Rejected His Miracle Luna, Fated Her Second Chance Alpha novel Chapter 5

~Dorothy~

I was in the woods, standing in a clearing under the silver light of a full moon. I felt safe there at first, bathed in that brilliant glow. I heard something stirring in the darkness of the trees in front of me. Something dangerous.

The slightest hint of a scent was carried to me by the breeze that hushed through the dark and silent forest. The scent of Engelwood and pine. The creature in the dark was approaching. I heard the underbrush rustling as it slowly stalked closer.

All of my senses screamed for me to run, but I was rooted to the spot. I peered into the shadows, trying to catch a glimpse of the unknown being.

I glanced down at a sudden sharp movement in my stomach. Something in there wanted to get out. Distracted momentarily by my own body, I looked up again just in time to see the creature with open jaws lurching for my throat.

I jerked my body upright as I awoke, inhaling loudly, and looked around wildly for the creature from my dream. Instead, I felt a cool hand on my shoulder and wheeled around, fists swinging, to see Ignatius in the driver’s seat with a look of concern on his face.

“You okay? Don’t move so much, you’re still hurt.”

Ignatius placed both hands on my shoulders as I continued to shiver, eyes darting all over the place to make sure the creature wasn’t present, “Dorothy? You were dreaming, okay? You’re safe now.”

I clung to his forearm, I had to make sure he was real. Ignatius allowed this as I collected my thoughts. After calming down some, I looked around again, “We’re here? How long was I out?”

Ignatius removed his hands and sat back in his seat again with an odd look on his face.

“Actually we’re just up the road from the clinic. You started thrashing around a little there so I thought I should stop and wake you. Must have been a pretty bad dream?”

He got the car going again and we sped down the street towards the clinic.

“Yeah, something like that,” I mumbled, then grimaced as all the pain of my body came rushing back to me at once. Ignatius took my hand and gave it a little squeeze, keeping one steady hand on the wheel.

“We’re almost there. This should be a quick fix. And, on top of that, your own healing abilities should be activated by now anyway.”

He had a point. Every wolf-shifter gains enhanced healing abilities around their teenage years, it was the reason no one ever saw the bruises and grazes dealt to me over time - courtesy of Mavis’s posse and Lana’s particularly potent left hook.

Why then was it not working now? The gash in my forehead should have been sealing itself up already but upon close inspection in the rearview mirror, it still remained open and raw.

Ignatius seemed to notice as well. He leaned closer, examining my forehead as we drove.

“Well. That’s not good.”

“What do you mean it’s not good?” My voice betrayed the alarm I was feeling, “What’s wrong with me?”

Ignatius shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea, but we’re about to find out.”

I looked forward and noticed we’d arrived at the clinic. Because wolf-shifters have different healing abilities compared to the average human, each pack has its own clinic with skilled healers to deal with whatever ailments our bodies can’t fix on their own.

Ailments like an apparently faulty healing ability. I closed my eyes. Today hadn’t turned out at all like I had expected it to. I should have just stayed in bed.

Ignatius refused to let me attempt walking by myself. He carried me through the revolving doors and spoke with the receptionist while I sat mute in his arms, scowling at the wall behind us. If he hadn’t been so helpful today I would have berated him for babying me in that moment.

A nurse led us to an empty bed and hurried away again to fetch a healer.

“You don’t have to stay,” I said, as Ignatius placed me gently on the crisp sheets and settled into a chair next to me, “Thank you for everything you’ve done but I think I can handle things from here.”

“I have time to spare,” Ignatius clasped his hands together and leaned his forearms on his knees, “And thinking about it now, we haven’t even been properly acquainted. You’re a friend of Johan’s?”

I shook my head, a part of me was relieved to have company. And something about this boy was incredibly compelling to me.

“No. Well, not exactly. How do you know Johan?”

Uttering his name had my stomach twisting painfully and my inner-wolf shied from the melancholy.

Before Ignatius could answer me, the healer stepped in - a short wrinkled woman with tanned skin and dozens of red beads braided into her hair. She adjusted her glasses and frowned when she saw Ignatius in the chair.

“You’re not from here boy. You smell of the sea to the North. Don’t tell me you’re responsible for her injuries?”

“He’s not,” I interrupted before Ignatius could answer, “He’s been helping me. He’s a - a friend.”

I didn’t really know what Ignatius was to me but the fact that he was sticking around meant a lot, although I would never admit it to myself.

The healer narrowed her eyes at Ignatious who raised both his hands in a mock surrender.

“Very well. Let’s take a look at you then.”

She tilted my head back to examine the gash, frowning as she did so. “Odd, this should be healing up already. And I’m told your ribs are hurt too…”

I sat quietly while she poked and prodded and tutted around me, raising my eyebrow at Ignatius who mouthed back; “Weird old bat.”

I stifled a giggle which in turn had me wincing at the pain it caused me.

“You.”

The healer pointed a bony finger at Ignatius without turning around.

“I will not hesitate to kick you out of here.”