Shifters

Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

My body hurt as I lay there. There were parts that felt like acid had been poured over my skin and I knew it had to be where my father had dug his claws into me. I propped myself up on my elbows to look around. Everyone had shifted back and started tending to each other wounds. I looked around to see Ian lying on the ground where he had landed after my father had swatted him off his back. I prayed he was just unconscious.

I made myself stand and I stumbled over to where he was lying. I collapsed on the ground beside his head and took his face into my hands.

“Ian?”

His eyes fluttered open and I pulled his head onto my lap so he was more comfortable. I looked down his body, horrified at what I found. Down his whole right side was covered in blood, a lot of blood! Looking back into his eyes and keeping the worried expression off my face.

“Hi,” I said.

“Hi,” he grunted.

Mum rushed over to us looking down at Ian. Her face hardened and she called over to one of the elders.

“Call an ambulance.” She turned back to us and briefly gave me a reassuring smile.

“Ella?” Ian looked at me.

“You’re going to be okay,” I managed, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.

“You just need to be stitched up and given a little blood,” Mum said to Ian.

She got up. “I need to get some clean towels to put on that. I will be right back.” With that she rushed off to the house.

I looked back down to Ian and a tear fell on his face. I didn’t even realize I was crying. I was in so much pain, but I didn’t care. I could only think about Ian. His wounds were far deeper than mine. I knew I would need medical attention as well, but not until I made sure Ian was taken care of.

“You were amazing,” he said, pride showing on his face.

“But how did you see? I thought you were knocked out?” I asked, surprised.

“I saw everything. I made sure I stayed awake long enough to make sure you were okay.”

“Oh…..I..I killed him,” I said, the tears flowing freely now.

Ian reached up one of his hands up and caressed my cheek. “You had too.”

“I know but it doesn’t make it any easier,” I mumbled.

“I’m sorry you had to do that,” he said, a sad look on his face.

I bent over and touched my forehead to his, closing my eyes.

Mum came back with the towels and made me help her press them to Ian’s wounds and even some of my own. The ambulance arrived and they loaded Ian inside. They let me ride with him if I agreed to lie down on another stretcher so they could tend to me as well. I let them holding Ian’s hand the while ride to the hospital.

“What happened to you guys?” the one attendant asked.

Ian and I looked at one another.

“Bear attack,” we said at the same time.

“Yeah that can happen around here. You have to be careful in these mountains,” the attendant said, gazing out the small window in the back of the ambulance.

If only he knew.

**Okay so that is the last chapter but I'm going to add an epilogue. I'm a sucker for epilogue's because I always want to know what happens after! So I'm going to write one so look for it in the next couple of days!

Any feedback and votes would be greatly appreciated.