Slaves to the Moon | DRAFT

XV ■ Forgiveness

"Alexis?"

Gabriel tossed and turned as he called out for me. His bare chest glistening with the sweat that had rolled off his drenched brow.

"I'm here," I told him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Though I was unsure if he could actually hear me.

I wrung out the washcloth I had been using to dab at his forehead and ran it under some cool water before placing it back across his head. For three days he had been burning up and trembling with fever, never waking or becoming fully conscious.

Something is wrong, my wolf insisted as Gabriel moaned my name yet again-- terribly wrong.

"Don't you have some where else to be?" Terry scowled as he walked in to the infirmary.

Fergus sent the man a warning glare as he came to stand next to me. "Let's juist git this ower wi', a'richt?"

As Fergus took a protective stance in front of me, Terry continued to glare. I guess it was safe to say he still blamed me for what happened. Truth be told, I was starting to blame myself as well. With a few grunts, the two men managed to finally flip Gabriel over. As the King came to rest on his stomach, I cringed at the sight of his wounds.

"Shouldn't he be healed by now?" The question was barely louder than a whisper as my fingers gingerly brushed across one of the uglier looking gashes along his back.

"I don't know," the Doctor admitted truthfully. "I don't know why he's not healing."

When I looked up, Terry's face had taken on an angry expression. "But I'm sure whatever the reason is, it's because of you."

With a hand on my hip, I gave a frown of my own. "I'll remind you, I didn't ask for any of this," I told him. "And if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a damn thing."

"Then why are you still here?" he challenged. "If you think this somehow makes up for everything you've done, you're wrong," he spat. "You're no Luna. Hell, you're not even a wolf--"

"That's enough," Fergus barked, but the damage had already been inflicted.

Terry cautiously glanced at large Scot before narrowing his eyes at me. "Why don't you just do us all a favor, and do what you do best."

As a hot tear streaked down my cheek, Terry ignored the warning growls as he stalked towards me. Grasping my shoulder, he leaned down and whispered harshly against my ear.

"Why don't you just leave."

*
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***

"Alexis, are ye in thare, lass?"

Tears clouded my vision as I looked up at the slowly opening door. With a sympathetic look, the big oaf stumbled in to the room.

"Yer nae seriously thinkin' aboot goin awa again, urr ye?"

Glancing down at the bag resting near my feet, Fergus let out a deep grunt, shaking his head in disbelief. I was almost convinced that the odd little snorts he often expelled were some form of Scottish curse words.

"Alexis, c'moan. Ye cannae be serious!"

"And why not?" I shot back. "I don't want to be a wolf and I certainly don't want to be your Luna."

"Why? Because o' whit that glaikit, weasel-headed cockwomble said?"

"No! It's because-- wait," I paused. An amused smirk quickly spreading across my face. "Did you just call Terry a cockwomble?"

Fergus chuckled before taking a seat next to me on the bed. "Listen to meh," he said while giving my knee a small pat. "We need ye 'ere," he insisted. "Gabriel needs ye 'ere. I dinnae always agree wi' everything th' Alpha does, especially whin he juist up 'n' teuk ye. Bit he sees something in ye."