»Are you sure that you already want to be discharged?«
Unsure Cassian watched me while I packed my clothes into my sport bag and pulled the zipper.
»Cas, my wounds are almost fully healed. Moreover the wolfsbane showed no side effects and it almost completely disappeared from my body. So, in the big picture, I'm fine. Don't worry,« I tried to calm him down.
Failed miserably.
He hugged me from behind and pulled me against his solid warm chest that made me gladly lean against him. It felt so complete.
The rising tingle in my stomach and my fast heartbeat all fell into the back of my mind when he laid his head on my shoulder. Perfect. He was perfect.
»I can just worry about you. You are a magnet for problems,« he grumbled dissatisfied and I needed to laugh.
»But that makes life more interesting.«
Quietly he snorted in disagreement. »Not if you are involved. A peaceful life next to you is enough for me.« I rolled my eyes in amusement. Humourless idiot.
»Now come. I still want to take a look at the nurse room before the shift change,« I diverted the topic and grabbed his hand before I pulled him out of the room.
The numbness in my leg had faded away after a few days but instead came the unbearable pain. Until now it calmed down as long as I didn't put too much pressure on my leg. And that was also the reason why Cassian still worried so much.
He also explained why he couldn't wake up next to me a few days ago, even though he would have liked to. But for all the time I was unconscious he let his future Alpha work slide.
Though Alpha Kenneth understood why Cassian wanted to stay at my side but Cas still needed to have reason so he could lead the pack even if I felt bad. But still, because he understood his son he allowed Cassian to stay at my side until I woke up.
After that he needed to go back to learning his future responsibilities. After all, Cassian would lead the pack and the responsibility for that was almost too big.
And my father needed to snitch on us and tell Kenneth that I woke up. No cuddle time for me.
If there should ever be a war between packs and I got hurt, Cas couldn't let the fighting slide and sit at my bed until I was cured. Then he needed to fight and be the Alpha of our pack.
His was his destiny – our destiny. And we couldn't escape from that.
Sighing he squeezed my hand and got a little faster to walk next to me and not get dragged behind.
»Even though I don't like it that you already get discharged,« he said and I giggled. Small stubborn child or more like... »You are like my Mom.«
Scandalized, he crooked up his eyebrows and looked so funny that I needed to hold my breath to not laugh out loud and that's why my face went red.
»Don't make fun of me,« he growled and pushed his finger playfully into my side, which made me flinch to the side with a squeaking sound.
Sulking I looked up to him and rubbed my side. »You are a devil. I'm ticklish there.«
»I know,« he confessed. He grinned at me with a winning grin.
»Devil.«
Laughing he shook his head and took my bag from me to throw it over his shoulder.
With joy, I knocked on the doorframe of the nurse room and immediately all heads turned to me.
»Our favorite darling,« I heard an older nurse at the end of the room say and couldn't hide my smile. Even in the past the nurses loved me. I was a little angel, just like my mothers always tell me.
Well, I could be a little devil too if I wanted to. But Naika and Toby were the true devils.
»What can we do for you, dear?« Rose asked, amused, grinning and she knew what was going on in my head.
»I just wanted to say my thanks and goodbyes to those beautiful and nice nurses. But I'm sure that we will see each other again.«
Only the female nurses were in the room so I didn't need to address the male ones.
I was glad it was like that because if I thought about Mike, who was still a nurse here, shame awoke in me. He was the most popular and hottest nurse on this private ward.
He was a human and goddamn hot – a Adonis how they got described in books.
He was at the end of his twenties if I counted right and had curly red hair with green eyes – he was a Scot – and had a hot Scottish accent.
Sadly, it was him that helped me shower back then when I couldn't do it myself. A female nurse couldn't have helped me because only the nurses from the same gender could help patients.
And to my horror, I had a wet dream that night that I didn't want to remember now.
My perfectly sealed secret.
»It would be best if you never show up again,« a nurse yelled and the other woman joined in the chattering laughter.
»Drama, ladies, drama. Our dear Kyran is a drama queen and what does a drama queen love? Right, drama.«
Dammit.
Inside my head I swore thousands of curses when Mike walked past me and put his hand on my shoulder before he passed me completely and let go.
He still had his curly red hair, the green eyes and a striking face with freckles all over. Only his upper body had changed, it got even more muscular, especially his upper arms where the veins showed under the skin.
Right now I wished for nothing more than superman's sight to stare at that man's six-pack.
He tousled my hair and grinned at me mischievously. Quietly I cleared my throat to clear my mind and grinned back.
Don't lose face in front of Cas. Only the moon goddess would know what he would do with that delicacy of a man if he heard my thoughts.
»You are completely right. I am a drama queen. But what would I do without those beautiful ladies? I couldn't even stay alive for five seconds.«
»And what's with the handsome men?«
Amused he lifted his eyebrows up and crossed his arms which made his muscles tense up and showed his veins even more.
In the name of the moon goddess, how I hated him for doing that.
Although it was hot, it wasn't that attractive like it was in the past. If this would be back then, I would be completely immersed in his hotness and would flirt with him.
However, now there was only the gay guy inside of me that checked out the hot guy before me and compared him to my hot boyfriend and mate. And Cassian was hotter and more attractive than this Adonis in front of me.
Goddammit!
»They don't matter because I already have a handsome and hot man at my side,« I announced proudly and lifted my hand that was still entangled with Cassian's and grinned proudly at my mate.
Cas turned his wary eyes from Mike and smiled at me softly. Did he want to kill me with those dimples?
Satisfied, Mike nodded and put his hand on Cassian's shoulder, which I wanted to rip off. Damn it, was that jealousy?
I never had felt jealousy that strongly. Every cell in my body forced me to stop the skin contact of those two, even if that meant to kill Mike or to rip his hand off.
With all my force I pushed back my wolf and grinded my teeth. I couldn't lose my self-control over something small like that.
»Watch over our drama queen,« the Scot said before he pulled his hand back. The other nurses agreed and after exchanging the last goodbyes Cassian and I left the hospital.
The cold January wind blew in my face and felt refreshing on my skin in my nose.
It was already January, unbelievable. If I counted correctly I came back at the end of November and if I thought back to everything that had happened I could think years had already passed.
I was mostly healthy now, I found my mate, talked it out with my old friends, adopted Coffee, was a member of The Lycans again, was in a relationship with Cassian and happy – what was the most surprising of all.
And it wouldn't be long until it was March – Cassian's birthday.
We went into his car and he put on the heater and the radio, although it only played quietly in the background.
»Was there something between that nurse and you once?« Cas suddenly asked and sounded tense. Did he notice something with the way I acted?
Puzzled, I shook my head. I didn't lie. There was never really something between Mike and I. I just crushed on his hotness.
»Why do you think so?«
He shrugged his shoulders and started the car. It was finally repaired – took long enough.
»Just his words, that I should watch over you and the fact how you looked at him and he at you.«
He drove off from the parking lot and turned onto the road that led through the forest for a long time. The hospital was a little offside from the village. Why, I didn't know. Maybe because it was more idyllic and nature helped people to get better. Something like that had one of the older nurses said to me.
»For now, to calm you down, there seriously was nothing between us,« I said and he breathed out in relief.
»Except for the fact that I had a wet dream of him,« I added quietly and immediately Cassian braked and the car came with squeaking gears to halt. The rear swung a little bit and I clung to something in shock.
»What?!« he screamed and turned to me. A little bit bewildered, I opened my eyes wide and flinched which he immediately noticed.
»Sorry...« he whispered quietly and turned around to look out of the windshield.
»It's just, it seemed like you both undressed each other with your looks. And now you say you had once a wet dream of him and it makes me fuzzy. After all, we just started our relationship and jumped over that on barrier.«
Gently I grasped his hand and squeezed.
»Stay calm. I only had that dream because he needed to help me wash myself because I was too weak. He was just the only hot male being close to me. And for the fact, he didn't undress him just now. It was only my inner gay guy that checked him out and compared him to my handsome and hot mate,« I said, determined and immediately he looked at me again.
»Your inner gay guy?« he repeated amused.
»Don't try to change the topic!« I yelled, offended and hit him on the chest. Amused, he snorted and nodded.
»I understand and you don't know how crazy my wolf just now is,« he said.
But he wasn't right. I could imagine it because my wolf side was going crazy too. However, not because of relief that I didn't want something from another man but because Cassian seriously wanted something from me and was scared to lose me and as well, he was jealous.
He started his car again and drove off.
»Say, now that you play in the band again, do you want to go back to swimming again too?« Cas asked curiously and looked briefly at me before he concentrated on the road. Better like that. Eyes on the street, my friend.
»I don't know. Somehow yes, but somehow no too. Now you, do you have hobbies? I never asked you that and never took interest to notice.«
Thoughtful he looked at me again and then back onto the street.
»I would recommend taking advantage of it as long as you can. After all, this is the last part of this school year before we graduate. Moreover, the coach would be happy if you join again. And just between us, you looked good in the team jacket. Go Hunters!« he said and made me laugh loudly.
Our team was called Hunters. Because he hunted after every win, our coach always said. The team jacket Cassian meant was a typical college jacket in blue and white with the name Hunters on the back and beneath stood the name of the swimmer in white.
»I will think about it. But now back to you, you didn't answer my question.« He rolled his eyes and grinned at him with a winning smirk.
»Yeah, I had a hobby. I once played football at the association of our village but I dragged it behind me for a few years. I just don't have the determination and motivation.«
Surprised, I raised my eyebrows.
»So, football. Probably comes from the dog in you, running after a ball,« I teased and he laughed loudly.
»As I said, I gave up on football. It wasn't really for me. Although, I would like to have a hobby again, next to learning how to be the next Alpha and studying for graduation.«
»You like ball sports and martial arts, right?« I asked thoughtfully. I had some ideas but if he liked them, it was another thing.
»Yes, ball sports and martial arts are my interests right now. But I don't know. We are in a relationship right now and I don't want to waste my time on some sport. I rather spend my time with you.«
His words were touching but there was a reason that yelled at me.
»Cas, if I should start with swimming again, then you can do a sport too and I would have the right idea. Coincidentally, I heard from Jackson that the lacrosse team from our school still searches for some players.«
»The lacrosse team?«
»Yes, the lacrosse team. Look at it in this way, it is a ball sport and at the same time a little fighting is kind of involved too. Furthermore, the training of the swimming team and the lacrosse team is at the same time what would be perfect for the time issue.«
»Aren't the lacrosse team and the swimming team enemies?«
I waved to sign him that it didn't matter.
»Doesn't matter and when we both are together, a lacrosse player and a swimmer, we just calm the fighting between our teams. Because, if I work myself up to get to be the Captain again and you work yourself to the Captain seat, we force our teams to no fighting.«
»I don't know, Kyran,« he said unsure.
»Just think about it.«