Broken (35 page)
Authors: Willow Rose
Chapter 42
I
TALKED TO JIM
and he let us stay at his house for the
night. The maid made a bed for us in the bedroom next to Heather's. We barely
ate anything nor did anyone speak. We spent the rest of the day by her side.
Jim and William shared stories about her and every now and then one of them
broke down in tears while the other acted as the comforter. I withdrew behind
the curtains and sat at the windowsill staring at the forest.
As the sun slowly began to set behind the thick trees
I told William that it was time for bed. The doctor had been there shortly
before and told us that there was no change in her condition - that she might
go tonight or maybe in the morning.
"But Far. I don't want to go to sleep. I want to
stay here with her," William argued.
"Let him stay with me," Jim said. "I'll
take care of him."
So I did. I went to my room next door and waited.
Waited for the change to come upon me. I cried silently as the glossy fur
appeared and my fingers became claws. I cried for William, for Heather, for
myself and the responsibility that was now on my shoulders. I stayed in silence
for hours just waiting. Close to sunrise I heard the door to Heather's room
open and close and through the small opening in my door I spotted Jim walk
slowly down the stairs.
It was now or never, I thought. I slid my slim body
through the door that was ajar and padded into Heather's room. William had
fallen asleep and was lying stretched out on two chairs. I could hear Jim in
the kitchen.
If I had any thoughts at that moment I didn't know
what they were. I walked towards Heather steadily, steadfast and determined
like never before. I drew closer until we were as near to each other as we had
been only when we had been together as a couple. Her eyes rolled in her sleep.
Then she coughed, her pulse beating faster in her throat. She was suffocating;
blood came out of her mouth, coming from her lungs that were overflowing. She
was slipping now; gasping for breath, there was blood all over the covers. I
stared while she struggled against agony and pain, fighting death. I was over
her now. I watched her with my paws leaning on her. All my memories of her, of
our marriage surrounded us, William’s birth, of the days before the drinking,
of family trips, of happiness and joy. Then the hatred of all the pain she had
caused me, the cruelty of her betrayal, the terror of what she was facing and
then the strength.
I remembered all that as I slowly sunk my teeth into
her throat. I felt her body stiffen and gasp as the saliva from my mouth ran
into her aorta, straight into her veins and mixed with her blood. At the same
moment I felt everything she had ever felt. The years of years of loneliness,
the wasting away, the feeling of being inadequate as a mother, as a wife, the
escape she had found in alcohol and pills, having meaningless sex with strange
men in attempt to get back at me for never loving her properly. The yearning of
trying to make me love her. The pain of the disease, her final enemy. I was
groaning as I let my teeth stay inside of her throat feeling how the meeting
with human blood caused both of us to tremble. Then I pulled them out.
She opened her eyes with a gasp and looked straight at
me. For a moment she looked like she was in a place beyond pain and disease,
beyond all the misery that this world contained. Then I heard her whisper my
name. Her eyes were open but seemed blind. She was staring at me but didn't
seem to really see me. Her lips were quivering.
I heard footsteps on the stairs. I had to think fast.
So I left her. I ran towards the door, sneaked out and slid back into my own
room. Outside my window the sun had lit the sky. Seconds later I changed back
and climbed into bed feeling mentally exhausted, drained.
I couldn't have slept more than a few minutes before I
heard the screaming. It was William. It came from Heather's room. Filled with
terror I jumped out of the bed, threw on underwear and ran towards the sound.
My heart pounding, terrified of what I was about to find.
But they weren't screams of horror I soon realized. It
was pure joy. A song from his heart, from his happy soul.
"Look Far," he shrieked and ran towards me
as I entered the bedroom. "She's awake. I told you she'd wake up, didn't
I?"
Confused, I stared at Heather. Could it be? Her eyes
were still open. Jim was holding her hand and was crying while stroking her
cheek.
"It is true?" I asked him. I couldn't
believe it.
He nodded. Heather turned her head and looked at me
with a faint smile. Then she reached out her hand towards William. He ran to
her and threw himself on her and hugged her.
"What does the doctor say?" I asked.
"I just called him," Jim answered.
"He's on his way. Says it might only be temporarily. But she hasn't looked
this good in weeks. Look she is even a little rosy on her cheek."
I looked into Heather's eyes. They were filled with
life. New life. New hope and maybe, just maybe a future. I looked at her
throat. The marks from the bite were almost gone. Just four small dots remained.
I couldn't believe my own eyes. Had I really done this? Had the bite saved her?
This fast?
"Isn't it great, Far?" William said.
I smiled and grabbed his hand. "Yes buddy. It
really is."
"It's a miracle," Jim said. "That's
what it is."
"It sure is," William said and hugged my
hand. "Just like in the fairy-tales."
A few hours later the doctor came and looked at
Heather. He established that somehow Heather's body had managed to fight back
overnight and that the PCP was retreating. She had fought off the infection,
and it looked like we had gained a little more time with her.
"For the time being," he said with a small
nod and a smile.
Then he left.
Jim hugged me and William tightly.
"I don't know what happened here, but I am so
grateful. You two are welcome here at any time to visit her from now on,"
he said and hugged us again.
We both felt terrific driving back home to our house
where
Aiyana
and
Luyu
stood
in the driveway waving at us as we drove up. I stopped the car and looked at
those stunning creatures. I had no idea what the future would bring us, or for
Heather and Jim. But I knew that if her blood didn't clog up like it had
happened to Jim, if the fountain was well received in Heather's blood she would
probably start feeling different soon like I had when
Aiyana
had bit me while saving me from the alligators. But if she was like me it would
probably take ten years before she started changing. It would leave me plenty
of time to figure out how to explain it to her.
I got out of the car.
Aiyana
ran towards me with her skirt fluttering in the wind. She threw her arms around
my neck with a childlike laughter. Then she kissed me, tenderly, insisting,
lovingly, demanding. I closed my eyes and enjoyed every second of this.
This was it. This was all I had ever dreamed of. I was
going to enjoy every moment of it because I knew we were living on borrowed
time.
But then again who isn't?
THE END
Books in
English by the author:
- One, Two ... He is
coming for you (
Rebekka
Frank #1)
http://www.amazon.com/One,
two ...
- Three, Four ... better
lock your door (
Rebekka
Franck #2)
http://www.amazon.com/Three,
four
- Five, Six ... Grab your
Crucifix (
Rebekka
Franck #3)
http://www.amazon.com/Five,
six
- The eye of the Crystal
ball
http://www.amazon.com/The Eye
of the Crystal Ball
- Beyond - Afterlife #1
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond
- Serenity - Afterlife #2
http://www.amazon.com/Serenity
- Endurance - Afterlife
#3
http://www.amazon.com/Endurance
- Savage - Daughters of
the Jaguar #1
- Broken - Daughters of
the Jaguar #2
About the Author:
Willow Rose writes
Y/A,
Paranormal Romance,
suspense/horror and fantasy. Originally from Denmark she now lives on Florida’s
Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. She is a huge fan of Anne Rice
and Isabel Allende. When she is not writing or reading she enjoys watching the
dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Connect with Willow online:
http://www.willow-rose.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/willowredrose
https://twitter.com/madamwillowrose