I'm very dumb. After years of missing school and only being able to read, it's understandable. But exposing that I could speak, like I did just now? That was extremely dumb.
Dante looked surprised. Not all mouth agape, eyes wide surprised, like I had just dropped the biggest bomb. But his eyes were slightly alarmed, and he was silent for once.
I vaguely remembered wanting to keep my ability to speak a secret for a while, but I guess that wasn't happening anymore.
"What?" He finally asked, blinking. He then refocused his confused expression on me.
I sighed. He had heard me. I know he did. He just wanted me to repeat myself.
I wasn't going to repeat myself. But the way his eyes stared into me compelled me. "You should reject me." I was quieter this time, at a whisper.
His eyes narrowed a fraction of an inch, and he took a step towards me. But he was still quiet. I lowered my eyes to the ground.
A minute must've passed by. Maybe two. Neither of us moved.
"Why would I do that?" His tone gave nothing away, and I couldn't bring myself to look at him.
My shoulders moved to shrug, but I stopped. I did know why he should. There was an endless list of reasons why he should, and they were clear as day.
"Why wouldn't you?"
He took another step forward, and I inched back. I knew the wall was right behind me, and I couldn't go anywhere else. But I didn't want him close.
"I have no reason to reject you, Florence."
I looked up, trying to get a glance of his face. He looked slightly confused, if anything. "I can't be your mate, Luna, or Queen. There's three."
His eyes widened, but he didn't skip a beat to reply. "The goddess chooses these things. She obviously believes you can."
My nails dug into my arms at the mention of the goddess. "She isn't real." I hissed. I knew I was some sort of living joke for that goddess, if she was even real. I didn't believe anymore.
Dante rubbed his face and let out a weak chuckle. "I've thought the same thing at times, don't get me wrong, but she communicates with my mother, and we've all seen her. I believe most niveus wolves can communicate with her."
I almost rolled my eyes. The queen seems like a wonderful woman, but I don't believe she can communicate with the goddess. Let alone show her to her entire family. I didn't reply to him, I had spoken enough for today. Or so I thought.
Dante eyed me suspiciously. "I do believe if you weren't meant to be my mate, you would've ended up like those wolves in the shed."
I shivered at the mere mention of the shed. Seeing the skinned furs of girls I had spent years with made me grateful I hadn't ended up like them, but I wouldn't have had to face all the problems caused by all those years with Batilda like I do now. It would've been a painful thing, but in the long run, it would've been a quick way out. Now, I was stuck trying to get back on my feet, or at least somewhere close to stable, and that was nowhere in sight.
I shrugged in response. I wasn't going to let him know how I truly felt about my situation, and how I only narrowly avoided ending up like the girls who ended up on the walls of that shed.
But Dante continued to pry. "Were there more girls in that basement than the three of you?"
That was not the question I was expecting.
I nodded.
"They ended up on the walls, right?"
I nodded again.
"Why?"
The big question. Obviously, they ended up on the walls because of Batilda, and maybe that other lady who tried to kill me. I don't know. But truly, those girls ended up on the walls because they weren't mated to Dante. I could try and twist the truth, to take Dante completely out of the situation, because I know he'd feel to blame. But how could I explain how I avoided that death if he asked?
I shrugged again.
He raised an eyebrow. "Somehow, I don't believe that." He opened his mouth to say more, but then my phone dinged loudly. I pulled it out of my pocket and read the message.
From: Sapphire (8:23am)
Sorry about bothering you earlier. Dante is a grouchy workaholic, and I thought you being there would help.
I almost laughed at the message.
"Is that my sister?"
I nodded.
"Are you hungry?"
I shook my head no.
"I know you can talk, Florence."
I shrugged, trying to think of what to reply to Sapphire.
To: Sapphire (8:26)
It's okay. I was already awake when you showed up.
I looked up from my phone and Dante was another step closer now, just barely a meter or two away from me. A chill went down my spine, and his fresh pine scent flooded my senses.
Goddess, Florence. He is just a man. Not that big a deal.
My body felt otherwise.
"How's your back?" He asked, his blue green eyes drawing me in. Stupid, stupid girl.
I blinked, needing a moment to process his words, and trying to stop being distracted by his proximity.
Giving him a thumbs up, I tried not to show how affected I was by him. But by the goddess, I still felt like a child, why am I reacting like this?
He raised what looked like an amused eyebrow. "Now that I know you can speak, I really want to hear your lovely voice. Why won't you just answer?"
I shrugged.
His eyes sparkled with amusement, and he took another two steps forward. He wasn't even an arms length away from me now. And I didn't have long arms.
"These burns don't seem to be healing very well," his hand reached up and gently touched the burns on my face, and I felt the Sparks where he was touching. My back was completely against the wall, and Dante could move closer.
A small part of me wanted him to close the distance, too.
Stupid! What are you even saying?
"You know, the silver burned you like a wolf, but you aren't healing like a wolf. It's a little confusing." He pointed out, and his hand fell back to his side. The sparks left with it, and I missed the feeling.
I nodded, dazed slightly, and my heart struggling to return back to its normal tempo. He had only touched me for what, thirty seconds?
He took a step away, and then another, until he was back to where he was before he touched me. "Do you remember everything you told me about your family on the plane ride to the witch's house?"
"Yes?" I hoped he didn't ask me about my family anymore.
"I know the girls upset you by asking, but really, why haven't you made any move to contact them?" Dante asked.
I narrowed my eyes slightly, and then focused on the door behind him. I didn't even want to answer his question. That was personal.
My feet guided me forward and around Dante, and I heard him turn around the minute I passed him, but I was headed for the door.
"Florence, wait," I felt him grab my wrist gently and I turned around to glare at him.
"I'm sorry. But you've been free from that witch for almost a week. I can't imagine what kept you going these past eleven years, and you sounded like you care a lot about your family. Why not just try to reach out to them?"
I shook my head vigorously, trying to pull away from Dante, but every movement I made I felt in my back, and my wound started throbbing.
Dante let go of me when he saw I was in pain, but I had just pulled away, and I ended up moving too fast backwards and I felt myself trip over my own feet. Just as I was about to land on my back, Dante's arms wrapped around me and pulled me up. Sparks exploded all over my body, relieving most of the pain.
"Fuck, I'm sorry, Florence." He released me and gave me space, and the Sparks disappeared, along with their relief. My eyes were closed in pain, but I shook it off.
"I can't be here, and I can't be there." I let out a breath. "Just reject me, okay?" And with that, I turned around and walked out of his room.
* * *
"You know, you'll never see the outside of this palace if you keep being so reckless." Doctor Millard commented dryly, flipping through his clipboard. He had just changed my bandages and saw that one of the wounds had started bleeding slightly. No surprise, he ordered more bedrest.
"I'm going to go get the prince so we can have a conversation about your bedrest. You seem to think it's merely a suggestion."
I blinked, and then his words finally registered. My eyes got wide and I shook my hands, frantically looking around for something to communicate with.
I finally saw my phone and quickly typed out a message.
I'll stay in bedrest as long as you want if we can just leave the prince alone. He has work to do.
The doctor read my message with a raised eyebrow.
"So you're asking me not to involve the prince?"
I nodded.
He let out a laugh. "Princess, have you forgotten when you knocked me out to directly disobey medical orders? Or your constant dismissal of bedrest? Do you believe what I tell you is a suggestion?" He seemed slightly annoyed to even be having this conversation.
Closing my eyes in a silent sigh, I dropped my shoulders. But I really didn't want to see the prince right now.
What if I promise to obey every order of yours until I'm fully healed? I will be the most well behaved patient you have ever had.
He rolled his eyes. "You're already up there with the worst behaved patients I've ever had, you know. And I don't believe you will truly listen and stay rested until you're fully healed. That could be for weeks, you know. Your wounds barely look better than after I stitched you up."
My fingers moved fast across the keyboard, and I showed him my message.
Please.
Releasing a sigh, he clicked his pen and put it back onto his clipboard. "You have to eat all of the food we give you from now on, not just a third." He finally agreed.
I opened my mouth to argue, but then realized it was better typed out. You and I both know what I'm eating now is already enough to make me stuffed.
"At least half of everything from now on, alright?"
That would still be a lot. But I nodded.
"Alright. I will tell the prince you are sleeping and that you still have two full weeks of bedrest, and that we'll see how things are looking then. I will see you tomorrow, Princess." The doctor said, and I typed one more thing.
Florence. Not princess.
He laughed. "The Queen had a problem with people addressing her by her title, too." And then he walked out.
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gonna be a longer authors note my apologies.
yikes this chapter was kinda boring I'm sorry but I haven't been very inspired recently and it's a struggle to want to write when you know you aren't going to do your best work.
but like guys. Alpha symptoms is #712 in werewolf. And like okay it's #712 that's not a big deal but I've never had it ranked before. And the read number is growing way faster than before and it's crazy. I actually hate the way I wrote that book and I will definitely rewrite it in the future but right now I don't think I've improved enough as a writer to give it a shot. Maybe in a year or two. I started that book when I was 12 so it definitely sounds like a 12 year old wrote it and I'm sorry but I'm getting better. I hope it continues to grow and rank higher and I'm actually so happy with what's going on.
School starts soon and I'm actually going to die. I hope everything with your lives is peachy keen I'm gonna go start another chapter now (sorry they take me about a month but I'm not gonna promise them any sooner Bc I never make those promises)
<3 love to all thanks
~Skye