Fated

Chapter IV: Injured

Tuesday, Adira thought as she woke up, four more days to go. Today she and Cassie would go to the pack hospital to meet the injured wolves.

While wolves healed quicker than humans, it was important to keep them under observation until it was sure that they healed correctly. Dr. Mathews had further explained that some wolves had undergone injuries that required them to curb their healing power through wolfsbane to perform surgery. All kinds of complications could arise is the wolf healed before the offending piece could be removed. Hence, some would still be at the hospital.

Despite Cassie's repeated asking, Adira had been reluctant to meet wolves, primarily because she did not want to make it harder for herself. She sensed an undercurrent of tension following her appearance. Besides, the wolves (Okay, only Cassie) she had met were easy to love, and her heart broke at the thought of leaving them soon.

But Cassie was relentless, despite her continuing spat with Adrian. She went so far as to bring a small band of wolves into the guesthouse yesterday to meet Adira, including Dr. Mathews. They had been accepting, if initially a little reluctant, and had treated her well, sharing stories as they sipped hot chocolate by the fire. This had made her accept Cassie's offer to visit the hospital.

Maybe they all didn't hate her after all.

But for all her kindness, Cassie still refused to step inside the guesthouse, choosing to continue guarding its perimeter at a distance of 1km.

Another person Adira had missed was her mate, who seemed to be busy with pack work. Considering they only had seven days, Adira tried not to be hurt by his prioritization. But, she reminded herself, it was all a fantasy and thus, she couldn't really blame him. Logic didn't stop his actions from hurting, though.

She had seen him once when she had awoken to a large black wolf standing in her doorway staring at her in the middle of the night. It had vanished when she blinked to clear her sleepy haze and Adira wondered if it was a dream.

Other than that, Adira felt as if she were living alone. Her mate preferred his distance and so, she convinced herself, did she. The only proof of his presence was the breakfast he left for Adira in the morning. In return, Adira cooked him dinner and left it in the refrigerator.

A wonderful fantasy this was. He sure knew how to give a girl a good time.

Her thoughts wondered how he must have reacted to her cooking. In a strange way, Adira wanted him to enjoy her cooking. She wanted to take care of him, as he subtly cared for her. Despite the brief time they had spent together, his eyes made Adira feel comforted. They stripped her bare of her pretenses leaving no need for a facade. When they had connected after his fight with Cassie, Adira had felt a strong urge to comfort him and had acted on it. It had profoundly affected something deep within her, which had now unsettled at their lack of contact.

Thoughts like this were the exact reason why she needed to run away after a week, she reminded herself. She had to quit him before she became addicted to him.

Her grandmother had told her much about the ways of wolves. Mostly folklore, she had been fascinated with the idea of fated mates when she was a little girl. How she wished she could go back to her grandmother's arms and listen to those stories again. They had spoken about an unimaginable pull, a spark that would burn like fire. And Adira had felt those sparks on the first day, and later, in the strategy room. Clearly, her mate was unaffected and had a mere moment of weakness on the first day.

Now he had settled for avoiding her. So much for giving it a proper try.

She buried her head in the pillows for a moment letting herself mourn the small hopeful part of her heart that had fluttered on the very first day.