Chapter 149 - Gone Like The Wind

Madeline stopped breathing. 

Fireworks shot through her as she felt him deepen the kiss, parting her mouth. His arms wrapped around her, sending shivers through her nerves. And yet, Madeline did more than try to stop him. Instead, she found herself kissing him back. It evoked sensations she never knew she was capable of feeling. She balled her fists in his shirt, making him pull her closer to him in response. Madeline's breath was stolen away, and she felt knees weaken and giddiness swirl in her stomach. 

'Let this never end, please,' she thought in her head, her lips still brushing against his soft ones.

Madeline and Xavier separated from each other, and Madeline covered her mouth with her fist, still unable to process what happened. And yet, there was still a huge grin on her face.

Xavier was no different, currently on cloud nine, until… 

"INDIANA!" Briar called urgently. 

Scrambling was heard, and Xavier scooped Madeline up, bringing her to where Indiana was. 

Madeline gasped. She couldn't believe her eyes. 

Xavier's eyes widened. 

They had to get out of there, it'd only be minutes until… He couldn't bring himself to say it aloud. 

He placed a hand on Madeline's shoulder, and she placed her hand on top of his. 

"What happened?" She managed to ask, seeing Indiana laying on the ground with a massive injury on her thigh. 

Briar looked at her, and Madeline saw her eyes flash with an unfamiliar emotion. 

Huh? What had happened? 

Was Indiana alright? 

Indiana seemed to have told Briar something, but that didn't help matters. Briar looked like her world had crumbled to dust right in front of her. 

Her bottom lip quivered. 

Xavier inhaled, knowing if Briar wouldn't tell her what happened, he would. 

Madeline hesitated before heading to Indiana's side. They had to get her some help. She would be alright, it didn't look bad. 

It didn't look fatal. 

But Madeline was unaware of the grisly truth. 

Xavier leaned closer towards her and whispered something in her ear. 

And just like that, Madeline's eyes widened. She rushed to Indiana's side, whispering the same word over and over again. 

"No no no no no." 

'I don't– There has to be some sort of cure, right? This can't be happening to her. Not now of all times,' Madeline thought, her heart going at speeds they had never gone before. 

First stage of grief, shock and denial.

Now, one would be asking, why would Madeline be grieving? Shouldn't she have been celebrating after she confessed her feelings and he had told her he had feelings for her as well? 

No. 

Because, the ferals had managed to get to her friend, Indiana. 

And as of that moment, her life was on the line, and she was hanging on by a thread that was about to break at any given moment. 

At most, Indiana had minutes left. 

"Why didn't you call for the rest of us?" Madeline asked, holding back tears. 

Briar had vanished into thin air. 

Where was she? Had she not been there a minute ago? 

Madeline looked around, trying not to face Indiana as her eyes were shining with tears.

"Where's Briar?" She asked.

Where would Briar be that was so important, she had to go someplace else when Indiana was…

Madeline sniffled. 

"I made her run an errand for me," Indiana croaked, coughing before she told Madeline, this time stuttering, "Y-you shouldn't be here. You should… y-you s-should leave."

"Leave you? Now? No. NO. I'm not leaving you now, I'm staying," Madeline insisted.

Xavier held her, signalling to her that they had to go before Indiana turned into the very thing that she had killed. Soon, she'd be nothing but a mindless creature that wanted to kill. If Madeline didn't leave… No. She had to get Madeline to leave.

She told Madeline, her eyes flashing with desperation, "Leave. Please. Don't come back." 

It took all her willpower to remain in this form, even though she knew it was inevitable. 

Xavier's eyes flashed with urgency. They had to leave. 

Indiana shot Xavier a look. She didn't need to have used a mind link to communicate. He knew what she was trying to tell him. 

'No matter what, get her out of here.' 

Madeline could hold her tears back no longer. As one dripped down her face, she said to Indiana, "I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I should've never invited you here if I knew this would have happened. I should've… I should've…"

Indiana sighed, "No." 

"Don't be sad, or mourn my death. Be happy."

She had heard Madeline confess her feelings. Even in her last moments, she refused to think about herself. 

"Con-congratulations. I'm happy for you," she managed to choke out, feeling something beginning to overtake her. 

'No, not yet. I still have something to say,' Indiana thought, holding it in as best as she could.

Taking deep breaths, she felt grateful. Grateful she had at least gotten to say goodbye to Briar, and Madeline, and see Xavier one last time. 

Briar zipped back, and Rosalynn was by her side.

"Darling!" Rosalynn cried, collapsing to the ground. Unable to speak or form a coherent sentence, she crawled towards Indiana. 

Briar had explained to her what happened and brought her there. 

Madeline stared at Rosalynn, biting her lip to the point blood gushed out of it like a waterfall. She felt Indiana tap her arm. 

She began, "M-Madeline…"

"Before… Before I… Before I go… I need you to do something for me."

"A-Anything, name it," Madeline said as tears flowed down her cheeks. 

Madeline would do anything Indiana said. 

There was a moment of silence. Madeline turned to Xavier, wondering if there was any solution to fix this. Maybe, just maybe, there was a spell that could reverse it. 

Or a spell that could reverse time, or bring someone back. Anything… 

Madeline held Indiana's arm, trying her very best not to look at where the feral had bitten her. 

When Madeline hadn't been looking, Xavier had done a search of the area. There were no other ferals in sight, or lurking. It seemed like Indiana had still managed to defeat the feral despite getting injured. 

"Near Briar's room, t-two blocks away is Jonathan's room. T-Tell him that… I won't be able to make it for lunch."

Indiana felt herself changing, but pressed on. 

Her eyes expressed her feelings of regret. For being a horrible friend to Madeline, Jonathan and Briar that never did anything but constantly burden them, and for being a horrible omega that didn't do anything to serve Eudora…

"Goodbye," she said to Madeline, looking her in the eye. 

She thought it deserving she did this. And just seconds before, she thought to herself, 'Jonathan… I'm so sorry for everything…' 

And that was the moment that Indiana met her end. 

The moment she drew her very last breath as Indiana.

Xavier had to whisk Madeline away someplace else. If not, she would've stayed and turned into a feral herself. 

They had already lost someone. He couldn't bear to lose Madeline too. 

There had never been a descendant of the first werewolf who had been turned, so if Madeline were to have been turned by Indiana… What would have happened next? 

Madeline buried her face in his shirt, sobbing and hitting his chest. 

She wished to be able to turn back time. 

Maybe then she could've done something. Maybe then she would've cancelled everything so that none of this ever happened. Indiana would have still been here. They could have gone out for lunch, but no. 

She was left to inform Jonathan of the news. 

After a while of crying and lots of screaming, Madeline made it back to Eudora, headed straight for Jonathan's room. 

Imagine Jonathan's surprise when he saw Madeline at his doorstep, looking like she had just cried. 

He looked confused, "W-What are you doing here?" 

Madeline was unable to meet his gaze. It was her fault that she had to tell him this. But it was Indiana's last request. 

"Indiana sent me to tell you that she…"

Hesitating, Madeline pushed herself. She had to do this. 

It was Indiana's last wish. 

"She won't be able to make it for lunch," Madeline said.

Jonathan wondered why Madeline was speaking like it was the end of the world. That was alright. If Indiana couldn't make it… 

"We can always reschedule lunch, it's alright," Jonathan said, seeming unbothered. 

Madeline was left with having to break the poor boy's heart. And she was unaware that he had feelings for her. Shaking her head, she told him shakily, "That's not what I meant by it."

Remembering the time Indiana had talked to her about him, Madeline managed to chuckle, telling him, "Indiana told me quite a bit about you, Jonathan." 

Tears brimmed in her eyes, she was thinking about Indiana again, "I'm sorry. I'm getting emotional. I just–"

"Indiana's gone. Really gone." 

"...what?"

"She was turned into a feral, Jonathan." 

A tear slid down Madeline's cheek as she finally processed everything that had happened. 

"Indiana's gone… forever."