Liv Lockwood Alive to Live

Ciaran felt powerless to really help the poor lass. Biology was going to take over sooner or later, no matter how hard she fought it. She did seem to focus on his voice though, so he went with that, softly singing an old Irish lullaby that his mother used to sing to him. Once the change was complete, he padded over to the woman, sniffing for injuries then nudging her gently with his snout. ‘Ya did good darlin’, even though it may not feel like it.. Ya alright?’

Liv screamed out in pain again as the bones started breaking and rearranging.  Shifting was not normally this horrible.  But she was fighting the change because of all the pain she had experienced in the past year.  She whimpered.  She felt every excruciating change in her body.  It was like her body was ripping itself apart.  She tried to listen to Ciaran’s voice.  She tried not to be afraid.  In and out, she took deep breaths, trying to keep breathing past the pain.  But it didn’t tighten up until she had fully changed.  She collapsed onto her side panting, a grey wolf with amber eyes.  

‘Looks like a good day for a run, anyone wanna join me?’

“Of course.” She said softly before putting the cup of water down on the desk next to them. “I’m Sophie Teller. My…Master is the First Wolf and I wanted to check on you in his place. I am supposed to tell you that he will be by later to check up on you himself. How are you feeling? I can’t believe everything that you have gone through.”

“The First Alpha?” Liv asked in surprise.  “Calhoun MacAlister?”  She remembered only seeing the first wolf once when she was a little girl.  But she knew her father used to be part of his pack hundred of years ago.  She bit her bottom lip.  “Thanks for being here, Sophie.  It’s nice to meet you.  I’m Liv.  I’m feeling better, I think, at least physically.”  

“You just get used to life being normal again. That’s all you can do.”  He then took a deep breath.  “I mean, you can either spend your time fixating on what happened to you or you can move on. It’s your choice.’

Liv listened to Jaxson’s words and they helped set her straight.  She didn’t want to be stuck in the past.  She wanted to move forward with her life.  She wanted to live.  If she had a choice, she chose life. She lifted her chin up in a sign of will. “Can I get out of here now?  I don’t want to be trapped a minute longer.  Don’t even have a place to stay, but I won’t find one in this bed.”  

“You’ll get through it. You just have to stick it out and then you’ll get through it. That’s what everyone says about anything and I’m hoping it works for life. But no, you’ll be okay.”

Liv took slow breaths and nodded her head, getting herself back under control when the emotion threatened to swallow her up like a wave crashing to the beach.  “I hope it works, too,” Liv said softly.  “I don’t know what to do with myself now.  It’s been so long since I’ve been free.”  

Sophie chewed on her lip as she waited for the woman in the bed to wake up. Daddy had said that this girl was important to him and that she was to be cared for. After hearing the things that she had gone through Sophie wanted to help this girl get better. At the small request she nodded her head and leaned forward put the straw in her mouth so that she could get a real drink. “Here. Drink slowly.”

Liv looked at the woman, able to focus on her more and a small flaring of her nose let her know that this woman was a werewolf like her.  And she smelled something else on her... The First Wolf.  Liv took the straw between her lips and followed the girl’s command, taking slow, small sips of the water until she had drained the cup.  “Thank you,” She said, her voice sounding better.  “Who are you?”

He then gave her a look. “Was this one of those I’m okay, when i’m really not okay, but feel like she needs to be okay sort of thing.”  He knew that well. He was always telling people he was fine when he wasn’t.

She couldn’t help smiling at Jaxson’s words and the way he saw through her words.  “Yeah, sort of.  I’m feeling better, although the healer says it’s going to take some physical therapy to get full mobility back in my leg.  So physically, I’m okay.  But I guess everything else is not okay.  But I’m trying to be.  I’m really trying.”  

Liv took slow deep breaths to calm her breathing after choking on the water.  “Thank you.”  She said softly.  “I’m Liv.  You’re a wolf, too.”  

He shook his head. “I don’t think so, but don’t mention it. What was happening to you was not okay and I’m glad you’re okay now. You didn’t deserve any of that, before.  Are you doing okay now?”  

Liv looked at Jaxson and she felt a little vulnerable.  She hadn’t looked in a mirror yet and wasn’t sure how many scars she had.  She knew the healer, a witch, had set all of her bones and used magic to help heal her.  “I’m... okay.”  She said.  But she wasn’t sure she was okay yet.  She wrapped her arms around herself.   

Liv sat up a little to be able to drink the water, taking a big gulp of the water, she started to choke on it.  She took gasping breaths, trying to catch her breath after choking on the water.  Once she regained her breath and took a few more sips she looked at the guy, puzzled by his presence.  “Thank you.  I’m... feeling better.  Who are you?”  

Jax needed to go by and check on Liv. They’d been gone so long and he was really concerned for her. He really was.  Then, he saw her open her eyes and he smiled at her, when she did so. “You know, I’m thinking I need to get me a shirt that says water boy.  Women keep demanding water.” 

“What?” Liv asked completely confused by the male’s response.  What was his name?  Jaxson.  The man who saved her from the hunters.  The man who had freed her from her nightmare.  She couldn’t help matching his smile with one of her own.  She was free.  “Have I thanked you yet for saving me?”  

He knew that they had to think fast and he had to get her out of here, before they came back an hope for the best. That was all he could do. He also knw that they could get caught. Nodding at her words, he then sighed. “Well, that may be the only way. I’ve been burned before. We’ve got to get you out of here.”  He then touched the chains and felt his skin burn but wouldn’t scream. Evie was going to kick his ass for getting hurt. “Can you move? I can maybe break the chains with my strength but it will hurt like fuck.”

Liv winced as the movement from the chains burned her skin.  She could only imagine how much pain Jaxson was from touching the chains, yet he didn’t cry out in pain.  She bit her bottom lip to keep form whimpering out.  “I can move,” She agreed, although she really wasn’t sure she could.  She was malnourished, exhausted and injured.  But she would give it her everything.  She didn’t want to die in this place.  “Please.. I’ll be able to move.”  She knew that she was asking the man a lot.  There were lots of wolves who would just put her out of her misery and walk away from her.  But she wanted to live.  

She had been through a lot. That, he could tell. He needed to get her out of here and to safety. That was what he needed to do more than anything. He also needed her to know he wouldn’t hurt her, because he did not have the time to deal with that.  “Just call me Jaxson, Jax even.  We’ve got to get you out of here. Tell me where you’re hurt.”

Liv was so tired, too tired to even worry about how crappy she looked, or how bad she smelled.  For the first time in months, she felt hope and relief, emotions she thought she had lost forever.  “Jax,” she said trying out the name.  She bit her bottom lip.  “They’re going to be back soon.  I know we have to go, but my leg is broken and it’s bad.  I’ve been crippled.”  She tried to move toward and hissed out in pain, her eyes scrunching up in a wince.  “And these chains are silver and soaked in wolfsbane.  They’ll burn you.”