Return of The Alpha Heiress-Chapter 68: Clarissa – Ella and Eson

Loodie led us to the bottom of the cliff where I had once fallen while being chased by the warriors last month. There was an inward-sloping rock wall that could be used as a hiding place. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

There was also a safe path leading down into the cliff. That was the path Rudy had used to help me before. Since Rudy knew about this place, I hoped he had brought Maria here to hide.

The cold pierced our bodies, but we couldn’t light a fire. It would expose our location to the other rogues.

Fortunately, werewolf eyes could see in the dark.

I approached Eson, who had laid Ella down beside the cliff wall. He opened his daughter’s clothes.

The arrowhead, with a short length of the shaft still attached, was lodged in the right side of her chest. Blood flowed heavily from the wound.

Ella was still conscious, but she squeezed her eyes shut, enduring the pain. My chest tightened as I watched her struggle.

Eson tried to pull the arrow out, but his hands hesitated when he saw his daughter’s face.

"Why don’t you use your healing power to save her?" Loodie suddenly asked inside my mind.

’I’ve only known them for a month. I can’t casually reveal my ability when I’m still this weak,’ I replied.

"So you want to let the child die? Don’t you like her?" Loodie shot back, clearly picking a fight.

’What if we die after Eson finds out I have an abnormal ability?’

"Do you really think he would report you?" Loodie replied in its arrogant tone.

While Loodie and I argued, Ella’s bright eyes slowly opened. She tried to smile at her father and at me. Even in this state, her eyes still held a faint sparkle.

Despite growing up among rogues, she had kept the innocence of a child.

My chest felt painfully tight.

"Dad... Rissa... I’m sorry if Ella has to leave you," she said in a childish voice filled with pain.

"You’re not leaving anyone. Dad promises!" Eson replied, unable to look at her.

Ella didn’t respond again. She seemed too weak to speak. But her eyes turned toward me, filled with longing.

’Why does a child this young have to die here? She didn’t choose to be born to troubled parents. Why does she have to carry all of this?’

Without realizing it, I saw myself in Ella. I hadn’t chosen to be born as Alpha Will and Luna Eileen’s daughter either, only to be kidnapped and erased from their lives.

If not for Luna Thalia and Alpha Ryan’s kindness, I might have died long ago.

"That’s why you should help her!" Loodie snapped.

’No matter how Eson reacts later, I have to save Ella first.’

With that decision made, I tapped Eson’s shoulder as he prepared to pull the arrow out.

"Let me do it," I said as I sat beside him. "I can heal Ella."

Eson looked at me with suspicion, then at Ella. Without thinking further, he nodded.

It surprised me that he agreed so quickly, but if he did nothing, Ella would die. Even if he didn’t fully trust me, he wanted to try.

After getting his permission, I placed both hands on Ella’s chest, surrounding the arrow without touching it.

"You have a left hand?" Eson gasped. Until now, he had believed I only had one arm.

I only nodded and focused on Ella again. He didn’t ask further, realizing the urgency of the situation.

Energy flowed from my body into my hands, then into Ella. Cell by cell, her chest began to regenerate, slowly pushing the arrow out.

Thud.

The arrow shot out and fell beside Eson. His eyes widened at the impossible sight.

I continued focusing on regrowing the flesh to close the wound while I felt Eson’s gaze fixed on my face.

Soon, the wound was filled with new flesh. Only the skin remained undone. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish it. My energy was completely drained.

I turned to Eson. "Wrap the wound with clean, dry cloth. I’ll finish it tomorrow. I’m out of energy now."

Because I told him the healing wasn’t complete, even if Eson had bad intentions, he would hesitate. I still had time to rest.

Tomorrow, after I recovered, I would regrow Ella’s skin and then find a chance to leave.

Eson nodded. He tore the clean part of his shirt and wrapped it around Ella’s chest.

I stepped back and leaned against the wall, closing my eyes from exhaustion.

That night, Eson never stopped moving. He washed Ella’s clothes and prepared clean cloths. He fed her and gave her water. He even prepared edible mushrooms and water for me.

Meanwhile, I still didn’t know the fate of Rudy and the other members of our group.

Life as a rogue was cruel, but I still hoped they had survived.

...

I woke up to the sound of laughter. My eyes slowly opened. By the riverbank, Ella was giggling with Eson.

Seeing her laugh, a smile appeared on my face. Thank goodness she woke up.

Her small head turned and found me already awake. "Rissa! Come here! Dad caught a fish in the river!"

Eson had already cleaned the fish and was preparing to leave. "I’ll grill it somewhere else."

After Ella reminded him to be careful, he shifted and ran off, disappearing in seconds.

I checked Ella’s wound, planning to finish healing her skin and leave before Eson returned.

"Rissa is The Witch," Ella suddenly said as I reached to open the cloth covering her wound.

I looked at her and found a wide smile on the little girl’s face. "Why The Witch? Is it because I’m evil?" I asked lightly.

Ella shook her head hard. Then she told me about the time she and Eson had accidentally met werewolves from their former pack.

Back then, those werewolves had called Ella the daughter of The Witch. After that, Ella, who had never met her mother, asked Eson about The Witch.

Eson had no choice but to lie. He told her that The Witch was a strong werewolf who liked helping others.

"Dad said Rissa saved Ella when Ella was in pain. Rissa also often gives Ella meat and always wants to play with Ella. Rissa is the real Witch," Ella said innocently.

I had never felt so touched by a nickname that sounded bad.

The Witch didn’t feel like a bad title. It was even more interesting than The Healer, which sounded a bit bland.

"How dare you call The Healer bland. We have an important role in the survival of the werewolf race!" Loodie complained sulkily in my head.

I chuckled. Loodie was no different from Ella. At least Ella was more sensible.

"I am not a child!" Loodie shouted.

I ignored him and focused again on healing Ella’s skin.

I kept glancing at her face. I knew very well how painful body regeneration was.

Yet a small child like Ella didn’t scream. She pressed her lips together, closed her eyes, and clenched her fists.

Sweat dripped from her temples as she endured the pain with all her strength.

I worked faster so she wouldn’t have to suffer for too long.

When it was done, her skin had fully regrown, as if she had never been injured. Ella lay on the ground and smiled at me.

"Thank you, Rissa. I want to sleep now. Can you stay with me?"

Her polite request made it impossible for me to refuse. I nodded, abandoning my plan to leave immediately.

Even though the world had been so cruel that I couldn’t trust anyone, I hoped Ella would never feel that way. I hoped she would grow strong not because of pain, but because of love.

...

I didn’t manage to leave before Eson returned with grilled fish. The smell made my stomach growl.

"Let’s eat first. I’ll save some for Ella," he said.

I nodded without hesitation.

While we ate, I broke the silence. "Why didn’t you ask about my power?"

He glanced at me briefly, then continued eating. "We’re rogues. Someone unusual isn’t rare among us."

"You don’t plan to sell this information? You could get a lot of food supplies from it," I replied, half sarcastic, half curious.

He shook his head without hesitation. "You saved Ella. And Ella really likes you."

I didn’t ask anymore. It was clear Eson loved his daughter deeply. It felt like he survived only so she could grow up safely, even in a life like this.

After eating, I washed my face in the river. He came over to drink water.

"There’s no one left at our old location. I didn’t see anyone around here either," he said.

I could only let out a heavy sigh.

"Soon, the warriors will start sweeping the forest again," he continued. "Until then, we’ll hide here."

I nodded and was about to return to Ella’s side.

"Let’s train," Eson suddenly said.

I turned around. "Now?"

"This is exactly the right time," he replied, suddenly strict. For a moment, he looked like a warrior.

In the end, I trained with Eson.

...