Chapter 171
+25 Bonus
Elena’s POV
“I can see that!” I said breathlessly as I tried to keep Rafael still. His fingers twitched against mine. He was trying to reach me even though he didn’t have the strength. “Just breathe, sweetheart. I am here for you,” I tried to stay calm.
His breathing was uneven. It would be fast and then become slower. Each inhale sounded thinner than the last. His eyes were fluttering, and he could barely focus on me.
“I am here,” I said, hoping he could hear my voice. My heart was in so much pain. When will this end?
But the next thing that happened was something that I didn’t expect. From his eyes that were soft, they became so sharp and wild. It was so different from the little boy I had been holding since earlier.
His breathing grew fast. His chest was drumming as if his will was taken away by the poison.
“Elena,” Deacon warned me, but almost growled.
But before I could react, Rafael lunged forward. His little hands that I was holding earlier clawed at my shoulders, but thankful, Deacon was alert, and he was able to pull me away from Rafael before he could hurt me.
Deacon moved faster than I could think. He was ready to protect me anytime, as always.
“Rafael,” I gasped as I tried to be calm, even though I saw that the situation had gotten worse.
Deacon was already between me and Rafael. His arm was outstretched as he tried to block Rafael’s wild swing.
I admired how calm Deacon was. He didn’t strike back. He didn’t even raise his voice.
He knew that Rafael was a child, and he was not in his right mind.
From that moment, I knew that I had met the right man for me to love.
Deacon just stood between us. He was like a wall to protect me and calm the boy I loved as if he were my own.
It happened so fast, but the next thing I knew, Deacon was already holding Rafael.
“Let me go!” Rafael was trying to restrain.
“Rafael, it’s me, Aunt Elena. Please, just look at me. I am here for you,” I pleaded. I was hoping my voice would calm him down.
Rafael’s eyes were still sharp, and I could see that he couldn’t focus on me. It seemed that he didn’t know who we were. He lost consciousness. He was attacking us because of the poison’s effect and not of his own will.
I saw that he was positioning to attack again, and I was right.
He shoved at Deacon’s chest. But Deacon was strong. He held steadily. His stance was firm yet gentle and never pushed back.
“This is the poison. It’s being controlled by it.” He calmly said as he tried to block Rafael’s wild attacks.
My heart was racing so fast. I knew that if Deacon was not strong, we could have been down. Even though Rafael was just a child, he was still strong and so fast.
“I know, but…”
Before I could finish my words, Rafael let out a loud roar, and then he swung again.
I stumbled back in shock. I was grateful that Deacon caught his wrists carefully.
“Please, don’t hurt him,” I whispered to Deacon, though I knew that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt Rafael. After all, he knew how much I loved the boy.
1/3
Charge: 17
+25 Bonus
If he weren’t my nephew, I would be able to handle him with ease, but I’m so afraid of hurting him if I defend his attack myself and end up just avoiding him rather than being able to restrain him.
Hence, I ended up leaving all the work to Deacon while I took a step back.
I saw how Deacon was holding him. It was without force. He was just holding him enough to keep him from hurting himself or
- me.
“Easy, boy. I know that you do not want this. Breath. Just breathe.” Deacon said in a calm voice, and I didn’t know, but I suddenly felt the love in his voice. It was evident that Deacon really cared for my nephew.
“Please, sweetheart. This is me. You are stronger than this. You should be able to fight it. Come back to me,” I said between my
tears.
There was a silent moment after that. Deacon was still holding Rafael. I noticed that Rafael’s guard suddenly went down. But I couldn’t be so sure. I couldn’t act carelessly knowing that Deacon was protecting me. I wouldn’t want him to harm Rafael because of something that I have done.
“Rafael, please come to your senses,” I whispered. “I am just here, and I will always be here for you. Those bad things won’t happen again, I promise.” My heart throbbed in pain, and tears threatened to stream down my face.
“Calm down, Elena. I know you are worried about him, but you have to be strong,” Deacon said to me in a firm voice, seeing the panic on my face.
“Please hold on,” I continued to say to Rafael.
And his strength seemed to drain in that instant. The wildness was gone. He fell into Deacon’s arms.
Deacon eased him gently as if he were his own child.
My heart went back to normal. I wished that it were, and no more attacks would happen again.
Deacon never let Rafael go. I knew that he was also afraid that Rafael might be wild and attack me once more.
I rushed forward, but Deacon stopped me.
“Let me give him the antidote first,” he said.
I was thankful for his presence. Amidst the situation, Deacon knew what to do.
“Just a few sips,” he said to Rafael, who was still half–conscious.
I swallowed hard as I watched Deacon give the antidote to my nephew. I hope those few sips would calm him down.
For a moment, he resisted taking the antidote until his lips parted, and Deacon was able to have him drink it.
He coughed but then swallowed again.
“That’s it,” I whispered as tears continued to flow.
Deacon looked at me. “For now, he is okay.” His voice was low and soft. “We need to get going soon. Rafael will need a longer rest for what happened today. We cannot stay and expose him here anymore.”
“I know, but I need to check your wounds, then we can go back.”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
