24. Twenty-Three

Twenty-Three

Sawyer

Icy fingers trailed across my torso and chest. I shivered as cold chills zipped down my spine, sending gooseflesh all over my body, and making my hairs prickle.

A soft voice said my name repeatedly. It wasn't Sloane. The voice was huskier. The scent was off too. It was more of a honey smell. Yet there was something familiar about it.

I flinched as frigid liquid trickled over me. It was freezing, but soothing at the same time, sending tingles rippling over my chest.

I grunted and tried to roll over but hit something, or rather someone. I peeked my eyes open and could only make out a figure. It was a female. But who?

What if it was Fiona, and she'd come back to finish her handy work? I jerked back.

The woman put a hand on my shoulder, gripping it gently. "Sawyer, it's okay. Stay calm. I'm here to help you."

I knew that voice. I'd heard it before. And it wasn't that snake Fiona. But who was it?

I blinked rapidly. Everything was a blur and fuzzy. Yet the woman looming over me was familiar and not a threat. Liquid dripped over me, bring me further out of my slumber. The coolness was a nice contrast to the burning heat raging through my chest. It brought me some clarity.

The woman smoothed more of whatever it was over my chest. "Good, you're waking up. Try not to move. I need you to stay still so I can see get you cleaned up."

The voice was clearer now. I fought to place it.

I squinted, her face finally coming into view. "Willa?" I heaved out a breath and closed my eyes for a moment. If it wasn't Sloane, Willa was the next best thing.

She smoothed some more of that wonderful goopy coldness over me. "Yeah it's me. Stay still for me, okay?"

I stared up at her. "Are you really here? I'm not imaging this, right?"

Willa was a nice girl, but why would I be dreaming about her? This had to be real. And if she was really here...I shifted, pushing up to my elbows. Or at least I tried to. Pain exploded through my body and the dizzying darkness clouded me.

Willa pushed on my shoulders. "Don't try to move yet. I'm still putting the salve on your wounds. It should help with the infection. You should feel the effects soon."

I didn't think I could move again right now even if I wanted to. I replayed her words in my head. Just her? How in the world was she going to get both of us out of here? She was just a slip of a thing. And pregnant. And injured too.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I coughed and cleared my throat. "Lincoln? Sloane?"

She spread more of the salve across my body. She was right. It did feel good, and I was already regaining clarity as the inferno in my chest began to simmer.

She smeared more of the goo over my torso. "They are here. They're going after your father and the rest of the pack. I'm here to get you cleaned up and make sure that you get out. Once you think you can move, we are going to make for the cars and head back home."

Home. That sounded so nice. Back to Sloane and Lincoln, where we would never be separated again. Except they were staying here to fight. I couldn't leave them.

I opened my eyes. Her word hitting me like a punch to the chest. The air whooshed out of my lungs, causing me to sputter. "The fight is happening now?"

Willa frowned and gave me a simple nod. "I've only been in here a few minutes. I can't hear the gunfire anymore. It must be far away from us at this point."

I should be there helping them. This was my fight, too. I wanted to see it through to the end.

I ground my teeth, fighting against the liquid heat coursing through my body as I pushed up to my elbows. "I need to get out there. Help me up."

Willa held her hand up. It was covered with a gooey lime green substance. "I'm not even sure you can walk. You're not going to be any help to them. I'm sorry, Sawyer. You're going to have to sit this one out with me."

Her lips turned down in a frown and she mumbled something under her breath that made me think she was a little bitter about being stuck in the cave with me, too.

My arms shook. I couldn't hold myself up any longer and collapsed back to the floor. "Do you know what's happening out there? Are we winning?"

She rubbed more of the blessed wonderful gel on me. "Only the bits and pieces I can get from Jacob. I'm pretty sure the fighting has started. He's alive, but I am sorry. I don't know about anyone else."

I pulled on the teether that connected me to Sloane and Lincoln. They were okay too. For now. I still wanted to be there with them, fighting along side them so we could see this through together.

I sucked in slow, deep breaths as my mind raced over how I could get out there to help.

Willa grabbed a washcloth from a bag sitting next to her and wiped her hands off. "How are you feeling now? The color looks like it's coming back to your cheeks. I think that's a good sign."

She set the rag in the bag and narrowed her eyes as she studied me.

I closed my eyes for a moment. I wasn't as hot. The inferno in my chest was more like a smoldering campfire. My vision had cleared too, and the ringing in my ears was gone.

I flexed my fingers and then felt around my chest. "A little better I think."

Willa wrapped her hand around my wrist and plucked it off my chest. "Try not to touch the salve Sawyer. I think it's helping, and I don't want you to rub it off."

A thought occurred to me now that I was thinking clearer. "We need to warn them. The wolfsbane is different than any type my father has used before. The effects are immediate and far worse than what he used on Lincoln or in other attacks."

Willa patted my hand. "We know. We think that he's mixing silver with it." She patted the bag. "Don't worry. We brought plenty of salve and wolfsbane of our own to use."

I gritted my teeth as I thought about it. It wouldn't take much for Dad to melt down silver and mix it in to the wolfsbane we kept here. There was no shortage of silver in the house either and a little bit would go a long way.

I pushed up so that I was leaning against the rock wall, using it to support me. "One hit with that wolfsbane and it will be bad for whoever gets it. I don't think he can dip the nails in it like he usually does though. It's so potent it would effect whoever was using it too. I guess there's that."

At least there was a silver lining. No pun intended.

Willa pulled out a few rolls of white gauze and cocked her head to the side as she stared at me. "Do you think you can stay like that?"

I tried to sit up taller. "Yeah. I can stand I think. We have to get to them and help."

Willa swatted and tutted at me as she unwrapped the gauze. "I want to be out there too, Sawyer. Jacob‘s out there, and I don't know what's happening. I get it."

Her face fell as she met my eyes. She licked her lips and sniffled. "You wouldn't do them any good out there right now. And neither will I. They know what they're doing. I promise."

I moved my arm so that she could pull the gauze around me. "What's the plan, then?"

She wrapped the bandage around me a few times before answering. "I get you patched up and then we get out of here. We start making our way back to the homestead."

My throat tightened. "I can't just leave them."

Willa huffed and rolled her eyes. "Sawyer, you are in no condition for a fight. You can barely even sit up straight. You'll never make it to them and even if you could you'd be more of a hindrance than a help."

She finished with the second roll of gauze and plucked out a third. "I promised Sloane that if I came I would do what she asked. This is what she wanted me to do."

I ground my teeth and glared at her. "How do you plan for us to get out of this cave?"

She hesitated a moment as she tied off my bandage before pulling out a vial and holding it up between her pointer and thumb fingers. "I have some adrenaline to give you. I think the dosage should be strong enough to help you get to the car. Then we just need to drive home."

Adrenaline. Another thought occurred to me. It was going to piss my mates off, but...they should've known they couldn't sideline me. "How many of those do you have?"

Willa eyed me as she shifted the needle in her hand. "A few dozen is all we could get. But these others are for people in case they're injured. I'm supposed to leave the bag outside the cave to be picked up by one of our scouts." She pulled the bag closer to her chest. "They are for those who can't make it back to the cars in the event we need to evacuate.

I'd never been dosed with adrenaline before, but surely the effects would last a bit. I only needed thirty minutes, maybe an hour. Was that enough time? How many injections would I have to take? How many could I take?

Willa waggled her finger at me. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking, Sawyer. Absolutely not."

I'd forgot how observant she could be when she wanted. "Please. I have to see this through."

Her face softened, and she gave me a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Sawyer. But I can't. I won't let Sloane down. I gave her my word."

Willa had given her word, but I hadn't. I just needed to work a way to get the adrenaline shots from her. Without hurting her.

She poked at the dressing on my chest, smiling nervously. "It's not too tight, is it?"

I put a hand over the gauze. It pressed against the wounds, but it wasn't exactly uncomfortable. "I think it's okay."

Willa reached back into her bag and pulled out one needle. She pulled the cap off and stared at the edge, her eyes widening. "I've never given someone a shot before, just fair warning."

She said something to herself like she was repeating directions. She gulped. "Kathleen said to give it to you in the chest."

She pointed the sharp edge toward me. "She said it should go through the gauze."

She held her hand out like she wanted to touch me but then dropped it back to her side.

I reached out to her with trembling fingers. "Here I can do it myself."

Willa gave me a wide eyed look. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. Are you sure you can?"

I grabbed the needle carefully so I didn't poke her. I took a few deep breaths and steadied my hand. Willa reached out for me like she might stop me but then dropped her hands back to her sides. I pointed the sharp point towards my chest and then plunged it in, pressing the depressor and shooting the liquid in to my chest.

It was cold and then hot but otherwise I felt nothing. Until...bam. My body lurched. My heart kicked up a few notches. I scrambled to my feet grabbed the bag, clutching it against me.

Willa gasped and shot to her feet, but she wasn't fast enough. "Sawyer, what are you doing? You can't. This is crazy. That could kill you."

I grabbed a few more syringes out before pushing the bag back at her. "I'll tell Sloane you tried to stop me. You did your part and I'm doing what I have to do." I nodded at her. "Go back to the cars Willa. Please don't get hurt or killed chasing after me."

I took a few steps back, holding my hands up. "I can make a difference, Willa. I know I can. Go back to the cars and do whatever you were supposed to do once you got there. Do you understand me?"

Willa shook her head. "Sawyer, please."

I took a wobbly step towards the cave entrance. "Please do what you were supposed to do with me. I want to know that you're safe. I appreciate everything that you've done, but I have to go help Lincoln and Sloane."

She opened her mouth, but only a croak came out. She nodded instead before bursting into tears. I took that as my queue to go and darted for the entrance and out towards the fight.