Chapter 211: Don’t Go Where We Can’t Follow

Tera was lying down in one of the rooms in the common shelter.

Her arm was wrapped in layers of crushed herbs and damp leaves that Yara and the others had carefully applied while she had been drifting in and out of consciousness. The burns still throbbed beneath the wrapping, but it felt a bit better now.

But the pain wasn’t what was keeping her awake.

It was the sound of her daughters crying.

They had screamed for her, and it had left Tera distraught. She hadn’t wanted her cubs to see her in that state. For a brief second, Tera wished she hadn’t gone alone.

But as quickly as that thought came, she brushed it off.

If someone else had gone with her, they would have died.

That thing moved faster than she had ever seen anyone move. She had not even seen Xavi move that fast. Neither did the last corrupted beast she had seen.

This was bad...

Voices brought Tera back to the present. There were some of her clan members in the room with her, and within seconds Xavi and Ermin sat on the floor beside her.

Her mates were not happy with her at all.

Xavi touched her forehead, his golden eyes fixed on her wrapped arm while his jaw was set in that tight, rigid way that Tera had learned to recognise as Xavi containing something that wanted to explode.

Ermin, on the other hand, looked very tense, and his green eyes kept moving between Tera’s face and her bandaged arm. Every time they landed on the wrapping, his expression hardened.

Neither of them had spoken directly to her yet after their incessant worrying earlier.

Now that most of the clan members were gone, aside from Yara and two other wolves who were assisting her by sorting through the herb basket near the wall, the silence in the room was very loud.

Tera could feel the anger radiating off both of them.

They had been scared and worried about her. Why had she gone off and put herself into danger like that without telling anyone? Alone, for that matter!

The sight of Tera still on the ground screaming in pain was seared into their minds.

Calis stood near the entrance of the communal room, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. He was trying to look composed, but his crimson eyes kept drifting to Tera, and each time they did, his composure cracked a little more.

They all looked hurt, frustrated, and angry.

And underneath all of it, they had been terrified.

’Ah... I fucked up, I see.’

The silence stretched until Xavi broke it.

"Why?"

The raw hurt in his voice made her sad.

"Why did you go alone?"

Ermin frowned. "We would have gone with you. Any of us would have gone with you. You know that."

Tera’s chest constricted. "I didn’t want to put anyone in danger—"

"So, you put yourself in danger instead?" Xavi’s voice cracked on the last word, and the sound of it was so uncharacteristic that other beasts in the room looked up.

Even Tera’s eyes widened.

Was Xavi about to cry?

Tera felt very bad now.

Xavi hardly ever raised his voice. But despite being the steady one, he was barely holding himself together.

Xavi covered his face and let out a shaky breath.

"I can’t lose you too."

What did he mean by that? Tera nearly felt like crying too.

Even Ermin looked a little lost and saddened.

Tera slowly reached for Xavi and touched his arm.

"I’m sorry," she whispered. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. Either of you."

She glanced at Ermin.

"I just... I found some materials that could change everything for us. I only wanted to study them so that what happened during this storm would never happen again... I only wanted to protect you all. I just... I went about it the wrong way."

Xavi lowered his hands. His eyes were slightly red. He exhaled slowly, and his massive hand came up to rest on the top of her head.

"You do not need to protect us by destroying yourself," he said quietly. His thumb brushed across her hair. "Please. We will rebuild. As many times as it takes. I do not mind."

Ermin nodded. "We would rather rebuild a hundred shelters than lose you once."

The words landed on Tera like warm water, and the tears she had been fighting finally spilled.

"I know," she managed. "I know. I’m sorry."

Xavi and Ermin hugged Tera, kissing her head.

They were still frustrated, but they felt a lot more relieved now. Especially by the fact that she was alive.

From his spot near the entrance, Calis watched.

His arms were still crossed, his fingers still digging crescents into his own skin. The sight of Xavi and Ermin leaning into her with a closeness that was as natural as breathing made his chest twist.

He wanted to be by her side too, but as long as she was alive and had males who cared for her, it at least calmed him a little.

He wanted to cross the room and kneel beside her and take her hand and tell her that she had scared him more than any corrupted beast ever had. He wanted to press his face against her and feel her heartbeat and know that she was not going anywhere on her own again.

But he couldn’t do that.

Tera’s eyes found him over Xavi’s shoulder.

The look on Calis’ face was so raw that it made her chest ache in a way that had nothing to do with her arm.

She offered him a small smile.

It was gentle and meant to reassure him. But while it did, Calis ached that he couldn’t touch Tera. Especially not now, to steal the moment from her mates.

It would be unfair to them.

She was alive and safe. That was what mattered now.

Suddenly, a small, furious body barrelled into the room.