Sinful Love

CHAPTER 37

“A WHAT???” Sitka is at top of his anxiety level, figuring out thousands of counter attack they would need in the near future.

“Amphisbaena, she said. Now, first of all, it would be perfect if we can stop that thing from getting out of our waters. How are we going to find and fight that? Its buried in the lake bottom” Zaden asked, they all had 1 answer but none dared to speak out

“Selena” A shaky voice came from behind, Grandpa Kai

“If the creature is still there, it comes out for Selena” he said

“I was hoping for a Plan B” Zaden mumbled to himself.

“No, we can't do that. She haven't recovered from her injury and now we want to push her into the waters again? We might risk losing her” Orion exclaimed. The fear of losing her is real in his heart. He rarely slept last night after knowing that the incident is an attack and not an accident. Everyone kept quiet, as if they agree with Grandpa Kai. Orion looked from one face to another and Zaden was deep in thought. Orion slammed his chair to the ground and walked out of the communal room. He headed straight to Lake Thao. He sat there, on the bank, reassessing what he could do. He wanted her, a throbbing pain in his heart is a clear sign of that. Giving her up to Samrat or throwing her into a creature's grip is not an option. He grabbed his hair into fist and let out a scream that echoed through Lake Thao. Drops of tears ran down his cheek as he bite down his lips.

‘There must be a way…There must be away…’ he kept repeating in his mind. He sat there not noticing how time had flew by. Then, it clicked. He ran back to the brick house in wolf form, shifted in front of the pack, standing naked. Makeala passed him the hospital blanket and he drew that around his hip.

“I have an idea but it might hurt her a bit. We take her blood and drop it to the lake, baiting the Goya to come out and once it's out, we attack” the pack straightened their back as they looked at Selena.

Selena smiled, filled with proud as she nodded yes to the plan.

It was already 7pm when they arrived back to the lake with Selena in Zaden's hand. The pack stood naked by the lake including Makeala, not bothering to look at each other's body. They were focused on tackling Goya. Zaden took Selena to the wooden plank bridge and placed her gently on the edge. He walked away with hesitance as he won't be able to slit her palms. They all looked at each other, hoping someone will do it on behalf of them, but none came forward. Selena smirked. She took the knife and slit her palm, yelping at the pain. She looked up at them and when they nodded, she shut tight her eye and extend her hand to the waters. She still don't dare to look at a pack of werewolves and need to close her eye when they shift. The pack turned into their wolf form in a second and walked to the edge of bank, end of wooden plank. Selena is in front of them, their eye focused on the water. In search for any sign of movement. Drops of blood gathered at one end of her palm, gaining weight by second, finally dripping down, drawing a beautiful wavy pattern into the clear lake water. A wave of energy rippled through the water. She pulled out her hand, into her chest, thrusting a piece of clean cloth in hope to stop the bleeding. The surrounding became silent, too silent. Not even a cricket chirped, no owl hoot, no frog croaked, not even the wind bellowed. The 4 wolves know that a storm is about to evoke beneath this silent, they stood there, not daring to breath heavy or even blink. Minutes felt decades. Oddly enough, Selena wasn't afraid to sit further away from the pack. All of a sudden, a swoosh of water rose to about 10 feet height in front of Selena. The water cleared to reveal the dreadful creature, a 10 foot height above water, red eye with hands like attachment that is stout. It didn't have a thick body thou, more of 60cm thickness. The smell it emit was vomitable. It stood in the middle of lake, in front of Selena, slithering it's tongue but Zaden stopped the pack from attacking. With a gasp,Selena's heart skipped a bit and a chilly numbness crept up her body, from feet to head. As Selena laid there with wide eye looking straight into the creature, she didn't notice another one creeping from below the bridge, peeping its head up, less than a feet in front of her.

‘Now’

Zaden order as a vicious growl erupted behind Selena. The wolfs jumped into the water with Makeala stood next to Selena, pushing her behind. She had recovered half way in her wolf form yesterday night but there was still another 50% to be healed. The snake has 2 head, each at the end of its body. One head peeping up from the bridge edge, earning a growl from Makeala, as she threw a heavy hit on it, scratching its skin with her claw. The other pack members had swam up to the head standing in the middle of lake, biting on its body as forceful as possible. Goya let out an ear screeching scream as she swooshed her body across the lake. In a second her whole body dropped down into the lake in one straight line, as if the lake just swallowed its length. Selena and Makeala waited eagerly for the pack to resurface but none did. Selena's and Makeala's heart beat kept rising with every passing second. A drop of tears made its way down Makeala's burgundy fur. She blinked her eyes repeatedly before bowing her head. But just before the head touches the wood plank, a body of silver, jumped across her head, diving into the water. Makeala blinked profusely a few more times before she realized it was Selena. Her duty is to guard her. She jumped into the water. Deep down in the water, the silver wolf kicking its feet in synchronize, glimmered all the way to pack leaders who are currently entangled by the large white serpent, as it encircled them with her body. It froze once it sensed Selena in the water, snapped both its head to her direction, losing its grip on the pack leaders. It swooshed at lightning speed towards Selena and Makeala. Selena turned around and swam as fast as she could, past Makeala. The pack leader had to resurface for breath. Once they were stable, they dug back into the water and swam to Selena, pushing their feet as forceful as they could. Selena is naturally a superb and fast swimmer, even in her human form but in the mid of swim, she diverted her path to left, before resurfacing for a minute. When she dug in back, a white head with red eye was already too close, making an impact on her. She rolled her body slightly making the serpent slip, still manage to hit her body and went directly towards a huge rock, behind Selena, clashing with it hard. A wave of vibration spread through the lake after the impact. The white mass slowly dropped down to the bottom, motionless. With that Selena swam back up, barely able to stand on her feet, climbed up the banks. The pack followed her. She panted for her life, her wolf started coughing out blood as it collapsed to the

ground. The others rushed to her but stopped at their step when another low swoosh was heard. The serpent wasn't dead, it resurfaced, climbing the opposite side of the lake

‘Zaden, follow it. I need to know it’s hiding spot’

With that mind-link from Selena, Zaden and the boys went chasing after the serpent. None of them realized that they started moving at Selena's order, not their alpha's order. They thud through the forest floor as fast as the wind, when finally, the white body caught Zaden's eye. Goya already climbing up seventh mountain at high speed, when she heard the thud of werewolf pack. She reached the trap pit which haven't been covered yet, since they are waiting for cement load from city. Goya slithered into the pit and as if she possess magic, the metal cover twisted open and shut behind her. By the time the boys turn back to wolf, twist open the door, shift back and head outside, she was gone with no trace. The pack still dispersed to all direction, looking for any clue but it was as if she went invisible. Before going back, they searched the cave as well to no avail. Once they climbed out of the pit, they shifted back and speed up. Image of Selena coughing blood came flashing in front of them. On the banks of Lake Thao, Selena laid unconsciously in her human form. Makeala have already dressed and she used Zaden's hoodie to dress Selena. It stopped at her mid-thigh and she wore nothing under the hoodie, as all ripped during the unexpected shift. Zaden carried her as delicately as possible to the pack hospital.

At the pack hospital, it took the whole night for the doctor to treat her. She went through a minor operation to fuse together her ribcage and her neck was badly injured as well. After the long wait, finally the doctor came out

“Well, Zaden. She had a few broken ribcage and a minor compression on her neck. We have done all necessary procedures and she is recovering well. She should be functional in 2 days a...” Zaden cut off the doctor

“Wait, what? 2 days to recover a broken rib? That's wolf recovery range” Zaden frown heavy

“Yes, that's what she is doing. Werewolf recovery. But do mind this 2 days, don't shift. She might have to wear the cervical collar a bit longer, you know, precaution.” The doctor shrugged his shoulder. If Selena is recovering at werewolf speed, doesn't that mean she is already in control of her wolf?

After the doctor excused himself, Zaden and the pack went in to see her. She is unconscious, dressed in hospital gown with heavy bruising from her neck to her face. None of them had the guts to look at her for more than 10 minutes. This incomplete wolf took the hit knowingly, to save the pack, when they had already mentally gave up. If it wasn't for her, the village would have suffered a major loss today. They all left except for Zaden in the room and Orion, sat at the bench out of her room. Zaden grabbed hold of her hand, close to his face. His lips rested on them as occasionally uncontrollable tears escape his eyes. He wiped them off, moved her blanket down and raised her hospital gown gently, enough to expose her stomach. Her blanket was covering below her hip. Her once clear skin, now has a huge scar and purple in color to her whole left side. His hand trembled as he touched her bruise. It might hurt as hell if not for the drugs that is infused into her through IV drips. He gently, as light as possible, laid his cheeks on her stomach. She still had the same warmth, only her smell is different then before, mixed with disinfectant and the surgical glue. It doesn't matter, he can get her smell back when she is back. Most importantly, he need to hear the heartbeat. The sound that can soothe him. He let out a sob Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“I told you...don't come here, stay...but you are just too Selena...” he snuggled a bit

“What am I supposed to answer your dad...that I failed to protect his daughter?” he whispered to her stomach

“Tell him that she took it to save her boyfriend...” Zaden snapped his head up. Two black eye with one blood shot, not so scary at this moment

“Hi matey...miss me?” she asked with a smile. Zaden moved up to her lips, kissing it ever so softly, avoid touching any other part of her.

“Were you taking advantage of me?” she pointed at her exposed stomach. Zaden let out a huffed chuckle before pulling down the hospital gown, as it was before.

“How are you feeling?” she smiled gently before nodding.

“You are not allowed to shift for 2 days, can you handle that?” Zaden asked

“Do I have a choice? Did you get Goya's hide out?” she asked.

“We got its entry way. Take a wild guess” he is now sitting in his seat, her hand in his.

“The pit?” and he nodded.

“Anything that goes into the pit gets spelled and remained undiscovered by other werewolves, even when they roam the whole Mountain Manuka, just like you. You must have moved close enough to be spelled when you came across the camping zone.” He explained.

“How did she shift before midnight?” Zaden asked

“She prayed...to the moon goddess, give her the strength to shift. She managed to just touch me and that’s all needed” she answered. A girl who doesn't belief in god is now praying?

They hold their position for the next hours, talking about everything and anything, stealing kisses and hugs in between. Little did they know, another pair of eyes had been observing them, Orion. His blood is boiling with what Zaden did. To him, he seduced her wolf, just as he guessed, with every night trip they have been going. He found a way to save her from the Goya but now, he has no idea how to get her from Zaden, just blunt rage. He paced around the corridor, waiting for Zaden to come out.