Unconditionally

34

Arabella picked up Kian's scent and shot off into the woods at the bottom of the garden. "KIAN!" she screamed looking round into the darkness. She started walking towards the river and saw a rush behind her. She turned around. "Stop playing games Kian. You need to tell me what happened!"

She saw a rush in front of her and Kian appeared behind her. He looked broken. His face was crumpled, and tears were falling from his eyes. "What happened Kian?" she whispered.

"Ava and Zachary came. I don't even know how long they had been here for. Zachary just appeared. Ava caught up with Georgia...", Kian faced away from Arabella, feeling guilty for everything that had happened.

Arabella walked closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder, "Kian, you need to come back to the house. Georgia needs you."

Kian shook his head, "it is my fault she got hurt. I can't come back, I put her in too much danger." He started to walk away.

"Kian!" she cried.

He ignored her and carried on walking.

Arabella shot in front of him and lifted his head up with her hand, "Kian, it's too late", she stammered.

Kian whipped round and looked over at the house, "what do you mean?"

Arabella shook her head and tried to hold back her tears as she watched Kian's eyes fill with anger and distress.

"Arabella, it's too late for what?" he shouted.

Arabella took a deep breath, "Ava put the Jones potion into her, Kian. She has lost too much blood and Ava's dark magic is making sure her arm doesn't heal. We can't do anything."

"So, what are you trying to say?" Kian looked at her apprehensively.

"She will either turn... or die."

Kian stepped back feeling his heart break into a million pieces. All he had wanted to do was protect her and he had failed; failed to do the one thing he had sworn to her he could do.

"Kian?" Arabella whispered.

He turned around and shot off towards the house. Arabella was close on his heel and found him in the doorway, frozen, seeing Georgia lying on the sofa covered in blood.

"Go on, it's okay...", she whispered, ushering him inside.

Kian stepped inside and looked at Joanna and Luke. They moved away and Joanna went over to Arabella and walked outside with her.

Luke walked over to Kian, "just sit with her for a while", he said, squeezing Kian's shoulder before he joined the girls outside.

Kian didn't move. Georgia looked so peaceful; he couldn't believe the change of events over the last few days. His emotions were all over the place, the nerves in his body bouncing around creating havoc. He slowly walked towards her and crouched down next to her, tucking her hair behind her ears as he kissed her forehead. "I love you Georgia", he said, tears starting to fall from his eyes. They fell on her skin and rolled down her still face. The smell of her blood was intense, and he had to fight every part of his being not to feed, focusing on Georgia's face, the colour slipping away.

A few minutes later Luke, Joanna and Arabella came back inside. Joanna and Arabella walked over and picked Kian up and took him into the kitchen, leaving Georgia with Luke. Arabella hugged Kian tight and went to the fridge to get him a drink. Joanna stood there speechless, worried about how Kian would react if Georgia didn't make it.

"Joanna don't look at me like that" he said, catching her gaze.

Joanna turned around and made herself busy in the cupboard.

Arabella walked over, trying to distract him, "here you go, drink up. We don't know what tonight's going to bring and you need to keep your strength up. Ava and Zachary are still out there somewhere."

Kian looked at Arabella and scowled, "I will kill them for what they have done to her."

Arabella pushed the red concoction towards him as she downed hers in one. Joanna walked over to them, "I think we should try and get some sleep. Luke will stay with Georgia tonight."

Kian got up and shook his head, "I am not leaving her. I can feel her heart beating and I know she needs me."

The girls nodded, knowing it wasn't worth the argument as they all walked into the lounge.

"Luke, Kian's staying with you, we are going to go off to bed but get us as soon as anything has.... happened", Joanna said hesitantly as she kissed the top of Luke's head before wandering upstairs.

Kian walked over and sat in the small chair next to Georgia. "Luke, I'm okay here if you want to get some sleep."

Luke looked between them and stood up, giving Kian Georgia's mobile. "Call me if anything changes."

Kian nodded and lay down on the floor next to the sofa where Georgia was. He stared up at the ceiling feeling lost. The one person he needed to talk to was the reason he was in this unbearable pain.