Fated

Chapter XX

Adira

The hub-hub of the pack breakfast got louder as Adira climbed down the wooden staircase. It had been three days since the attack on the pack. Luckily, not many had been injured, the rogue wolves had retreated soon after Mikel had managed to single out Adira. They had been a mere distraction. Adira shuddered at the unpleasant reminder. She would be dead now if not for her friends. 

Determined to not think about it, Adira stretched her sore muscles reveling in her tiredness. She had finished a grueling fighting session with Cassie half an hour ago. Now that Dr. Mathews had cleared her for fighting after two days of bed rest, her sessions had been pumped up, and they now panned over three hours every day. Adira was both happy and terrified. 

Entering the crowd, Adira smiled at members who looked her way. Though some still stared at her with hostility and wariness, most pack members had been welcoming, filling her recovery room with flowers and small gifts. She made small talk with members who approached her, learning about new developments, as she filled her plate with food. She spotted Cassie, Sebastian, and Amor.  Excusing herself politely, Adira made her way towards her them. She hadn't been able to meet her friends properly while she was recovering, as she had been mostly sedated, and had missed their company. All three of them grinned wolfishly at her in welcome. Adira wondered if they knew how similar they looked to a dog wagging his tail. She decided not to bring it up. 

Sebastian wolf-whistled when she reached them. "What's cookin', good lookin'?" 

Without turning, Adira felt Adrian's stare from across the room, drawn to her presence like a magnet. She smiled. Her right arm tingled. She leaned in to hug Sebastian, who placed a kiss on her forehead in return. As soon as she was out of his embrace, Amor squeezed the breath out of Adira. Despite not being able to breathe, Adira didn't protest, simply grateful to be able to be in this moment.

"Does your body hurt? Did we take training too far?" Cassie asked in worry as soon as Adira had a second to breathe.

Amor facepalmed, "She's been asking this every minute since she left you." She rolled her eyes.

Sebastian snickered as Adira grinned. "I'm fine Cass. What did you guys do for the last three days?"

Cassie eyes shifted to someone behind Adira's shoulder. Adira felt arms encircle her from behind. She leaned into Adrian's chest as she let his comforting scent wrap around her. His chest rumbled as he spoke, "Why are you down? Aren't you supposed to be resting?" 

Adira rolled her eyes and pushed herself off of Adrian. Amor laughed. 

Saving Adira from this discussion, Eden appeared on Adira's left, half-hugging her in welcome. He pulled Amor into his arms, his chest to her back, and kissed her neck, before straightening up. Amor's breath hitched and let out a small whimper. Adrian uncomfortably cleared his throat as the rest of them looked on amused. Amor flushed lilac at the attention. 

Adira detected a smirk in Eden's tone as he spoke, "Can we have a meeting after pack breakfast? The Alpha Meet is coming up and we should probably be careful and smoothen out some details. Also, we do have a bunch of things to talk about."

After everyone's acquiescence, the five of them dispersed into the crowd, catching up with various pack members. Adira made it a point to reach out to every member who had sent her flowers.  To her surprise, the conversations flowed easily and so did the jokes. She was one of them now. Her vision coated with a golden tint as her heart almost burst with joy. Across the room, she met Adrian's eyes and grinned fully.

----

Adrian dished up pizza as the six of them sat at the kitchen table. The afternoon sun scattered its warm light through the little window. The smell of fresh pine flowed in with the light breeze. Eden pulled out the whiteboard.