Chapter 3
1266 Words
Chelsea’s POV
I ran as fast as I could to get help for the wounded stranger.
I didn’t even know if stranger was the right term for him.
The Polaris mark on my wrist tingled faintly, I glanced at it while I was running.
The faint silver lines had already faded, but I could still feel the warmth beneath my skin. My mother’s words echoed in my mind whether I wanted them to or not.
‘It only glows when you meet your mate.’
“No,” I muttered under my breath as I kept running. “That can’t be it.”
My legs were already weak, but I forced them to move faster. I didn’t know how long that man had been lying there before I found him. Every second I wasted could make things worse.
Then I saw it - a road..
A smile crept onto my lips.
“Yes!” I jumped. There was actual hope.
Relief washed over me so suddenly that I slowed down.
Only then did I notice the big sign above me.
“Welcome to Rogue Town”
I swallowed.
I wasn’t supposed to trespass on another turf.
Should I go back?
If I do, I’ll put the strang- my mate, in danger.
The safer option was to find help here. I’d handle my punishment later.
I hurried toward the nearest house and knocked on the door with both hands.
“Please!” I called out.
Footsteps sounded from inside. The door opened slowly, and an older man stared at me with confusion.
“What happened?” he asked.
“There’s a man in the forest,” I said, trying to catch my breath. “He’s hurt. He’s bleeding. Please, we need to help him.”
The man studied me for a moment before calling over his shoulder. Two other men appeared behind him.
“She says someone’s injured,” he told them.
They exchanged looks, then one of them grabbed a flashlight.
“Show us where he is,” he said.
I nodded quickly and led them back into the forest.
The walk felt longer this time. My heart pounded harder with every step.
I didn’t realize the situation I had walked into.
I was bringing three men I didn’t know to help another man I didn’t know.
Was this a setup?
My pulse spiked as the thought of walking into a setup ran through my mind.
I walked faster than them to the front.
When we reached the clearing, I rushed ahead.
“There,” I said.
The men moved closer and shone the flashlight on him.
“He’s still breathing,” one of them said.
I breathed out.
“C-can you tell what’s wrong with him?” I asked, trembling.
“Looks like he hit his head while hunting,” one replied, looking around for any clues.
“Don’t worry,” another man said, walking towards him to lift his feet.“Your boyfriend will be okay.”
“N-no he’s not my boyfriend,” I corrected immediately.
They looked at each other and just… smiled.
They crouched down beside him and carefully lifted him. Up close, I realized how heavy he was. His body was solid with muscle, and it took both of them to carry him.
They carried him to a small truck parked near the road and placed him carefully in the back.
“Hospital’s not far from here,” the man said as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
I sat beside the stranger in the back as the truck started moving. The ride felt bumpy, and I tried to steady him so his head wouldn’t hit the side.
The town clinic came into view a few minutes later.
It was small, but the lights inside were very bright. At least it looked safe.
The men carried him in quickly while I followed close behind.
A nurse hurried over when she saw us.
“What happened?” she asked.
“She found him injured in the forest and she came to us to help,” one of the men explained.
They placed him on a stretcher and wheeled him toward a room.
The nurse who had greeted us walked beside them, checking his pulse and asking a few questions. Her name tag read Ruby.
She looked calm even though everything was happening so quickly.
“He will be okay, right?” I glanced back at her name tag. “Ruby?”
“Don’t worry,” she said with a soft smile. “We’ll take care of him.”
I nodded, though my hands were still shaking.
The doctors worked on him for a while. They cleaned the blood from his forehead and checked his eyes with a small light.
I stayed near the doorway, watching silently.
After some time, one of the doctors stepped out to speak with me.
“He has a concussion,” he said. “A few cuts and bruises, but nothing worse than that.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“He’ll need rest,” the doctor continued. “But he should be fine.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
The doctor nodded and walked away.
Ruby returned a few minutes later with some supplies. She adjusted the blanket over the stranger and checked the bandage on his head.
“You’re the one who brought him in?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“That was kind of you,” she said. “Not everyone would stop to help someone they found in the forest.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.
I had almost left him there.
Ruby finished her work and gave the stranger one last look before stepping toward the door.
“He should wake up later,” she said. “Just call if you need anything.”
Then she left the room.
The clinic became quiet again.
I sat down in the chair beside the bed.
For the first time since I found him, I had a moment to breathe.
I scanned him from head to toe. At first when I saw him, he looked older. But now he looked slightly younger.
His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead where the bandage was placed.
I watched the steady rise and fall of his chest.
My fingers drifted toward my wrist again.
The Polaris mark had returned back to a normal faint silver shape against my skin.
I traced it slowly.
My mother had told me many stories about the mark before she died. She always said it was a gift from the Moon Goddess.
But tonight it felt more like a burden. Like it shouldn’t have existed.
“Why now?” I whispered to myself.
Why now?
The moon goddess knew I had just been exiled from my pack. She knew I had nowhere to go. I had no home, no family, nothing!
Yet, she sent me my mate.
It didn’t make sense.
I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes for a moment.
Maybe the chaos would’ve disappeared by the time I opened them.
Instead, everything that had happened today rushed through my mind.
Daphne’s slap. Zade’s voice when he ordered my exile. The gates closing behind me.
My chest tightened. My eyes burned. I opened them quickly to prevent tears from rolling down
I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.
I repeated in my head to steady my emotions. It wasn't a place to cry, especially not beside him.
I closed my eyes once again, this time everything went silent.
- Writer
