Denied by Destiny: Trapped in the Shadows of the Mate Bond novel Chapter 382

*Trigger warning, small injury to a minor…know your limits. However this scene isn’t mentally graphic or overly descriptive.*

~ Josie ~

“Help?” A desperate scream calls out behind us. I turn, looking over Knox’s shoulder to find the corridor clear.

“Over here.” I call out to the voice screaming out of our view.

I reach for a towel wiping my hands before I move towards the sound of the screaming. Knox places a hand on my shoulder and pulls me back slightly, sliding in front of me and running ahead.

He skids to a halt where the corridor bends, his face darting back to me before he runs out of my view. His expression doing nothing to quell the rising panic surging through my system.

“Knox?” I call after him, as the screaming continues. I’m about to turn the corner myself when he rushes back towards me, carrying a child in his arms.

It’s a boy seven, maybe eight years old…sick covering his top. Knox continues to hold him as he stops in front of me.

“Josie…what do you need?” My eyes look down at the boy, his eyes wide open…as he screams out in pain.

My eyes cast behind him to Petra, who is rushing towards us her hands clinging on to her chest, her breathing a struggle.

“Josie…” Knox calls my name again but my head is looking around for Doctor Abel…he isn’t here. There are only a few doctors here, they’ve never really been needed. We have some but nothing like the emergency ward at home.

“I…” Between the boy’s gut wrenching screaming and Petra’s breathing I can’t seem to focus.

“He’s my grandson, Josie…please help him.”

My eyes dart around again, I can’t be the only one here. I can feel my heart double in size as it pounds erratically against the walls of my chest.

“Red…” His soft voice seems to call out to me above the rest of the noise, above the chaos and my spiralling mind.