The Broken Wolf
Chapter 120

We follow the shewolves through the woods for what feels like an eternity. I know that I’m slowing down, causing everyone else to do the same, but I truly am trying my hardest.

I don’t know how much longer we can stay in wolf form, age tells me, her voice sounding so weak.

I know she’s right, as I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.

Daphne, how far away are we?

Maybe a half mile. Are you alright?

Not really. I shifted really late in life and it’s hard to stay in this form, especially being pregnant.

I know that’s more information than I should tell her, but Seth seems to trust her, so I need to as well.

Try, but if you need to shift back, we’ll still get you back safely. Just let me know if you need to.

I nod in understanding. She really seems to be trying to help Seth and Me. I take a deep breath and continue to walk, trying my very best. Finally, the packhouse comes into view, and just in time, as I’m not sure that I can walk another step.

We reach the front lawn and all shift back, but once I’m back into my human form, I have trouble standing up. My mom comes to me quickly, trying to help me stand. Benjamin walks up and scoops me into his arms and walks quickly up the stairs and into the house, carrying me directly into the room Seth and I have been sharing, placing me on the bed.

My mom enters the room behind him and closes and locks the door behind her, not allowing even the ladies who had led us back to safety enter. She crosses the room and walks up to the drawers with our clothes and pulls out a pair of Seth’s sweat pants and tosses them to Benjamin, moving to grab one of his dirty shirts out of the floor and tosses it to me.

“I…I…” she begins to say, still clearly upset about the events of the day. “I need to get his b***d off of me,” she says, her voice barely a whisper and I can see tears forming.

“Thank you, Mom,” I whisper, knowing that she only killed a wolf because they were trying to hurt me, and she’s really struggling with that.

“Let me grab stuff to clean Molly’s bite first,” Benjamin says and walks into the bathroom, coming back with a few rags. “This will have to do until we can get something better from their medic.”

She just nods, grabbing some of my clothes out and walking to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. I hear the water turn on and just a moment after, I can hear my mom crying.

Benjamin sits on the bed next to me as I attempt to awkwardly cover myself with the shirt but still allowing him access to the injury. He wipes my shoulder with the soapy rag and then the clean, and repeats it a few times. “Are you alright, Kid?”

I nod, looking down at my legs. “I think so,” I say.

“The babies?” he says so quietly that I know I’m the only one that can hear?

“Babies?” I ask, my eyes wide. “What do you mean?”

He smiles and looks up at me. “It’s not a smell most wolves recognize, but I do. There’s a strong male wolf, yes. But there’s also the smell of gentle magic. It smells just like you did. There’s a little girl in there, too.”

I smile at him, so excited. “You’re sure?”

He nods. “I’d put my life on it. But you can’t tell Seth. He needs to be the one to discover it. Everything feels alright, though?”

“I think so,” I tell him, placing my hand over my stomach. “I don’t really feel anything. I just feel nauseous.”

“It’s alright, Kid. I’m sure they’re fine. They come from two very strong lines,” he says, standing up and moving the blankets to tuck me in. “Relax and sleep. I’ll be right here to protect you, and so is your mom.”

I snuggle into the pillows and sigh. My mom. “I’m sorry that I don’t call you Dad. It’s just…”

“It’s just that you have a dad,” he says, a sad look on his face. “It would hurt more if he wasn’t such a good dad. It’s fine, Kid, really. Just sleep.”

I fall asleep almost immediately and replace myself in the meadow, Sage curled up, asleep. I move over and lay next to her, petting her head and falling back asleep next to her.

I feel the bed shift with weight and smell my mom as I feel her curl up behind me, pulling me into her arms. She must still be really upset, but I’m so tired I can’t even lift my head and fall right back asleep.

“Her wolf is so tired she can’t heal her,” I hear Benjamin say quietly. “It’s pretty bad. We need to get something on it to try to stop any infection. I don’t know what she was thinking, jumping in the fight like that.”

“She was trying to save me,” Seth says, sounding upset. “I need to get her away from here, but I need to stay. I don’t know what’s safest.”

“Whatever you decide,” Benjamin tells him. “I’m not going to leave her side. I know she’s your mate, but she’s still mine to protect, too. I’ll support whatever you decide.”

I want to keep listening, but I’m just so tired that I can’t, and I fall back asleep, yet again.

“Hey, Love,” I hear Seth say so gently and I feel him push my hair back from my face.

“Hmmmm…” I g***n, rolling over to look at him, but wincing as I roll over onto the bite on my shoulder.

“I’m going to help you into the shower and then we’re going to clean that really well,” Seth says, kissing my forehead. “We’re going back to the palace in a bit. It’s not safe to keep you two here,” he tells me, gently placing his hand over our pup… pups.

“The wolves with your uncle were strong,” I say quietly and he nods slowly.

He k****s my head gently. “Dad’s going to stay here to help the packs. Lucas really ruined our secret, but it does help me be able to leave with you. I’m so sorry, Molly. We should have known.”

“You couldn’t have,” I tell him gently. “We’ll get through this.”

He sighs and sits up, walking around to my side of the bed and offers his arm to help me up. I follow him to the bathroom where he gently helps me remove the shirt.

“I need you to be honest,” he says, turning to look me in the eyes. “How painful is it?”

“It doesn’t feel good,” I tell him. “Really, it wasn’t bad until I woke up. It’s really sore now, though. I have my wolf now. Why isn’t it healing?”

“Sage is overworked. Shifting so soon, and then staying in wolf form so long to get you back, growing a baby,” he says, intently inspecting the injury. “She did so well, Love. She got you here safely, and she saved me. But she probably doesn’t have the strength to heal you, too. It’s alright, though. I’m going to help clean it really well and the medical staff will be waiting for us.”

“Call Sofia,” I tell him and he looks a little surprised. “She always took care of me when I didn’t have a wolf. She’ll know what to do.”

He nods, pulling his clothes off and tries to help me into the shower but I stop him. “I need to pull my hair up. Can’t get it wet, yet.” I tell him with a small smile, moving to grab a hair tie and pull the hair in the ponytail completely up to keep it dry. It hurts, raising my arm up, but I manage and get the hair secured and turn back to him.

Seth helps me in and gently guides me into the water. I wince as the warm water hits the injury, causing it to burn. “I’m so sorry, Love. This is all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault, Seth. It’s just something shitty that happened,” I tell him with a small smile, trying my best to hide just how badly it is hurting now that it’s in the water.

He takes a clean rag and wets it, working in some antibacterial soap and looks down at me. “I’m so sorry, Love. I have to clean it to try and keep it from getting infected.”

“I know,” I whisper, biting my l*p, knowing that it’s going to hurt. He gently brings the rag to my skin trying his best to not hurt me, but it does… bad. I lean my head into his chest, trying so hard not to make any noise, but I fail as I sob into his chest from the pain.

“I’m sorry,” he says again, helping me stand upright so that he can clean the spots on the front of my shoulder as well.

I try to take a deep breath to calm myself, trying to will the pain away. “It’s ok. It’s almost done.”

He gently guides me back into the water, letting it wash over the punctures, letting the water push any bacteria and debris out. He takes my sponge and moves to clean the rest of my skin, being very careful near the injury. He helps me rinse the soap off and then hands me a rag and my face wash.

“I don’t know how to help with that,” he says with a lopsided grin and I can’t help but return it.

“I’m sure it looks awful,” I say with a chuckle, getting my face wet and attempting to wipe away the stuff all around my eyes first.

“You looked perfect today, Love,” he says, his hand resting on my h*p. “You should know that mom found your tiara and has it. I know you liked it, even if you won’t admit it.”

I smile at him, knowing he’s right. “Well, it is very pretty.”

He turns the water off and holds his hand up, indicating for me to wait. He reaches out and brings his hand back holding a bottle of something that Sofia used to put on my cuts.

I sigh, looking at the bottle, disappointed it wasn’t a towel like I was expecting. “That’s going to burn,” I say sadly.

“I know,” he says, taking the lid off. “I hate to do it, but I can’t let you get sick.”

“OK,” I say as he lifts it. “Don’t you need a rag or something?”

“No, I’m just going to pour it on. I’m not taking a chance of not cleaning it well enough while your wolf is healing,” he says apologetically, kissing me on the forehead with care.

“Alright,” I say with a nod, bracing myself for the pain. It’s cold as it hits my skin, and then the burning begins. It’s not as bad as I was expecting, but still, it hurts. After a moment, I feel Seth take a towel and try to dry the excess off my skin, ever so careful not to touch any injured spots.

He wraps me into a towel and k****s my forehead, covering himself with another. I dry myself and walk into the bedroom where I replace clothes laid out for me. There’s a pair of yoga pants, my running shoes and one of Seth’s shirts and a sweatshirt of his.

“I thought a bigger shirt may feel better for the ride,” Seth says behind me and I nod.

“Thanks,” I say, turning around with a smile. “Can I sleep in the car?”

“Of course, Love.”