Daring Karina

VIII

"YOU disinfected her wounds well so she'll be healing just fine," the doctor smiled at her alpha, "Is there any other thing I can do for you before I leave?"

He shook his head.

After grabbing lunch, Karina got checked by the doctor just like Andrin told her she would be.

"Actually, did Ivy get checked already?" She asked.

Andrin looked at her, his eyes in slits.

Why would his mate be concerned of that stupid wolf? She was a disgrace to his pack. She disrespected his mate, her luna and threatened to end her life in front of him.

"Yes, Luna. She's healing in another room here. Would you like me to take both of you there for a visit?" The doctor offered.

"No, thanks," she smiled at her, "You can go now."

The room fell silent as the two mates stared at each other. After the events this morning, she had no idea what to say. She literally beat up two members of his pack and it hadn't been a day.

Karrie fiddled with her fingers and waited for her mate to speak. Other than the fear of facing his anger, she was also afraid something would happen like last time and could not afford to see him look hurt again.

"What now?" she decided to break the ice.

"I need to talk to Matteo about the fight and figure out Ivy's punishment. Can you go back to the house on your own?" He asked her. She nodded and he proceeded to walk her out of the clinic.

On the way back to the house, Karina once again felt the stares of the Silver Pack wolves. Their gazes made her anxiousness kick up and with her mate nowhere near her, the walk made her feel very uncomfortable. She regretted not having him drop her off but she knew he had other things to tend to.

She wasn't so sure what was wrong with her now. She wasn't wearing Grey's shirt anymore so that wasn't what caught their attention. What was it then? She felt so little under their scrutinizing eyes.

Was it her hair? Was it really that bad? Or was it because they saw her fight? Did they think she was weak? She did almost got herself killed. The questions just kept rolling.

Too busy with her thoughts, she did not notice that she had bumped into a small little boy. Immediately, she reached out and guided him to stand back up.

"Goddess, I'm so sorry! Are you okay, little one?" She dusted off the dirt on his shirt.

"I've never seen a woman like you before and wow, your hair!" The little pup's eyes widened in fascination.

Karina did not expect the words that the pup had uttered. She knew he meant no disrespect. She noticed earlier in the crowd that most of the people here had flawless white skin so it might be that the pup was taken aback at her naturally tan color. Most of them also had blonde or brunette hair. Even her mate had beautiful brown hair. Seeing her with raven black tresses might have come to him as a shock.

"Are you a visitor? You don't look like one of us," the pup added, unintentionally making her feel like an alien.

"Yes, I am."

"Good. Alpha doesn't really treat people who are unlike us very well so I hope you be nice," the pup warned, "I have to go, babye!"

Karina sighed as she looked at the boy run off to wherever.

She didn't blend in well, did she? Back in her pack, she didn't blend in that well too. It seemed to be her talent. It came natural for her to be different.

She always kept to herself back at her pack because of her wolf. She didn't want to be the weak link and be used against them so she made her family swore to secrecy about it. She ended up missing the full moon runs and other shifting events, not many really liked her because of it. Everyone thought she was a stuck-up alpha's daughter and a snobby brat but she didn't bother to clear it up. She was dubbed later on as the "odd one".

And now, here she was again sticking out like a sore thumb in her mate's pack. Looking around, she saw men and women still training their gazes on her. Was it because of her appearance like the little pup had mentioned? They must've thought she was odd too like her former pack did.

Upset, she rushed back into the house and quickly got into her mate's room. Once there, she gathered all her suitcases and dragged them into another empty room.She opened the one where her important belongings were stored and took out her lavender scented candle, lighter and pink crystal.

After lighting the candle, she placed it on the bedside table and made sure to lock the door. She took the crystal and put it under her pillow before she slept all her worries away.

~

"Have you seen my mate leave the house?" Grey asked the guard he had assigned on his mate.

"No, alpha."

Grey nodded at him before heading inside the house. After talking to his beta, he decided to finish his alpha duties for the day before returning to his mate. It was now hours after he had last seen her but he made sure to make it back dinner time to enjoy it with her.

Striding in the kitchen, he noticed everything was in place and untouched. He frowned as he expected to see her already eating but she wasn't. Shrugging it off, he immediately went to his room to look for his kitten. Maybe he could cook dinner for her and ask her how her day went even though he already knew.

Seeing his room empty, his wolf started to pace around his head. When he noticed her suitcases were gone, his heartbeat started accelerating as he went through every room in the house looking for her and sniffing her out. She couldn't have left. He wouldn't allow it to happen!

His wolf was about to go on a rampage when he finally found the room she was in. Her scent heavily flowed out from it and he inhaled a lot of it before he knocked.

"Karina?" He called out, "Time to eat."

His mate did not reply. Listening to her breathing, he found that she was asleep. He knocked on the door much harder which caused her breaths to go uneven.

"Karina?" He called out once again.

He heard the door click and soon opened, revealing his mate.

"What time is it?" She asked while rubbing her eyes.

"It's dinner time. Aren't you hungry?" Grey tried to pull her out of the room but she broke away from his hold.

"I'm not really hungry."

A frown sat upon Grey's face as he studied his mate. She looked tired and worn out. Not only that, it bothered him that she moved her belongings into another room. She even denied his affection during the first doctor's visit. He was trying to figure her out but he just couldn't.

If she didn't want him, she would've rejected him the first time they met but she didn't. If she wanted to leave, she would've tried to escape but she didn't. Instead she was here in another room in his house, looking slightly annoyed from her disrupted nap. He was so confused of her behavior.

Not reading more into it, he sighed and nodded at his mate.

"Can I at least come in and rest with you?"

"I...I guess you could," his mate widened the door's opening and let him in.

The lavender scent which smelled so much like her enveloped him as he entered, making him purr in delight. He laid down on the room's mattress and made himself comfortable.

"Aren't you gonna join me?" Andrin held his hand out to her who stood at the bedside looking at him.

"Of course," Karrie gladly took it and plopped down next to him.

He pulled her to him, getting rid of whatever space left between them. He heard her sigh in content and snuggled closer to his body. He chuckled at the sudden changes of her behavior.

Did she want him or not? This woman was literally gonna drive him mad.

"Good night," she whispered, making him smile.

He may have not figured her out just yet but he had all his lifetime to do it. Right now he just wants to indulge in his mate's warmth and scent, and just forget about everything else.

"Sleep tight, kitty."