Obliterate

thirty two

WOLFE DID NOT stay completely conscious for long. After a few minutes of staring into Aubrey's tear-filled gaze, his eyelids appeared to grow heavy. His hand lowered, resting atop his stomach. His breathing slowed and a very faint snore filled the room.

Aubrey let out a small, clipped laugh. She wiped at her eyes. "I haven't heard him snore in a while," she said.

"He will most likely remain asleep for a while," Finn told her. "It will take several sessions before he fully regains his mental strength. It is honestly phenomenal that he was able to recognize you so quickly."

He smiled at her and added, "You must have had quite the connection. Either that, or he is aware of your continued presence at his side."

"I think it is a little bit of both," Eli said. He placed a hand on his sister's shoulder and grinned at her. Sophie nodded in agreement. Her gaze shifted down to Wolfe's sleeping form.

Not long after that, a nurse came by to collect Finn. She politely knocked on the door and then poked her head in, announcing that it was time for all patients to return to their own infirmary rooms. Finn glanced at Sophie, his lips twisted around a small pout. "Awe man," he said. "I guess that's my cue."

Both Aubrey and Eli bid him a warm goodbye. Both expressed their thankfulness toward him and Aubrey even apologized for hurting his wrist.

Sophie somewhat hesitated in her own goodbye. As she thanked him, her eyes focused automatically on his injured wrist. Part of her was very curious to see if his wrist had already healed.

Once Finn left, Aubrey stood. She pulled Wolfe's blanket up over his chest, essentially tucking him into the hospital bed. Then she settled back down into her own chair. Her gaze remained glued to Wolfe's peaceful-looking face.

"Is there anything that we can bring you?" Sophie asked her.

Aubrey shook her head. A permanent smile was fixated on her face. "No, I'm good. Between you and the nurses, I have been pretty well fed. You both are keeping tabs on me. I really appreciate it."

"Of course," Eli told her. He kissed the top of her head. "We care about you, sis."

Sophie nodded in agreement. "We just want you both to be okay," she said.

The smile on Aubrey's face appeared to grow. She leaned forward and adjusted Wolfe's blanket again. "I think we both will," she said. She tore her gaze away from Wolfe long enough to grin at Sophie. "Thank you for bringing him here."

"I'm glad that Finn was able to actually help him," Sophie told her honestly.

Eli and Aubrey both nodded at that.

Aubrey chuckled. "I'll admit. I was a bit skeptical at first."

"Really?" Eli said, his tone dripping in sarcasm. "I had no idea. You only broke the poor man's wrist."

Sheepishly, Aubrey scratched at the back of her head. "It'll heal. Plus he seemed to accept my apology."

"Maybe you should send him a gift," Eli said. "Humans like to send baskets of fruits."

"I doubt Finn would want fruits," Sophie remarked. "Considering that he is a vampire."

Eli shrugged. "It's the thought that counts."

"I'll send him a basket filled with blood-bags," Aubrey joked. "A fruit basket for vampires."

Eli and Sophie both chuckled at that idea.

A few more hours passed, filled with cheerful chatter with Aubrey. It was a refreshing experience. Aubrey had been so depressed over Wolfe — Sophie was so excited to see her smiling again. Once the chatter slowed down, Sophie and Eli decided that it was time to return to their apartment. Both hugged and bid Aubrey a warm goodbye.

As they left the infirmary wing, a comfortable silence engulfed Sophie and Eli. They walked hand-in-hand through the brightly illuminated halls of the castle. It did not take long to reach their apartment. As they approached the door, Eli stepped forward and opened it.

Sophie noticed a soured expression on his face as she walked through the door. A crease formed between her brows. "Is everything okay?" she asked him. She watched him from the corners of her eyes.

Eli still had a funny look on his face. "I just...I don't know," he responded. His voice was clipped and short. Annoyance dripped from each word like poison. He locked the front door behind them and then started toward the kitchen.

Sophie followed behind him. Her brows furrowed and a wave of confusion washed through her. "What do you mean?" she asked him, tilting her head to the side. "What don't you know?"

Eli opened the fridge. He stood there for a moment and just stared at the contents that awaited him inside. There wasn't much inside it — only a few packs of human blood that they kept stored for food. Sophie watched him cautiously, leaning back against the kitchen counter. Her arms folded across her chest. He reached in and grabbed one of the bags. As he closed the doors to the fridge, his gaze flicked toward her.

"What?" he asked her. He lifted the bag of blood to his mouth and tore open the corner with his teeth.

Sophie grimaced at the sight. "You seem upset," she told him. "You keep making faces at me."

"I'm not making faces," he said. His expression changed — morphing into a feigned attempt at innocence.

She knew him well enough to see through his attempt. Arching an eyebrow at him, she pushed away from the counter and stepped toward him. "Eli. Come on. What's wrong?"

"What?" he asked. He drained the bag of blood and then tossed it into the nearby kitchen trash can. He met her gaze again and added, "I'm fine."

Sophie just stared at him for a moment. Her jaw clenched. Annoyance sizzled through her veins and entered her facial expression. "You are not fine," she stated. She gestured toward him with a hand. "You are obviously upset about something. Did I do something wrong?"

He flinched at that. "No, no you didn't."

"Then what is wrong with you?" she pressured him. "You are acting like you are upset with me."

Eli made another face. He scratched at the back of his head and heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry," he told her. His lips curled back with a pained grimace. "I am not trying to direct my feelings toward you."

"What are you feeling?"

"Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy that Wolfe is alright," he said slowly. He watched her face carefully for her reaction. "I know that my sister is going to be a lot better off now without that added stress."

"But?" Sophie frowned at him.

"I just always got the vibe that you had a thing for him," Eli admitted. His grimace grew tenfold. "I don't know how to explain it. I know that you like me. But I can't help but feel anxious about the idea that you still like him."

Sophie's eyes widened. She stared at him for a moment and then took a step toward him. He did not budge, standing his ground against her, as she approached him. She slowed to a stop, her face mere inches away from his. Her hands lifted and lightly cupped his cheeks.

"Eli," she said. She leaned in and kissed his nose. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about."