Everything hurt. My entire body felt worse than before, but I couldn't remember what had happened to me. All I could remember was laying down, trying to sleep, and then opening the door. I knew I saw the person that was standing there, but as much as I wanted to see the face, it was blurry. It was like my mind didn't want me to remember who was standing there.
I felt my fingers twitch, touching the hard fabric underneath, telling me I was laying down in the same bed. I hadn't left, but who had carried me back? When I finally felt the muscles in my eyes, I slowly forced them open, and finally saw the face that had been staring at me at the door.
Xavier.
He smiled down at me for a few seconds, before his face turned somber as his gaze flickered all over me. His lips thinned, and he looked up at someone before he looked back down at me. I didn't move my eyes to see who had accompanied him; I couldn't stop staring at him. As much as I wanted to, it felt like he was a flicker of my imagination, something death was showing me before she finally took me. But the soft squeeze he made to my hand told me he was real, and I was not making it up.
"Xavier?" I breathed, and he smiled once more.
"Hey."
"What— what are you doing here?" My eyes finally flickered to the person that shifted and I saw Ben. He gave me a small smile, and I found myself smiling as memories from what seemed like ages ago passed through my mind. "How did you find me?"
"That's not important," he breathed as he released my hand and stood up from his knees. He sighed deeply, ran a hand through his already messed up hair, and then looked over at Ben, who was staring down at his cellphone. "Do you think we can leave?"
They were leaving already? I felt my heart skip a beat, making my already sore body release another wave of pain. I felt two pairs of eyes flicker towards me as a small moan left my lips. "She can't fly."
She? Did someone else come with them?
"I was afraid you were going to say that. Do you think Reece or Jack can take us back?"
"You are leaving already?" I whispered, making them look back at me. "But you just got here."
Another faint smile from Xavier as he went back down to his knees, and grabbed my right arm in both of his. My lips parted in surprise as he brought it up to his lips, and quickly kissed it, not releasing it as he brought it back down. "We have to go, but I am not leaving you behind. You are coming back with us."
I felt my eyelids blink rapidly at his words. "What?"
"You obviously can't take care of yourself anymore, Eva. Look at yourself." My eyes closed and I flinched as Ben commented on my state. "I'm sorry, but he's right. We can't, and won't leave you like this."
"But... but I thought we agreed..." I trailed off as I turned my head to the side, not wanting to look at them.
"Yes, but things have changed. Feelings have... evolved, and there's no way I can leave you behind and let you die." Xavier took a deep breath, and his next words had me snapping my head to him. "I won't let you die. Not anymore."
"That's not your decision."
"I can't let you die, because part of me won't allow it." He grabbed my hand again as Ben murmured in the background on his phone. "Eva, look at me." My eyes flickered back to him and he cupped my face as he whispered, "Eva, you are the key to my happiness."
The breath on my lungs left, and he had to remind me to breathe. "What?"
"Eva... remember how I told you I am a hybrid?" I nodded, wincing as a round of pain went around my head. The pain now settled there, feeling like a monstrous headache that would never go away. "Well, you are my vampires side beloved."
I blinked rapidly at his words again. "Huh?" I found myself saying after a few moments of silence. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Ben walked back in, a grim look on his face as he tapped the screen on his hands.
"What? What is it?" Xavier stood up from his knees once more and the proceeded to help me sit up when I began to move. I could feel both of their eyes on me once more, waiting for me to break, but when I could sit by myself for some miracle, a breath of relief was exhaled.
"Since both of them have never had to travel here, they don't know the island, so they can't land. Jack will be arriving at the break of dawn tomorrow."
"Damn it. Do we even have that kind of time?" He growled as he looked at me.
"I can't say. They would be here sooner, but the jet is still flying back. It needs to be refueled and a new captain needs to be arranged," Ben sighed, "How do you feel, Eva?"
"Surprisingly... alright, I think. I don't know why, but I just feel... rejuvenated?" It sounded more like a question as I thought of it myself. "Like if the last few days never happened and I was still over there..." Even the headache that had made its presence seconds ago all but vanished.
"Please tell me Quinn is coming too. I'm sorry, but I don't trust this packs healer." Xavier commented as he stared at me worryingly.
"Yes. Your aunt thought the same and has called for her." Ben flickered his gaze towards me and gave me another small smile. "Now, all we have to do is wait. Are you hungry? You look exactly the same way I first saw you."
I flinched at his words, knowing I had lost some weight from not eating. From instinct, I almost shook my head in neglect, but the rumbling from my stomach stopped me, and I blinked rapidly. That was a first. My stomach had not cried once since I had landed, even though no food was being processed.
"I'll be back." He pocketed his phone and quickly walked out, a thank you trailing after him from Xavier. Once we were alone, I felt his hands grab my right one again, and squeeze it, bringing my attention back to him.
"Now, where were we?"
*****
As soon as Ben had come back with some bags of food in between his fingers, a cloud of dust appeared in the middle of the room, followed by a female voice.
"Phew!" She coughed as she waved her hands around the air. Ben all but dropped the bags and lunged at the person as Xavier grabbed me from the couch I was lounging at and placed me behind him. The woman gasped as she saw the wolf millimeters from her face, and disappeared before she appeared again in another corner of the room.
"Oh god, wait!" She all but yelled and held her hands up in a peaceful gesture. "Have I been that bad of an aunt that you don't even remember me, Xavier?"
The whole room froze at her words and just stared at her. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ben slowly inching his way closer to us, his hands posture still in protection mode.
"Aunt Tee?" Xavier whispered, and then he gasped, taking a step forward. "Yes. Aunt Tatiana!"
"Come over here and give me a hug boy!" She laughed as she took a step forward. Ben relaxed and went back to retrieve the spilled bags of food while Xavier went to go hug Tatiana. I stood in the same corner, confused as always, and blinked rapidly as she pulled away from him and stared at me. "Is this her?"
"You know who she is?"
"Kind of. I saw a vision, and I knew you needed help." She held up her hands, and smiled, pointing at herself. "So here I am! How may I be of assistance?"
Xavier quickly explained our situation and she rolled her eyes once she knew why we were stuck. She rattled off quick words that I did not get, but Ben did since he immediately left the room again, and then gestured for me to come closer. I hesitated, but did as I was told and stopped when I was a few feet in front of her. Her hand came up to cup my cheek, and she shuddered as her eyes closed shut.
"Child, I can sense death knocking," she whispered as her eyes opened again. Xavier growled and I saw his hands clenching into tight fists at his sides. "And you also look like death. When was the last time you ate?"
I shrugged, but remembered when my last meal was, and her eyebrows furrowed. "Well before we leave, you must eat. My magic will zap a bit of your energy, and you are empty of it. How are you even standing up?"
"That's the same question im wondering myself," I murmured as she dragged me to the bags that were resting on one of the many coffee tables. I quickly went to work with one of the containers that held what I assumed was chicken and rice. I was too hungry to care what was going to my mouth. I was on my fourth huge bite when I looked up, feeling both of their stares at me. My eyebrows raised in question, and Tatiana smacked Xavier in the bicep as she chastised him.
"You stupid boy!" She snapped and then sent me a smile. "I'm sorry you have this dumbass as a beloved. My nephew sure can be a little..." she whistled as she twirled a finger besides her head, causing me to smile. "But take your time, Eva. Your end won't be coming anytime soon."
Her words had the food going down my throat feeling like rocks.