To Forgive, or to Forget

chapter 13

Xavier's POV

No, no, NO, NO, NO!

I bent down and scooped Venice's body into my arms, bridal style. She can't be dead! My mind raced a million miles an hour as I began to carry Venice. I heard a faint door open.

"What's going o-" I turned to see Venice's parents along with Callie. Her parents froze in terror.

"Get her to the pack doctors! Now!" Callie said in a rush. I nodded and followed her in the dark. We took off in a fast sprint as we ran toward the plain white building. Callie pushed the doors open with as much force as she could.

"HELP! WE NEED HELP" I yelled as we stepped into the white light of the small hospital. Even though Callie was in her night clothes, she still began to put on her gear to get ready for Venice's treatment.

My mind was racing. I can't lose her!

"I'll take her Alpha." A nurse said as she wheeled a bed over. I ever so gently laid Venice down.

"She's not breathing! Please!" I begged the nurses. They nodded and began to wheel her bloody body away. I began to follow but a nurse dressed in black scrubs stopped me.

"You can't go back there. Let us do our job." The nurse pleaded. I fell to my knees as I watched Callie and five other nurses wheel Venice behind a huge set of double doors.

No. The past is repeating... I can't lose her. Not when I'm getting so close to finally having her...

I don't know how long I stayed in my spot on the floor. Soon Venice's parents came in to wait. I had somewhat snapped out of my paralysis.

"W-what happened?" Venice's mother asked me, her throat thick with tears. I stayed silent for a while, waiting for my voice to work but it was like my throat kept closing. Then I finally snapped completely out of it and stood up.

"I was to late. The rouge had already done so much damage. I shouldn't have left her..." I said as I hung my head low in depression and regret. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up into the eyes of Venice's mother.

"She's so strong willed. She's stubborn too, like you. She will be okay. She has to. There was nothing you could do..." Her mother said as she took me into her arms. Her mother had never hugged me before...

I hugged her back as we cried silently together. Venice's father joined us as we cried for the girl behind the hospital doors.

Please be okay... I love you.

...

It had been three hours before Callie finally showed herself. I stood up from my seat as I waited for her to speak. She looked exhausted. She had bags under her eyes and her skin was pale.

"She's breathing." Callie said. Instantly I let out a breath I was holding. Venice's parents cried tears of joy.

"But, she's in a comma. She lost a lot of blood and most of her bones in her torso are broken." Callie finished. Everything went quiet as we took in the information.

"Can I see her?" I asked as I felt the fear of losing Venice creep back into my mind. Callie sighed.

"Yeah, for right now. Then you have to leave." Callie said. "I will." I lied and followed Callie to the back.

She pushed a normal wooden door open and revealed a white room. There was a small TV on the wall.

I looked over my heart fell to my feet at the look of Venice. The once lively girl was now black and blue. She had scratches down her pale sides. She had bags under her eyes. I watched as her chest slowly moved up and down.

I walked over and knelt down beside her. I brushed her long hair with my fingers. She looked like a beaten up doll. So fragile and forever frozen in the very position she laid in. I gently took her small pale hand in my big one.

"I'm so sorry I left... I shouldn't have." I whispered as I gently kissed her knuckles. It was my job to protect her...

and I failed.

...

It's been three days. I haven't left her side once. The nurses keep trying to get me to, but I refuse. I promised myself that I would never let her out of my sight again.

Over the three days her bruises had lightened and her scars were now closed. Her bones were far from healed, but we were getting there. As soon as she is good and healed, I am moving her into the pack house. Weather she likes it or not.

I had my head down as I sat in the red chair next to her bed. I was tired and hungry. The nurses would try to bring me food but I wouldn't budge. I needed to be here for Venice when she got up. I couldn't be distracted.

I heard some rustling, then a moan. My head shot up and I watched as Venice's had finally moved. I shot out of my seat and was next to her in seconds. I watched as she slowly opened her eyes and her face scrunched up in pain as she tried to move.

"Woah, woah! Hold up, baby. You need to keep still. You have a lot of broken bones!" She stopped moving at that. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she tried to remember something. Her eyes widened as a smile appeared on her face.

"My bag. Get my bag with my clothes!" Venice tried to say, but it came out raspy. I turned and saw her bag laying on the floor by the door. Her parents had brought it over on one of their many visits along with my clothes. I got up and brought it over the my seat.

"Get the black bottle and hand it to me." Venice said lowly. I dug around until I found it.

"Uncap it." She said. I really wanted to questioned her, but I was to excited about her waking to even think straight right now. I did as she said and handed it to her. She weakly to it and held it to her lips. I watched as she drank whatever was in the bottle.

"That's better." She said perfectly fine after a minute. I panicked as she stood from the bed, but stop when she stretched put her arms and didn't even budge from pain.

"It's a medicine that the hunters use to heal broken bones. It's pretty effective." She said as she turned and smiled at me. My heart skipped a beat at her beauty.

"You're moving into the pack house with me." I demanded. Venice's smile dropped.

"Look. I have to be back to the hunters in a couple days because I'm pretty sure I've been out for a while..." Venice said as she looked threw her clothes.

"Three days." I said. She nodded. "Please stay." I pleaded as she walked to the bathroom. She only shook her head as she shut the door. Looks like I'm gonna have to do this the hard way.