3 comments/ 29886 views/ 3 favorites His Healing Touch Ch. 01 By: ComeBackToMe The tears ran down her cheeks, the wind bitterly slapping at her as she raced through the woods. She urged her horse on, asking for more run. Her mare, ever willing to go faster took it up a notch, galloping like the racehorse she once was. Callie held on, trying to forget, trying to not cry even harder at the horror of her ordeal. She had to get away, had to put as much distance as possible between herself and the man she had called father. Suddenly shaken back to reality, Callie realized they were headed for the woods. She slowed Melody down as they entered the woods and let the mare pick her way through the dense foliage. Huddling down into her coat, she had to admit this wasn't one of her best plans, but she had no other choice. ---- Ever since she was a little girl Callie had always tried to stay away from her father. He frequently would fly into rages and would beat up on her, the frequent bruises testament to her fathers seeming hatred of her. As she had gotten older, her father would beat her until she was immobile and would start touching her in places she knew he shouldn't. It had finally ended last night. It was her 23 birthday and that night her father set out to beat her once again. As he threw the punches he started to fondle her. Callie knew she had to get away, for she knew if she didn't he was going to rape her. She clawed at her father, which angered him, resulting in her breasts being bruised by his cruel hands. She screamed as her father held her down and bit one of her breasts; though the pain gave her the strength to push him off her and scramble away. She had run to her room and gathered her wallet. As she turned to flee her room her father strode in. She screamed as he came after her again and begged him to stop. "Please, don't do this, it's incest!" She screamed at him. He just laughed evilly, "No, it won't be incest." Callie stared at him stupidly. "I'm not your father," he stated. "Your mother met me when she was eight months pregnant." She threw a punch, and was satisfied when she felt his jaw give beneath her fist. This was sick, she had been lied to for twenty-three years, had lived with an abusive "father" for her whole life, and just now found out that he wasn't her father. While he recovered from the blow she ran out to the den, grabbed her coat and boots, and rushed outside to the barn. She entered the barn and her grey mare Melody put her head over the stall door. Callie wasted no time gathering tack and soon had Melody tacked up and ready to go. She led the mare out of the barn and mounted when she saw her "father" running towards her. She wheeled Melody around and urged her into a gallop; her destination was the last thing on her mind. ---- Once again Callie was snapped back to reality. She looked up to the sky as she felt the wind pick up, slicing at her. She saw dark clouds, and sure enough minute's later snow began to fall. Callie shivered and pushed on, hoping to find shelter soon. She didn't know this area, she had just moved back in a few weeks ago to tend to her ailing mother. Her parents had moved to Montana only two months ago, while she had been back in New Jersey, showing horses up and down the coast along with her friend Leanna Naliwek. She had gotten the call three weeks ago, her mother had cancer and it was so advanced that the prognosis was grim. Callie had decided to ship her mare to Montana, and boarded a plane here to care for her mother. She had only been here two weeks when her mother lost the battle with Lung Cancer. Now she was out in unknown territory in the middle of a snowstorm that was rapidly worsening. Her body ached from the beatings she was once again receiving, and her breasts were raw from the rough treatment her "father" had subjected her to. Callie was a throwback to Victorian times; she was still a virgin, and wasn't privy to what went on between a man and a woman, yes she knew the basics but the whole act was foreign to her, and frankly unappealing also. Thanks to her fathers actions she was even more averse to the act. Soon she found her feet and other parts of her body starting to chill. She pressed on, but soon became drowsy; the nights spent awake, waiting for her fathers attacks were catching up with her. She caught herself dozing off once, but soon she fell into a cold induced slumber and her body limply slipped out of the saddle and into the deepening snow. ---- Lucifer Malcrine, known as "Luc" to his friends, stomped his feet as he walked into the barn, knocking the snow off his boots. "A hellstorm's brewing out there," he stated to his brother Blake. "About time," Blake replied, not turning his back as he finished feeding the horses. Luc walked to the feed room to make up breakfast for the horses when he heard rustling and distressed mooing coming from the field where his Santa Gertrudis cattle were kept. "I'm going to go see what's bothering the cattle," Luc told Blake, and once again headed back into the storm. As he walked out to the cattle's field, he saw them huddled in the corner of the shed where they slept. He also saw a horse that was galloping around the field, chasing any wayward cattle that came its way. The mare was gorgeous; she had a darkish grey coat with a shocking black mane. She had a graceful delicate build; a thoroughbred, he surmised, and was very fit he noted as he watched muscles shift as she raced around the field. The mare then spotted him and skidded to a stop, her tail raised in the air, she snorted heavily at him. The mare had English tack on, rare in Montana where Western tack was preferred. He slowly approached the mare, his hands stretched forward to not frighten the horse. He swiftly grabbed the reins; the mare shied, but relented, allowing him to lead her back to the barn. "What was the problem," Blake asked without turning from blanketing one of the horses. "Why don't you take a look yourself," Luc stated dryly. Blake turned around and had to look twice. "Whaa-" "I found her in the cattle pasture chasing some of the calves." Luc explained. "Haven't ever seen or heard of a mare like this," Blake said. "She'd be hard to miss here in little old Jansville." Both men studied the mare. Luc had Blake fetch a halter for the mare and took off her bridle. Putting on the halter, he attached her to the cross-ties and took off her tack. He then fetched an anti-sweat sheet and a cooler, putting them on the mare, he took her off the cross-ties and led her to an empty stall. He fetched some hay for the mare and motioned for Blake to follow him to the house. "Well, we'd better go look for the mare's owner, they'll freeze otherwise." He told his brother. The brothers entered the house and luckily the whole family was gathered in the kitchen. Luc and Blake explained the ordeal to there parent's and siblings. Luc and Blake were paired up, his parents Anna and Daniel, and then his other brothers Gabriel and Caleb with Sage, the only sister they all had. The three groups mounted their respective horses and split up following the faint tracks left by the mare. After twenty minutes of searching with no luck, Luc and Blake decided to go looking in another part of the woods, hoping to find the owner of the mare alive. His Healing Touch Ch. 02 She was freezing; suddenly awakening, Callie found herself surrounded by snow and Melody was no where to be found. She knew the horse had gone on to find some sort of shelter and hoped that when she did, someone realized that she was out here. She stumbled to her feet and started walking on, no idea where she was headed, just hoping to stumble upon someone. Soon though, the cold once again tightened its icy grip and she stumbled to her knees and feinted. ---- Luc and Blake pushed the horses on, searching the woods for any indication of a human lost in the snowstorm. Luc looked to his left, and out of the corned of his eye saw something red in the snow. Motioning to Blake to follow him, he spurred his horse in the direction of the red fabric he saw. As they got closer Luc saw that it was a jacket, and there lay a woman, on her back in the snow. He jumped off his horse and leaned down to the woman, checking for a pulse. He was relieved to find a strong beat. He pulled the woman into his arms and mounted his horse, cradling her in front of him. He stripped himself of his sheepskin jacket and took off the woman's frozen jacket, replacing it with his body warmed one. He and Blake turned their horses and headed back to the house. Blake radioed to the others and told them to get the Explorer ready to take a trip to the hospital. "Do you think that was her horse we found?" Blake asked. "I don't think so," Luc stated. "Looks like a hiker to me, hence the hiking boots. She also looks like a city-girl, not one to be able to handle the mare we found." He explained. "Very true," Blake acknowledged. "She was also a ways from the horses tracks. But whatever she did, she looks a little worse for the wear." He noted. "She looks to be a bit bruised." The men set in a companionable silence, and when they reached the house they found the Explorer ready to go, and his other siblings waiting to take care of their mounts. Luc handed the woman down to Caleb, dismounted, then reclaimed her and carried her into the back of the SUV. The heat was blasting to hopefully warm the woman up. The car was silent as they made the twenty minute drive to the hospital. Luc's father had called ahead and when they arrived some hospital staff was waiting with a stretcher. Luc stepped out of the Explorer, the woman cradled in his arms. As he was about to lay the woman on the stretcher she stirred, and eyes the green of emerald stared up at him. As he lowered her to the stretcher she clutched at the lapels of his shirt and looked at him with big vulnerable eyes. He bent closer as she began to whisper to him. "Please...don't...leave," she whispered. She then slackened her hold on his shirtfront and promptly feinted. He watched as they wheeled the woman away and started when Blake tapped him on the shoulder. "Ready to go?" His brother asked. "Actually, I was going to stay, to see how she makes out." Luc stated. "She may need some help once she wakes up." "Alright," Blake acquiesced. "Just give a ring when you're ready to come home. With that Blake spun on his heel and walked back to the explorer. Luc walked into the hospital and inquired after the woman. After getting to the nurse at the desk to notify him of any changes, he settled his long frame into a chair and set out to wait. ---- The whir of machines and low murmur of voices greeted Callie. She felt weighted down and ached all over. As she tried to take a deep breath she was wracked with coughs. Her throat was sore and her lungs ached. She tried to open her eyes and after a few tries was successful in lifting her weighted lids. "Ah," she groaned. I ache everywhere. She thought to herself. "Ah, back to the living are we?" someone, a stranger asked. Looking around she saw that she was hooked up to many machines. "Wha-" "You were found stranded in the woods amid a snowstorm," a woman; Callie assumed was a nurse explained. Suddenly recognition swooped down on her, and panic rose. She wearily closed her eyes and let the tears slide down her cheeks as she relived the events that had led her to lie in this hospital room. She heard the drone of the nurse's voice, but couldn't answer. Her brain decided that enough was enough, and soon she slipped into blessed sleep. ---- Luc tipped up his Stetson and looked up as he heard footsteps approaching his seat. He stood up and walked towards the nurse he had seen accompany the stretcher. "How is she?" He asked. "She came to, but fell asleep again." The nurse reported. Luc continued to grill the nurse about the woman's condition. He didn't know why, but he felt protective of the fragile woman he had found in the snow. Because his family was so well known in Jansville and the surrounding area, the nurse divulged more information than she should have. "She's got some fluid in her lungs and looks as though someone was beating on her." The nurse said. "There was some indication of sexual abuse, but she wasn't raped, she's still a virgin." Luc nodded. "Can I see her?" "Surely, she's sleeping now though, so try not to disturb her." With that the nurse turned and left him. He strode to the woman's room, and quietly entered, sitting in a chair next to the bed. He took her hand and warmed it within his significantly larger one. He studied her face, noting the bruises that marred her face and neck. As he studied her sleeping form, he had to admit that he was attracted to her. Flaxen locks framed a delicate face, one of an angel's. She looked so frail and helpless lying there. At that point, he knew he would move heaven and earth to keep this woman safe.