Chapter 5
Stuck Together
Pain. Radiating pain.
Those were my first thoughts in the beginning stages of consciousness. My shoulder felt as though it had a knife lodged into it, the constant sting was more than unbearable. I could hear voices but all I saw was blackness as my eyes remained shut. There was the sound of a door closing then the conversation continued.
“How could this happen?” The voice of my mother asked. It was clear that she was aggravated.
“I don’t know why you’re so angry; this is exactly what you wanted. Now you don’t have to worry.” Will’s father answered.
I heard my mother sigh, a sign that she was stressed about something.
“I know, I know but I didn’t want it to happen like this. Not on bad terms. She may decide not to go through with it now.”
My eyes flickered open. I caught sight of the two of them going back and forth. My mother was clutching her hair in annoyance, while William stood there calm and collected.
“She would be a fool to choose death over a life with my son. He offers a status that young women everywhere pine for. You have a week to convince her. If not, my son can still take up his previous offer and your daughter will be lost.” And with that said, William walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.
His last words were cold compared to the warm welcome I had received from him. All that talk about things that I didn’t even understand. Did it have something to do with the bite?
I made my awakened state known as I sat up in the bed that I was placed in. As I moved my arm to sit up, the agony in my shoulder got worse.
“Oh ouch, damn it!” I hissed.
I looked at the wound that was at the base of my neck on the right side. There was a bandage taped down but there was blood seeping through it.
My mother instantly came to my side. She propped a few pillows behind me to help support my back. She saw the stained bandage and began to unwrap a new one.
“I’m so sorry this happened.” She apologized as she removed the gauze. It was evident that she was holding back tears.
“How long have I been out?” I asked. My body felt slightly stiff when I sat up.
“Two days.” She answered.
I realized that I had missed my own birthday but had no time to really think about it. I cringed as the wound became exposed. She applied the new bandage with care; her movements were gentle and precise. I was relieved once she finished nursing the bite.
“What’s happening to me?” I asked her.
She sat on the bed next to me and held my hand. She looked at me with eyes identical to my own. We were similar in looks but different in all other aspects.
“Is the pain getting worse?” She asked.
I nodded my head. “How did you know?
“Because, you’ve been claimed…but not the right way. It will continue to get worse if you aren’t close to the one who bit you.” She couldn’t even look at me as she explained.
I covered my face and tried to keep from breaking down. I thought about how maybe I could bear the pain if it meant not having to deal with him. My mother tried to reach for me but I shrugged her off.
“You did this! You made this happen! If you weren’t so desperate for me to be mated then this wouldn’t have happened!” I shouted.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this Tori, I swear! How was I supposed to know tha-“She paused. Then continued after she realized that I needed sympathy not a lecture and her denial.
“All I wanted was the best for you. I know that I am partially to blame but I can’t change what’s happened or his actions. I can tell you what will happen next though. He has started the bond with the bite and since it was against your will, he will have to bite you again to completely ease your pain. Until he claims you at a time where you give permission, you will continue to be in pain unless he is by your side and in constant contact. If you are away from each other for too long before you are fully mated then you may die… of a broken heart. So please…take him as your mate.” She begged me to follow through.
Coming to terms with the result of his impulsive actions angered me. I was faced with a life with him or death in the most pathetic way, alone and broken-hearted.
I turned away from her as another wave of the stabbing pain hit my shoulder. I had to bite my bottom lip to keep from crying out from the discomfort.
“I’ll get Will.” My mom said as she rose from the bed.
“No…I can take it.” I said from clenched teeth.
“You’re being ridiculous, Victoria! I can see how much it hurts.” She replied.
She didn’t have to fetch him; he came through the door within seconds. My mother took her leave and I was left with my assailant. I heard him near the bed and felt it once he climbed beside me. I couldn’t look at him; I feared I would become mesmerized by his dashing looks once again. If he was my soul mate after all, he would always have the ability to reel me in.
He grabbed my hand and then the pain was gone. As much as I didn’t want to be near him, I needed to be. I let him hold my hand for now but only to be out of pain.
“I am so sorry, Victoria, sorry I did this to you. Please forgive me. I don’t know what came over me.” His excuse was miniscule as he blamed it on lack of control.
I pulled my hand away and the pain returned but not as severely as before. His presence was lessening the stabbing sensation by about a half and it only subsided completely if we were touching.
He laid his head in my lap and continued to apologize. I couldn’t bring myself to push him away once his voice sounded emotional. The bond was to blame; I couldn’t be heartless to him anymore.
“Would you believe me if I told you that I did it because I didn’t want to lose you and not because of my being the future Alpha?”
“Probably not…you don’t love me, remember. And how could you, we just met.” I replied.
“I will show you that you belong with me. We are soul mates…I know it.” He insisted on it as if there weren’t anything more true.
“I doubt it.”
My words didn’t match my feelings though. My inner wolf made it clear that he was my mate as soon as we made eye contact. Fate had chosen him especially for me and I was lucky enough to have found him in this lifetime.
He rose from my lap and took me into his arms. I ignored the irritation from the wound as he unintentionally touched. I took in his scent as he brought me close and I couldn’t let go. My arms wrapped around him in the same fashion that he held me. As much as I fought against this connection, I was a fool to doubt it. Maybe I just didn’t want him to know how invested I actually was until I knew that it would last. Maybe I wanted him to work for me and show me that I did belong with him. I needed the chase; I wanted him to convince me that a life without on another had no meaning.
“I won’t claim you again until it is time, until you demand that I do. When you realize that I am not going anywhere without you by my side.” He affirmed. He was firm in his declaration but far from aggressive.
Our embrace ended as he pulled away and left a kiss upon my forehead.
“I know that your birthday passed so I want to make it up to you, but not today. You have to wait six days…but I promise that it will be well worth it and that you will never forget it.
“What’s in six days?” I questioned.
“A full moon.”
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