Re-Vamp

Chapter 33: Healing and Refuge

The night was dark, and the cool mountain air enveloped them, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. The group trudged through the dense forest, exhaustion etched on their faces.

Juana was the first to break the silence. "Lola, you should consider Arnaud's offer. There's no hospital nearby, and you need urgent attention."

Lola glanced at Arnaud, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Fear and distrust were still fresh in her memory, but something in the way Arnaud looked at her, with a mixture of concern and guilt, made her want to trust him.

Finally, she exhaled a shaky breath. "Alright. But if you try anything..."

"No," Arnaud promised solemnly, understanding the warning. "I promise."

They stopped in a small clearing, moonlight filtering through the branches. Arnaud carefully set Miguel down and approached Lola. With a gentleness that contrasted sharply with the brutal strength he had shown earlier, he helped Lola sit on a fallen log.

"This... not good," Arnaud warned, kneeling before her. "Hurt. But help."

Lola nodded, her heart pounding. She watched with a mixture of fascination and apprehension as Arnaud examined her wounded leg. His fingers, cold but gentle, probed around the injury.

"Bullet... inside," Arnaud muttered, frowning. "Must take out."

Lola felt the color drain from her face. "How... how are you going to do that?"

Arnaud met her gaze, his eyes filled with determination and something else... compassion? "Claws. Quick. Less pain."

Before Lola could protest, Arnaud bent over her leg. She felt his cold fingers on her exposed skin and couldn't suppress a shiver. Then, without warning, Arnaud's claws sank into her flesh.

Lola couldn't hold back a scream of pain. Her hands gripped the log so tightly her knuckles turned white. Juana quickly moved closer, holding her hand in support.

"Shh, it's almost over," Juana murmured, stroking her hair.

The pain was intense, as if her leg was on fire. Lola could feel Arnaud's fingers moving inside the wound, searching for the bullet. She squeezed her eyes shut, breathing in short gasps.

After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only seconds, Arnaud withdrew. In his hand, he held a small, deformed, and bloody bullet.

Lola looked at her leg, expecting to see a bloody mess. To her surprise, although the wound was open and bleeding, it wasn't as bad as she had feared.

"Now, I heal," Arnaud said, his voice soft but determined.

When Arnaud's tongue touched her wound, Lola had to suppress another scream. The sensation was strange, a mix of burning and relief. Gradually, the pain began to subside, replaced by a warmth spreading through her leg.

Arnaud worked in silence, his movements gentle and methodical. For a moment, Lola forgot he was a supernatural being capable of unimaginable destruction. In that instant, she only saw a man determined to help.

When Arnaud finally pulled away, Lola looked at her leg in amazement. The wound, though still visible, had stopped bleeding and seemed to be closing before her eyes.

"Thank you," she murmured, surprised by the sincerity in her own voice.

Arnaud nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Welcome," he responded, one of the phrases he had learned from Arturo.

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still. There was something in Arnaud's gaze, a mix of remorse, gratitude, and something else Lola couldn't name, that left her breathless.