Sorry for taking so long, I went from having a job with 10:30 hours a day to have no job at all. *Sighs* that is life. The good side is I was able to finally finish it. So without further words, enjoy the last 6 chapters of this story.
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Chapter 39
"Compassion"
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Meadow
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I look at Agape and smile, she is sitting next to Gideon, his arm around her shoulder holding her, they look calm and in peace. I walk to the next room and Aeneas is arguing with Queen Isilwen on matters of past history between their races. I chuckle and walk to the table and sit next to Cara, who I look upon with more than a little concern.
With everything happening, I was aware but consciously pushing aside the fact that Cara had a personal problem with Agape; more than a problem, an important issue. Even when she showed interest on Agape's healing process and some sympathy towards her after hearing her story, I knew that her lost was a constant reminder of what was missing in her life. As long as Cara was well, Alex was under control, but I was not worried as much about him as I was worried about her. I knew that sooner or later, I've have to put both of them together and let Cara unwind.
'
We will, soon.
' Caleb instantly replied my mental questioning and I frowned, turning my head to find him right next to me.
'I am sorry, it is so hard not to hear your thoughts...they are so strong and filled with emotion.
' He said with a small chuckle and the sweet sound of it made me shake my head and smile. He leaned and kissed me softly, I tasted the juice he drank not long ago from his lips and I sighed.
"Sorry to interrupt but I have the new dosage of serum ready." Aeneas interrupted our thoughts with the small vial of liquid in his hands, his pledge not far from him and expecting for orders. I didn't like her.
"Agape, are you ready?" I asked looking at her and Gideon tightened his grip on her, she looked at him briefly then back at me with a tense nod. She stood up and walked to me, both of us following Aeneas to another room. We had agreed earlier we would do this alone, but both Caleb and Gideon would be close in case any of them was needed. The truth was that, every experience was new, different and unique and we didn't know how she would react.
She sat on the big couch at one of the meeting rooms and Aeneas set to the task of preparing the injection; he pulled out a syringe from his pocket, broke the envelope and pulled it out. Half frowning, he examined the yellow liquid from the vial and continued the process while he pulled the liquid out with the syringe. Both me and Agape watched him closely, unable to speak or move. He finally turned around and looked at her with a smile. "This should not hurt".
There was certainty in his words, perhaps I was his test subject after all, and he improved the formula after me. He walked to her and asked for her arm, she slowly gave it to him and he started proving the place where he would place the needle. It only took a mere second for the needle to slide inside her and spill its liquid; she bit her lips and closed her eyes, leaning against the back of the couch once Aeneas removed the empty syringe. We remained silent for a while, she shivered slightly a few times but besides that, there was no sign of pain or any kind of damage to her system; I wondered how this would work on her different than me, since Gideon could not mark her, things would definitely be different.
"Let's give her room and time to recover, I modified the formula so she will remain dormant for a few hours before she wakes up. It will be slower than what we did with you." He said to me softly and I perked a brow.
"Why so much different?" I asked, genuinely concerned and intrigued.
"Well... you were my first ever patient to try it... and your mate was on a rush... he wanted you back yesterday, if you know what I mean." He chuckled and I blinked a couple of times with the surprise and embarrassment of the obvious revelation; yes, I felt silly for not realizing it sooner.
"But she will be better after this, won't she?" I asked him again, wanting to be more than sure.
He nodded and gestured me to the door to go first. "You can send the human to look after her if you want, she should be fine. My serum will break the magic bond, his presence will give her comfort and reassurance when she wakes up."
I nodded and we both headed back to the room where everyone else was waiting. As soon as I saw Gideon he jumped up from the chair and looked behind me searching for Agape, I was sure. I smiled to him softly. "You can go watch her if you want, but she fell under a deep sleep, don't try to wake her up, let the serum work in her system and break the false connection, she will wake up in a few hours."
"Thank you, both of you." Gideon said with a huge smile on his face, and after that he almost ran to her. I chuckled, the change on him so radical from the person I once fought and almost ordered dead. I was glad I had chosen on the side of compassion.
I smile to Caleb who is talking to Queen Isilwen and waving me off with a hand gesture. I take advantage of it and walk to Cara, gesturing her to follow me outside. Once we are both out, and after I wave and smile to some members of the pack passing by, I give Cara a hug. She stiffened, surely surprised. "Cara, thank you for being so patient and helping out with Agape... I know you more than anyone has real and understandable reasons why not helping her or being near her, yet you stayed loyally with us, me and Caleb, backing up our decisions." I told her and then let her go.
She half smiled to me and looked down with a hint of sadness. "At first, it was really just me trying to hold it together and not making her look more important than just a prisoner of war." She started with almost a whisper. "But then, things made sense slowly, as I heard the story behind her behaviour, and watching her interact with you... She never asked for forgiveness, but in a way, I think she can't or doesn't want to forgive herself either... I think she left us capture her on purpose... more than that, I think she wanted us to kill her..."
"What do you mean?" I asked a little shocked by her revelations.
"When we found her, she launched herself to us with speed and strength, but real tactics... it was weird, me and Alex thought it sloppy, but I think she did it on purpose... Well, now... back then I thought she was crazy, as everyone else always thought of her. She wanted us to hit her, to hurt her. She didn't offer real resistance until Cornelius started fighting to get her back, only then what I suppose was the fake bond worked in her and made her try to go back to him. But before that, I see she was letting herself be captured, with the purpose of us killing her and ending her pain. I remember seen tears in her eyes, she wanted us, me and Alex, to kill her. She picked us to put an end to her madness. If Alex didn't have killed already his brother and take in part his own revenge, probably we would have killed her. But we captured her instead..." The words rushed out of her mouth and I was surprised on the way she rationalized everything from her perspective; and I agreed with her now, knowing the little more information that she fed me, it was probably guilt and pain what drove Agape to be taken after all.
