Gabriella’s POV
“Okay, thank you so much.” The witch left, and I turned to Nicklaus, saying, “I suppose the meeting is over now. Hopefully, Margaret has some good news for us.”
“I hope so too. Let’s head over to her,” he replied.
“Sure, just give me a minute to check on Estella once more.”
“Of course, my love. I’m sure she’ll be out of this mess soon.”
I hurried to Estella’s room, checking her temperature. Unfortunately, she was burning up again. I whispered to her, “Hang in there, my dear Estella. Your father and I are going to help you.” I kissed her forehead, tears welling up in my eyes.
Seeing my daughter in such a helpless state was heart-wrenching. I felt like I had failed as a mother, though I didn’t want to entertain such thoughts. I clung to the hope that Margaret might have a solution. I performed the comfort spell on Estella again, hoping it would provide some relief. However, I noticed my own nose was bleeding.
Leah, my wolf, admonished me, “You need to stop pushing yourself like this.”
“I’ll be fine after some rest,” I assured her.
“Don’t deceive yourself. You’re still recovering from the attack by Dedusa. You need to be cautious,” she warned.
“I will. But I can’t let Nicklaus worry about me.”
“He’ll eventually find out.”
“I’ll handle it.” I quickly wiped away the blood from my nose, put on a smile, and ensured Estella was covered before leaving the room. As I stepped into the hallway, I realized the surroundings seemed chaotic and blurry. What was happening to me?
Attempting to take a step, I suddenly stumbled and fell. Nicklaus rushed to my side, concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I just lost my balance,” I replied, trying to downplay it.
“Are you sure?” he pressed.
I nodded. He crouched down and offered his back. “Climb on.”
“This is a bit embarrassing, you know,” I protested, checking if anyone was around to witness this scene.
“Your legs are weak, so climb onto my back. I’ll carry you to Margaret. I can’t risk you falling again, and don’t say no this time,” he insisted, and I acquiesced without arguing.
He lifted me onto his back, holding me as if I were a small child. “You’re quite heavy,” he teased.
“If I’m too heavy, you can put me down,” I replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Nah, I was just joking. Even if you were heavy, I’m the alpha, so I can handle it,” he said with a faint smile, and I found myself blushing in response.
We reached the big tree, and he gently set me down. Margaret was standing there, gazing fixedly in a certain direction without blinking. Her intense focus was a clear sign that something was amiss, but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions until I heard directly from her about what had transpired in the meeting.
“Mom,” I called out to her. She turned towards us, her eyes red and swollen. Had she been crying?
“You’re here. I’m sorry, I got a bit carried away,” she said, her voice carrying a hint of distress.
“I hope you have some good news for us. Is there a way to save Estella?” Nick inquired, getting straight to the point.
“I’m afraid we weren’t able to come up with a solution,” Margaret replied, and my heart sank at the news. Did this mean that my daughter would be forever trapped with Dedusa inside her, committing endless evil acts? Would she never have the good life I had wished for her? I stumbled and fell to the ground, but they quickly helped me back up.
“Gabby, are you okay?” Nick’s voice was full of concern.
“I’m fine. What do you mean there’s no solution for Estella?” I managed to say, forcing myself to stand again.
“Margaret, you’re a powerful witch. There must be a way to save my daughter. She’s like your own daughter too. We can’t allow her to be controlled by Dedusa her whole life. She deserves better, and as her guardians, it’s our duty to find a way to save her. There has to be a solution,” Nick passionately implored.
Taking a deep breath, Margaret spoke, “The council is divided. Some of them believe the only option available is to kill your daughter, while others, like me, vehemently oppose that. We can’t harm an innocent child.”
“How can they be so heartless? I won’t let anyone harm my daughter. Never,” I declared firmly.
“I’ll take down anyone who tries to harm my precious daughter. Margaret, Gabby trusts you deeply. Don’t let her down now. She needs you, we both need you to save our daughter. Let’s find a way,” Nick added his plea.
As Nick was speaking, a sudden burst of light illuminated the area, and we heard a piercing scream. “What’s happening?” I exclaimed, the shock evident on everyone’s faces. One of the witches rushed to us, her voice urgent. “Someone is attempting to harm your daughter.”