Chapter 32
Willow
Barefoot, I ran with blood–soaked feet on the rocky path amid the burning forest. But why…why couldn’t I see its end? The flames caught at the end of my clothes, and I discarded them while running, desperate to reach the river to save my life.
“Everyone died…fire…fire… The always silent forest suddenly filled with screaming. Terrified, I increased my speed toward the river. However, something caught a hold of my leg, stopping me from running. Looking down, I found a burning person gripping my leg. Screaming in terror, I tried to struggle out of its grasp, but slowly I found myself surrounded by numerous burning figures that grabbed at my body dragging me down with them.
“No! I have to run… run…” I screamed in fear, attempting to break free and escape, but their burning hands covered my body and face. Engulfed in their fiery embrace, my entire being succumbed to the flames. I continued to scream, witnessing the sea of fire extending even onto the river, and then the flames consumed me entirely. As my vision blurred as I slipped into a slow, agonizing death, a pair of dark green eyes appeared before me, calling my name, “Willow, who am I?”
In a daze, I felt his warm touch on my face. It was so familiar… so familiar to me. How could he be here? Staring into his intense eyes, they became the only thing that was visible to me among that fire, I subconsciously replied, “Reu… Reuben…”
“Yes, it’s me. Your Reuben…” he whispered, something wove into my hair as I felt a soft and warm pressure against my lips, abruptly pulling me away from the fire. “It’s your Reuben. So come back to me…Willow.”
The fire engulfing my body vanished, replaced by Reuben’s face as he kissed me. My eyes widened as I realized the tender featherly touch on my lips was his kiss after six long years. His green eyes locked with mine, his lips moving against mine with the same familiarity as before. My head spun with his urgency and my own repressed longing. I closed my eyes as a fat tear slid down my cheek when I felt Reuben nip my lower lip. In his strong yet warmly possessive embrace, I grew limp slowly succumbing to this familiar sensations my wolf had yearned for over the years until I drifted into unconsciousness.
Reuben gently broke the kiss, pulling me into a warm embrace. “Willow… it’s alright. I am here with you,” he whispered, his hand caressing my hair, a gesture he’d done countless times in the past, soothing me from nightmares I couldn’t recall when they began.
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The Secret to Making More Money with Lass Effort: Laser Cutting
Chapter 32
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Unconscious in his comforting embrace, more tears escaped my eyes as the distant sounds of many people surrounded me.
“Hurry! Put out the fire in the woods before it reaches our side of the forest!” I recognized Alpha Benjamin’s Gamma urgently shouting. He had hurried to the riverbank with a group of pack members, using the water to extinguish the fire and protect the Wade Moon Pack’s territory.
“Why is she so cold and shaking?” Reuben murmured under his breath in panicked. confusion. At that moment, I felt my body being lifted. Reuben pulled my half unconscious figure up into his arms like I weighed nothing at all, letting my head rest against his chest, where I could hear his frantic heartbeat and sense his restless. emotions.
Unbeknownst to me, when he turned around carrying me in his arms he saw Alpha Benjamin among the pack members frantically attempting to extinguish the fire. The Alpha stood frozen, his face pale and dripping sweat as he stared at the raging inferno that consumed the Shine Moon Pack territory. The shock and horror on Alpha Benjamin’s face was more profound than Reuben had anticipated.
Alpha Benjamin tore his gaze away from the flames, his eyes met Reuben’s as he passed. by without a backward glance. Nestled in Reuben’s arms, I could sense the cold touch of the forest against my skin, surrounded by the chilling darkness where Reuben shielded me with his possessively protective embrace. However, the frantic beats of his heart gradually faded from my ears. I struggled desperately to open my eyes, yearning to witness the expression on Reuben’s face at that moment.
Did he have the same expression and emotions in his eyes that he had when protecting me from nightmares six years ago? Was he struggling and sharing my fear, just like in the past? If so, why? Why was he going to such lengths for me? Why had he run all the way to the riverside on my behalf?
“Willow?” Sky’s loud yet panicked voice echoed as he rushed out of the packhouse. As the Alpha’s son, his responsibility was to protect the packhouse when the Alpha was at the border. “What happened to Willow?”
“Don’t get closer to her!” Reuben growled at Sky in warning. He cautioned him against approaching, as allowing me to be touched was out of the question for Reuben. Sky took a few steps back, intimidated by Reuben’s wild demeanor recalling their previous encounter where Sky had come close to being killed.
The sudden, violent screeching of a car’s brakes in front of the packhouse was accompanied by Oran and Bix’s loud shouts, “Reuben!”
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Chapter 32
“Are you alright?” Bix asked, sounding panicked.
“What happened to Willow?” Oran inquired.
“How did you both get here?” Reuben countered, dodging their questions.
“When you didn’t answer our calls, I called Willow’s number. Beta Ken answered her phone that had been left in the packhouse, he briefed me on the situation and the attack on Shine Moon,” Oran explained.
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“Daddy,” Wyatt’s voice interrupted their conversation. Beta Ken had brought children out, and they hurried over, Wyatt leading the way while holding Lori’s hand. “What happened to Mommy?”
“Nothing happened. Mommy is fine,” Reuben assured them with a smile. Then he turned to Bix, “Take them back home.”
“I understand,” Bix nodded seriously then quickly drove out of the Wade Moon Pack with the kids.
As the car vanished with children safely tucked inside, Oran approached Reuben with concern etched on his face. “Reuben, something seems very off.”
“I know, that’s why I’ve mind–linked Bix to return as soon as possible after dropping the children off safely at home,” Reuben replied, striding towards my car.
“You called Bix back here?”
“Not here but to Shine Moon Pack,”
“What are you planning?” Oran asked, quickly opening the car door for him.
“Taking over Shine Moon Pack territory!” Reuben declared, sitting into the car and placing me on his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to his chest. as I felt his hot breath brushing on ears and cheeks.
That was the last thing that I heard, as from that moment forward I kept losing and regaining my consciousness. It felt as if it was a never–ending cycle where my mind and heart were confused as to whether I was in a dream or reality. It was scary and I just wanted to wake up but I could not. I did not know how much time had passed, but the next thing I heard was Ella’s voice.
“Reuben, I heard from Bix about the Shine Moon attack and you…” she paused abruptly as I felt myself being solidly back in Reuben’s arms. “What happened to Willow?” she gasped, the sound of the car door shutting echoing in the background.
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Chapter 32
“Nothing, just call the doctor,” Reuben ordered her, quickly striding towards the packhouse.
“Doc… doctor?” she stammered, sounding slightly confused.
“Ella, don’t just stand there. Please get a doctor,” Oran repeated.
“No, that’s not the case. Willow is not scared of war or blood. Everyone, stop assuming things,” Reuben sternly remarked then turned to Mia, asking, “When will she wake up? And why is she so cold and shivering?”
“It’s a reaction to the sweating. Her skin and clothes are all wet, and the weather in the woods made matters worse,” Mia explained. She hesitated before continuing, “Alpha, a good rest will help her a lot but…”
13:10 Thu, 29 Feb B.
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