Fight, Flight, or Freeze: The Healer's Story
Chapter 146: The Catalyst For It All

Chapter 146: The Catalyst For It All

The sun was beginning to set when I could hear a commotion coming from the gates of the women’s area.

The new fighters must have brought a woman with them. I really wish they would stop doing that.

They had such an inflated ego that they thought they could protect their women from anything, but I have yet to be able to see that.

Not even Rip could protect me from everything, and he was a frigging scary bastard that most didn’t mess with. And by most, I mean no one messed with Rip.

And yet... here I was... in a cage not even big enough for a Bernese Mountain Dog.

I chuckled and rested my cheek against the bars on the ground, letting the words of Unknown Female #192 wash over me.

I hoped—No, hoping was just a different way of getting crushed. No point in hoping anymore.

The commotion was still far enough away that I couldn’t hear any words, but what I could hear was Alpha’s distinctive voice.

That was new. He hadn’t met with the drop-offs directly in months. He must have been pissed that the Recruiter took so long and wanted to rip him a new one.

The gate slammed shut behind them, and all of a sudden, Alpha appeared in front of the cage beside me. So much for enjoying peace and quiet for a while.

"We’re here," he grunted and tossed the poor woman on the ground. "Get in," he continued, pointing at the cage.

When she didn’t move fast enough, he kicked her hard enough that I could hear a rib or two snap.

Breaking my rule about not caring, I looked up at the woman as she crawled on her hands and knees into the cage.

She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She seemed to have an inner grace, an aura that told everyone not to mess with her. Her long black hair was shiny, and her skin and clothes were pretty clean. She definitely had access to water before she arrived here.

She was in such good condition that I took a moment to wonder why she was even here. There was no way she belonged to ordinary fighters. Their women had confidence, but they weren’t this clean.

I studied her, and the more I saw, the more I had a feeling that I had known this woman before. There was an instant connection with her, the same one that I had with the guys when I first met them.

If I bent that way, she would have definitely been my type, but instead, it felt like I was with family. There was a level of comfort with her just being beside me.

I needed to heal her. I didn’t care if she hated me when I was done; I needed to make sure that she was okay.

But one thing was for sure. She didn’t belong here. Was she planted here on purpose? Was she the reason why I felt off? Like something big was going to happen?

Was she the catalyst for it all?

If the Alpha was smart, he would bring her back to her men and get them as far away from the camp as possible. But Alpha was never that smart.

"Don’t worry, Sweetness, you won’t be in there long," crooned the Alpha as he crouched down to lock the door behind her before pocketing the key. His words made every last alarm bell go off inside of my head, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would do anything to prevent this woman from being tainted by this camp.

I would take her place if necessary.

The Alpha continued to look at the newcomer for a few more minutes before he strolled out of the women’s area, the gate slamming behind him.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to keep my voice soft and calm. This had to be a traumatic experience for anyone, and, with how well she was being treated before, this had to be a shock to her system.

"Turn around if you can and hold out your hand. I can make it all better," I continued. I was worried that she wouldn’t be able to move because of the pain from the broken ribs. Or maybe she wouldn’t believe me that I could heal her.

But I had to try. There was no other option.

Slowly, the woman rolled over, hardly moving more than an inch at a time.

As soon as she saw me, her situation must have hit because she burst out crying like her life was over.

And it probably was.

No. I wouldn’t think that way. I had to do everything I could to protect her.

It wasn’t in our plans, but if I asked, Rip would kill the Alpha and replace him as head of the Horde.

My head started to run through the pros and cons of that move, but right now, there was only one pro that trumped all the cons.

It would save this woman.

"Shhh," I whispered to her, not wanting to startle her anymore. I adjusted how I was lying down, moving one of my hands so it cushioned the side of my face. I could stare at her for hours...

In an incredibly not creepy type way.

Reaching out my hand as far as it could go, I cursed that I was only a matter of inches short of being able to touch her.

"Everything is going to be okay," I continued, talking to her like I would one of the children admitted into the Emergency Room. "I was a doctor before all this happened. Here, give me your hand. I will heal you."

I sent out a small prayer, hoping that she would let me touch her... and that she didn’t think I was crazy or something, believing that I could heal with nothing more than a touch.

I would have thought the same if I were in her shoes... she probably thought that I was a faith healer or something... but I had to try.

Her ribs were stressing me out more than I cared to think about.

It seemed to take forever, but very slowly, she extended her hand out through the bars of her cage and gripped my hand like it was her only lifeline in this crazy world.

And if she needed me to be, I would.