I paced back and forth in front of Leo's room in the Healer's Cave. I had gotten him back quickly, but they told me to leave since I wouldn't stop asking questions and pacing.

"Please, just let me come in," I called through the vines that covered the doorway.

I heard a sigh before a "come in" sounded through the door. I rushed in and looked at Leo's still body. "Oh, Leo," I whispered as I laid near him.

"I think you got him back in time, but for now, there is nothing else I can do," the healer said as he began to walk out of the room.

I jumped up and followed him. "What do you mean 'there is nothing else you can do'? You have to save him! He can't die!" I yelled at him.

The healer turned around to look at me with gentle eyes. "Kate, his life isn't in my paws anymore. It is possible that he will die. And I can't stop it, and you can't stop it." The healer gave me a small, sad smile as he continued to walk deeper into the Healer's Cave.

My eyes were brimming with tears and I turned back to Leo's room, dragging my feet with a hung head. I pushed through the vines and laid beside Leo again. "Please, Leo," I whispered as I rested my head on my paws, "don't leave me."

I rubbed my muzzle against the side of his face, but he didn't wake up. His wounds were all patched up with leaves and herbs to heal him, but who knows if he'll really survive.

"Kate," I jumped at the voice in the doorway. I looked over my shoulder to see Captain Mace standing in the doorway. He slowly padded forward as I laid back down. "How is he?"

A single tear rolled down my cheek as I replied, "He might die."

Captain Mace laid down beside me and nudged me. "Hey, it's going to be okay. You got him back here as quick as you could, that's all that matters," he whispered.

I full out started to sob as I spoke. "But he might die! The healer can't do anything about it and I'm left here, hoping that I will get to see his deep blue eyes again!"

I softly cried with my head on my paws staring at Leo's body as Captain Mace tried to soothe me. He can't die. He just can't.

At some point I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew was that I was laying on the floor beside Leo, and Captain Mace was gone.

"You're awake," a voice said at the doorway. I didn't turn my head to see who it was. I already knew.

I didn't say anything as the healer walked up to check Leo's wounds. Suddenly, I felt fear crack through the air like lightning. "What's wrong?" I asked, forgetting that I was mad at the
healer for not saving Leo.

The healer quickly called for more assistant healers and herbs, and I came closer, trying to ask what was wrong. The healer wouldn't answer me. He just kept working on Leo's bandages and putting new herbs and mixtures on the wounds.

Finally, he answered me. "They're infected." He hung his head and looked away from Leo.

"No," I whispered. If the wounds were infected then...

"He can't survive this." The healer kept his head down as the assistant healers behind him did the same.

I crawled on my belly towards Leo. "Leo," I whispered again.

"We'll leave you alone," the healer said before he walked out of the room with the other assistant healers following close behind.

I laid my nose in the fur on his head. "You can't leave me. You can't. I love you, Leo. I can't live without you." Suddenly I jumped up and threw my head back. "It's my fault you're like this! I didn't get you back in time! It's all my fault!"

"It's not your fault, Kate!" I froze. I looked around the room, but no one was there.

"Who's there?" I asked nervously. No one answered.

Suddenly, an image of a beautiful flower with magical blue petals and a small, golden yellow center appeared. "The petals of the Blue Arusia can save him. It is extremely rare, but there is one a short distance outside the pack territory."

The image disappeared and I was looking at Leo's still body again. This flower could save him. I could save him. "Hurry, Kate. He must eat the petals with honey as he is taking his last breath or he is gone." I ran as fast as I could out of the Healer's Cave, my paws thudding on the rocky ground.

I ran straight through the village and wolves quickly jumped out of my way and asked what was wrong, but I couldn't stop. "He must eat the petals with honey as he is taking his last breath or he is gone," the voice rang in my head.

I have to save him. It will be my fault if I don't. "Kate!" Suddenly, I realized that several Alphas, including my friends were following me. I ran faster towards the border to find the Blue Arusia. "Kate, stop!" Lucy screamed at me.

I was nearing the border, and I glanced over my shoulder to see Lucy's face of horror. "Kate, please! Don't do this again!" I could just tell that she was starting to cry. She thinks I'm running away.

I was torn between comforting my friend and saving my pre-mate's life. But I chose to save Leo's life. I can comfort my friend later.

I leaped over the border with a graceful leap, and I heard Lucy howl in sadness. "I'll be back, Lucy. I will never leave again, I promise," I whispered to myself.

I ran through the trees and over the undergrowth of the forest. Finally, I saw a large clump of deep green bushes. I pushed my way through the bushes to find a tiny clearing with a beautiful blue flower right in the center as it sparkled under a ray of sunshine.

I walked slowly up to the flower as the voice sounded in my head again. "Be careful, it's delicate. You only need the petals. But they can't be damaged in any way for it to work."

I nodded my head before I started to pull the petals softly. There were five magical blue petals that I carried back with me. I leaped back over the border and soon heard sobbing howls coming from the village.

I ran straight through the village again on my way back to the Healer's Cave. Wolves started barking as they saw me come running.

The sobbing howls stopped, and Lucy came running to me. I quickly dodged out of her way, but to my surprise, she kicked out my back legs in a slide. One of the petals fell out of my mouth and landed softly on the ground like a feather.

Lucy rounded on me, mad as ever before. "What the heck, Kate?! What are you trying to do, break my heart and worry me sick about my best friend?!" Lucy bared her teeth at me in a snarl.

I don't have time for this. "Lucy, get out of my way." I said, trying to control my temper. She didn't move. "I said get out of my way, Lucy, or are you trying to kill Leo?!" I screamed at her as tears started to fall from my eyes.

Lucy's facial expression immediately changed from mad to scared. She jumped out of the way as I grabbed the last blue petals and ran for the Healer's Cave.

I bolted inside and ran straight for Leo's room. I laid down the petals as I realized that Leo was having a hard time breathing. The healer and assistant healers came running in with Lucy, my friends, and several other wolves. "I need honey!" I screamed at them. No one moved. "NOW!" The assistant healers ran out of the room and came back with a leaf full of honey.

I gently put the blue petals in the honey as Leo's breath started to become raspy and more infrequent. "Just a little bit longer," I said as I stirred the petals and honey together with a thin stick.

Suddenly, Leo's eyes flew open, and he took a deep breath. I quickly grabbed the leaf and poured the mixture into his mouth. The mixture slipped down his throat, but still, Leo's eyes closed and his breathing stopped.

I laid there in front of him as the wolves behind me stood in silence. I waited and waited, but nothing happened. "No," I whispered. Tears stung my eyes, and slowly, they fell down my muzzle. "It was supposed to work!" I screamed as I jumped up and sobbed. "It was supposed to save him!"

The wolves behind me hung their heads and stayed silent as I continued to sob and howl mournfully. It was supposed to work.

I laid back in front of Leo and silently cried. I had lost my pre-mate. One of my best friends. The one wolf that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Leo was everything to me and now he was gone.

I tucked my head under my paws and mourned for the one I had lost. But then a voice echoed through the room.

"Kate?"

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

*Sniff* What? I'm not crying. Actually while I was writing this chapter, I started crying which I have never done before, yet I have wanted to. But I think it might have been because of stickin' mood swings. Whatever. Anyway, the song above is Listen To Your Heart by DHT. It was a nice, sad song that I thought would be good for this chapter. Well, have fun! Ask questions and comment! :)