Without a Wolf

7

When Emeric shook my hand, and he felt the power of the mate bond fly through his skin, I could see the conflict grow stronger in his eyes. After the moment was over, he withdrew his hand. He didn't say anything else as he gathered our finished dinner plates, the empty cups and the cutlery. He had gathered them all on the tray, and he walked towards the door. He wished me a good night, barely looking in my direction before leaving.

It didn't take me long after he left before I grew quite tired. I wondered how that was even possible, considering I had spent the last three days and nights of my life solidly asleep. It didn't seem to matter to my body, though. Maybe, I thought to myself before the darkness took me, the reason I had spent so long unconscious and recovering was because this bed was so damn comfortable.

The minutes before I fell asleep were spent thinking about Emeric. More specifically, his words. I thought about what he said, that I was losing my ability to heal myself. See, I had known that since my wolf abandoned me, I wasn't able to heal the way a werewolf usually does. While humans take days, weeks or even months to heal, wolves only take mere minutes. A deep cut, a broken bone... it didn't matter, the Moon Goddess blessed the wolves with fast acting healing.

But Emeric said I was healing less quickly and less efficiently than a human. The more I thought about that, the more it worried me. I figured that I was just becoming human, just becoming ordinary like I had hoped so long ago to be. I never imagined I could be less than ordinary.

Somewhere, in between my worried thoughts, I drifted into a deep sleep. It was a dreamless sleep, one that feels so short, but you can feel the long hours spent laying down in the stiffness of your muscles.

This time, when I woke up in the morning, I was only confused about my surroundings for a short moment. It wasn't like the last time I woke up in the bed, my mind desperately trying to put together clues. I knew where I was now. And after last night, I knew I would be spending my next six months here, too.

I took a deep breath as I sat up, pushing the white blankets away from my body. I had no expectations on how this day was supposed to go. I didn't know whether I would still be locked in this room.

Or even worse, maybe Emeric would be here soon to knock on my door.

And, as if I had guessed the timing perfectly, I heard the knob on my door begin to twist. I looked at it, guessing it was likely the Alpha, but I was surprised when the door opened, and someone else walked in, instead.

As the old woman entered the room, my eyes were immediately drawn to her. She moved with an otherworldly grace, as if she were gliding across the floor rather than walking. Her long, flowing robes were the color of deep, midnight blue, and were embroidered with intricate patterns that seemed to shimmer in the light. A long, silver chain dangled from her neck, with a small, glowing crystal suspended at its center.

As I gazed upon the wise old lady, I couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence wash over me. She looked to be in her seventies, with lines etched deeply into her face that spoke of a life filled with both joy and sorrow. But despite her age, there was a spark of magic in her eyes that made her seem ageless, as if time had no power over her.

As she approached me, there seemed to be no expression on her face as she peered at me. "Gemini," she greeted me, her voice like honey. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

I felt a shiver run down my spine as her gaze locked onto mine. There was something about her that was both comforting and intimidating at the same time. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I knew that she was more than she seemed.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice sounding more timid than it usually does.

"I am Selene. I am a healer," she told me, her voice held a sense of serenity in it. She came close to me, looking at me intensely. "Where is your wolf?" She asked me, finally removing her eyes from my face, and scanning my body instead.