His, Eternally [18+]

Chapter Seventy-One: Protection

Indie's Point of View:

        Today, my paranoia was bad. Memories of the violence Thaddeus and I had endured often flooded my brain, despite me knowing the fact that we were safe so far away from Whiteoak. No one could hurt me here, right? After all, I was thousands of miles away — practically on the other side of the world. I should feel safe here, but I somehow didn't. In fact, for the first few days of our stay here, I had been at least. However, for some reason, my stomach was in knots today, and I had a bad feeling. I knew from a young age that ones intuition was the most important "sense" we had. When you have a bad feeling, you're almost always right. Something always assures you that why you had that bad feeling was correct, in my experiences. This knowledge only added to my uneasiness.

I was sitting outside with Thaddeus again, this time right next to the pool. I moved my hand to my back, feeling the raised skin of where the bullet wound once was. Thaddeus looked at me with concern in his eyes, grasping my hands with his. "Penny for your thoughts, my love?" He said quietly, scrunching his thick brows. I was usually so open with Thaddeus and how I felt, but I didn't want to ruin his happier mood. He deserved to fully relax after the last few stressful weeks.

"Just anxious today, that's all." I looked up at the sun that was shining brightly and vividly ahead of us. He got the underlying message that I didn't really want to discuss it, thankfully. For comfort, brought me close into his arms, rubbing my back soothingly. Usually his touch calmed me, but nothing in this moment would help to put my mind at ease. I was an anxious mess, and my heart felt heavy for some reason. My stomach was in knots and I felt nauseous.

"How about you paint some, Indie? That always helps. I don't want to push you to talk about things you'd rather not." Thaddeus suggested. I smiled softly at him, standing up and going up the balcony. He encouraged my artistic side, adding another reason to why I loved him to the never-ending list. The easel and canvas were still nicely displayed, the paints and brushes in a small wooden box next to it. I sat down on the creaky wooden chair, listening to the breeze flow through the leaves on the palm trees. It eased my mind momentarily. I tried to think of what to paint, rubbing my temples. Then, Thaddeus' wolf popped into my mind. I began to make long brush strokes with the charcoal black, outlining the muscular figure of the wolf. I added details with brown paint, and eventually added a moon with an evening sky splattered with small white stars in the background. My hand was aching, but after a few hours I sat back. I was pleased with how it turned out.

I heard Thaddeus come up the stairs, and then his hand rested on my back lightly. He began to kiss the side of my head, making me blush. His soft, full lips moved lower down my neck, sucking the skin gently as I suppressed a moan. "Thaddeus..." I whined, slapping his chest. He gave me a cheeky smile before his eyes darted to the painting in front of us. His orbs widened in awe as he studied it, making me feel somewhat nervous. "You did all of this that quickly?" He said. I nodded, watching his facial expressions change. "It's absolutely beautiful, Indie. I know you're studying medicine and thriving, but your art is such a different side of you. I love it." He breathed into my hair.

"I want this inked onto my skin. Or should I get your face?" He grinned like a child, stroking my cheek. "My face? Where?"

"Hm. Maybe on my back."

"Sex would be really weird. Every time you would undress I would see myself." I grimaced at the thought of having some cheesy illustration of my head on his back. It made me shudder. It would look creepy, in my opinion. He shrugged, his deep dimples now prominent on his stubbled cheeks. "You might have to suck it up, then. I adore your face."

"Gosh, you're such a softie now. The once big, bad Alpha Thaddeus' heart has tripled in size — just like the grinch. It's incredulous. I didn't know such a thing could happen." I chuckled out playfully, giving him a peck on the cheek. He frowned, and before he could say anything I felt my hand come up to my mouth subconsciously. I ran into the bathroom, profusely vomiting as Thaddeus ran behind me. He took my long locks in his hands, holding my hair back from my face as I continue to throw up. I felt tears well in my eyes, I hated getting sick. And, I was on vacation. The acid burned my throat as I choked the rest out, Thaddeus continuing to pat on my back gently.

"Indie, what's wrong? Do you have a fever?" He pressed the back of his palm to my forehead, and I shook my head. "No, I don't. I just feel really horrible right now. I have the chills." I rapped out.

"You're shaking, badly. Where does it hurt?" Thaddeus asked, examining my face. The more human contact I felt, the more the body was burning. I felt liquid then begin to ooze out of my back, making me panic. I quickly ripped my shirt off, turning around to that I could see my back in the mirror. The upside down crosses on my back we're now red and inflamed, oozing puss and blood. I covered my mouth in awe, bending over as metaphorical flames ignited my entire body. Thaddeus' face was one of pure horror, only frightening me further. I felt my legs begin to wobble as Thaddeus called the chief pack doctor on the island we were staying at, before collapsing.

Thaddeus caught my body in his arms, but the heat of his figure only put me in more excruciating pain. I screamed out, kicking my legs wildly as I clawed and held at my bleeding wounds. The last thing I heard before slipping into darkness were pack members from Fiji rushing in, including doctors. I groaned in pain as I felt a needle being thrusted into my neck, soothing the pain only temporarily— before I drifted into a deep, dangerous, and unwanted sleep.