Aiden
I walk down the hall, panic rising inside me. Raven, Eve, and Skyler are upstairs in her room, and Noah is trying to calm me down. "Calm down, Aiden, she's strong! She'll be fine" she reassures me, but it doesn't help. "Who was that man and what does he want from Selena?" I ask, turning to Noah. "Professor Adrian Cross could be it" Noah replies. "The history professor who's secretly involved in the hunt?"
"Yes he is!" Noah confirms with a grim expression. I try to think back on everything she said. Why does she want to kill Selena? For revenge or something else? "Damn!" "What's going on upstairs? I want to see Selena!" Just as I'm about to go up, Raven comes down the stairs, and the worry on her face makes me cringe. "We got the bullet out, but..." she pauses for a second before continuing. "He's still in danger!" Her words hit me like a hammer. "What do you mean, Raven?"
Raven takes a deep breath, her eyes welling up with tears. "She's lost a lot of blood, Aiden. We managed to stop the bleeding, but she needs medical attention. Fast." I glance nervously at Noah, who nods solemnly. "I know someone who might be able to help" Noah says, stepping forward. "But we need to act quickly."
Without hesitation, I follow Noah as she leads the way downstairs and out the front door. The cool night air hits my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. We make our way through the woods surrounding Selena's house, moving swiftly and silently until we reach a small cabin tucked away among the trees.
Noah knocks sharply on the door, and it swings open to reveal a woman dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. Her dark hair is streaked with silver, and her eyes hold a mixture of concern and determination. "What happened?" she asks, stepping aside to let us enter. Noah hurries inside, followed closely by me. The interior of the cabin is warm and cozy, with a fireplace crackling softly in the corner.
Noah turned to the woman. "Dr. Maria you have to help us! Selena was shot and we need to go to her house immediately!" Dr. Maria's face becomes concerned and without hesitation she takes the first aid kit from the cabinet. "Take me to her!" Noah and I nod and quickly return to the house.
As soon as we burst through the door, Dr. Maria rushes up to Selena's side, quickly assessing the situation. She opens her bag and begins to work efficiently, applying pressure to the wound while instructing Raven to bring her sterilized instruments and clean cloths. "Help me turn her onto her stomach" Dr. Maria commands, her voice steady despite the urgency of the situation.
I carefully turn Selena onto her stomach, wincing as she lets out a weak groan of pain. Dr. Maria works quickly, cleaning the wound and stitching it shut with practiced ease. The room is silent except for the occasional sharp intake of breath from Selena and the soft hum of activity from Dr. Maria and the others. My heart hammers in my chest, a mix of fear and desperation coursing through my veins.
As Dr. Maria finishes stitching up Selena's wound, she leans back and looks at Selena. "She's stable for now" she announces, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "But she needs proper medical attention. We need to get her to a hospital." Raven shakes her head furiously. "No hospitals. Too many questions. We'll take care of her here." Dr. Maria sighs, realizing the seriousness of their situation. "Very good."
Eve and Skyler look at each other, then nod in agreement. "We'll watch her" they say in unison. Dr. Maria gathers her materials and leaves, leaving the rest of us alone with Selena. We gather around her bed, watching her chest rise and fall with each labored breath.
-------------------------------------------
In the morning I wake up and realize I've fallen asleep in the chair. I look over at Selena and she hasn't woken up yet. Raven enters the room, still looking concerned. "How is she?" Raven asks, sitting on the edge of the bed. "She's still asleep" I answer quietly. "It's all my fault! When that man, whoever he was, shot her, something inside me woke up" I began, and Raven listened intently. "I... realized that as much as I tried to deny it, to hate her, I actually love her." Raven's eyes widened in surprise.
Raven's gaze softens, and she offers me a small smile. "I'm glad you finally admitted it to yourself," she says gently. "Selena cares about you too, you know. More than she'd ever admit." I blush slightly, looking down at my hands. "Yeah?" "Oh yeah" Raven confirms. "And I think she'd be happy to hear you say those words when she wakes up." She glances at Selena, who is still sleeping peacefully.
I shift uncomfortably in my seat, feeling the weight of Raven's words. "Do you think... she'll wake up soon?" I ask, glancing nervously at Selena's still form. Raven shrugs. "Hard to say. She's strong, but she lost a lot of blood." She looks at me thoughtfully. "You should get some rest too. You look exhausted." I start to protest, but she insists. "Go lie down on the couch. I'll wake you if anything changes."
I nod reluctantly and head downstairs, slumping onto the couch with a sigh. Despite my exhaustion, sleep eludes me. My mind races with thoughts of Selena, of the hunt, of everything that has led us to this moment. I toss and turn, but I can't sleep. After a few minutes, I finally relax and my eyes begin to close from exhaustion. "I'll tell you how I feel, Selena" I mutter to myself. "I'll love the beast, even if it devours me, because I want you to devour me. This time I won't run."