Northern Lights: The Druid of Black Lake

Chapter 20

Wolf form was so much easier to maneuver in while pregnant then human form. I followed Clark's scent. It was faint from the day before but I would know it anywhere. Heath brought a dozen strong warriors with us. It took us twenty minutes at a run to get to the old rogue camp. I sniffed around it carefully. Apple pie was here recently, Clark. I lifted my head in the air, sniffing hard. He had passed by here not long ago. I moved north, the warriors followed me. There was a cliff edge where his scent ended, I looked down, nothing but rocks and trees. We followed the cliff edge east a few kilometers, Clark's scent got stronger.

I yipped, he was close. I smelled him as I moved east, apple pie and... blood. 'Clark!' I screamed in my mind. 'Charlotte.' It was a whisper. I spun around in a circle, looking for a hiding place. I kept moving, moving, smelling. There it was, a small cluster of rocks with a bush growing out of the top. His hiding place. 'Clark, I'm coming in, I'm here.' I linked to him.

I ran to the tiny cave; it seemed too small for a man of my mate's size. I stuck my head inside, blood filled my nose so deep I could taste it. I licked his face and neck. Clark, thank god, he was alive. I shifted to my human form as I pulled out of the small crawlspace, "Heath help him out of there!"

Heath and another warrior grabbed onto Clark's shoulders and pulled him from the cave. He had bite and claw marks everywhere. He had fought a number of battles, but his back was where the carnage was. There were five deep red slashes about twelve inches long, all the way to the bone. These had not begun to heal at all. I leaned over to lick the wounds, spitting after my tongue came into contact with them, "SILVER!"

I pulled out my strongest salve and rubbed it deeply into his wounds, stinging my own hands in the process. I would have to wash the silver residue out of the slashes when we got home, but for now he needed as much help as he could get. I opened his mouth and put some dried camomile under his tongue. "Come on baby, you are strong." I whispered into his ear. Clark moaned as he heard my voice.

"Pick him up, get him back to the pack house now." Heath ordered. Two warriors lifted Clark's body and made off towards our home. I took several deep breaths before shifting back into my wolf form. Before I could start running after then Heath reached out and touched my back, "Be careful on your way back, don't run ahead of them." I yipped in agreement and took off after my mate.

The sun was coming up by the time we made it back home. Clark was conscious though in a huge amount of pain. I requested he be brought to our room so I could treat him there. The warriors complied, carrying him up the stairs. "Please put him in the bathtub, I will wash his wounds." I told them as I ran the warm water. It took two of them to lift my mate into the bathtub. The warriors left immediately, Heath had stayed back in my bedroom. As the water ran I walked to the doorway to Heath, "Ask Michael to come here in about an hour please. We will move him from the bath to the bed for him to fully heal." He nodded, rubbing my shoulder to comfort me before leaving silently.

I turned back to Clark. He was rolling his neck on the edge of the bathtub, moaning softly. I pulled a wash cloth from the vanity, soaked it in the water and started to wash him. His entire body shuttered at my touch, small gasps escaped his lips as little shocks from our mate bond passed between us. He tried to talk, I brought my fingers to his lips, "SShhh Clark, don't try to talk yet. You are in so much pain I can feel it. Just let me take care of you. We need to get the silver out of your wounds first." He nodded, his eyes closed. I rested my forehead against his and sighed, relieved I found him alive.

I moved behind him, gently pushing him forward to have access to his back, he cried out in pain. I washed the deep wounds out with soap and water. The salve was already starting to work while we were on our way back home, but with the silver still in the wound it was taking longer then normal for him to heal. Now that it was all washed out these deep gashes would disappear in a day or so. I washed his hair of leaves and twigs, he moaned as I touched his scalp. I heard Michael come into our bedroom, I called him to come in.