Chapter Seventeen - Medicine
_____________________
Lucas searched my eyes carefully, reaching for my hands. He brought them to his face and sniffed. "You smell different."
"What?" I stuttered as I watched him.
"I noticed it before, didn't you hear me?" He cocked his head to the side, questioningly.
I shook my head, "You were trying to contact me?"
Nodding Lucas caressed my face. "I've been trying to contact you since the dance. I've been so worried about you." He growled. "It took even thing in me to not cross into your territory to check on you."
I blushed looking down at my hand, "But the girl-." I started.
Growling Lucas curled his finger under my chin and tilted my head so I was looking at him again. "There is no one else. I promise." His eyes held nothing but love and trust. He could tell that I still wanted an answer, so he continued. "She's an old friend, my father and hers have arranged for us to get married." I winced and averted my eyes.
"But I'm not going to marry her, I only want to marry one girl and have her by my side for the rest of life." He whispered and I looked back at him. Lucas smiled, his thumb rubbing my cheek softly. "Rosie, I don't want to be without you. I can't."
My lips tugged into a smile and I grabbed his face, kissing his perfect lips.
Lucas was surprised at first but kissed me back soon enough.
A wolf bark made us jump, Lucas groaned. "Someone's coming."
I pouted and he kiss my lips one last time before he quickly made his way to his territory.
"Rose!" Rex shouted as he came from the trees. I felt relieved as I stood and not too long after, Rex had me in his arms. "God damn it." He scolded, "When Penny told me you weren't in the safe house, I went nuts. Everyone is looking for you!"
"I'm fine." I laughed, throwing a look to see Lucas starring at us through narrow eyes. "Let's go find your mate." I giggled when Lucas relaxed, he sent me a grateful look and I shook my head following Rex.
Everyone was out of the house when we walked into the clearing where the pack house was. I had dried blood and had bruises all over. I was also limping because my leg just healed.
"Rosaline." My dad was first to get me.
"Dad!" I smiled and hugged him around the waist. He kissed my forehead before I was ripped away from him and taken into my mother's warm embrace.
"Baby. I thought you'd be right down!" She cried, "We were all so worried!"
I glanced at the pack and I could indeed see that they were all relieved to see me, alive. "I'm sorry. I had to help a little girl and by the time I got to her there wasn't enough time for both of us to make it into the safe house."
"Little girl?" My parents repeated, I saw the little girl shrink back in fear as she gripped her father's hand.
"Yeah, but it's fine. I'm fine." I hugged both of them and gave the little girl a smile.
My parents didn't look convinced and my dad growled. "Which little girl?"
"Daddy, I'm fine." I gulped, I didn't mean for the girl to get into trouble.
He growled again and grabbed me into a hug, along with my mother as he tried to calm his wolf. I sighed, I missed Lucas.
_______________________
We lost quite a few in the battle and the whole pack was gloomy the next day, the day of the funerales.
"Medicine time." My mother walked into my room as I tried to button up my black dress. I grinned at my mother and took the pill from her outstretched hand. I slid the pill under my tongue and gulped the water. Shifting the pill in my mouth so I could talk I spoke to my mother.
"I think the medicine is helping." I watched as she grinned brightly at me, "I feel so much better." A sinking feeling started in the pit of my stomach and my wolf was growing restless. My mother had drugged her, she was trying to kill the wolf in me. Just so I wouldn't be mated to Lucas. Who does that?
Not to mention that there was the risk of killing my human side as well. I noticed now, that my parents don't really care about me, not in the way I thought they did. The pills proved that.
"Come on." She button up the ones I couldn't reach in the middle of my back. "Let's go down and meet everyone.
"I'll be down in a minute, I have to finish my hair." I pointed to the mess that was my hair.
She smiled and left the room. I spit the pill into my hand and grimaced at the taste that coated my tongue. "Ew." I whispered and threw the pill into the toilet in my adjoining bathroom. I flushed and with a sigh, I threw my hair into a neat bun on top of my head.
Making my way down the stairs I heard the whispers from the pack and I felt my face heat up. I mean I was the cause of all of this in the first place, not on purpose.
What if I had hurt Lucas?
My heart hurt when I realized I'd already did. But I was talking about getting physically hurt or worse, death. A lump caught in my throat and I blinked away my tears as I made my way to my mother's side. She threw her arm around my shoulder and my dad began the service for the fallen.
After they were all buried we all decide on a run, to bring us closer and feel slightly more whole as a pack. I was allowed to run at any pace but decided to run with Penny and Rex near the back.
A wave of calmness spread around me as soon as I shifted, a howl building in my chest as I threw my head back which caused a chain reaction throughout the pack as everyone answered.
'Rose?' His voice was panicked as he answered my howl.
I grinned happily and sent him a playful growl, 'Meet me?'
'I'm already waiting.' He laughed.
Warmness surrounded my body, something I hadn't felt in a really long time and I loved it. I veered right as the pack went left and I crossed the road into neutral territory, stopping at the spot where Lucas and I slept sometimes. I changed into my clothes and waited for Lucas to meet me.
I caught his smell first and my stomach filled with butterflies instantly. "Lucas." I called and still in wolf form he came closer. I smiled and I rubbed his head affectionately. "I missed you."
He growled playfully and licked my face. "Ew. Luke." I giggled, wiping away the wetness on my cheeks. It reminded me of the time when Lucas save me from Logan's pack, when we weren't as close.
'I love your giggle.' He sent me with a wolfy grin. 'You're so cute.'
"Shift please." I pleaded, I wanted to kiss him. I wanted him to hold me.
He went behind some trees and emerged human, wearing basketball shorts loose around his waist. I grinned and gave him a giant hug, which he returned.
"You smell like you again." He sighed happily. "And I feel the mate bond again. Stronger, at least."
"I know. I stopped taking the medicine my parents were giving me."
"Medicine?" He questioned, his eyes narrowing.
I nodded, "I didn't figure it out tell just a few days ago. They were trying to kill my wolf." I spoke softly, my voice full of sadness.
"They were trying to kill.." He growled, his voice rising and anger vibrated around him. "But why?"
"So that we couldn't be mates anymore." I barely managed and even then my voice cracked. Tears welled in my eyes as I diverted my gaze, trying not to meet his eyes.
"They know?" He whispered.
"They must! I don't know how, we were careful!" I cried, meeting his honey eyes. "They were trying to kill me, just cause I was mated to you."
"Baby." He sighed, as his lips brushed against my forehead while I leaned against his chest. His arms were tightly wrapped around my body, and I heard growling deep in his chest. He was trying to calm himself. We didn't say anything for a long time. Lucas just held me and I loved it.