Alpha (Jacob Seed X Deputy OC)

22 - Guard Dog

The next few days were touch and go. Jacob was recovering but him being conscious seemed to slow down the process of his wounds healing. I'd also stopped giving him Bliss injections to avoid emotional conversations but this only made him yell out in pain more often. The arrow-head was still stuck in my thigh. I'd been so busy tending to Jacob that I'd forgotten all about it.

'Take that God damn arrow outta your leg.' He grunted as I propped him upright on the bed.

'It can wait.' I protested, ladling water into his mouth. Some of it missed, seeping through his beard and landing on his chest.

'When I was in Afghanistan my comrade Jones took a shotgun pellet to the leg. Said it wasn't a big deal.' Jacob locked eyes with me. 'Had to amputate the fuckin' thing.' I bit my lip and looked down at my wounded appendage. I wouldn't be of much use with one leg.

'Okay, okay.' I sighed, placing the bowl of water onto the bedside table. Perching on the edge of the mattress, I pursed my lips and stared down at the bloody hole. Quick and painless, quick and painless. I psyched myself up, fingers twitching at my sides.

'Oh for Christ's sake c'mere.' Jacob reached round and tugged the whole thing out in one swift movement. A guttural scream left my lungs and I very nearly collapsed back into him. 'Ya gotta stop pussy footin' around.' He tossed the bloodied piece of metal across the room and it clanged loudly against the wooden floor. Blood gushed out of my thigh and dripped down my calf, soaking into my sock.

'T-Thanks.' I said shakily, reaching for the med-kit on the bedside table. I flushed the gash out with saline and dressed it quickly before turning my attention back to Jacob. 'How do you feel today?' He blinked lazily at me.

'You shot me five times in the stomach, how do you think I'm feelin'?' Folding his arms over his chest, he hacked a cough. 'Shoulda just let me die.'

'I'm sorry okay?' I got up and struggled over to the cupboard, rifling through the now lacking reserves we had left. A few jars of coffee tumbled to the floor with a clatter and I slammed the door in frustration.

'Take a breather, pup.' Jacob's tone changed from frosty to concerned. 'It was an accident, stop beating yourself up about it.' I ignored him, striding over to the cabin door even though it hurt like hell.

'I'm going to find more supplies.'

'You're so fuckin' stubborn.' Jacob threw his arms around wildly from the bed but couldn't physically do anything to stop me. Storming out into the fresh air, I hobbled my way through the woodlands cursing the ginger-haired soldier out under my breath.

***

I'd managed to collect everything we needed from raiding empty cabins and prepper stashes but by God had it taken a long time. It was now evening, the moon high in the sky and I was struggling to carry everything back to home base. As I breached the forest, I was a few paces away from the front door when I was grabbed from behind. Dropping everything in my arms, my body was slammed against the nearest tree as two cultists loomed over me.

'You shouldn't go walking alone late at night Deputy.' One of them taunted, drawing out a knife.

'We're gonna make you pay for killing Jacob.' The other punched me straight in the face and I yelped in pain. My lip must've split because I felt a warm well of blood glide over my tongue. Wrestling free of his grasp, I knew I couldn't fight in my condition so instead hobbled as fast as I could to the door. Bounding inside, I slammed it behind me and gasped for breath.

'Pup?' Jacob looked at me from the bed surprised and I tried to hide my face.

'Hey.' I said casually, pressing the tip of my finger to the cut on my lip in an attempt to cover it up.

'What's goin' on? I heard ya scream.' He tilted his head forward to try and look at me but I turned my back on him.

'Nothing! Just thought I saw a wolf.'

'Liar. C'mere.' He clicked at me but I ignored him. 'Now.' His voice was stern and I obeyed, slinking over to the bedside. Reaching up, Jacob grabbed my chin and turned it to the moonlit window. He caught sight of the blood seeping from my mouth and the bruising that had started to form around my nose. Using his thumb, he wiped away the trickle that was threatening to drop from my chin as he studied the cut. 'Who did this to you?' He asked quietly, anger barely restrained.

'Nobody-'

'Who did this to you?' He asked again, more ferociously than last time.

'Some of your men.. they caught me outside I-' Before I could even finish, Jacob's ears pricked at the sound of hearty laughter just beyond the walls. Swinging his legs out of the bed, he got up and snatched up his rifle into his hands.

'Wait here.' He growled, practically kicking the door down as he marched outside.

'You can't get up!' I floundered, hurrying after him but stopping in the doorway. He stood just ahead, bandage tightly wrapped around his torso and jeans resting neatly on his hips. The two cultists looked up in shock and awe at the sight of him until they noticed the horrific scowl painted across his face.

'S-Sir! You're alive!' One of the men stuttered, his eyes focussing onto the large red sniper cradled in Jacob's grip.

'Yeah. I am.' And with that, he loosed two perfectly aimed bullets into each of the cultists skulls. Their bodies fell like jelly onto the ground, limbs loose and empty of life. Walking back to me, he planted a rough kiss to the top of my head. 'Problem solved pup.'