Ella’s POV
We did it. We all cheered, slapping one another on the back as we climbed down the final tree where the snakes couldn’t get to us and walked to the Arok tree.
I glanced back at the spot where the snakes were and felt like flipping them all the bird. They had thought they could stop us but we were smarter than they were.
I placed my hand on my chest, forcing my heart rate to calm down. I had thought I would die there being on top of trees. It hadn’t been easy climbing and not look down. It was as if the snakes knew that there was food above them and were uncurling and creating space in their midst like they were eager to have us slip our legs on the trees and drop into their midst.
“Ella,”
I jumped as I heard the sound of my name and looked around, wondering who had called me. I had been so far gone in my thoughts that I couldn’t identify who had called me by my name.
The men snickered as they looked at one another. “Where are you at?” Kevin asked.
“I was lost in thought, I suppose.” I said with a shrug.
Kevin chuckled. “That was a no-brainer. It was obvious you were in thought. What were you thinking of?”
“Falling to my death.” I said with a shudder.
“Are we still on this?” Andre chuckled. “I’m glad the idea worked though.”
“Would you have said this if it didn’t work? Did you see when I almost lost my footing on the fifth tree?” Damien rolled his eyes.
“You didn’t though.” Andre pointed out.
“Because I had good balance.” Damien argued back.
“You think I didn’t factor that in before suggesting the idea?”
“Factoring it doesn’t mean you can predict how it would work.”
“You should have gone with the idea you had since it was so brilliant.” Andre hissed. “Wait, let me guess. You had no idea and still pissed that my idea almost got you killed.”
“I’m glad that you admit it almost got me killed.”
I rolled my eyes, wondering what was wrong with them. This wasn’t the time or place to indulge in banter. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought the two of them were fighting but it was normal conversation for them that they were having.
Damien and Andre were trying to get over the fright and tension of the day and picking on each other to deal with it.
A quick look at Liam and Kevin convinced me that the two weren’t fighting but bantering normally with each other. If they were actually fighting, the alpha and the general of the pack wouldn’t be there looking at the two of them and smiling.
Even if I didn’t know anything about Kevin, I knew he didn’t like any discord in the pack and mostly among his men. Everyone in the pack knew that about him, even the little wolf pups.
I had no doubt they would have missed him telling them stories at night. Kevin was always good with kids which was one of the many things that I cherished about him.
I thought of an idea and smiled as I decided to use it. “I’m sure the kids back at home would have missed Kevin and the stories he tells them at night.”
The men all turned to look at me in surprise, wondering why I had suddenly blurted out those unexpected words. Minutes later, the shock wore off and they nodded and began talking of home and who they have missed.
Good! That was what I expected. I wanted them to move on from the banter of how Andre’s idea was risky and both smart. It was my thought that had launched them into an argument (it seemed like that to me no matter what they thought) and I felt it was my responsibility to take them away from it and steer them into another conversation.
“I missed them too.” Kevin said. “Let’s get to the Arok tree, get the cure and go home.”
“We are almost there.” I said to no one in particular except myself.
My heart thudded in my chest, slamming fast and beating hard as we got nearer to the tree. I couldn’t breathe as I was filled with excitement. We were almost there, almost done and almost home.
I could swear I could hear it being loud in my ears.
“Let’s all get to the tree so we can get home on time. I’m sure everyone would be happy to see us.” Kevin said.
We stood before the tree minutes later and looked at it in awe. I was stunned at how tall and proud it stood among the other trees and wondered if it knew the stress we all had to go through to get to it.
I was sure that it knew. I wouldn’t be surprised that it did. After all, it was a special tree.
“Let’s do what we came here for and be done with it.” Kevin said as he brought out a knife. “Are you ready?” He turned to me.
I nodded at him. “I’ve been ready for a very long time.” I said, facing him squarely in the eyes.
He nodded and turned back to the tree without wasting any more time. He dug the knife into the tree and smiled as the sap leaked out as he drew the knife down, drawing a straight mark on the tree.
“Liam,” Kevin called out.
“On it.” Liam said and moved closer to Kevin, switching positions with him.
Kevin reached up for the leaves, plucked some and started rubbing them together. “Your hand, Ella.” He asked, reaching his hand forward.
I stretched my hand to him. He took a hold of it, holding it gently and squeezed the juice from the leaves on it. He scooped some of the sap leaking from the tree and rubbed my skin with it as well, directly on the mark on my wrist.
It itched and I looked down, wondering why I was reacting to the sap. Wasn’t it meant to clean only? I wondered if I had an allergic reaction the cure. I hoped not. I hoped it wouldn’t spoil my skin than it already was.
“Kevin.” I gasped as the spot he was rubbing on my wrist suddenly start to get hot.
I glanced at him and realized that he was getting affected too and feeling the heat but was enduring the heat for my sake.
I wondered why it was like that. Had we come to the right tree? Was I having a reaction because I was a werewolf? The old man hadn’t mentioned anything about the sap generating heat.
I looked down at my wrist and could see that the mark was getting clean but the process wasn’t as fast as I wanted it to. I thought it would be clean the moment the sap got on my skin.
My theory was that the dye for the mark had seeped into my blood and that was why it couldn’t be removed by anything else. To remove the mark, the sap from the tree and leaves also had to seep under the skin and get rid of it from the blood.
I repeated that theory in my head to force myself to endure the pain but that didn’t make it lesser. I wanted to cry out but didn’t want to draw attention to where we were.
I hated the way Kevin winced as he continued rubbing on my wrist and wanted to pull my hand away from him to save him from the pain. I couldn’t do this anymore.
“Kevin,” I gasped the only name that came to my mind as I felt my mind slipping into unconsciousness before I knew what happened to me.