Destined for Disaster ✔️

Chapter 14

With a deep breath, she pulled her hand from his, sucking in a tortured breath as the pain awoke from its slumber. Austin stirred at the lack of contact, a crease forming between his brows. Ryleigh dug her nails into the frame of her bed, a million needles coursing through her body. The pain lasted longer every time she was silvered, as her body was less and less equipped to fight it. She fisted the sheets and groaned through clenched teeth.

The sound reached Austin's sleeping mind and roused him. His eyelids fluttered before slowly blinking open, clouding in confusion for a moment before he remembered where he was. His eyes found hers and widened with the realisation that she was awake. He sat up instantly and cleared his throat, running a hand through his unruly hair.

"You're awake," he said. "Ridge linked me that you took a turn for the worse. My touch seemed to help you. You look a little better now." He paused. "Carry said you've been talking to her and Ridge. I'm not going to lie, it makes me wonder why you'll speak to anyone but me."

Rather than answer him, she looked down at her hands and at the red rings of chafed skin surrounding her wrists. The silver in the cuffs was itching, though the irritation was nothing compared to the discomfort of the rest of her body. She sat up, slowly, weakly, and propped her pillow against the headboard of the bed so she could lean against it, gasping as every movement empowered the fire in her veins.

"Will you really not talk to me?" he asked, raising a brow.

She scoffed and turned her head from him, eying the cup of water on the nightstand. She reached for it and got ever so close, but then the chain attached to her cuff pulled tight and stopped her just short. Austin jumped up, circled around her bed, and handed her the cup. She took it, easing into her pillow, and wrapped both hands around it.

He sat down again, his eyes never leaving her. His eyes were gentle, which freaked Ryleigh out. It would have been easier to keep herself detached if his eyes weren't so warm.

"I understand you're upset," he said. "Conall silvering you was a bad move and I didn't clear it. In his defence, though, you were out of control. You would have hurt someone. You did hurt someone, in fact." He sighed. "What I'm trying to say is that I get you blame me for some of your discomfort, but you need to take some of the responsibility. You're a prisoner because you're a criminal, and you've been silvered – at least here – because you were a threat to others. I can't speak to how King Alder treated you and whether he was right or not, but you shouldn't redirect your anger about that towards me. I've treated you as well as I could."

She chuckled and nearly choked on her water, coughing. Hastily pushing the cup back onto the table beside her bed, she snatched the cloth from beside her and pressed it against her lips, averting her gaze from him.

"Carry said you've been coughing up silver," Austin said, when Ryleigh's lungs calmed down enough to allow conversation again. She wiped her mouth with the cloth and crumpled it, her fingers fumbling with the edges.

On the other side of the infirmary, a door creaked open and Ridge appeared from it. He was dressed in his night apparel, his hair a mess, his feet bare. He stifled a yawn and leant against the doorpost. "Heard the coughing. You alright?"

Her features softened when she looked at Ridge, some of the perpetual anger easing from her face. She nodded.

"If I ask how much silver you just threw up, will you tell me?"

She stayed quiet, glancing towards her mate.

"Ah, I see. Your mate renders you speechless, huh? Fine, but we'll have a talk in the morning. Holler if you need anything. Try not to keep her up too long, Beta." He turned and disappeared back into his room, muttering to himself about recalcitrant patients.

Austin lapsed into silence for a while. Then: "I don't even know your name."

Ryleigh shot him an apathetic glance. He slumped in his chair and sighed. He wasn't sure what to say next and she wasn't exactly inviting conversation. 

"How's the pain? If you want, I can... I mean, I could..."

She only lightly shook her head, a warning look in her eyes.

"Didn't think so." He looked away at the window. At length he sighed and turned back to her. "Look, I get that you're angry at your situation, but will you really not say something? Anything?"

Ryleigh's eyes flitted up to meet his. She had trouble placing him. On the one hand, he was trying hard to connect with her. On the other hand, she knew he was only doing so because his lover had told him to. He wasn't genuinely interested in her and they both knew it. And that being so, if he insisted she talk, there was only one thing she had to say to him.

"I reject y–"

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A/N: As far as first words go, Austin probably won't soon forget these. 

Thanks for reading!