Finding Forgiveness

My heart was pounding in my ears, my stomach had been bound and constricted by anxiety and dread and my hands clammy and trembling uncontrollably.

But as I watched Leo’s desperation and death get closer and closer to him, an instinct set in.

The gun.

Andrea’s gun.

It lay covered in leaves only a few metres from me.

I sprinted to it and picked it up. He taught me how to use one like this months ago, the day I had been too weak to shoot him when his back was turned.

Now I had another chance and my love for Leo was my strength.

He always had been.

I spent three hellish months enduring Andrea’s torture but hope that Leo would one day find me got me through, even when Andrea eroded it away until there was only a fragment left. I clung on. Just about surviving by the dim light of a flicker of faith burning in my heart.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Because I knew that Leonardo will always do whatever it takes to save me. Sometimes it hurts me, like when Connor got caught up in his fierce protection. Sometimes I suffer months of pain before he can rescue me.

But he always does.

No matter what.

Now it was my turn to repay the favour.

No matter my fear.

I gripped the gun firmly in my hands and repeated Andrea’s words inside my head:

Both eyes on the target.

Hold it steady.

Use your strength.

Pull the trigger.

Leo pushed Andrea off him and he slumped down onto the floor, his eyes wide open at the night sky and his limbs as still as the air.

He didn’t blink. His chest didn’t rise and fall in breath. There was no beating of a heart inside his ribcage.

Leo stared at his body in disbelief before he looked up to me, his mouth slightly ajar as I just stood, gripping the gun as I felt the pumping adrenaline slowly fade away and the reality set in.

Andrea’s blood was splattered on Leo’s face from the gunshot but it didn’t stop me from dropping the weapon and sprinting forward, throwing myself into Leo’s chest as he wrapped his arms around my back.

I buried my head into his shoulder as he held me tight and began to sob.

“You did it,” Leo whispered, “You saved us all.”

I only hugged him tighter as we sat on the forest floor, next to the dead body of Andrea Martinez.

And he was definitely dead this time. I’d watched the bullet enter the back of his skull, shattering his brain and ending him instantly.

A few minutes later, Leo looked down to Andrea before reaching into his pocket and finding his phone. He then grimaced and picked up Andrea’s still warm thumb to unlock it before searching the contacts.

“Hola,” he said placing his hand around my waist and pulling my head back onto his chest.

He made a lot of phone calls to both Andrea’s men and his own before he finally put the phones down.

“They’re retreating,” he said with a smile as he kissed my head, “It’s over.”

“Finally,” I replied.

“Are my children safe?” he asked.

“They’re with Milly. She was amazing, Leo,” I replied, “She saved them all.”

“With her… powers?” Leo questioned hesitantly.

I nodded, “Andrea sent men after them but they don’t stand a chance. Our kids are alive and safe because of her.”

“And we will ensure the entire pack knows that,” he said as he stood up, helping me to my feet too, “She will be known as a hero and maybe Max will let her. stay”

I smiled as he took my hand, “Now let me get you safely home so I can go and clear all this shit up.”

Everything seemed to be working out so well. But it almost seemed too easy.

“Have we lost anyone tonight Leo?” I asked.

Leo’s face dropped and he squeezed my hand, “Blair survived, as far as I know my brothers, sisters and Max are all fine too… but…”

“Luca,” I choked.

“He’s missing,” Leo replied, “No one has seen him but that doesn’t mean he’s dead.”

“But it means he’s at least injured,” I said, “Badly.”

Leo nodded, “I have patrols searching for him but the territory is vast and he could be anywhere.”

“Then I’m not going home until we find him,” I announced, stopping and looking around, “Where was he last seen?”

Leo sighed and placed his hand on my waist. For a moment I thought he was going to refuse my help but then he sighed, “Just North of the base. That’s where he was when I phoned him two hours ago.”

I nodded, “Let’s go.”

We ran the ten miles towards the area above the base. There were already men searching through the forest for both Luca and other wounded soldiers but there was no sign of him yet.

“Luca,” I called, “Luca!”

Soon enough every time I called his name, the coarse, dry skin in my throat ripped.

But it was as I paused in a clearing hours later in total dispair, feeling so hopeless I could drop to my knees, that I finally heard a response.

“Ella,” a voice whispered.

I snapped my head to where it was coming from. A ditch filled with leaves and debris but as I got closer, I could see the body of a man lying stretched out in agony.

“Leo!” I screamed as I dropped down to Luca’s side.