Children of the Goddesses (completed)

Supernatural Healing

Laila’s POV

            I scurried back into bed right before the door between our adjourning rooms opened and squeezed my eyes shut. Ethan was gone for quite a while to prepare for our journey tonight and I had taken the chance to get some sun. Just as I had guessed, my body was somehow reacting to the sun, using its energy to make me stronger, almost like how witches were able to draw magic from the moon. If I wasn’t sure before, I was definitely sure now. It has been barely three days and my gunshot wound is almost completely healed. There was still some bruising around the wound but I no longer felt any pain and could use my right leg as if it wasn’t injured. Words couldn’t describe my excitement at this discovery but it was quickly overshadowed by Ethan’s offer when he came into the room.

            “We’re all set to leave once the sun sets in an hour. Should I change the dressing on your wound before we leave?” 

            My heart skipped a beat as I looked at the bandages and packets of sterile water in Ethan’s hands. If he saw my wound now and how quickly it had healed, how would I even begin to explain myself? Before I could react, he was already by my side and reached for my right calf from under the covers. 

            “I..I can do it myself,” I stammered before gazing at Ethan nervously and pulling my leg away from him. My palms were sweating as my anxiety levels hit the roof. Ethan’s eyes pierced into mine like he was trying to search for something, sending my heart into my throat. Just as the tension in the room was getting thick enough that you could cut it with a knife, Ethan’s gaze softened and pleasurable sparks spread across my skin as he caressed my face.

            “Laila, you don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m your mate, you can tell me anything,” he promised in a solemn tone. 

            “I don’t know how but my wound, it seems to be almost fully healed,” I whispered uncertainly, looking down at the bed and avoiding the gaze of my mate. Immense guilt crushed my heart but I simply didn’t know how I could tell Ethan everything without him thinking that I was either crazy or a dangerous and evil daywalker. Even I had no idea what I was anymore, how could I expect him to understand or accept me for what I was? 

            Waves of disappointment washed over me and I looked up to see Ethan’s face hardened as he reached for my leg again. His emotion confused me and I couldn’t understand what he was disappointed with as he removed my old bandages. My heart pounded as he examined my wound and I resisted the urge to squirm away from him. 

            “Wow, it’s nearly all healed now,” he mumbled as he washed the wound with sterile water before drying it and applying the new bandages. 

            “You don’t sound too happy that my wound is nearly healed,” I uttered nervously. 

            Ethan looked up at me in shock as guilt flashed across his eyes. “That’s not what I meant, Laila. It’s just, you’re a vampire, and this, how is this possible? How are you healing so fast?” 

            Fear gripped me and unknowingly, I had grabbed a handful of the bedsheets under my palm and fisted them tightly in my hands. “Would you believe me if I said I don’t know?” 

            “I don’t know, Laila, but I’m trying,” Ethan said dejectedly before gathering the old bandages and empty plastic packages from the sterile water and standing up to leave.  

            Tears trickled down my face as I bit my lip to prevent myself from crying. I didn’t blame Ethan for not trusting me and soon we would be at the Tahoe Coven where I would have credible witnesses to vouch for me, and only then would I be able to fearlessly tell him the entire truth. 

Ethan’s POV

            The drive tonight was strangely quiet. Corin was driving with Dillon in the passenger’s seat and we converted the middle and back rows into a flatbed so that Laila could stretch her legs. I was conflicted about what I saw and from Laila’s words in the afternoon, I knew that she was hiding something from me. Despite the urging of my wolf to trust our mate, I couldn’t ignore all the alarm bells that went off around me. No vampires could be unharmed by sunlight, none except the daywalkers, the fanatics of the vampire army and followers of the leader of the First Witch’s Daughters. They were the most dangerous of vampires but they were all killed at the Battle at Wallace Bay two years ago. 

            Exactly! So there is no way that mate is a dangerous daywalker! 

            You’re just blinded by the bond, Gower. If she isn’t a daywalker then what is she? And why couldn’t she tell me the truth? Unless she’s trying to hide something bad from me! 

            Yup, and that is exactly, why she is not telling you the truth, you stupid boy! You’re judging her, doubting her and you want her to trust you? Get off your high horse and put yourself in her shoes, Ethan! 

            “You feeling alright, Laila?” Dillon’s concerned voice broke the awkward silence in the car and I could see his worried gaze through the rear-view mirror. Jealousy creeped up out of nowhere as I saw Laila smiling at Dillon. 

            “I’m alright. It really doesn’t hurt anymore,” she assured him and lifted her right leg as if to drive her point home. Dillon chuckled in amusement and the two of them resumed their usual banter. Soon sounds of their laughter filled the air and instinctively, I reached out to hold Laila’s hand, not caring if the brothers noticed. No one knew that Laila was my mate, even though everyone knew that something was going on between us. I could see the questions in their eyes and initially, I wanted to announce it officially before we set off tonight but after seeing Laila basking in the sun this morning, I decided not to say anything, at least not until Laila was honest with me. The last thing that I needed was to have my pack find out something about Laila that would lead them to rejecting her before I could even figure things out with her.

            A spark of pleasure jolted through me as Laila squeezed my hand back and I turned to see her beaming at me. I forced a smile in return and tried to push my doubts to the back of my mind, but it was like a festering wound that was growing out of control. I hated that she was still smiling and joking around like nothing was wrong when she was obviously hiding something important from me. I hated that she didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth and mostly, I hated myself for being weak and so afraid of upsetting the delicate balance between us that I couldn’t bring myself to confront her. 

            Ethan! Help! 

            The desperate screams of Betti filled the pack link followed by the sound of screeching tires and a loud crash. “s**t!” Corin cursed as he tried to see what had happened through the rear-view mirror but we had just turned around a bend and the other car was completely out of sight by now.

            Betti? Jo? Mitch? 

            No one in the other car responded to me in our pack link and a sense of foreboding overwhelmed me as I commanded Corin to stop the car. “Stay in the car with Dillon,” I said sternly to Laila before jumping out of the car with Corin and running towards the bend of the road behind us..