questions. Memories of Zac and Benita’s hushed conversations about erasing his memories surged back, triggering a disturbing realization. Could Dahlia have colluded with them, betraying Ralph with such a spell? The idea seemed outrageous yet eerily plausible, given Ralph’s inexplicable behavior.
Wiping away my tears, anger simmered within me. What motive could justify such extreme measures? How could Dahlia resort to such magic, especially knowing I carried Ralph’s child?
A bitter laugh escaped me-a feeble defense against the ache in both my stomach and heart. “How could people be so cruel?” I muttered to myself, the bitterness palpable in my voice.
As I rose up from the wet pavement, wiping away the tears, a fierce determination took hold of me. I swore silently to myself that I wouldn’t betray him, no matter how confusing or difficult things became. I had to be strong for him, for us, and for the child growing inside me.
With a tender touch to my aching stomach, I whispered, “I know it’s going to be a difficult journey, but we have to stay strong until we bring your father back to us.”
Summoning every ounce of resolve, I hailed a taxi and directed it towards the pack house. By the time we arrived, it was late at night, and a figure I recognized stood waiting by the gate. It was Jay, the guy Dahlia is into. He paid the taxi fare and opened the door for me before asking me to follow him.
“No,” I replied firmly. “I’ll go on my own.”
He hesitated, concern etched on his face. “It’s not safe. The Alpha doesn’t recognize you anymore. If he sees you…”
I raised my brows at him, cutting him off. “Were you in on this too?”
Before he could respond, I continued, my voice steady but tinged with bitterness. “Don’t worry about me. I don’t need your help. I’ll face whatever Ralph does to me. After all, I’m very familiar with his brutality. Now excuse me.”
With those words, I walked past him and towards the pack house. As I approached Ralph’s room, my steps faltered momentarily before I pushed the door open. Inside, my eyes fell upon him emerging from the bathroom, freshly cleaned and dressed in black pants and a black shirt. When he noticed me, his expression shifted abruptly, turning grave, causing my heart to race in my chest. Swallowing hard, I summoned the courage and walked purposefully towards him.
I squared my shoulders, determination steeling my resolve as I met his gaze. Despite the turmoil churning inside me, I clung to my determination as though it were my only anchor. “Ralph,” I began, my voice steady despite the tremor betraying my heart’s turmoil, “I know you don’t remember me as your mate due to the memory spell that’s been cast on you, but I want you to know-I’m not giving up on us. Not now, not ever.”