Change of Heart 2

Chapter 33

"Adrian?" She called softly touching his bloody face. His eyes were still closed but he groaned and shifted his head slowly to the side. The icy cold shower of rain had been soaking him for hours after they left him tied outside since the brutal beating. The rain continued to fall and now the woman was soaked as well. He groaned out in pain again as she began cutting the ropes that were cutting through his skin. When he was free she literally lifted him off of the ground and took him into a warm dry room.

"W−what... are you...doing?" He struggled to speak and even though he was out of the rain he was still shivering.

"You're gonna be ok for now." She said lighting the fireplace in front of the sofa where he lied down. "That should keep you warm for a while."

Adrian finally took a good look at her and realized that it was the same woman who had been staring at him since the arrival of the Ouden. He was also confused as to why she was helping him as she too was a part of the group. "Why aren't the wounds healing?" His voice was hoarse and he was incredibly weak.

"They're not healing because the weapon they used on you was laced in wolfs bane." She said cleaning the blood off of his face with a warm wet cloth. "Don't worry. I put something in this that'll allow the wounds to heal faster." She smiled giving him a teacup.

"What is it?"

"It's tea with a little something extra. Drink it." She put the cup closer to his mouth. He took it and without another word he began to drink. "Are you hungry?"

"Yea." He replied giving her the empty teacup.

She went inside and in less than a minute she returned with a plate full of croissants. "Go ahead."

"How did you know these were my favorite?"

She just smiled and shrugged and continued to clean blood off of his skin.

"Are they gonna kill me?" He asked after he ate half the plate.

"After they get what they want from you...maybe."

"What do they want?"

"I−I don't know." She looked at him for a few seconds and then moved her eyes off of him.

"Why are you here? With them?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're not like the rest of them." He said. "You're a good person. I could feel it... I could see it."

"Sometimes you just don't have a choice."

"You always have a choice."

Her eyes met his again and she smiled. "You're a great kid Adrian. I don't wanna see anything bad happen to you. But right now, you're in a place where everything that happens is bad."

"I have to get out of here. There are people out there who need me. I need them." He said touching his neck to feel his necklace that never came off. He frowned when he didn't feel it.

"Are you looking for this?" She asked and took it out of her pocket.

"Yes thanks." He said taking it from her hands.

"It seems important to you."

"It is." He replied. "In my pack, everyone wears one. Our motto is embedded on the front."

"I also noticed something on the back."

"Oh yea. This necklace was my mother's. It's the only thing I have from her. Even though I never actually knew her...I love her. These letters on the back HR I always assumed they were her initials."

"How does your back feel?"

"It feels better. Thank you." He smiled a bit for the first time since he was there. "Can you keep it for me?" He asked handing her back the necklace.

"Sure." She placed it back into her pocket. "I should take you to the cell before someone finds out you were here."

"Would you be in trouble?"

"Not if they don't find out. Come on." She stood up and led him out of the room all the way to the cells.

"What's gonna happen tomorrow?" He asked her when he got inside.

"Whatever it is, I hope it's not worst than today." She sighed and locked the gate.

"You never told me why you helped me."

"Like I said, you're a great kid. Try to get some rest." She smiled at him and then left.