Never Wolf

-Chapter Eight-

I had no alternative but to track down Sebastian and tell him of his sister's dire situation. She lay helpless in the dirt, caught in a bear trap, her fate teetering on the edge of life and death. I couldn't decide which fate was worse - being torn apart by rogue wolves or silently succumbing to the creeping effects of hypothermia. Either way, her survival now rested on my shoulders.

I dragged myself off the bed, every inch of my post-fever fatigued body protesting in a chorus of aches and pains. Sebastian couldn't have gotten far. If I hurried, I could catch him before it was too late.

I staggered out of the bedroom, yelling Sebastian's name. No one answered, so I pressed on, looking for someone, anyone, who might be able to help.

Peering out the window, I worked out I was standing in the guest wing, positioned above the offices. Mapping out my route, I realised that continuing down this corridor would lead me to the main staircase. With any luck, Sebastian and the security team would be assembling at the foot of the stairs near the front door.

With no one in sight, I hurried towards the staircase, acutely aware that each passing second was critical. My lungs strained under the physical exertion. I loathed the sense of weakness and vulnerability I felt when I couldn't breathe properly. Once upon a time, I had run wild up and down these corridors, but now my lungs bore the scars of my exile, rendering me susceptible to bronchitis, asthma, and a host of respiratory issues. Breathing, a once innate and effortless act, now felt like a battle my body waged against itself.

As I reached the main staircase, my breaths came in ragged gasps. Each inhale felt like my lungs were getting smaller and smaller, and a searing pain radiated from my ribs and shoulders. Ignoring the physical strain, I raced to the bannister's edge, peering down the stairwell into the main foyer.

Six figures, clad in dark security uniforms, gathered near the front door. Lachlan assumed a commanding stance, his arms folded in concentration as he issued orders to the attentive group. Sebastian stood beside him, donned in a black utility jacket; his distant blue gaze betrayed that he was not listening to Lachlan's brief. Instead, his mind was elsewhere, most likely wondering about where his sister was.

I leaned over the bannister and yelled, "Sebastian, wait!"

Sebastian, Lachlan, and the security detail looked up, catching sight of me waving frantically. An awkward stillness enveloped the men, and it was only at that moment that I realised my less-than-appropriate attire—a tight-fitting grey t-shirt and a pair of black cotton briefs.

Sebastian swung the front door open and commanded, "Everyone out now - that includes you, Lachlan. Eyes down."

Lachlan grinned at Sebastian with a mischievous glint in his eyes and asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to stay behind and help Mabel?"

Sebastian responded by roughly gripping Lachlan's shoulder and pushing him out the door along with the rest of the men.

Sebastian tilted his head upwards, meeting my gaze as I stared down at him. "Stay there, I'll come to you," he assured me before swiftly ascending the stairs.