The One

Chapter Four

Chase's POV
Mom didn't even notice her wound, it had started to fester quickly due to her landing on a wolfsbane bush when our father showed up, I had to find Elka and fast, before the wolfsbane reached her heart. I heard my heart pounding in my chest as I ran towards Elka's hut just south of our home, and found Elka's scent trail easily, I quickened my pace as I got closer. I rounded a cluster of trees to find Elka's wolf, River, had come face to face with two corrupted that were trying to sink their foaming fangs into River's thick, fluffy brown coat.
I reacted instinctually and immediately snuck around using the darkness to my advantage, and grabbed one of the occupied corrupted by the throat and clamped my jaws down hard as I felt it's life leave its body, I mentally sighed in relief. My job was not finished however and I immediately turned my attention to the other massive corrupted monster, only to see that to my surprise, River had successfully pinned it down, even with her small frame, and was trying to get a good hold on its neck. I swiftly closed the distance between us and helped her finish off the second corrupted. Both of our wolves panting hard after the battle, I linked her 'Elka what are you doing out on your own?' Which she responded, 'young Chase, I felt your mother get scratched by the wolfsbane and was coming with a remedy, she should definitely be aware of it now as the effects have likely started setting in quickly'. That's when I spotted her medicinal pouch around her wolf, it was looped over her head and under one of her legs for a firm hold on the sly figure. 'Let's waste no time then' I linked as I turned towards home with River hot on my heels.
We made it the rest of the way safely to the cabin and climbed the stairs, I shifted back and grabbed some sweatpants out of the bin next to the door, Elka grabbed a gown as she shifted back as well. When I opened the door, I scanned our home and found mom laying on our couch breathing heavy with Clyde, our father looming over her, this time though he had a towel soaked in warm water and was wetting her wound. What was odd though was that Clyde also had a bowl next to the bucket of warm water, which I didn't understand the use for until he bent his head down to mom's shoulder and actually sucked out the wolfsbane and spit it in the bowl. I knew each time he did that he absorbed some of the wolf killing liquid into his system, but our mother was his mate and I'd heard tales of how far mates would go for each other, this was the first time I had truly seen the extent a wolf would go for the wolf paired to them by the moon goddess.
I quickly scented for my sister Emerald and ended up hearing running water and knew that she was drawing a warm bath for when mom was cured. We've found over the years after Elka's treatments a warm bath helped loosen the muscles and soothe the aches that came with the ailments and helped our bodies circulate the medicine better.
Elka moved past me swiftly, and gently pushed my father out of the way, in the process earning some deep growls from my father, my wolf stiffened at the sound, but Clyde stayed absolutely still as she worked on my mother. I finally unfroze and made my way through the maze of extra bodies in our home to end up at the couch.  I gently picked up my mother's hand and soothed my mother as Elka got to work mixing the herbs needed to rid mom of the wolfsbane, she put the poultice on my mother's wounds and I started to feel mom growing stronger through the link we shared.
I sighed in relief when she finally started breathing easier and Elka then turned to my father while I was wrapped up in my thoughts and gave him a dose of the herbs for his mouth. My mother opened her eyes weakly and turned to me, "You're a good son Chase, but if you ever leave this cabin at nightfall again I will kick your hide to the moon, do you understand?" She weakly scolded me, with tears in my eyes I told her, "I will run into the night to save you, always mother." And with that her eyes softened and she raised her hand and gently stroked my cheek, I turned my head into her touch and quietly shed tear after tear from the fear of losing her.