The Rejected Link

Chapter 9: The crimson trail

“What?” I asked, fear eminent in my voice.

“You've been poisoned!” She says with conviction.

Her eyes showed that of pity; she squeezed my shoulders gently, a small smile playing on her lips.

“She's what?” Exols growled lowly. I hadn't noticed him entering the room.

Grace flinched slightly and moved from me, revealing me to him; his face held anger and something dangerously close to worry. He averted his eyes from me to hide it, his attention on Grace.

“Are you certain?” He asked, his voice hard mirroring his strong posture

Grace trembled slightly, her head low in a bowing position. “ Yes, I am; the wound is still fresh like it was yesterday. It's not healing”

“You're a healer, what do you think it is?”

Grace looked at me then returned her gaze to Exol, and cleared her voice before responding “Dark magic”

Exol tensed, his eyes darkening “Are you sure?” Grace gave a curt nod

She's scared of him, why?

Suddenly, sharp pain erupted from the wound, a searing agony that stole my breath away. I cried out, clutching my side, the world tilting once again.

"Ruthni!" Exol roared, his voice a thunderous growl, I've never heard it that deep before.

He rushed to me and knelt beside me, his face a mask of fury and concern. I could see the raw, primal fear in his eyes, a fear that mirrored my own.

He went to gently lift my shirt, looking at me for permission first. When I gave him a slow nod, he raised the shirt from my body, his touch surprisingly gentle.

The wound was completely dark now, veins stretching away from the wound reaching for the rest of my body. Exol studied it quietly before standing up and extending his hand for me.

I took it hesitantly, standing up to meet him. “We need to see the Alpha” Was all he said before leading me out of the room.

As we exited his room, I noticed that he led me through another entrance entirely different from the one I had used before with the Alpha.

We arrived at the packhouse main room when the Alpha and the Elders were having a meeting. Upon noticing our presence, the Alpha rose. “What are you doing here, Exol?”

The elders followed suit, a mix of alphas and betas, their intimidating pheromones affecting me slightly. I shifted ever so silently, using Exol's back as a shield; he was still holding my hand so I couldn't be covered completely.

“We need your help?” Exol started, his voice hard and gruff.

“By we, you mean you and….?” One of the elders asked, leaving him the space to fill in the blanks.

His hand squeezed mine; I could hear his heart beating against its cage at a rapid pace; he stared at them for a few moments before responding, “Me and my mate!” He said with finality.

A wave of sighs erupted in the room, their faces etched with shock, all except Alpha. They each turned to themselves with questioning glances, I didn't understand what was going on.

Exol's hands started to shake, seemingly running out of patience. “Can you please help?” He said once more.

“What is the issue?” A woman came forward, an alpha. She was tall with grey starting to sprout from her head; she seemed to be the eldest, seeing as even Alpha made way for her passage.

“My mate was poisoned; she had gone into the ancient forest and was attacked.” He brought me before them, lifting my shirt slightly to show the damage done. “She was stabbed with a knife. The attack happened yesterday so she should have healed. Instead of that, it's darkening and now spreading”

“Dark magic!” The woman whispered.

She came to me, checking my face, tilting my head back to see into my eyes. “Where is the weapon that was used?” The question was directed to Exol.

“We don't have it, if we are lucky, it would still be in the forest where the attack happened”

“To know what we are dealing with, you need to find that knife,” She said, looking at me now. She caressed my cheek slightly. “You'll be fine,” She said with a small smile, only for me to hear.

******

The green of the ancient forest pressed in on me, a suffocating embrace. Each rustle of leaves, each snap of a twig, each crow from a bird, sent a jolt of fear through me.

Exol walked beside me; his jaw clenched, his eyes scanning the undergrowth with predatory intensity. I knew he was worried, but he did his best to hide it.

"You sure you can keep up, Ruthni?" he asked, his voice rough with concern.

I forced a smile, though my lips trembled. My face etched with pain. The pain was getting worse; I could feel it now in my back. "I'll be fine, Exol. We need to find that knife."

The forest floor was treacherous, a carpet of slippery moss and treacherous roots. I tripped over a root and stumbled. Exol reached out to help me, his hand hovering near my arm, but he pulled back, the touch lingering and continued walking.

I yearned for his touch, for the warmth of his hand on my skin, the fire it started in me, I just didn't understand why he was keeping me at bay.

Here he was, in the ancient forest looking for a possible solution to my ailment. Even now, he restricted himself from me.

When will he ever accept me?

We pushed deeper into the forest, the air growing thicker with the scent of blood. It wasn't animal blood, but something…off. Rotting, metallic. A shiver ran down my spine, a sudden chill in the air, I reached out to Exol instinctively hiding him tight as my dear grew

I could see a shine up ahead close to what I remember as the rock I laid against when I lost consciousness, something reflective of the light above, I moved with purpose and lifted the object, a small, ornate knife, the hilt intricately carved with symbols I didn't recognize, It was unlike any weapon I’d ever seen, radiating an aura of dark magic.

Exol's hand trembled as he retrieved the knife from my hands, the blade still slick with my blood though being in this most environment.

A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over me, the world fading to the edges of my vision as my knees buckled, taking me down.

"Easy, Ruthni," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion.

He helped me to my feet, his arm holding my side to support my weight. I leaned heavily on him, my body weak, my mind reeling. The pain became too much more than I could handle.

“We had to get back to the pack, to the Elders,” Exol stated, a hint of relief in his voice; he carried me for a while, his muscles straining, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

“I can try to walk, Exol; you don't need to strain yourself for me,” I said, feeling guilty a bit.

He laid me gently on the ground. I took that as a sign to start moving, but as I turned my back to proceed, I felt a shift in the atmosphere, everything feeling dark. I turned and came face to face with a huge wolf.

Exol had transformed.

His wolf was mighty, his fur was jet black with thick stands just like Exol and he had the most beautiful golden eyes. He bent his front paw towards me, reducing his size to my level.

“Mate,” He said, his voice deep and hard.

A little laugh left my lips, at least a side of him acknowledged me “Hi, what's your name?” I asked, happy with this new development.

“I am Bardulf,” A lovely name. “Exol has instructed me to take us back to the pack. You require assistance”

Wait. Exol had transformed so that he could carry me better?

Oh goddess, my heart, I'm ecstatic.

One big step for Ruthni!

I climbed Bardulf and situated myself comfortably on him; I could feel the heat of his body radiating through his fur, a comforting presence in the face of the encroaching darkness.

The pain vibrated my entire body, I felt dizzy once more, my consciousness fading slightly.

Bardulf must have felt this as he sped up, wafting through the trees. He refused to let me give up, his words a low, insistent growl, "We're almost there, Ruthni. Hold on."

I clung to him, my fingers digging into his fur, desperate for the strength that seemed to emanate from him.

As we emerged from the forest, the sight of the pack, the elders gathered at the moonstone, their faces etched with worry, brought a surge of relief. I knew I was safe, at least for now.

Bardulf dropped me at the base of the moonstone and reverted to Exol. I looked up at Exol, his eyes filled with a fierce protectiveness that both comforted and terrified me. He would do a lot to keep me safe, I knew that now.

But could he keep me safe from himself? From the darkness that seemed to lurk within him, a darkness that mirrored the one that was trying to consume me.