MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

16. VALERIA: TAKING CONTROL

Worry was eating me alive. I felt sick. It's been hours since hell broke loose. I was led to safety with all the children and the women who couldn't fight. Safety was an underground tunnel that led to a big room. It was built in case of emergencies like these. There were about a hundred or so hidden around pack grounds. It was smart. My old pack didn't have safety measures like these set in place encase of attacks.

My eyes darted around. It was chaos wherever I looked. I took in the screaming women and kids hiding in the corners. Some walls were smeared with blood from the injured. Blood. They needed order—someone to lead them in the right direction until everything was sorted and the danger had passed. With a determined nod, I walked towards the table and chairs that stood to the side. I climbed onto the chair and then the table. From my viewpoint, I could see everyone.

"Hey, quiet down everybody," I called. Only a view heads turned towards me. "I said silence!"

The room instantly fell silent. They turned towards me. I shifted uncomfortably. I hated being the centre of attention. It was why I chose to hide in my cabin instead of being out there where I was being stared at and made fun of. If I was going to be a leader, then I needed to step up. I needed to show them that I was capable of leading them.

"Do any of you have nursing experience?" I asked.

Four women stepped forward. "We do. We work at the clinic."

"I want you to tend to the injured. Make use of what you have and let me know if you need help." I pointed to the back of the room. "Get the children and move them to the back of the room away from the doors and the injured." I watched as they parted, instantly following orders.

There were a lot more injured than expected. My eyes darted around at the remaining woman. Some were obviously in shock and unable to be of much help. The gears in my head turned and within ten minutes there was order. I jumped down and hurried towards the injured. For some reason, I was instantly drawn to the little girl. I kneeled next to her small body and reached out to swipe some bloodied hair from her face.

"Abby?" Her eyelids fluttered. "Come on Abby-girl. Open your eyes for me. Do you remember me? My name's Valeria."

One eye slowly opened—the other was swollen shut. She had a nasty cut above her eyebrow that was still bleeding. Her left leg was broken; it was clear from the bone that had torn right through her skin.

"I'm going to take care of you, okay Abby-girl?" All I got in return was a whimper.

I fought back the panic that rose inside me. Squeezing my eyes closed, I sucked in a deep breath and slowly blew it out. In and out. I needed to take care of her leg first. Stop the bleeding and splint her leg. I glanced around but found nothing to use as a splint. My eyes fell on one of the chairs. That could be used.

Picking up the chair, I threw it against the wall with as much force as I could muster. It hit the wall with a loud thud before splintering into pieces. The silence was deafening. I ignored the stares and picked out the pieces of wood that could be used. Dropping it next to Abby, I pulled off my scarf and the thick jacket. My hesitation lasted only for a second before I pulled the sweater over my head too. I folded it into a makeshift pillow and gently moved it under Abby's head. Her stillness worried me.

Setting a splint was harder than I thought it would be. I was going over the options to make one when one of the pack members kneeled across from me. She introduced herself as Mattie and quickly declared that she was a nurse. I left it in her hands but assisted her. Abby screamed when the bones were pushed back and the splint set in place. Mattie explained that there was nothing she could do for Abby without proper medical equipment. They needed to get her and all the other injured to the hospital. The biggest concern was them going into shock.