Chapter 16: Kali

16

KALI

P ain. All I can feel is pain.

A deep, soothing voice whispers to me that everything is going to be okay as he gently brushes my wet hair back from my face. I recognise the scent. It's woodsy and familiar. Ben.

I relax in his arms, grateful it's not Scott or Serena back to finish the job.

Ben mutters his apologies as he lifts me into his arms, every tiny movement sending fresh slices of agony through every nerve in my body. It feels like someone is scoring my skin with hot razor blades each time I move even the tiniest bit. When he cradles me close to his chest, wrapping his arms around me, I swear, I can feel my broken bones shifting inside me.

I know I'm in deep trouble.

The sensation of warm liquid dripping from my fingertips is eerily pleasant, if not disturbing. There's a weird sense of calm that washes over me, despite knowing that it's my very life force leaving my body, dripping onto the leaves below.

My cousin moves as quickly as he can without jostling me too much.

I vaguely appreciate the thoughtfulness, despite knowing that no matter what he does, I'm probably not going to make it. His heart pounds in his chest, and I can taste his fear. He doesn't fancy my chances either. So, instead of worrying about the pain that mercifully seems to be fading into the back of my consciousness as the cold grips me, I let my head flop back and just enjoy the sensation of the wind blowing through my hair.

The leaves and branches dance and sway above me as we fly through the trees. The twinkling stars beyond are mesmerising. Gaps in the canopy clear, letting silver moonlight stream through and touch my face.

Closing my eyes, I let myself enjoy the freedom, the beauty of nature, and the loose feelings in my limbs. If this is it, it's not the worst way to go: outdoors, with family, cradled in the arms of a warm body.

"Stay with me," Ben mumbles, voice fraught with worry. I feel sorry for him. He needs to relax and accept the inevitable. If I could speak, I'd tell him to stop and just hold me in my final moments. Or to go back and slice Serena up into little pieces for me.

Something cold and damp brushes my forehead, and I squirm away from the touch, not wanting anything to disturb my peace. My eyelids flutter closed again as I manage to shut out the irritation, but then I'm moved to a hard surface with a jarring thud, and I whimper, displeased at being out of the comforting embrace from a moment ago.

"Oh no, Kali? Oh God. How? What happened?" Now there's a female voice, one that I recognise, but just can't place.

I don't like that she sounds so upset, and I don't understand why. I want to explain to her that I'm okay, that it's just my time. With the curse hanging over my head my entire life, like a guillotine waiting to fall, I knew it would probably end this way. All I want to do now is sleep, but there are too many voices.

Cracking open my eyes, I'm dismayed to see a jarring bright light above me instead of the soft glow of the moon. I'm inside. With a low grunt of dissatisfaction, I squeeze my eyes tightly shut.

"Kali, just relax." Someone coos at me, and I frown. That's what I'm trying to do. Do they not realise they're the reason I can't sleep? Why won't they leave me alone?

A tugging sensation at my top has me striking out. Nobody needs to touch me. My wolf only wants one pair of hands on her body, but he's not here. A cool breeze tickles my skin, telling me I don't have my jumper on anymore.

When did that happen?

When I try to sit up, snarling, unhappy at the multiple hands pulling at my clothing, strong hands shove me back and grab my wrists. Growling my frustration, I twist in their grasp, but a stabbing pain in my side stops me in my tracks. Screaming in agony, I stop struggling, breathing through the nausea that washes over me.

"Doc is on his way, Kali. Just hang on." The voice sounds panicked. "Maisy, I don't know what to do. Where do I start? Can she shift and heal, or is she too far gone?"

Maisy's here. That's the female voice. That knowledge helps calm my beast a little, knowing someone I trust is here.

"Maisy…" I croak, and a warm hand grips mine tightly. Her sweet perfume reaches my nose, and I sense her leaning close to my face to hear my quiet words. Blinking my eyes open again, I see dark wooden beams on the ceiling and a painting of Main Street on the wall.

My tiny cabin. I'm home. That makes me smile. If I'm going to die, I'm glad it's in my new home.

"We've got you, Honey. You're going to be okay." Her voice is choked, thick with emotion, and I feel bad. She's upset over me. I don't understand why at first, but then I start to remember. Little bits.

The glowing eyes. Going outside to see who it was. Hearing the whistle. The fight. The blood. Holly.

"Holly needs help. The girls. It was Scott… and Serena." The sounds passing my lips are faint, and it's an enormous effort to get my mouth to work at all. My heart starts to race as I picture Holly disappearing through the trees, hunted and terrified, with a dark shadow hot on her heels. If someone doesn't help, they're going to kill her.

Trying to struggle upright, I let out a loud gasp and fall flat on my back again.

"They know, Kali. Holly's safe, Evan has her." Ben reassures me, pressing a hand to my shoulder to make sure I try sitting up again.

"You don't need to do anything but heal," Maisy says, but I can scent her tears and hear the uncertainty in her voice. This is definitely bad.

The spike of adrenaline I got at the thought of Holly still being in danger immediately vanishes. Now, feeling drowsy, my head drops back to the wooden surface with a heavy thud. Something cold and metallic runs up the leg of my trousers, and hands push down on my abdomen and chest uncomfortably hard.

"Shit, Kali. Kali! We need you to stay awake." Fingers grip my shoulder and shake me gently.

I know they're right, but it's just so hard. I'm so tired.

A door clattering against a wall and packets opening are the only things that register with my wearing brain before a dense fog settles over me. My thoughts are sluggish, even as I try to drag myself back to my friends.

"Fucking hell. What happened? How did she get here?" A new voice.

I try to stay conscious long enough to hear the answer, because I'm curious about that, too, but before anyone responds, the fuzzy floating sensation returns, and my interest drifts away to more pleasing memories…

Griffin's eyes, dark and broody, swim across my vision, and I smile. Even if it didn't work out, I'm glad I met him. He showed me that there was happiness out there for me, even if it was fleeting.

My only regret is not letting him talk at the bar. I know he didn't regret what happened. I could see it in his eyes, but I was just too hurt to admit it. He needed to hurt, to be worried, to suffer, too. But now, that just seems petty.

He's mine. I should have told him so.

I knew as soon as we met he would change my life forever. This isn't what I pictured, but with my luck, I should have known better than to think I'd ever get my happily ever after.