Liberty POV
I start to pull Evelyn out of the water, her body so exhausted it can’t even shiver from how cold it is. Rex must notice me struggle as he wades into the water to help me.
She’s freezing to touch and only being with Pierce for a short period of time, I had come accustomed to the werewolf above average body temperature. She was barely alive. I pull her away from Rex, not wanting him to see her like this.
I start pressing repeatedly on her chest to help keep her heart pumping and to keep her breathing. What do I do? Pierce said werewolves self heal…but watching her she doesn’t look like she is self healing to me.
“Help!” I shout out but we were still alone, nobody was near us for miles.
“Evelyn…keep breathing…” I order at her as I follow the CPR techniques I learnt from watching too many TV shows. I turn to see Rex a frozen statue behind me as his Mum lays dying at my feet.
“Rex…a blanket…a coat…anything.” I frantically shriek at him, desperate to warm her body back up.
The threat was gone, both Malcolm and Vicky perished by their own attack. But the danger wasn’t over, not for Evelyn and Cassandra. Both were unconscious and I was no use to them, I wasn’t a doctor or a nurse.
I only knew what I knew from being sheltered in that apartment, addicted to day time television. I was no use at all, and I had caused all this.
“There’s nothing Auntie Lib, everything has burned in the fire.” He responds quietly, his eyes not leaving Evelyn once.
I look up at the Lake House, it was still a roaring fire but it seemed to be containing itself now. As for the battle, I don’t even know if Reuben was still alive or whether he has been killed by the attackers.
Pierce had been gone for too long, if he had any sense in him he wouldn’t come back. What would he be coming back for? Me? After all of this…I don’t think so.
“Rex, come here. I need you to do as I am doing while I go find something to warm her up.” I order at him, showing him what to do.
“That’s it, keep the rhythm. Is Elspeth okay?”
“She’s with Cassandra.”
“Okay…okay…” I pull at my hair trying to think what to do.
Do I call an ambulance? Is that what the werewolves do? Do they even go to normal hospitals? What if they realise what she is and start running government tests on her. No, best not to call an ambulance. I don’t even have a phone anyway.
“Auntie Lib, she’s starting to breathe more.” Rex shouts out to me as I look at the decking for a blanket that Evelyn might use to sit out here at night time.
“But she’s a werewolf and doesn’t get cold.” That judgemental voice rings out in my head, which I choose to ignore rather than respond to.
“That’s great Rex, keep doing what you’re doing…”
I can’t find anything. I turn back to Rex to find him continuing the chest compressions…a four year old saving his mum’s life? What have I done….
The guilt was eating away at me. I felt sick.
I could hear heavy footsteps in the distance, my hearing locating on the noise and recognising a growl as Reuben’s. Thank god, he was alive. He’d be able to save her. But I couldn’t stay, I couldn’t.
“Rex, keep her breathing, keep her warm.”
“Where are you going?” He notices the change in my tone, as his head whips around to look at me. There’s no blame in his eyes, only concern for me. Concern I don’t deserve.
“I can’t stay, it’s all my fault.”
“No Auntie Lib, it’s not…stay, please don’t go.”
“I can’t..” I start to back away. I can hear Reuben almost at the lake and this would be my only chance. I can’t go back there, to that apartment and I can’t be in a new kind of prison. They’ll say it isn’t, but it will be. Either with Reuben or with Pierce. They will never trust me again, to let me decide for myself.
This was my only way to be truly free.
Rex POV
She was leaving, I could see the fear in her eyes from having to face Dad. I would protect her from him, she saved Mum and Cassandra. How could he remain angry at her after that?
“Just keep her breathing.” She whispers, shaking her head gently as I try to reach out to her.
“Don’t go.” I want to run after her but Mum needed me and I couldn’t leave Elspeth either. She was only just keeping it together, her bunny teddy safe in her arms.
I’m not so scared anymore when I hear Dad calling for me on the decking. I can hear him with Elspeth now, Uncle Noah having just arrived to find Cassandra. If Auntie Lib hadn’t of gotten the bullet out, she would have been dead.
“Dad!” I shout for him, my arms now aching and my hands numb from Mum’s cold body.
“Rex, Rex what happened son?” Dad pulls my head to his, resting his forehead against mine. His breathing is fast, he must have run here as fast as he could. I know I would have.
“We were attacked…she saved Mum…” I respond but continue doing what Auntie Lib told me to do. I can’t stop, I can’t lose Mum.
“Who did?” Dad takes hold of my hands before taking over the pressing onto Mum’s chest.
“Auntie Lib.”
“Liberty saved her?”
“She pulled her out of the lake. She also killed Malcolm.”
“Wait… Liberty killed Malcolm? Where is she?” His eyes are on me but he doesn’t stop helping Mum once.
“She was scared. Worried you would blame her. She’s gone.”
“Gone?”
“I tried to make her stay…I wanted to stop her but I couldn’t leave Mum.”
Sadness overwhelms me that I couldn’t help Auntie Lib, all she wanted was to be liked…to have a hug. I should have given her a hug. Told her that I care. I think she felt uncared for.
“It’s okay Rex, you did the right thing ”
“Noah? Noah…I need you.” Dad roars out but Uncle Noah was helping Cassandra.
“Cassandra was shot with a green bullet ..Auntie Lib pulled it out.” I explain just as Uncle Noah jumps over the decking and races towards us.
I can see Silver Moon warriors standing aback watching Mum being helped. Even Donnie is there watching.
“Donnie, I need to get her to the hospital.”
“I’ll get an ambulance here Beta.” He confirms before walking away.
Uncle Noah starts checking over Mum, trying to warm up her body by picking her up and placing her in to Dad’s arms.
“Keep her warm Reuben. Once I can get her to the hospital I can work fast to get her healing…but the healing won’t work if she’s too cold.”
Once Mum starts to become a less blue colour, the warriors seem to come out of their daze and start to concentrate on getting the fire out.
There’s hardly anything left of the Lake House. Mum will be heartbroken, this was her favourite place. Where we holidayed a lot before Dad re-entered our lives.
The smoke is still billowing as Pierce and his warriors return.
“What the hell has happened?” He asks but I can see his eyes searching the place for her.
“Where the fuck were you?” If Dad didn’t have Mum on him he would have lunged for Pierce. His anger was strong.
“We found soldiers with poisoned bullets…”
“What?”
“Yes human soldiers…is Evelyn okay?”
“Does she look okay?” Dad growls as Pierce can’t seem to focus. His eyes still searching the ruins for Auntie Libby.
“Shes alive but she’s not here.” I let him know. Maybe he didn’t deserve her, maybe she was better off being on her own.
Away from everyone that just seemed to hurt her.
“Where is she?” He turns to me.
“She’s gone.”
