I had lost track of time as I just laid on my back in the forest, and it took my stomach growling in dire need of sustenance for me to snap back to reality. It was dark now, darker than usual because the moon and night sky were currently being obscured by clouds.
I sat up and groaned groaned as I felt a dull ache in my head and let it hang down with my chin to my chest.
Olivier, listen to me.
I'm hearing things again! I growled loudly and threw my fist into the ground. When I brought my hand up, I realized that I'd split three of my knuckles and blood was slowly dribbling from the wounds. I stared at the injury for a moment before running my fingers over it with my other hand to make sure it was really there.
Why doesn't it hurt ?
Olivier. The voice spoke again.
" Shut up! Just shut up, there's no one here!" I hissed.
" Olivier!"
I snapped my head up, " I said be quiet, there isn't -" my mouth hung open when I saw Mia kneeling in front of me with a worried look on her face.
" Mia."
" Yeah, are you okay ?" She asked as her eyes scanned over me to inspect for injury, " You didn't show up for the meeting, so Corine and I got worried and went looking for you. What are you doing out here, it's the middle of winter are you insane ?"
" Oh." Was all I could offer in response.
She gasped and grabbed my hands in her own," Look at your hands, they're practically blue!" She yelled.
So that was why it didn't hurt when I punched the ground this time. I thought. They must've gone numb.
" Come on, let's get you inside, I already told Corine to get some heated blankets ready."
I simply nodded as she carried me back to the castle on her back. She brought me to my room, where Corine was waiting with blankets and warm soup. They'd also started the fire in the fire place in my room.
" What happened to her ?" Corine asked as Mia passed me over to him so he could lay me in bed.
" I don't know, I just found her like that on the ground in the forest near the entrance." Mia said," She's gonna be fine, right ?"
Corine rubbed my hands gently with his own," Yeah."
He turned to me," What were you doing out there ?"
I turned my head to the side on my pillow so I didn't have to look at his face. It only made me feel worse knowing I made them worry so much.
" I don't know." I muttered.
" You can be such an idiot sometimes! You know you're lucky Mia found you when she did, because if you'd stayed out there for an hour longer, you might've gotten frostbite." Corine scolded me.
" Sorry." I managed to reply.
I felt Mia and Corine's stares bore into the side of my head for a few moments before Mia spoke up.
" Are you okay ?"
No.
" Yeah. I was just thinking about something."
" What is it ?"
" It's not really that important." I sighed.
It's not like I can just ask them if what Finn said was true.
" You don't know that, just tell us." Corine said as he rubbed circles on my hand.
I turned my head to face them," You guys wouldn't lie to me, right ?"
Corine and Mia froze. They looked at each other before looking back at me in unison.
" Of course not, is this some joke ?" Corine scoffed.
" Yeah." Mia laughed as she fiddled with her fingers.
I cleared my throat before speaking again in an attempt to make the atmosphere less tense," Sorry, I don't know why I even asked that." I smiled before turning my back to them again," Hey I'm feeling really tired, do you think you guys could let me go to bed ?"
Corine put my hand down on the bed," Yeah, sure, just don't forget to eat some of the soup I brought you." He waved his hand at Mia," Come on Mia let's go."
Corine turned off my lights and left with Mia, closing the door gently behind them.
The truth is I wasn't tired at all. I just needed to be alone. I rolled onto my back and held my hands up to inspect them. They looked like they had gained back their healthy coloring. I squeezed them and flexed them a few times.
Why didn't I get frostbite ? I sighed and let my hands fall limply to my sides. Now that I think about it, I didn't even feel cold.
_____________________________________________
I woke up at 7 o'clock and got dressed. Well, I couldn't sleep last night because I was too busy thinking about what Finn told me. So, I suppose 'woke up' isn't the most accurate description of what I did. I just got out of bed, took a shower, and got dressed.
Weirdly enough, when I was getting dressed I noticed there wasn't a single bruise on the leg that I'd manhandled kicking the tree yesterday. Not only that, but my knuckles were fine, it was as if they weren't split open and bleeding last night.
I looked into my mirror and placed my hands on my dresser to stabilize myself. I pointed at myself in the mirror," You can't lose it right now. You have a week to get your shit together."
I nodded at my reflection before tying my hair in a ponytail. I turned to look at the cold soup I hadn't touched before reluctantly grabbing the bowl and spooning it into my mouth. It didn't taste nearly as bad as I expected it to which was a pleasant surprise.
After finishing the soup, I left my room in search of Evan. I started my search in the kitchen because I knew he always woke up early, and he had to have stopped there to get food.
When I entered the kitchen, the only person who was there was the man I'd met with Corine a few nights ago. He flinched when I opened the doors and stared at me as I circled the kitchen.
" Can I help you princess ?" He asked quietly.
I nodded," Where's Evan ?"
" He's usually in the sun room around this time in the morning." He replied.
I nodded," Thanks." I said as I turned around.
" Wait, can I make you something for breakfast ?" He asked as I opened the doors.
" No, I already ate." I said before letting the double doors close behind me.
The sun room wasn't too far from the kitchen, but I couldn't figure out why he would be there of all places. I thought he'd be busy doing something in his office at this time, like last minute paperwork.
I reached the glass doors of the sun room, and I could see Evan sitting in a velvet chair near the large windows. I pushed the doors open," Good morning Evan."
Evan jumped in his chair and turned around to see me walking towards him. His plate of food flew off his lap, but luckily he caught it before it hit the ground.
" Woah, what's this ?" Evan's lips pulled into smile," You're never up this early, what gives ?" He put his plate down onto the small table next to his chair, but not before taking a breakfast sausage and shoving the entire thing into his mouth.
" You're still under orders to train me, right ?" I asked.
Evan choked on the sausage in his attempt at swallowing it whole," Excuse me ?!" He patted his chest as he coughed.
" You are training me this morning, right ?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
Perhaps the lack of sleep is making me a bit irritable. I sighed. I'll try and tone it down a bit. I can always get my revenge later, and make him clean all the bathrooms or something.
Evan dramatically spun around to look at the clock on the back wall before shoving his hand into his pocket and pulling his phone out to check the time as well," No way." He muttered," You hate waking up early." He looked up at me in shock and confusion," And you hate training even more than that."
" I'm pretty sure that a person's likes and dislikes are subject to change as they grow up." I replied.
" And you . . ." He pointed at me and frowned skeptically," Like training now ?"
It wasn't that I hated training, per say, I simply hated wasting time on things I didn't need to be doing. When I trained before, I simply didn't see a need for it. I was either in the castle protected by guards, or living as an average un-shifted wolf who wouldn't ever need to fight anyone.
I hadn't realized it before yesterday. What a bitter and lonely existence I'd confined myself to. I never cared about whether I was strong or not because it didn't matter. I had nothing and no one. But now I did.
When I came here initially I assumed what I felt was just obligation. They did me a favor and I had to repay them. I wanted to avoid causing them more trouble than I'd already put them through. Finn made me realize that wasn't the case. I came back because I cared about them and listening to my father and returning to the castle was the only thing I could do in my power to protect them at the time.
Now they were being used as leverage against me once again, and I couldn't even guarantee my own safety when it came to Finn, let alone an entire pack. So I decided that I would train to be strong enough to protect them . . . unfortunately, I only had a week to do it.
1713 words
Heeeyyyyy everyone, only one chapter till he's backk lol. Hope u liked this chapter that has been proudly brought to you by: necessary self reflection and character growth. ahah, anyways I updated both the sat and sun chapters today bc my weekend is nuts :) Thanks for reading <3
- Zolot