Chapter 506: What happened to her?!

(Music recommendation: Glasgow Love Theme by Craig Armstrong.)

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Gilbert didn’t need to examine her closely to know there was no treating damage like this, not without a wolf’s healing to draw on to close those gaping holes in her stomach, but he still dropped to his knees beside her, taking the hand she reached out toward him.

"I’m sorry..." Gilbert said quietly. "I’m so sorry."

Zoe smiled at him through more tears, knowing what he was apologizing for. "It’s okay... no apologies needed. We...were never meant to be, and... I’m sorry, for pushing myself on you..." With those words came a fresh wave of blood from her mouth, choking off whatever else she might have said.

"Zoe, don’t go, please. Don’t, we still have so many plans together, remember? You... you wanted nieces and nephews, and y-you wanted to see them grow up. You have to live to see them, you have to hold on." Viola pleaded and then she turned toward the two she-wolves standing behind her, tears streaming down their own faces as though everyone was accepting there was nothing to be done to save her.

Viola wouldn’t give up on Zoe for as long as she had breath in her, and she would try every last method, even if it meant giving half of herself.

"Someone get me water!"

Laila ran off and returned moments later with a bottle of water, and Viola took it with shaking hands.

"Let me see what I can do." She uncapped it, pressing her hand over the wound, hoping, willing herself to still have some trace of her old ability left. But nothing happened, no matter how hard she tried and tried, until finally she broke down and hurled the bottle against the wall.

"There has to be some way to heal her, there has to be..."

"Vee... Stop..." Zoe said, her fingers tightening weakly around Viola’s, and then Viola’s eyes suddenly widened with a flash of inspiration.

"We need to get her to the nearest body of water, my sister can cure her! Gilbert, carry her, now!" Viola gave the doctor a shove, and hearing her words, he immediately gathered Zoe into his arms.

Zoe cried out in pain, more blood pouring from her, dripping down over Gilbert’s arms.

"Hold on a little more, Zoe. Hold on." Gilbert said.

"Laila, go get the car ready before we come out, hurry!" Viola ordered, snatching her gun back up off the floor and running after Gilbert.

The moment they stepped outside, they ran straight into Matt and his men, who were about to enter the building, with Sebastian right behind them, still firing. But at the sight of them, everyone turned, surprised, as they had expected them to be farther away. Their eyes landed on Zoe, and a fresh look of terror came over both men’s faces.

"What happened to her?" Matt demanded, hurrying toward her in Gilbert’s arms, her eyes closed and blood dripping. Matt felt his heart fall into his stomach at the sight. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

"We need to get her to the sea, there’s no time to explain!" Viola shouted, and as if on cue, the whole group closed ranks around them, covering their retreat with gunfire as Laila sped the car over to meet them.

Matt opened the door and helped Gilbert in before getting into the front passenger seat. Zoe’s blood had smeared across his hand, and he stared at it, his fingers trembling as a cold fear settled in his chest. His heart pounded as he turned to look at her.

Don’t let her die, dear Moon Goddess.

Through it all, Viola caught sight of Sebastian’s horror-struck face as he moved toward his sister, but Zoe was already loaded into the car. Viola climbed in, and Tess closed the door before Sebastian could get any closer. The car sped away, taking them toward the sea.

In no time, Sebastian shifted and was chasing after the car.

•••

The car sped through the dark roads leading away from Nick’s territory, the sound of gunfire fading behind them, replaced by the frantic thud of the engine and Zoe’s shallow, wet breathing.

Gilbert held her against his chest in the back seat, his hands pressed hard over the worst of the wounds, though even he knew, deep down, that pressure alone wouldn’t be enough. Still, he did the best he could to keep her steady, refusing to let his hands falter.

Viola sat pressed against her other side, one hand gripping Zoe’s cold fingers, the other cupping the side of her face, trying to keep her eyes open, trying to keep her here, since it seemed she could barely fight anymore with the amount of blood she’d already lost.

Though Viola had surely lost her own ability to heal, her sister still had it, and she was certain that if they reached her in time, Ivy could heal Zoe, and everything would be fine again. Viola swore to herself that once this was over, she’d keep Zoe closer, in the High Tower with the rest of them, rather than letting her live alone out at her fashion house ever again.

"Stay with me, Zoe. Stay with me, okay? We’re almost there," Viola said, her voice cracking, though she fought to keep it steady, refusing to let fear seep into it just yet.

Before she’d ever received kindness from anyone else in Silver, Zoe had been the very first she-wolf to stand by her side, the first to truly be there for her. She had come to mean so much more to Viola than just a friend, and the thought of losing her now felt unthinkable, impossible to hold in her mind for more than a second at a time.

In the front, Matt had twisted around in the passenger seat, one hand braced against the headrest, his face pale and drawn as he stared at the woman he’d sped through hell to reach, the woman he’d promised, only hours earlier, would be home by tomorrow, and now she was bleeding out in front of him.

His jaw worked, his throat bobbing, but no words came out of him, because there was nothing he could say that would fix any of this.