KIARA’S POV
“How are you feeling, Father?” I asked handing him a bowl of soup.
He eyed the soup with distaste and said, “I am fine now… really… I don’t think I need this stupid soup…”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his expression. He abhorred the herbal soup but Valence had insisted that he should drink it at least for a week.
I sat beside him, took a spoonful, and placed it near his lips saying, “I promise I won’t ask you to have the soup tomorrow onwards. Please have it today…”
“Fine!” He said with a disgruntled expression before taking the bowl from me and guzzling it down in a single draught.
I was about to get up and leave but he held my hand. I hissed due to the pressure on the blisters. He opened my hand and kept gazing at it for a while.
Tears glistened in his inner eye as he raised his head to look at me. He made me sit on the bed and walked to the chest of drawers. I was happy to see that his steps were sturdy and he almost seemed like himself.
Maybe it was time for him to return to the packhouse. Risha and mother were already going mad with worry. We had just told them that father was hurt and was undergoing special treatment.
He returned with the bottle of anti silver and kneeled in front of me. Startled, I jumped to my feet and moved away but his sharp command made me sit back on the bed.
He took my hand and started applying the medicine gently to my palm. “I was so wrong about you, Kiara. You are the most caring person in the world, perfect to be the Luna of Mystical Pack.”
He set the bottle of medicine aside and placed his right hand on his chest before saying, “I, Andrew Gilkins; the Alpha of the Mystical pack accept you as my daughter and the Luna of the pack. The pack will forever be grateful for saving their alpha…”
His words dripped into my ears like nectar and spread sweetness right up to my soul. The incessant void that had formed after my parents died seemed to vanish. The emotions I felt were so strong that they scared me.
Clearing my throat, I said in a flustered voice, “You are embarrassing me now, Father… this was nothing… You must rest now…” I said as I pulled him up to sit on the bed again.
After ensuring that he was comfortable, I went outside to see where everyone else was. While walking through the weather-worn path to another tent, I heard hushed voices.
Following the voices, I reached the tiny lawn a few meters away from the camp. Kevin, Nivaan, Valence, and even Adrian were there.
I could sense Kevin’s distress and grief. I rushed to his side and sat on the cold grass beside him. I held his hand and asked in a slightly shaking voice, “What is the matter, Kevin?”
His lips pursed into a thin line as he said, “We were going to reinforce the spell today but…”
“But what?” I asked in an urgent tone, squeezing his hand.
“Someone killed him before we could get there. The werewolves guarding the warlock were all bitten by poisoned wolves. We tried to save them but the antidote didn’t work…”
“Bloody hell! How did this happen?”
“I have no idea… Dr. Grimson is working on it…”
It was then I felt it; the hollow sensation in my heart; the one that had seemed to have filled up when Alpha Andrew accepted me as his daughter.
The sensation hit back with such force that it had acquired a physical dimension. Placing my hand on my chest, I groaned pitifully.
My grip on Kevin’s hand tightened as I forced myself to look at him. His face was contorted in pain too.
“Kevin, Kiara; what is the matter?” Nivaan’s worried voice tore through the envelope of pain. My hand flew to my mouth as I whispered, “Father… he is all alone…”
Before I could say anything further Kevin had jumped to his feet and bolted in the direction of the blue camp. Nivaan and Adrian followed them leaving me all alone.
It took me a lot of effort to get to my feet and walk in the direction of the camp. A sense of impending doom had settled in my heart.
I trudged along the path forcing myself to take one step after another. Deep down I already knew that something bad had happened. I just wasn’t ready to face it yet…
Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand, and the next moment I found myself inside the blue tent. Valence had teleported me to the camp.
Kevin grabbed my shoulder and said in an urgent voice, “What took you so long? Quickly check father and see what needs to be done…”
I felt like someone had twisted a dagger in my heart when I saw father’s lifeless body. His face was a pale as a sheet of paper and his eyes had lost the light in them.
My hands shook uncontrollably as I placed my thumb on his wrist to take the pulse. There wasn’t a single throb. My mind went blank and my heart turned numb. Deep down I knew that something bad had happened to father. But, seeing him like this… tore me apart.
I felt like sobbing and screaming but my eyes landed on Kevin. When I looked into his hopeful eyes, I couldn’t manage to break this news to him.
I cleared my throat and said, “Someone call the doctor…”
There was a lot of commotion. From the corner of my eyes, I saw the doctor come in. He assessed father’s body and said many things but my brain had shut off…
I slumped to the floor and buried my head in my hands. Everything in the background blurred as I lost sense of place and time…