The Unbroken

XXVII

A rough groan drifts through from the living room, effectively drawing me away from my task at the dining table. I made sure to clean her wounds and bandage them. She was healing, but scarily slow. I figured taking some of the job out of it would help move things along.

I realised she was a Wolf too when following her tether earlier. A Werewolf's line feels remarkably different to a humans now that I'm learning the details of what I can do. Picking out a Wolf's tether is far easier than a Human's as I am constantly surrounded by them.

I've been using said rope to monitor her state. I've caught on to any discomfort or distress she's experienced. Thankfully, she's mainly been sleeping rather peacefully, only needing to change position, warming up or cooling down.

Other than checking in every hour, I've been designing a new area for the business. To link with the new focus on preventing global warming, I want to reduce artificial food supplies. I've reached out to several independent farms with offers of helping them increase sales and improve stock. Obviously some were sceptical until I explained what it would entail; a pay rise, new equipment to help with production, and funding. I've already arranged to bring out new, all fresh supermarkets around the world with another company who has taken an interest in my Eco-friendly aspirations.

Shutting the screen of my laptop, I leisurely enter the living room where she's been unconscious for the last six hours. She eases herself up with a tight hand on the back of the couch, rubbing at her face while taking in her surroundings. She hasn't picked up on my presence yet. The way she's behaving resembles a drunk teen, completely unaware of the world around her and wobbling in her seat.

Upon hearing my laboured breathing from the sudden wave of nausea moving has given me, her head snaps to the side to burn through my eyes. I'm assuming she sees me as a threat with the way she jumps to her feet with a dangerous growl.

Seeing her unsteady on her feet, I make a move to aid her balance yet am interrupted by her canines grinding at me. I raise my hands, taking a step back to give her space. "There's no need for that." My voice is firm mixed with calm, "If I wanted you dead I'd have left you in the forest to that dickish Wolf. Instead I brought you and cleaned up your bleeding body."

She stops to sniff the air, attempting to identify me. She's disorientated and her dehydration isn't going to help. "My name is Zoe. I'm Werewolf like you. I know you don't trust me but I genuinely have no interest in hurting you. I wouldn't have saved you if I did." I rest against the door frame. "Alexis, call me Lex." I grin at the improvement, glad that she's no longer threatening me, only cautious of my care. Kindness is difficult to find from strangers in the modern age.

Moving through to the kitchen, I motion for her to follow where I then tell her to sit at the small table. "What would you like to eat?" I open the fridge, peeking over my shoulder at her. "I'm not hungry."

"Yes you are. For a start, I can hear your stomach rumble. Secondly, lying doesn't work on me." She still refuses to answer, bringing a disappointed air out of me. Pulling out a few things, I let my body take over in preparing a meal - with plenty of carbs.

Between dicing and frying, I sneak several glances her way seemingly desperate to take in more of her intriguing appearance. Earlier, I was too preoccupied with saving her to bother admiring her handsome beauty. She's perfectly androgynous, if I couldn't tell her gender from the tether, I'd be unsure from looking at her.

Dark brown curls spill in all directions from the top of her head to the shaved sides and back, a part of me is eager to twirl the loose spirals. A vibrant purple bruise outlines her stunning soot eyes, they're like a bottomless pit of uncertainty. Her skin tone makes me crave Reese's, the peanut butter colour is delicious to take in. She reaches over the table to inspect the flowers I placed there yesterday, the cuff of her sleeve lifts to reveal some of the intricate drawings littering her body. I noticed them earlier but didn't pay attention.