Moana
As I ran across the back lawn to the mansion, I could see Selina, the maids, and several security guards come running outside with scared looks on their faces.
All of them froze, their mouths hanging open, as I approached.
"Moana...?" Selina said quietly as she took a tentative step toward me. I nodded and slowed my pace.
"Moana is the Golden Wolf!" Amy yelled out loud, cupping her face excitedly. "I can't believe it!"
"I'll be damned..." One of the security guards, Darren, slowly walked up to me with his eyes wide. "I never thought the Golden Wolf was anything but a fairy tale for kids.
I wished that I had time to let them process this, but I could feel Edrick weakening on my back. I felt a warm liquid trickle into my fur, and I could tell instantly from the metallic smell that assaulted my new wolf senses that it was blood.
Suddenly, Edrick groaned and fell completely limp. He lost his grip and started to slide off of my back, causing everyone to gasp. I quickly shifted back into my human form and caught him in my arms just in time before he hit the ground.
"Hurry," I said, watching in horror as I saw fresh blood starting to create red blossoms on his shirt. "I couldn't heal him fully by myself."
In a flurry of activity, everyone suddenly crowded around me. The bodyguards hoisted Edrick's limp body up and began carrying him back to the house, while Selina and the maids checked on me.
"Are you alright?" Selina asked with worry in her eyes. "What happened? All we knew was that Edrick said Michael was here, and then he ran off. The security guards have been running around like chickens with their heads cut off."
I shook my head and swallowed. My throat felt hoarse from screaming, and now that we had returned to the house, I suddenly realized just how achingly sore my body was. Selina and the maids helped me to my feet, and I held my belly as we began to walk back to the mansion.
"He tried to kill me," I said. "Michael. He had a knife... I shifted just in time, but... Michael didn't make it. Edrick got horribly wounded, too. I tried to heal him but I'm running out of energy, and his wounds are deep."
"Don't worry, dear." Selina wrapped her arms around me. "We'll heal him up. You need to rest for both yourself and the baby. Did you get hurt?"
Once again, I shook my head. "I'm dizzy, but I'm alright," I replied. "I'm just worried about Edrick..."
As I thought back on Edrick's limp body, I felt tears come to my eyes again. If I lost him again, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I knew the pain of losing a fated mate now... I never wanted to experience that ever again.
"Here." Selina guided me in through the door. A sob instantly escaped my lips as I saw Edrick laying on the dining room table with the security guards circled around him. They had shoved everything off of the table and laid him there so they could work on healing him.
Before Selina could stop me, I wrenched myself away from her grip and ran over to Edrick. His eyes were still closed, and he seemed even less responsive now.
"Edrick!" I cried, cupping his face. "Are you there?"
"Miss, can you please step back?" one of the guards asked, gently trying to guide me away. "We need to heal him—"
"No!" I shouted. I yanked my arm away from the baffled security guard and practically glued myself to Edrick's side. "I'll help heal him! I refuse to just stand here!"
"Moana..." Selina reached out to touch my shoulder with a shaking hand. "The guards are well trained. They can heal him."
"No." I shook my head and pressed my hands into Edrick's chest, just like I did on the cliffside. I still felt woozy from everything, but I was determined not to just stand by idly and hope that they could heal him on their own. "I'm the Golden Wolf and his mate!"
Everyone fell silent. I started to focus my energy, but suddenly stopped when I realized that they didn't fall silent because of me, but because of something else. There was a creak on the stairs, and I jerked my head up to see Ella standing there with wide eyes.
"Ella, honey, go upstairs," Selina said, rushing over to the bottom of the stairs. "Go play in your room. Here— Lily, go with her."
Lily rushed over and tried to guide Ella up the stairs, but Ella wasn't having it. In one swift movement, she ducked under Lily's arm and ran down the stairs, dodging past Selina and the security guards, and ran over to the table where Edrick was lying.
I couldn't move or speak. I was frozen, horrified at the fact that Ella had to see her father like this. I suddenly felt overcome with guilt as I realized that she likely wouldn't have come downstairs and seen all of this mess if I hadn't started wailing and shouting like a madwoman.
"Moana?" Ella asked, looking up at me as her little hands gripped her father. "What happened to daddy? Why is he bleeding?"
"H-He's..." I didn't know what to say. My voice faltered, and I kept opening and closing my mouth as though something would eventually come out, but nothing ever did.
"Is my daddy dead?" Ella's eyes started to fill with tears, and her face turned red.
I shook my head and pulled my bloody hands away from him, then rushed around the table and crouched in front of Ella. "No, sweetie," I said gently, taking both of her shoulders in my hands. "He just got hurt, but he's still alive. The security guards and I are going to heal him and he'll be alright."
Ella didn't seem to believe me as her big eyes searched my face. Her hand was still gripping her father's arm so tightly that her knuckles were white, which stood in stark contrast to the redness in her face.
"What happened?" she whispered.
I swallowed and glanced up at Selina, who was shaking her head. She didn't want me to tell Ella the truth... But I couldn't lie to her. Not after Edrick had just promised that we would always tell her the truth about everything.
"He... Your grandpa... He attacked me," I said, feeling my lower lip quiver. "Your daddy saved me, but he got hurt. Can you trust me to take care of him?"
Ella started to sob. Suddenly, however, I felt as though I knew what to do. Somehow, I knew that I had always known how to do this. Even before my wolf ever emerged, it was a special ability of mine. I always thought that I was just good with kids, but now I knew differently.
Pulling the little girl into my arms, I hummed gently. Within moments, her crying ceased. Selina, the maids, and the security guards looked on in shock as Ella took a step back and wiped her teary eyes.
"Okay," Ella whimpered. "I trust you. Please take good care of my daddy."