Chapter 189

Lucas POV

I watched as Shana's White Wolf crashed into the tree. My sprinting stopped immediately as I watched her body transform back into its human self.

Panic and fear crippled me as I stood there, momentarily motionless.

Was he okay? Had she passed out? Was she breathing?

It felt like I stood there forever, examining Shana's lifeless body on the ground before sense snapped into me.

I shifted back into my human form, moving towards her at the speed of light.

I dropped to my knees beside Shana, my heart heavy with concern. "Are you okay?" I asked, my eyes scanning her for any signs of injury.

She held the side of her body in comfort as tears began to fall from her eyes. I wasn't sure if she was crying because of the pain from her potential injury, or because of what she had just learned about her father.

The forest around us was alive with the relaxing sounds of nature, but all I could hear was Shana's labored breathing.

"Shana," I called her name, gently touching her side where she had hit the tree. She flinched from my touch, a sob hiccupping in her throat. "Do you think you can stand up?"

She didn't respond, her body convulsing with silent sobs. I realized then that the pain I could see on her face was more than physical.

Her heart was breaking. The possibility of losing her father had become a stark reality, and I had no idea how to ease her pain.

It seemed like there was nothing that I could do. How could I reverse the damage that had been done? How could I help guide Shana to a better place and state of mind?

She had just completely lost herself, in more ways than one.

Tentatively, I reached out, trying to assess any injuries she might have sustained during her wild sprint through the forest. But Shana seemed oblivious to the physical pain, her focus consumed by the emotional turmoil within.

Upon further inspection, it didn't appear as though she had broken any bones. Her White Wolf was incredibly strong, the brunt of the impact was probably sustained due to that.

If she had been any other regular alpha wolf, I had a feeling that she would need to go to the hospital. The speed at which she was running, and the force of the hit had been intense.

My suspicion was that she had probably just bruised her body awfully. It would take a few days to heal, but luckily, it wasn't more serious than that.

As I concluded and identified Shana's injuries, her sobbing intensified. She reached a hand out to clutch onto me as if I were her anchor in the storm.

I had worried that she would push herself away from me, but it seemed like now she was looking for my support.

I promised myself that I would always be there for her, and there was no way in hell that I would leave her now when she was the most vulnerable.

Now of all time, she needed me more than ever before. A sadness struck me as I realized that I was most likely the only person she had left in her life.

Shana's cries echoed through the woods. It was a heartbreaking melody that resonated with the ache in my own chest.

I held her close, rubbing soothing circles on her back as she cried into my shoulder.

Even though were alone in the woods, I still didn't feel comfortable sitting out here for too long. After the power Shana had just exuded, I didn't know what kind of attention it had attracted.

It wasn't safe for us to be out here for much longer. I needed to get us back to Grandma Jo's, and we needed to put some ice on Shana's injury.

Shana cried harder as I gently placed a hand in her hair.

I spoke softly, attempting to provide comfort. "Shh, you don't have to say anything. I know."

She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

I wanted to urge her that we should leave, but I knew she needed to let it all out. She wouldn't feel comfortable exposing her emotions like this in front of Grandma Jo.

I allowed us to sit on the forest floor for a little while longer until Shana was able to stop crying.

Time seemed to stretch indefinitely as we sat on the floor, enveloped in the shadows of the trees. Shana had moved her head to rest in my lap and my fingers gently brushed through the strands of her hair.

Her eyes were closed as tears continued to flow down her cheeks, but her sobs had subsided significantly.

She was beautifully pained, and her feelings were so strong that I could feel them as if they were my own.

Her grip on me tightened as she let out a shaky sigh. Seeing her like this absolutely destroyed me.

The realization hit me: not only had Shana lost her mother, but now her father was gone too. It was an unbearable weight that she shouldn't have had to carry alone.

Although there's a probability that the body they found didn't belong to Shana's father, it was a nearly impossible thing to hold on to.

The man they discovered had to be Shana's father. Who else could it be?

As her sobs began to fade, I gently pulled away, meeting her tear-stained eyes.

She blinked up at me, her face swollen and her eyes red and puffy with anguish. I could tell that she was on the brink of crying again, and I realized that it would take her a long time to remove this sadness from her life.

It certainly wasn't something that would disappear in a few days.

"Are you in pain?" I asked in a soft voice.

She barely nodded her head in answer.

I knew that her answer had more than one meaning.

"Shana," I began, "you don't have to face this alone. We can go to the police station together."

She nodded again in silent agreement. Her lip quivered, and I knew she was thinking about seeing her father's body.

I couldn't let her do that. She didn't need to be traumatized on top of the pain she was already feeling.

The thought of identifying her father's body weighed heavily on her, and I wanted to spare her from that pain. I didn't want her last reminder of her father to be of him in a state like that.

"I can go in your place, Shana. You shouldn't have to see him like that. I'll be there for you."

"Really?" her voice croaked as she finally spoke. "Y-you'd do that for me?"

"Of course," I said, my voice solid and firm. "I would do anything for you."

Her eyes grew glossy again and I lifted her into my arms, cradling her gently. She felt fragile in my arms as I carried her back to Grandma Jo's house.

Her silent tears began to stain my shoulder, but I didn't mind.

The weight of the impending visit to the police station hung in the air, but for now, all that mattered was supporting Shana and making sure she was okay.