With Drad on one side and me on the other, we strolled through the marketplace, observing as it cleared of the crowd. Moving from stall to stall, I felt the intensity of the burning sensation in my mating marks increase.
A mysterious unease settled upon me, leaving me unable to pinpoint its origin.
My attention was caught by whimpering sounds. It was impossible for me to disregard the female who was crying. Her distress made my ears tingle and my stomach churned with bile. I moved towards where the sounds were coming from.
It was then that I spotted her, huddled under a cart. I recognized Olivia by her messy brown curls, and my chest seized up.
Flutz, why is she here?
Olivia’s unexpected image, curled up in a ball with tears streaming down her face, evoked my deepest fears. “Olivia?” I reached out my hand, trying to steady my voice. “Are you able to move?”
Nodding, she shifted her position to look up at me. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she grimaced. I took stock of where she might be injured, searching for any traces of blood.
“Which part of your body is in pain or injured?” I asked when she didn’t speak. Anguish twisted my heart. I extended my hand once more, urging, “Take it.”
She disregarded me and moved onto all fours to escape from under the table by crawling. Not once did she utter a single word to me.
Once Olivia had emerged from under the table, I made another effort to offer her my hand. This time, she accepted it, and I helped her stand up. Both her dress and arms were coated in dirt. It was evident from the muddy footprints on her dress that someone had stepped on her.
My stomach twisted into knots and I swallowed bile that rose in my throat.
Someone hurt my mate, and I had not been there to protect her.
Without warning, my mate pulled her hand away from mine and bent over in excruciating pain, letting out cries as her body spasmed.
“Drad. Call me a viko. Now!”
His response was prompt and my attention returned to Olivia, who was grasping her abdomen. Wrapped in agony, she seemed oblivious to my presence.
I quickly caught her arms to prevent her from falling.
In a split second, a strong electric shock shot through my hands and up my arms, causing my mating marks to burst into a dazzling display of colors. Swallowing hard, I closed my eyes for a moment. This was not how I wanted to acknowledge our connection.
I saw her body enduring continuous tremors of excruciating pain.
“You’ve been injured.” I stated the obvious and grimaced. My hands trembled with uncertainty about what might happen to her. I could not bear to lose her.
Olivia’s eyes snapped to mine, then drifted downward. I wanted her to talk to me. I needed to hear her soft voice.
Beneath the pain, I could sense her anger toward me, even though I couldn’t understand why.
Trying to maintain composure, she straightened herself and brushed away the tears from her face, then returned her hands to her stomach.
Her voice croaked as she spoke. “I fell...Then someone kicked me. I don’t think they knew I was on the ground...I have cramps...the baby...something feels wrong.” She sniffled, and her eyes became glossy once again.
“You need to see a medic.” Extending my arm, I promised, “I'll bring you to the closest medical center.”
“No. I refuse to see anyone except Rekna,” she cried out, shoving me away.
I withdrew my hands and ran them through my hair, sighing.
Another wave of pain washed over her, causing her to release a long moan, and when the pain subsided, she cast a quick glance in my direction.
“I’ll accompany you to the palace,” I said more firmly this time.
With a hint of frustration, she half-heartedly remarked, “You don’t need to do that.”
Ignoring her, I scooped her up and settled her onto a seat in theviko, joining her moments later. We went on our way without talking, yet I couldn't help but watch her, wishing I could offer more support.
