Chapter 27

Malachi's POV

I hold Chloe in my arms, still shaking her gently to wake her. The paramedics arrive and ask

everyone to back up to give them some space. I feel as if I'm underwater, everyone is a blur with

muffled voices as if they're talking in slow motion. I can just make out the form of one paramedic as

he kneels beside me to check Chloe's pulse. "Sir, her pulse is feeble.” He begins to tell me; his words

clear as day. “She seems to

have lost a lot of blood.” The paramedic says, almost like he’s telling me it's too late.

"HELP HER," I growl, causing him to jump, but I don't care. I look down to see Chloe's face, which is

turning blue and her once warm skin is now cold to the touch. "Chloe, please don't leave me,” I cry,

hugging her to my body as I rock her. Tears are falling uncontrollably from my eyes and the whole

room starts to cry as I hold the love of my life in my lap, lifeless.

The paramedic hesitantly touches my shoulder softly. "Sir, I'm sorry, but she is gone.” He tells me

calmly, but I can't bring myself to let her go. "How could the happiest moment of my life turn into

the worst in mere seconds.’ I think to myself as I sit there, still gently rocking Chloe in my lap. "I will

let you have a few minutes with her,” the paramedic says softly, before walking out of the room.

Marley, Amelia, and the kids come to sit softly around Chloe's body while Marley lays her head on

Chloe's shoulder sobbing. "Chloe, I can't lose you too” She cries. Kali hugs her mom and sobs into

her neck. I had never felt so helpless, not even when my mother left me. I look at Paisley in my

father's arms and can’t help but wonder, "How will she be ok without a mother?* My tears keep

falling from my eyes and I can't begin to imagine this life without Chloe.

The paramedic comes back into the room, pushing a gurney with a black body bag spread out on

top. "Sir, we need to take her now," he urges, making my anger rise. "DONT TOUCH HER!" I snarl,

pulling her closer to me. "PLEASE CHLOE!!" I cry out as I look down at her once more. Paul comes to

my side and rests a hand on my shoulder. "Malachi, you have to let them take her," he tells me,

trying to gently break my hold around her. "NO!!" I yell out in a deep growl, but eventually Paul and

some other pack members must pull me away from Chloe.

Once the paramedics zip the final inches of the bag, they lift Chloe's lifeless body onto the gurney

and push her away from me. All I want to do is chase after them, but Paul holds me back along with

six others. They finally let me go after the ambulance had left. I'm overwhelmed with so much anger

and grief that I start tossing things around my office. I picked up the sofa, Chloe gave birth to our

daughter, and threw it into the wall breaking out the window.

Paul tries to calm me, but I grab him by the throat and lift him off the ground with a growl. "Paul,

you are my best friend, but I just lost the love of my life. Don't make me do something I will regret if

you don't leave me be" I sneer in his face before letting him down. Paul puts his hands up in

surrender and backs away from me. I turn to look at Marley with remorseful eyes. "I need you to

take Paisley for me for a little bit, please. I have something I have to do," I ask her. She nods with

tears still streaming down her cheeks and I walk past everyone leaving out the front door.

Getting to my car, I sit there for a moment putting my head in my hands, but rage takes over once

more and I punch the dash, shattering the radio screen. As I try to catch my breath, I put the car in

drive and press the gas so hard the tires screech as the car pulls out of the driveway. 'l can't and

won't live without you, Chloe." I think, driving down a back road to where Evadean's packhouse is.

A few yards away, I pull off onto the shoulder and get out, closing the door softly, not wanting to

alert any of her pack to my presence. I walk quietly through the woods until I reach a clearing that

shows Evadean's house at the bottom of a hill. I crouch down in the tall weeds to camouflage myself

as I assess my surroundings. I see a single guard standing by a tree near the kitchen window, so I

sneak up behind him, and without saying a word, I twist his neck, breaking it instantly.

After hiding his body, I jump to reach the balcony above and climb over the railing. I crouch by the

window and peer inside to find Evadean tending to her wounds, after the fight with my father. She

stands and leaves the room, so I take my chance and open the window to climb inside. I hear

footsteps in the hall, so I slide myself behind the door to wait for her return.

Evadean enters the room again and when she closes the door, I grab her by the back of the neck,

putting my hand over her mouth. She squirms, but I'm too strong for her to get out of my hold. "If

you scream or make a noise, I'll snap your neck so fast,” I growl my warning menacingly in her ear.

“How many guards do you have?" I ask, removing my hand. "Most of my pack was taken out by

yours, so there are only three of us left,” she states. "Well, not anymore now you're down to two," I

say in an evil whisper, pleased to hear how much her numbers have fallen.

While I'm guiding her out of the room to the stairs, the last guard comes around the corner and

without even taking my hand off Evadean, I elbow him in the nose with such force the hit cracks his

skull. I lead her the rest of the way down the stairs, and right out the front door. I keep a tight hold

around Evadean’s neck and push her through the woods to my car. Once we're there, I pull out

some rope and tie her hands and legs together, putting some tape over her mouth. She tries to

pathetically struggle, but I easily pick her up over my shoulder and toss her in my trunk, slamming

the door shut.

Once I'm back in Aberdeen, I head for the local morgue. I park the car, close enough for me to get

to quickly, and get out. I walk down the alley to the back of the building, peeking inside the

windows of the building on my way. It's late, so no one is working. When I get to the back door, I

pull on it with all my strength, ripping it open and marching inside. I frantically look around for

Chloe's body, pulling out several cold lockers before coming to a table with someone's body on it,

covered in a white sheet.

I pull it back to find Chloe lying there, and she is blue. Her beautiful long brown hair doesn't shine

as it did and my heart drops at the sight of her like this. I know I can't waste time feeling

heartbroken, so I pick her up in my arms bridal style. "I'm going to make this right,” I swear to her,

pressing my forehead to hers, then I walk out and head back to my car. When I get to my vehicle, I

open the back door and lay her down gently across the seat. I close the door and rush to the

driver's side.

Turning the car over, I put it in drive and pulled out of the parking lot and head out of town. I've

now been driving for around four hours when I pull off, turning down a dirt road. It's a winding road

that brings you to a riverbed with a small cottage, surrounded by a white fence. I park in front of the

cottage as my fingertips are anxiously tapping the steering. “This has to work,’ I think as I step out to

open the back door. I pick Chloe up and hold her in my arms while I walk to the cottage and knock.

A red headed woman in her late forties answers, obviously surprised to see me. " What are you

doing here?" She says, annoyed. "Hello to you too, Sukie," I say with a stern voice. She looks down

to see Chloe in my arms, then looks back up to me with a look of confusion. "I believe you owe me

a favor, witch" I tell her and watch her tilt her head to the side as she thinks. “I can help you, but you

know this potion needs a life for a life"...