Prints on our hearts

Chapter Fifteen

     Alex could feel the silk beneath her hands. She was in her bed. She could hardly move anything. She struggled to open her eyes. Once she did, she saw a boy sitting at her desk. He was fiddling with something in his hands. He looked up and suddenly everything came rushing back to Alex. He smiled, jumped up, and ran out the door. Alex attempted to sit up but failed miserably. Her head hurt. Her ribs ached horribly. There was a sharp pain in her leg. She heard noises and looked to the door to see Alma rush in. Her face was clearly tear stained and bag had begun forming under her eyes. Her hair was a mess and she was disheveled. She rushed to the bed and began to cry hard. Alex lifted her hand shakily and slowly to the woman's face. She looked up at Alex who smiled down at her. There was a dark bruise along her jaw and a gash above her eyebrow. Alex was sure there was a knot where the gun had collided with her head. It pained her to see Alma hurt. She lifted herself from the bed. Alma's eyes widened. Alex looked down to her body to see a bloodied bandage around her waist. She touched it softly and flinched. Her ribs were clearly broken beneath the gash. She turned her attention back to her lover. Alma still had tears streaming down her face. Alex grabbed Alma, through the hot, horrible, aching pain, and kissed her hard. Alma pulled back with a weary smile. She quickly got Alex a button up shirt to cover her exposed chest. "Alma please give me a sports bra. It won't put pressure on my ribs I swear to you.", Alex pleaded. Despite her love to be nude, she could not wear a shirt without some kind of bra. Alma nodded and wiped more tears as she got the softest sports bra she could find. As Alex buttoned her shirt now over a bra, a thought hit her. Amelia. She immediately began to climb out of beg. Alma pushed her back down. "Where is Amelia?", Alex asked Alma as she still fought against her. "I will bring her to you. Please just calm yourself and lay down.", Alma pleaded with her. Alex gave in and rested back down. Alma wiped the last of her tears from her cheek as she quickly walked out. Alex took the opportunity to look at her wounds. Quickly but carefully she began to unwrap her thigh. The amount of blood soaking the bandage grew with each unwound piece. Finally, she reached the patch of gauze and peeled it away. It appeared someone had attempted to stitch but failed. She smiled softly at the effort then began to search the bedside table. She would need to stitch it before it became infect. She found a bottle of alcohol and the needle and wire. She clenched her jaw and poured the alcohol onto the wound. She groaned and hissed in pain. Her hands shook for a second as she sterilized the needle. She grit her teeth and began to carefully stitch the skin back together. Once she had finished, she began to unbutton her shirt when the door opened again. She looked up to see Amelia carefully walk in. She had her arm in a sling and there was a small piece of bandage visible under her shirt. Alma walked in behind her. They stared at each other a minute before Amelia ran to Alex, tears streaming down her face. Alex happily embraced her child. Alma caught a whiff of their scents. They were similar. Alma's eyes widened in shock. "She's your biological child?", Alma asked looking them over. Alex pulled back with tears in her eyes. "Yes, her father was a leopard. I had her about eight years after coming to the island. He was a good man. We hunted together. We were a grand pair. We never saw each other as anything more than friends. Until one day, there was a bounty placed on him. There was no way he could run. The night he said goodbye, he gave me the best gift of all, my Amelia.", Alex said as she hugged the girl again. Alma smiled at them. A motherly side, something Alma had yet to see, exposed itself in Alex. "Amelia why the hell would you do that?! I thought the shot had killed you!", Alex spit out. Amelia smiled shyly and looked at Alma. "I could not let them kill my mom.", she began and looked back to Alex. "And besides, you needed the final push. I only had the bullet hit my shoulder.", she finished and lowered her shirt to show the wrapping. Alex sighed and touched her cheek. "That was reckless but I am so grateful you are alive. I could not bare to lose either of you.", Alex said as she looked between the two of them.Alma noticed her unwrapped thigh and frowned at her. "Alex! You should have waited for us to get back first!", she scolded her. Alex smiled. "Then help me now?", She asked and finished unbuttoning her shirt. Alma cringed as she started unwrapping the bandage. The cut on her ribs was fairly shallow but still enough to need stitches. She knew Alma would not be able to do it. She passed the needle to Amelia. She had trained her daughter well. Amelia skillfully began to stitch the skin together. Alma held out her hand to Alex, and even though she didn't need it, she squeezed her hand. Alma smiled and Alex held back her groans of pain. She knew Alma was hurting to. And despite her shoulder, Amelia used her other hand to help with the needle. Alma glanced over at it once Amelia was done. She smiled. "You did excellent.", she praised. Amelia smiled and stood to leave. "I will leave you alone. I know you two need it.", she said with a wink and walked out. Alex blushed and softly took Alma's hand. Alma sat down beside her. "How long was I out?", Alex asked. Alma looked at her. "Almost two days now. We were all so worried that you wouldn't wake up.", Alma whispered. Alex rubbed her cheek. "Alma, I will always come back to you.", Alex said with a warm smile. "Promise?", Alma asked as tears, once again, began to fill her eyes. Alex nodded. "I promise I will always come back to you.", Alex said as tears threatened to fill her own eyes. She kissed her gently but passionately. Alex knew she could never live without this raven haired woman. Alex scooped her into her arms and held her close. "Once you are better, the children all want to come see you. I am pretty sure my children want to threaten you and make sure you will always take care of me. Emma and Olive want to plan our wedding.", Alex said with a small giggle. Alex smiled and kissed the top of her head. They had just survived almost losing each other and some how it made them closer. Alma carefully snuggled into Alex. It had been two days without her wolf and she desperately missed her touch, her comfort, her warmth, and her. They laid there for a while before Alex remembered that Charles got away. She looked down at Alma. "I am going after him.", Alex said. Alma sat straight up. "No!", She said as worry filled her eyes. "I have to.", Alex stated firmly. Alma grabbed her hand tightly. "He can kill you this time! Please just let him go!", Alma begged. Alex shook her head. "He hurt my daughter and the love of my life. I am going to kill him. No matter what I have to do. Alma I promise to always come back to you. We have a wedding to attend.", Alex said trying to lighten the mood.