TWENTY-FOUR: Target

CORNELIA WAS SITTING there in silence, watching the healer checking Lucien after he came back from the dead, again. The scene was less dramatic for her at this point. He did jolt up gasping for breath, but she wasn't all that startled because of it.

She clutched the arrow, but Lucien held her hand and sternly ordered, "Don't even think about it." The authority in his tone vibrated through Cornelia's entire body.

"Alpha, there's no other way. You'll just keep dying and coming back to life. It's an endless cycle." When he didn't leave her hand, she let out a soft breath, "The poison is not intended for wolves, but strong enough to kill. There are endless possibilities, but I'm suspecting it's Botulinum toxin; I've heard about a curse which could be infused into that toxin making it even more lethal. The posion runs in the bloodstream until it reaches the heart, hence the dark veins." She inspected the arrow further, "The arrow might have a tracking spell on it, so if it's not touching blood, it will keep trying to kill. We need a witch; I'm not very well-versed in spells and such. But for the time being let me take out the arrow."

"Find another way, Mill. You have to find another way." He almost begged her. Lucien knew he ought to explain it to her, his eyes glanced at Cornelia apologetically. "It's made to kill her, not me She's the target." His eyes didn't leave Cornelia, and the latter's lips parted in shock

"We can try to trap it somehow." Mill said then looked tenderly at Lucien. It was the first time he showed so much care for anyone outside of the pack. She even thought that he was only that way with the pack because of guilt. She leaned closer and mouthed, "Nothing is going to happen to her."

Cornelia looked between the two, having nothing to say. She wasn't sure she could help in any way. She wasn't even sure why anyone would want her dead. Holy hell, magic is real too. She thought to herself. And why did she call him alpha? She asked herself.

Cornelia was overwhelmed in every sense of the word.

Daniel left and came back with what looked like a metallic box, a safe, as it seemed. "We can use this."

Mill looked at Daniel then nodded her head in approval. "I think this could work." She turned to Cornelia, and she knew that whatever that would come out of Mill's mouth wouldn't be good news to her. "We'll have to use you as a target, but before it gets to you, Daniel is going to trap it."

"No! She should leave the room and close the door before the arrow make its way to her." Lucien ordered again, trying to sit up only caused him to have a fit of coughing.

Cornelia stood up with a determined look on her face, "I think their idea made sense. We can be done with this flying arrow once and for all." She kept her gaze on his, "And you need to get better, I need you to tell me what's happening here. I'm close to losing my mind."

Lucien didn't look convinced, but he relented after a quick look with Daniel, who silently assured him that Cornelia would come to no harm. Mill nodded at Lucien, then pulled the arrow out in one quick movement which made Cornelia's skin crawl with how painful it looked.

No sooner had it been out, than Mill stiffened and dropped the arrow as if it burned her. "I hope you guys are ready." Cornelia shouted and ran towards the closed window of the room. She saw the arrow floating her way, but in one quick movement Daniel stood in front of her with the open safe. Once the arrow was inside, Mill closed it quickly, and they successfully trapped it inside.

There was a long moment when the three were standing staring the safe and hearing the arrow rattling inside, and neither made a move. The only thing that broke the silence was Lucien's voice, "Are you all right?" He directed his question to Cornelia, and she gave him a quick nod.

"There are some herbs I need, but give me a few minutes and I'll be back." Mill announced looking between Lucien and Cornelia once more. She then turned to Lucien, right before she left, "I hope you'll find it in you to release my son, alpha. You know he has a good heart."

"One thing at a time mill, one thing at a time." Lucien retorted vaguely. He only hoped she'd hurry up and help him with that posion eating away at his body. He couldn't be faced with a third death in one day. The trip put a lot on his already torn soul.

More silence followed, tensed and slightly awkward. Cornelia was still standing right where she was, trying to keep track of her own thoughts. Lucien noticed that, so he sent a glance in Daniel's way asking him to leave with the safe. "That thing is giving me a headache already." Lucien grunted and Daniel nodded and left the room, but not before his eyes averted to Cornelia for a quick look, which she didn't understand.

Once the door clicked closed after Daniel, Lucien sat up, albeit a bit slowly. "Come here." He ordered her softly.

Cornelia blinked a couple of times, and without really intending too she found her feet moving towards him. "I..." She swallowed, she was unsure of what else to say or how to say it. "I don't know what to think."

When she was close enough, Lucien reached out and grasped her small hand in his. He noticed how she still carried the traces of his blood on her face and hands. He noticed how fragile and breakable she looked at that moment. It was only then that Cornelia allowed herself to break down into a fit of sobs. And Lucien realized that she had been holding herself together for the sake of the show.

She didn't know Daniel nor Mill, and Cornelia knew she had to be strong. It was what she had kept telling herself. Lucien saw that, even if she didn't voice it in so many words. He knew she was waiting for the situation to be resolved first.

"Come here, Cornelia." He pulled her forward, not waiting for an answer from her, and she was sitting on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her head in his shirt. He could feel her hot tears through it, and even if the time wasn't right, Lucien marveled on how well she fit right into his arms. How much her body fit right into his, as if she was made for him.

He scoffed at the thought, he couldn't be that hopeful. However, he believed that what he felt for Cornelia would be as close as he could get to how one would feel about their mate. He didn't understand why her, but she was perfect even with her own imperfections.

He took a long whiff, her hair smelled like strawberry, but she always smelled like peaches and vanilla. He associated the scents with her shampoo and body wash, as they changed. Her natural scent, she smelled like... he struggled to find the word, but it reminded him of sunshine. Her scent didn't have a name, but she gave him the feeling of warmth he had three centuries ago, when he lied on the green grass and the warm sun shone over his body. She somehow smelt like home...

Cornelia was distracted with his warmth, his body against her, and the safety that seeped from his body and into hers. She didn't understand how he could smell that nice with all the blood covering him, and then dying and all of that.

Dying!

The thought made her jolt away from him with an accusatory look on her face, "You came back from the dead." She commented again, then her mind recalled what he had said earlier, "And I should have been dead." She blinked a couple of times, "And somehow there's magic. And Mill called you alpha." Her tone became calmer, "You told me you're always warm. And ... you found me after the wolf incident."

Lucien didn't drop his hold on her, and he gave her a calm smile. "I will tell you everything, but you'll need to keep an open mind." He told her softly, and his thumb was tracing patterns on her back, which made her relax slightly.

She was nibbling on her lower lip when she nodded her agreement.