The Lost One

Chapter 5

"Ah Alpha?" Richards's voice was soft as he spoke hesitant yet strong.

Kaiden looked up from the skillets of meats he was frying to eye the man.

"It's just I thought you should know... she won't eat any of that."

"Won't eat what? Food?" It was Clayton that answered the man's statement.

Richard didn't even react to the obvious contempt from the younger man. "She won't eat what you're cooking."

"I'm capable of feeding my mate." Felling that he was going to speak again Kaiden let a bit of his anger and frustration creep into his voice and the glare that he shot across the chef inspired kitchen. The man fell silent and Kaiden found himself satisfied. He may have watched her before but she was his mate. He would take care or her and provide for her from now on.

Portioning large amounts of everything on to two plates he brought them over to the table as the others all grabbed plates to serve themselves. Gently he laid one down beside his mate along with a fork. He hovered for a minute relishing in the fact that it was the closest he had ever been to her. A second later he forced himself back moving so he took the seat his Beta had been sitting in before, so he could watch her from across the table. The others sat back down all with mountains of food before them except for Richard he merely sat, almost expectantly. Kaiden dug in not realizing how hungry he was until the first bite hit his tongue.

Zoning out he focused on everything that had just happened as he worked to fill his stomach. It was only the mental probing from his beta that finally had him looking up. Irritated he glared at the man who merely shrugged off the look, before nudging his chin in the direction of where his mate sat. Kaiden turned to look at her, silver hair spilling across her back and over the table, her back bent so that her head was down, her nose nearly touching the page before her, her elbows pointed out as her hand quickly moved across the page, various pencils fanning out around her. He looked her over a smile curling his lips before he realized, the plate he had placed beside her still sat exactly where he had placed it.

She hadn't taken a single bite. It looked like she hadn't even picked up the fork. Surprise and confusion raced through him as he tried to understand what was happening. Finally, Richards warning from before rang in his ears and he looked at where the man was sitting looking towards his mate as well.

He turned to meet Kaiden's eyes shrugging his shoulders in apology.

"Fine. Why won't she eat it?" Kaiden finally begrudgingly asked.

Richard's voice was gentle as he answered, turning his head to once again look at the girl who was still drawing away and seemingly ignoring all of them. "She doesn't eat meat. Or eggs. Hardly anything cooked. She prefers fruit although will eat vegetables. She doesn't like food that's super-hot or has a lot of flavor. And she will not eat cheese or fish on anything, ever."

"She doesn't eat meat?!"Austin's eyes were wide with shock. They were werewolves. They lived off meat and protein. To not eat it was unheard of, unthinkable.

Richard didn't even look up. "Nope not a bite. I've tried it all. Thought she'd get sick. Even tried hiding it in other foods. But she always knew, and she never ate it. In five years, she has never eaten it. She's starving I can tell you that but until you put a plate of fruit or something like it in front of her she will ignore you."

It was so ridiculous Kaiden wanted to through the man off his territory for even suggesting it, but then he looked at his willowy mate, who still had not given any indication that a plate of food sat a fingers reach from her and let out a huff. Pushing away from the table he went over to the fridge searching its depths he came up with two apples, a banana from the bowl on the counter, some green grapes, half a melon, a grapefruit of his sisters, and randomly two plums. Although he was skeptical, the unease of knowing his mate was hungry was pushing him to move quickly. Washing the fruit, he sliced it up and onto a massive plate. As he was walking to the table Richard stood moving around her chair he picked up the older plate before returning to his chair. Kaiden threw him a glare before softly setting the tray of fruit hesitantly before the bent head of his mate.

Almost instantly she sat up. Before he could even glance at what she had been sketching she had flipped the book closed pushing it off beside her before turning to the offering of fruit. Stunned Kaiden watched as his mate picked up the slices of apple and banana eagerly shoving them into her mouth. He knew for the second time since meeting her his mouth hung open he looked at Richard who was digging into the plate he had collected without abandon, who offered nothing but another shrug. Knowing he was staring he forced himself to move back around the table to his own plate. Picking up his fork he resumed eating as he watched his mate eat her breakfast.

Finally looking to Richard, he spoke the words he never thought he would need to say, "What else do I need to know about my mate?"

It was quiet for a few minutes as everyone but Aislinn looked between the two men. To acknowledge you needed help to care for your mate, to look to another especially another male for information about her was unheard of.

Richard didn't look surprised, or proud. He didn't gloat or even remark on the request he simply seemed to deeply consider his answer, "I've told you most of what I can about her. There are small things I don't even know if they are important. But I don't know a lot. I know about her eating because a few times she would be there when I was fixing meals and she would refuse everything I offered her. When I went to the academy I learned that at every meal no matter what they did, no matter the threats or punishments she wouldn't touch anything beyond the fruits and vegetable they placed in front of her. It took a year and half before they finally gave in and stopped trying to force her to eat it. She didn't once cave. They told me one time the tied her to a chair for three days to try and get her to eat some chicken nuggets. She didn't even look at them. She is more stubborn then anyone I have ever encountered and I have worked with every alpha and council elder in our world."

He shook his head as he watched her picking up the slices of grapefruit, before turning to look at Kaiden's stunned expression.

"I only know what you shouldn't do because I've tried them and failed. I've had five years of trial and error. Don't question her, she'll just walk away. If you want something or are going to do something, just simply tell her. If she wants it or wants to do it, she will. Don't ask about her family, don't even mention it. It's worse than touching her. I'm not even going to say anything else about that with her here. She will only wear black, or grey. I'm positive she can read although she has failed every class and grade they put her in. They tried to place her with families in the beginning, she's so unique and she was so small and tiny, that families were scrambling to adopt her in the first sixth months after she arrived. After the third family, it was decided she would never be placed in a home. I think she was one of the only girls who families asked to adopt and foster and who were actively deigned by the orphanage. I never did get the full stories of what happened."

Richard fell silent. As everyone finished their food. As Blair collected the empty plates including Aislinn's which held nothing but a few grapefruit seeds. Richard spoke again his voice even more hesitant and reluctant than ever before.

"Kaiden there is one other thing I think you should know. She needs to sleep. She will sleep in your room, she won't be fearful of being there with you, I'm almost positive. But there is one thing, I don't know why or if she will do it here, and I never saw it but they say that she - wakes up."

Everyone's confusion was easy to see and Richard nearly squirmed in his seat as though he really didn't want to say what he was thinking, he looked quickly over at Aislinn who had gone back to her drawing as soon as she had finished eating.

"I've been told she wakes up every four hours. No matter what. Normally at two and then six. I never got clear answers of why of how. Nor did anyone give me any idea of what she did. Only that all the workers agreed that it was not natural and severely disturbed. They even tried to drug her. From what I gathered that went very wrong. I... I don't know what happened to her but I think it has something to do with it. I don't know if being here with you will help, but if it doesn't just don't try to stop her."

Kaiden wanted to ask more question but the warrior seemed to shut down, not meeting anyone's eyes ignoring anymore questions about his mate's behaviors. Wearily Kaiden just nodded trying to make sense of this latest mystery surrounding his mate.

"Okay we'll sleep. Austin, Blair, Clay stay here tonight I want you nearby, take your normal rooms, Aus set Richard up in a room on your floor. We'll deal with the rest in the morning. Eight am we will go over the reports from patrol and go over tonight. Mate love you come with me. You're staying in my room."