Chapter 14

Beth's POV "April is Peter's mate. She caught the plague some time ago and is in a very serious condition." Aaron explained further before standing up. "I'm going to check in on April. She's not doing well.” Aaron said. He helped me put the glass far away from the bed, so I wouldn't break it when I got up and motioned for me to lie down. "Can I go with you?" I asked Aaron tentatively. Maybe I could be of some help. I was surprised that such an idea popped up in my mind. Aaron was a little surprised, but he nodded in agreement to my request, and we went together. “April!” We heard Peter’s moan and fastened our pace. The wolf house where April lived smelt of medicinal herbs, and many tiny particles were floating in the air, which should be dust. A quiet girl was lying on the spacious and soft bed. April's arms were outside the quilt, hanging feebly on either side of the bed. Her whole body seemed to be burning, for it was like a piece of red-hot coal. Her beautiful eyes were kept closed. Even after Peter called her name, she was still not responsive. The potion made by the healer and the doctor of the pack was placed beside the bed. April couldn't drink by herself and needed to be force-fed. But still, even after the potion was forced into her lips, she was still not responsive. I sympathised with her plight, and I was familiar with her situation. Somehow, I felt a kinship with the girl lying on the bed. It was the first time we had met, but I would have done anything to help her. How strange. I walked to April's bed, held her hands, put them on my forehead, and prayed in a low voice, "You're going to get better. Trust yourself. You're going to make it. You won't be defeated by any pain. You are so tough and surrounded by so many loved ones." I said those words to both April and myself. Then I heard low sobs in the room. I turned to see Peter fighting back his emotions. His eyes were red, and he had his back on me. Aaron came over. He spoke to the doctor, and when he heard that April was still running a high fever, which could easily infect others, he looked at me first. "Beth, you should go back." I knew he was worried about me. He brought over a basin full of cold water and continued. "She is taken care of." I nodded, reassured Peter with my eyes, and returned to my room. I took off my coat, and the glass bottle fell to the ground from my pocket. The remaining liquid hung on the side of the glass bottle, and the golden liquid suddenly reminded me of some overlooked details. Aaron once said he fed me the potion. Haven declared I wouldn't make it. Yet I did miraculously get better. Did I... heal myself? I suddenly remembered the voice from my dream. My wolf whirled excitedly when I thought about it. And we’ll, I felt the need to make some sort of effort. A little bit of effort I made might be able to help April. I pushed the door open and tiptoed toward April's room. I quietly opened the door and got in because I didn’t want Aaron or Peter to find out. It could only just raise his hopes which would be bad if she wasn’t healed by what I was about to do. April was lying quietly in bed. I took her hand gently and pressed my forehead against hers. I tried to block out all thoughts, focusing on feeling her condition with my heart. Soon, a blank space appeared in my mind. I was pleasantly surprised. Some letters were bouncing while emitting golden, dazzling light. Gradually, they were pieced together. I picked out the words with difficulty. After examining the words, I found out that they were the names of several plants and herbs. These were basic and common things that could be found everywhere. Could they help April? I became excited until I saw the last word that was flickering. It was "Blood". Was it supposed to be my blood? I looked down at my wrists, and for a split second, I felt that they were a prescription for a witch's potion. Should I trust it? I had no way of finding out. But I also knew that April had little time for this. If I wasted any time, she could get worse, so I quickly made my decision. I secretly gathered all the things I needed, held a dull dagger, aimed it at the veins in my wrist, and cut myself. Blood trickled out, and I hurried to put it in a container. The loss of blood didn't make me feel pain. It made me happy. I was glad that I might be of help to save someone. "April, drink it." I brought the mixed potion to April, pried open her mouth, and let her drink it. One second passed. Two seconds passed. I watched her, not daring to blink. April coughed. Then her face was no longer pale. It gradually became rosy. Her sunken skin slowly regained its elasticity, and her fever was subsiding. She even opened her eyes slowly. "Hey..."