Matters of the Heart: Kyle and Viola

Chapter Four:

Viola’s POV:

I have been spending every minute I can with Mitch, feeling his warmth, enjoying his comfort and smiling again. The past few days have just been….

“You should be with mate.” Ely whimpers and lies down on her paws, bringing me out of my thoughts. I can see her fur has become matted and she looks thin and sickly. My heart squeezes looking at my other half so defeated.

I don’t know what to do about this weird illness that has taken over my wolf. She hardly speaks to me, she whimpers all the time, her fur is falling out and she is losing weight. The worst, is that I can’t even shift into her anymore. I have secretly been doing research and blood tests on myself, but nothing has come up. Every time I think I am close to uncovering the reasons behind my illness, I hit a dead end and it is making me so frustrated. It isn’t a secret that the wolf part of a person can die. I have seen it before in the clinic and it is tragic and painful. The thought makes me shudder. I will find an explanation and cure this before it gets to that!

I see my phone ring and its Mitch. I cannot help but smile when I see his name. It’s only been a couple days, but ever since that kiss, things have been different. I have found an inner strength inside me to carry on and the world seems a little brighter than before. Of course, I still have this void that eats away at me, but Mitch is bringing me happiness right now.

“Viola, baby, where are you? I have been waiting for the past twenty minutes.” Mitch chuckles into the phone. I can hear the smile on his face and I cannot wait to see it in person.

“I am on my way. I was just putting on an extra layer of warm clothes.” I reply, sliding on an extra jersey.

“Good idea, baby. I don’t want you to fall on the ice and get cold.” Mitch says and I laugh.

“Ok, I’m on my way.” I huff out and make my way through the door. I then hang up.

I walk through the Palace and rush out into the icy air outside. Winter arrived quickly this year, but the snow has finally covered over and it’s a winter wonderland outside.

I walk quickly along the path, trying to warm up my body by keeping a steady pace. I can see the steam coming out of my mouth as I breath out.

I enter into the pine needle forest and hear laughing in the distance. I am getting close to the lake now.

I take a couple more paces and eventually my sense go into overload as I round a corner.

White peaks tower over the lake, which has iced over and is sparkling underneath the winter sun. The pine needles glisten and sing in the cool breeze around me. I can hear the moaning and roaring of the mountain up ahead, as it stands proudly. On the lake there are flashes of color dancing around in the form of wolves and pups, all playing and skating on the ice. I smile at the sight of the families enjoying a day out.

Just then the smell of hot cocoa overwhelms my sense and makes my mouth water. I turn my head and see Mitch standing close by with two mugs.

“Nothing like some hot cocoa on ice.” Mitch smirks, handing me a cup and giving me a soft, lingering kiss, which I return.

“mmmmm…” I moan and see him smiling down at me. I can see amusement in his eyes.

“Is that for the cocoa or my kiss?” Mitch asks, chuckling and peeping at me over his mug.

“Oh, wouldn’t you love to know?” I taunt back, batting my eye lashes and earning a snort from him. We both couldn’t hold in our laughs.

I soaked up the last of my hot drink and placed the mug on a small blanket that Mitch packed. Its reall great that he packkkkka whole picnic for us today. He makes life fun.

“Shall we go onto the ice then?” I ask, reaching out to tighten the laces on my skates. I can see Mitch battling with his, so I give him a hand.

I stand up and slide forward, allowing the thin metal of my skate, to glide against the silky surface. This motion sets me forward and I can’t help but continue my dance on the ice. Pushing and sliding forward, allowing my legs to guide me. I close my eyes and breathe in the cool wind on my face.

“You really love this, don’t you, Viola?” I hear Mitches voice moving closer from behind me.

“I grew up in the North too, you know?” I say to him and see his eyes light up in wonder.

“A girl from the North? No wonder you’re creeping into my heart!” Mitch says, then grabs my hand and zooms forward with me.

This wolf is so fast on the ice, my short legs are battling to keep up to him, so I stand still and allow him to pull me. I can’t help the delight on my face as he speeds up and swings me around in circles. My giggles are melting into the giggles around me from others. His swings become faster and faster and so do my laughs. Who knew, after everything, I would find it in me to laugh again. Finally, it feels like I am starting to feel happy and like I fit in somewhere. His hands go white, as he holds onto my fingers tightly and I can see his smile becoming wider. All I see is the world moving in circles around and around me, as he glides my body in circles around his.

“M-m-ma-mate…” Ely whispers softly in my mind, her voice croaking and laced with pain. I feel her slump down and I feel a throbbing in my chest, making my laughs instantly stop.

In the moment of panic for my wolf, I lose my grip and feel Mitch’s hand loosen.

“VIOLA! HOLD ON!” Mitch shouts, but its too late.

My hand slips away from his, and I swing at an unforgiveable speed across the ice. I lose my footing and hit the ice in a loud thud, the skin of my face makes contact with the shards and I feel them shaving my skin. I try to stop myself with my hands, but I cant grip the ice, so I just let the motion continue. After what feels like minutes, I feel my movements slow and hear shouting from around me.

“VIOLA!” I hear Mitch shouting from across the ice and I see him skating towards me, his body getting closer and closer.

“VIOLA! ARE YOU OKAY?” I hear Mitch shouting again, but my face is too sore to speak. I try focus on his blurry figure approaching, but my eyes close for a second.

My mind zones out from everything around me, remembering Ely and her painful cries. I can still see her lying down in my mind and I can hear her pulse is weak.

My wolf is dying, is my last thought before I fade into darkness.

Mitch’s POV:

I pull my skates off as quick as I can to get to Viola. Her little body is still lying down on the floor after her fall and her eyes are closed.

“Get to her! You let her fall!” Blade screams in my head and I lash back at him.

I don’t know what happened there. I was pulling her in circles on the ice and I know I had her gripped tightly to me. It was almost as if she let go of my hand, but why would she in the middle of a fast turn?

"We don't have time for that. She is hurt!" Blade mumbles again, making me run faster.

I reach her frame and immediately check her pulse, making sure she is alive. The light thumping against my fingers on her neck make me let out a sigh of relief. I can see everyone looking around, shocked at the fall Viola just had. She looked like she got catapulted across the whole lake. I can see a path of crimson blood from where her body slid across the ice.

“She will be fine. I’m going to take her to the clinic.” I say to the wolves gathered around me, whilst picking up Viola’s slumped frame. The wolves are whispering and mumbling things, but my mind is focused on helping Viola.

“Isn’t that Dr. Viola?” One pup questions and I nod my head, giving the pup a smile.

“Beta Sam should be informed immediately.” Another man says and I growl lowly, making him put his hands up in surrender.

“Beta Sam is her brother, sir. I will mind link him.” An older woman says, smiling and patting me on the back.

I nod quickly and make my way across the ice, being careful not to slip and fall. Her body is so small and light, I manage to jog with her in my arms all the way to the clinic. I burst through the doors of the clinic and the nurses eyes go wide, seeing their boss unconscious.

“Room D.” A nurse points with wide eyes and I continue to jog.

I open the curtain to Room D and lay Viola on the bed. I immediately grab the necessary tools and begin checking all her vitals. Her heart rate is fine, her blood pressure is fine and her oxygen levels are fine. I check her for any brain injury and notice a small gash on her head. A nurse walks in and begins pulling out swabs and alcohol to clean the cuts on her face, making me growl again.

“I will clean her,” I say, trying to compose my wolf. I can see the nurse is startled by my behavior and I sigh, knowing they are just doing their job.

I grab the alcohol and the swabs, patting against her skin and cleaning her wounds. I place some healing balm on her cuts, knowing it will help her wolf in healing them. I start taking off all of her jackets and jerseys, needing to get to her arm to insert an IV drip for fluids. I take off layer, upon layer before finally getting down to her vest. I always knew Viola was small, but I wasn’t expecting her to be this thin under all those winter layers. Why did I never notice this before?

I insert her IV drip on her arm and connect her to some fluids, deciding to add some nutrients into the mix. I scan over her body and curse at the unhealthy blemishes on her skin. I can feel my eyes welling up again.

“Gina, please will you get her dressed into hospital wear? Only you in there. Nobody else is to see to her, do you hear me?” I ask the red-haired Nurse, knowing this would be Viola’s choice too.

I am about to go to my office to get some information, but a loud crashing comes from the entrance and a growl shakes the whole clinic, setting me and every other wolf into submission.

What the hell?