Chapter 31: THIRTY-ONE

Hydrophobic ***FIVE YEARS AGO***

13-year-old Ava’s had just returned from the healers’ quarters, she was back from changing the bandages that were tied on her injured leg. She’d sprained her ankle and sustained a knee injury during horseback riding yesterday, and now even though she still felt pain, the pain wasn’t as severe as the one of yesterday. She was looking for her betrothed, Ray, so he could continue to tell her soothing stories that would comfort her and make her forget the pain, at least for a little while. She searched around the moonlight packhouse for a while until one of the groomers told her he was at the pool.

Ray at the pool? Since when? Ray had a phobia for water, she’d always known this because she was so close to him. Apart from his relatives, only she and Ethan knew in the whole packhouse, they’d discovered this during their young wolf training sessions and decided to keep it a secret between the trio; it probably would not be best to let anyone else in the packhouse know that their future alpha feared something so much simple as water.

She limped over to go and meet 22-year-old Ray standing in front of the pool area, no one else was there, only him.

“What are you doing here?” She asked him.

“Just gazing at the pool, wondering if I’ll ever be able to overcome this fear of mine.”

“Don’t be so silly Ray, its not a bad thing to fear. In fact’s it’s part of your human nature, we are half human after all.”

“Fear is a weakness for an Alpha Ava, and an Alpha should never have any weaknesses.”

Ava limped a bit forward so she could be much closer to him, taking her hand in his.

“It’s ok to be scared,” was all she said in an assuring voice. She leaned her head on his shoulder, but he wasn’t in the mood for that, he wanted to push her head away, but he’d applied so much force by mistake, the push from his shoulder made her loose balance and she fell into the water with a splash.

Oh no! Why did she come here? Why did she have to come here? Why didn’t she just leave him alone? And now look at what she’s done. She’s injured, she can’t save herself, and he can’t swim, none of them can, and he can’t do anything to save her, the life guard isn’t around here either… What to do? Oh… What to do? He can’t think of anything to do… Run… Run away? Yes, that’s what he’ll do… maybe he’ll find someone to save her later, but for now he needs to clear his head, he needs to think. Run away, yes, that’s what he’ll do. But he shouldn’t leave her like this? It’s not his fault she fell into the water, she shouldn’t have come here in the first place. Run away, that’s what he’ll do.

He ran away.

Ava was still in the water, she’d seen her betrothed looking at her from above the surface, she’d seen the fear confusion written clearly in his eyes, she knew he hated water, but she hoped that he would come through for her, she hoped that he would overcome his phobia for the water with what just happened, but he didn’t, he couldn’t save her. She tried to swim up and tell him that it was okay, he didn’t have to, but she couldn’t, it was like her legs were pinned to the base. Normally, she was a strong swimmer, but her injury deprived her of the chance to save herself at this point, all she could do now was hold onto her breath for as long as she could.

She waited and waited, what was taking him so long? She couldn’t hold on for much longer, and then, she watched him run away. Maybe he’d gone to call for help, she still kept waiting, unable to move a muscle, the water surrounding her even penetrated and damaged the newly sewn bandage on her leg, and she still kept waiting, but yet, no one had come.

**********

Ethan was conversing in his room with Nicole when he’d heard a splash in the water. Nicole heard it too, she’d come for a swim today, and was perplexed upon hearing that someone had already beat them to it.

“Let’s go now, before the pool gets crowded, I’d hate to swim with those packhouse rascals that love to pollute the water.”

“Ok,” Ethan responded. All Nicole needed to do was take off her gown which revealed her swimsuit she’d worn underneath, Ethan changed into his in front of her and they both went downstairs, and into the pool area. Nicole looked around, but no one was here yet, she shrugged, maybe the person had probably left. She was about dive in when she spotted the unconscious body beneath the water. She screamed.

Ava had been waiting since, she was tremendously good at holding her breath beneath water, that’s why she’s been able to hold on for so long, but even her skills were not enough to sustain her till this moment, maybe it would be much better if she let go and just close her eyes, maybe then the pain searing her leg would go away, maybe then she wouldn’t have to hold her breath anymore. She’d closed her eyes for a while, and then, in her partial state of unconsciousness, she heard the sound of splashing water and someone swimming towards her. Ray had come back, she knew he would, and now he was coming to save her, help had come! Help had finally come!!! She tried to open her eyes just a little bit so she could see her savior, and when she did, she didn’t see Ray’s form, but of course Ethan’s. She closed her eyes again and drifted back into unconsciousness. So, Ray hadn’t come, but it didn’t matter, help had come anyways.