THE DENALI
The Denali
Bella was sweating; her fever was high, and her body was in pain. Carmen came into the room where the three mates were, carrying a bowl of cool water and a rag. She focused on Bella and asked.
“How is she?”
“Not well.” Irina answered.
She was sitting beside Bella, wiping her face with a rag. Carmen walked over to Irina, put down the bowl, and gave the rag to Irina.
Kate was on the bed on the other side of Bella, holding her hand.
“What should we do? I hate seeing her like this.
“There’s nothing we can do.” Tanya said.
She was leaning against the wall, watching the scene before her.
“We don’t know what’s happening except that her wounds are healed, and she has a high fever.”
“Not to mention the pain.” Irina said as Bella groaned.
“Isn’t that the symptom of a shifter being transformed for the first time?” Carmen asked.
“Yes,” Tanya said.
“But the creature that bit Bella, I don’t recognize it. Besides, shifters are born, not created.”
“I think the creature was some type of were.” Irina added.
“Like a werewolf?” Kate asked, shivering.
She hated those creatures. They are mindless killing machines.
They have no regard for life. The human race would have been extinct if the Queens and witches hadn’t stepped in.
“The creature looks like a werewolf but has no snout; its face looks like a human.” Irina said.
Trying to remember the creature’s appearance. She dipped the rag in the water, wrung it out, then used it to wipe Bella’s face.
“Where is Eleazar?” Tanya asked.
“He’s researching the creature in the library. He said he might find the type of creature you described to him.” Carmen answered.
“That’s good. I hope we find some answers soon.” Tanya replied.
Bella screamed out, sitting up while holding her stomach, her eyes squeezed shut.
Irina and Kate hugged her while Carmen walked closer to the bed and threaded her fingers through Bella’s hair. She could feel the heat coming from the girl’s head.
Tanya closed her eyes, trying to remember if she had encountered that type of creature before. Suddenly, she remembered a story her mother Sasha told a long time ago.
There used to be a creature that could breathe and set itself on fire. The creatures varied in color and were very intelligent.
They had their society like humans, though they were small in numbers. The creature looks exactly like what Sasha described, except for the wings.
The creature that bit Bella has no wings and somehow looks crazed. Something must have happened to it before it attacked Bella.
Tanya tried to think more clearly. She remembered that the creatures went into hiding because other supernatural beings feared them and would kill them on sight, even though they were hard to kill.
What else did Sasha say? Think, think, think… The sun! The creature loved the sun. It somehow healed them and gave them comfort.
Tanya opened her eyes immediately and said. “We need to get Bella outside now.”
“What?” Kate asked. thinking that Tanya had lost her mind.
“Please listen to me. I think I know what Bella is transforming into. We need to get her into the sun. If it doesn’t work, we’ll do something else, but for now, we need to get her outside.”
Irina didn’t hesitate; she always trusted Tanya’s decisions.
She wrapped Bella in a sheet, lifted her bridal style, and carefully walked out of the room.
Kate zipped past everyone and opened the front door. She went outside as the others followed her. It was 10 o’clock in the morning, and the sun was burning brightly.
“Put her here.” Tanya said, pointing to the grassy ground in front of the house.
Irina carefully set Bella down and unwrapped her.
“The sun needs to touch her body.” Tanya said
Both Kate and Irina unwrapped Bella.
She was shivering and groaning but suddenly stopped after they unwrapped her.
Tanya moved and sat down, placing Bella’s head in her lap. She spoke softly, “Everything will be okay, my love. That’s it, breathe in and out slowly.”
Kate noticed that Bella’s shivering had stopped. She held Bella’s hand while Irina did the same with the other.
“Her hair is changing to white.” Irina said in surprise.
“Her features are changing too.” Kate realized, holding Bella’s hand tightly.
“How did you know that it would work?” Carmen asked Tanya.
“I didn’t. It was just a theory. Now that I know the sun plays an important part in Bella’s transformation, I know what she is.” Tanya replied.