Saving Kinsley

Kinsley's P.O.V

The next few months were spent recovering in the hospital, a shifter owned hospital. I didn't make it out completely un scathed, no, I would have a few more scars to sport. That voice, It wasn't as loud now. But it was still there. Reminding me, torturing me of what I had done.

My leg was mostly healed now, but it still hurt like a bitch. How many times would I have my leg broken? This was getting old. I hadn't realized how close to death I truly was, literally on the doorstep. The blade wound missed my heart by millimeters, that one would take the longest to recover from. Physically, and mentally.

I couldn't help but have my back against something, so no one could get the drop on me. Trauma does that to you. I should probably see a therapist or something for this. But then, when would I have time to plot my grand escape?

Strangely, Dakota has been helpful with ideas on how to leave safely. With Vivi. It's like he did an entire flip to the old Dakota I'd known, as brief as it was. It was as if he actually cared.

But every idea we stormed up, was crumpled with the knowledge of his father. He had his sights fixated on me, Goddess only knows why. Hell, guards were posted outside of the hospital at Dakotas fathers demands.

"Okay hold on a sec guys, none of this makes any sense. Why me? Why am I so damn special?" I asked, looking at Noah, Vivi, and then settling on Dakota. My line of sight always drawn to him. At first I absolutely hated it, but we settled into this void of, friendship? I didn't want to read to deeply into it. I couldn't shake the past. At least, not yet.

Everyone shrugged almost simultaneously.

"Alright lets go over what we do know," The past couple months, the four of us would group up here and brain storm since it was the safest place for us to speak freely. That and I couldn't really leave. The doctors were worried about possible complications with the stab wound, the very slow healing wound. "So firstly, as we all know, I was saved by this pack when I was a child, after my birth pack had been slaughtered," I couldn't bring my self to say Family, that wound cut to deep. And I used the term saved loosely. Why save someone if you were going to beat them every chance you got? Why not just leave them to the fates to decide on their lives?

Well, that family is mourning their loved one the same as you. After all, you did the same. Slaughtered, Killed.

Ignore it Kinsley. It's just your trauma speaking.

Dakota's eyebrows drew in deeply, "You have it all wrong Kinz, you were dropped off on one of the borders."

What.

"Uh, no, Dakota. You've got it wrong, ask anybody." Now, my eyebrows were drawn in question. I mean, that's what I had been told my entire life. Could it be that I was lied to all these years? Led to believe I had no family, no one that loved or missed me?

Dakota shook his head, standing up abruptly and pacing the room. "No, I remember that night. Clear as day. My Father came home late that night, he was out to some alpha meeting that he had to leave the pack for. But when he returned, you were in his arms. He told my mom that you were left at the border."

"But I- I don't understand. Why was I told my Pack, My Family, had been killed? None of this makes any sense."

The turn of conversation reverberated in my mind, sending me back to the moments of an overheard conversation. Kinsley Marshall.

"Marshall." I whispered.

"huh?" Vivi cocked her head in question.

Shit, I had completely forgotten about that.

"My name. Kinsley Marshall. I over heard The Alpha one day, on the phone maybe? He said my name, but it wasn't Hart." For some odd reason, I felt compelled to give away this damning information. Something that very well could be the key to my escape. Hopefully, I was trusting the right souls with this. Because this very well could be the last chance I had.

"Holy. Shit." Noah's voice finally popped into the conversation, making us all turn towards him.

I narrowed my gaze in question to him "Do you know something we don't Noah?"

I watched as he inhaled a sharp breath "I think I know the bigger picture here. You, You're the missing girl from a few packs over. Shit, how did I not put this together sooner? Fuck. This is all fucked."

Now Noah was pacing the room, running his hands through his hair. I have never seen him this unhinged before. He was always so.. Put together. "Noah please, what the hell are you talking about." My voice startled everyone in the room.

"You're the missing Elemental Wolf. Kinsley fucking Marshall. Goddess, this is going to start a fucking war. That pack, Your father,-" Noah ran a hand roughly down his face as we all looked at him to continue.

"I remember my Dad always telling me stories about the elemental wolves, and that we were lucky enough to be allies and close by to them. I remember the day my Dad got word of their daughter going missing.. I'm so sorry Kinz, I should've put this together sooner." Noah's blue eyes were frantic as he looked over me.

Elemental.

My vision wasn't clear anymore, and sounds were coming in muffled. I just needed one damn minute to think, to put this fucked up jigsaw puzzle together.

I remember reading books about elemental wolves. Wolves that could control the elements: Earth, Wind, Water, and lastly Fire.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Elemental wolves were said to be the mercenaries and protectors for the Moon Goddess herself. But over the years, that power in the lineage line waned, now the Elementals were just protectors of life in the shifter world.

It all fits. The way my vision works at night, the lack of control over my emotions, the fucking fire that ignites from within. That Dream. Goddess.

By now Dakota was shaking me back to the present, that familiar zap of tingles dancing a path across my skin when he touched me. "Kinz, you with me?"

I shook my head "Yeah, but I think Noah is right. I'm the Fire element."

Dakota stared at me as if I had just grown three heads and screeched like a banshee.

"We need to get you out. Now. It's only a matter of time before-" Dakota's voice broke off from finishing.

The hospital door was kicked in, startling all of us as enforcers filled the room. Dragging everyone out swiftly before anyone could fight.

My hands flew to the grip on my hair, nearly ripping my hair out with the force. "Let me go!"

"Your wish, my command." The man threw me to the ground, I winced as I hit the ground. Goddess that fucking hurt. My back wound was throbbing from the force of being thrown abruptly.

'We'll be okay, it's healed for the most part.' Ember all but growled, her fury directed at the jack ass who manhandled us.

"What do we have here?" I didn't even need to look up to know that awful voice, Alpha. A shiver went down my spine. This is bad.

"Leave them out of it." Dakota growled out. I could feel his dominance like a crack of lightning through the air around us.

Looking around, an enforcer stood behind each of us. Waiting for a command. Except the one behind me was eager to inflict pain early.

My head was yanked back by my hair again, my scalp was on fire from his grip. "Get your fucking hands off of me!" I snarled out as I reached for his hand.

"Look, that weak mate of yours. He stands no chance against the Alpha." He spat those words in disgust for his future Alpha, I could hear the underlying wish for bloodshed in his voice.

And I did look. Dakota was toe to toe with his Dad now. Both just seconds, or a breath away from shifting and ripping into each other. Waiting for the carnage to begin.

I held my breath.

"Kinsley. Do it." He never broke eye contact to look at me, Dakota's voice carried in a whisper. But, surely every shifter heard his words.

I knew what he was asking, but I don't know if I could.

We made this plan, worse case scenario. But at the time, I wasn't convinced it would work. Dakota didn't want His father to have any kind of leverage over me, and this would ensure he wouldn't have shit to make me submit.

Dakota was asking me to break my own heart again.

And that, I wasn't sure I could recover from again.