Saviour

Chapter Thirteen

     The moment those words left my mouth Ivy's face paled.

She immediately started to babble. "Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's spread some other way? Maybe too much exposure to people that are infected? I don't know. I'm sure your parents and Greyson will be fine!" Her pleading eyes pored into mine. I looked away when I realized how bloodshot they were. She really didn't look good and I knew the clock was ticking immeasurably fast for her. She and so many others were now counting on me to save their lives.

I wanted to throw myself onto the floor and cry. Why did everything bad that could possibly happen, happen? 

I was pacing now. I knew for a fact that my father had at least been bitten and scratched by Patrick when he had first been challenged for his title of Alpha. That was almost a week ago now, and if Ivy's timeline was correct, he would start to feel the curse and its effects soon- if they didn't beat him to death first.

My eyes misted over at the mere thought. Pushing those images out of my mind, I continued to think back on what had happened since I had arrived here. 

 Greyson had been scratched by one of Patrick's cronies and I had drawn the poison out of his body. I hadn't sensed anything like what was in Ivy's body, so maybe... he was safe. Maybe I had drawn it out before it had the chance to infect him.

Or maybe it's wishful thinking. When I realized I had let my mind wander to impossibly dark outcomes, I wanted to slap myself. If I allowed myself to admit defeat, no one would survive.

Ivy slumped over in bed, her head burrowed in her hands. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't freed those witches this curse would have never spread and no one would be dying right now." A sob escaped her as she shook with grief. "I should have just ran when I had the chance."

I watched her silently. It would be easy to put all of the blame and heartache I was feeling onto her, but I knew it wasn't her fault. That was what cowards did, blaming their hardships on others instead of doing what they could to change things for the better.

"I don't want to die," She whispered quietly to herself. She was staring out of the large bay window, a far away look in her eyes. The brightness I had seen when I first met her was slowly draining out of her bit by bit.

I sat down, placing my hand on her chin as I turned her to look at me. I couldn't let Ivy's spark and love for life drain out of her right along with her health. As long as her spirit wanted to fight, we stood a chance in saving her life.

"Ivy, not one single part of this is your fault. You did a very selfless thing, releasing Patrick's captives. You may have set things into motion, but Patrick caused this all on his own. Those witches get to recover thanks to you."

Why those witches chose to create a curse that could spread to innocent wolves was a whole other question I was determined to have answered. I knew that in recent centuries the relationships between wolves and witches had began to crumble, but I hadn't realized it was so perilous in present time. 

I sighed loudly. I placed my hands on my hips and stared out the window as the late afternoon sun cast a warm orange glow on the evergreen trees that spanned the horizon.

"I should go find Greyson. We've got lots of things to go over. I'll come check on you later, Ivy. Get some rest." I turned to Todd, "please feel free to call for me if you or anyone else here needs help. Our resources are your resources, but please stay inside. We're still not positive how the disease is spreading and we don't want it to infect anyone else if we can help it."

He gave me a stern nod, and I took that as my cue to leave. The house was packed with sick wolves, all staring at me with hope in their eyes as I passed them. It made the lump in my throat grow bigger. I don't think I would be able to ever walk these halls again if I failed them. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself.