Chapter three:The accident
1566 Words
Angora:
“Don’t move.”
The healer’s voice was calm, but her hands pressed more firmly against Kail’s chest as she spoke. A soft glow spread beneath her palms, steady and controlled, sinking into his skin.
Kail lay rigid on the stone bed, his jaw clenched so tightly I could see the muscle twitch near his temple. His breathing was slow, but uneven, like he was forcing himself to stay still through the pain.
“I’m not moving,” he said, though the tension in his voice gave him away.
“You are resisting,” the healer replied without looking at him. “If you don’t relax, this will take longer.”
Kail exhaled sharply and turned his head toward me. “Angora, you should step back.”
I didn’t move. Instead, I leaned closer to the bed, my hands tightening together in my lap.
“No. I’m staying.”
“This isn’t your responsibility,” he said, his voice softer now.
“It is,” I replied, unable to meet eyes with him. “You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me.”
“That’s not true,” he said quickly shaking his head.
“It was to me,” I answered stubbornly.
The healer let out a quiet breath, clearly unimpressed with both of us. “Arguing will not help the healing,” she said as the glow beneath her hands flared briefly.
I watched Kail’s face closely….the way his eyes darkened when the pain spiked, the way his shoulders tensed even when he tried to hide it.
“Is it healing properly?” I asked timidly.
She hesitated, just enough for my throat to tighten.
“The damage is stabilizing,” she answered carefully. “He will recover.”
That answer didn’t reassure me.
Kail shifted slightly, biting back a sound as the healer pressed down again.
Before either of us could speak, the air in the room changed.
The warmth drained away, replaced by a pressure that settled deep in my chest. The glow beneath the healer’s hands flickered and faded. Every instinct in me went alert.
The doors opened.
Five elders entered together, their movements slow and deliberate. Guards followed behind them, boots striking the stone floor in steady rhythm.
The room felt smaller the moment they stepped inside, as if the walls had moved closer and oxygen disappeared.
The healer straightened immediately and pulled her hands away. “He is not fully—”
“That will be enough,” Elder Vaelor said.
She bowed her head and stepped aside.I gulped.
Kail pushed himself upright despite the pain, one hand gripping the edge of the bed. “This meeting wasn’t scheduled.”
“We were informed of the injury,” Elder Myra replied. “That was reason enough.”
Their attention shifted to me and I looked away.
Every one of them glared at me….I could feel the burn of their gaze.
Kail stepped forward without hesitation, placing himself slightly in front of me. “She wasn’t the cause of what happened.”
“We are aware,” Vaelor said. “That does not remove the concern.”
I straightened. “He was training me,” I started quickly, my voice firm. “That was all. Nothing went wrong.”
Elder Kaelis studied me for a long moment. “Training was already accounted for.”
I glanced at Kail, then back at the elders. “Then why are you here?”
Vaelor’s expression did not change. “You already know why.”
“I don’t,” My tightened as I held my gown. “But if there is a problem about what happened, tell him to explain it better.”
I turned to Kail. “Tell them, Kail. Tell them I was training.”
Kail’s jaw tightened. “She was under my supervision.”
“Yes,” Myra said nonchalantly. “Which was why you were given two options.”
The words hit harder now, my spine went stiff.
“Two options?” I repeated, my pulse picking up. “What options?”
No one answered me.
I took a step forward, now looking at Kail with horrified eyes. “What are they talking about Kail?”
Kail didn’t look at me. His focus stayed locked on Vaelor, taking heavy breaths. “You said you would give me time.”
“You were warned,” Vaelor replied calmly.
“For what?” I demanded, turning between them. “Why wouldn’t anyone tell me?”
A guard shifted closer, and the movement made my skin prickle.
“Leave her out of this,” Kail said again, more force this time.
He stepped fully in front of me now, his body blocking their view, his presence filling the room despite the injury he was still trying to hide.
“You do not get to make decisions about her without me.”
Vaelor’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You forget yourself and your role?”
“No,” Kail gritted his teeth, his eyes blood shot. “I remember exactly who I am. And I remember what authority you granted me when you allowed me to take responsibility for her.”
“That authority was conditional,” Myra seethed. “And those have been broken.” She have me a disgusted look.
Kail turned sharply toward her. “By what measure? She was training. Under my supervision. You cannot punish her for something that did not happen.”
Kaelis let out a slow breath. “You cannot continue to handle every matter alone simply because you believe you understand her better than we do.”
“I do understand her better,” Kail snapped.
“That is the point!” Vaelor stepped forward, his voice calm but carrying weight. “You are not the only one responsible for this town, Alpha. You do not get to decide its fate on your own while the elders still stand.”
I gripped the fabric of Kail’s sleeve. “Kail, please,” I said quietly. “Just tell them. Tell them I was listening. Tell them I was getting better at control.”
He didn’t look back at me, but I felt the tension ripple through him.
“She is improving,” he said instead. “You know that.”
“We know her power is growing,” Myra replied. “Faster than before.”
“And that was exactly why I should be here,” Kail reasoned with her. “Her powers are fractured and she is trying to tame them. You cannot contain something you do not understand.”
Vaelor’s expression hardened. “And you cannot shield one life at the expense of an entire town.”
“She is not expendable,” Kail took a step forward, his voice laced with fury.
“No,” Vaelor agreed. “She is not even bound to you.”
The words landed heavily, and for a moment we both forgot to talk...
“You are asking us,” Kaelis continued, “to trust your emotions over our judgment. As a future Alpha, your duty is to the many, not the one. Especially when that one is not your marked mate.”
Kail went still, my breath shuddered.
The silence stretched long enough for my chest to ache.
“That,” Vaelor said quietly, “is why you could not stop this.”
The guards moved again.
And my heart dropped.
“Kail,” I said, panic rising as I clutched him, “stop them. I didn’t mean any harm. Please, Kail! Do something! I promise it won't happen again!” My voice wavered as I begged for mercy and understanding.
He stood there, frozen, lost in thought, his fists clenched.
Kaelis looked at his fists and stepped forward. “Your first duty is to the safety of this town, Kail, not to your personal attachments. You need to understand this.”
I felt the words before I understood them.
I turned slowly toward Kail.
He didn’t speak.
That silence answered every question I had been afraid to ask….my vision went blurry.
One of the guards gripped my arm. I jerked back instinctively.
“No! Don’t!!!” I twisted and thrashed like a dying fish, my nerves everywhere as my heart thrummed in my chest.
“This is containment,” Myra announced evenly.
Kail stepped forward at last. “You don’t get to do this.” His voice low but tired now.
“We already are,” Vaelor replied.
The guards pulled me toward the door. Pain surged through my arms, sharp and sudden.
“Kail,” I said, my voice breaking, “please say something.”
His mouth opened when he looked at me, his eyes dimmed with sadness.
But no words came out. My heart broke into a million pieces as I looked at him, expecting him to move forward.
The doors opened onto a narrow corridor I didn’t recognize as the guards dragged me.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I tried again, struggling against their hold.
Vaelor met my gaze. “That was precisely the problem.”
The doors slammed shut behind me, cutting off the sound of Kail’s voice as he finally called my name.
I was dragged away, fear curling tight in my chest as the truth settled in.
Kail was going to choose this town over me… wasn’t he?
- Writer
