Ensnare

Chapter 21

                Noise flooded into the lodge as the pack filtered in. It was lunch time and patrols were on hold for food. Wilbur and I walked out into the dining room as everyone was sitting down. I was still pressing the bag of ice to my cheek.

                “Whoa, what happened to you?” Zeph laughed.

                Matthew’s head snapped up. A shadow of anger crossed over his face.

                “What happened?” He asked.

                “I just asked that,” Zeph said in an annoyed sing-song voice.

                “Katie’s fist happened,” I said, sitting down.

                “What do you mean?” Matt asked.

                “We were sparing, she got in a good hit,” I replied with a laugh. I had accomplished my goal after all. A bruise wasn’t a serious injury and I had held my ground pretty well.

                “Yeah, right before you nailed her in the face with your elbow,” Wilbur smiled as he pulled up a seat.

                “Weren’t you supposed to be making sure no one got hurt?” Matthew eyed Wilbur.

                “No one’s hurt.”

                “Doesn’t look that way,” Matthew said, taking a bite of his sandwich.

                “Everyone’s just dandy. A few bruises are nothing to get upset over,” Wilbur stuffed food into his mouth.

                Matt scowled and continued to eat. I wondered exactly what I looked like to provoke that kind of reaction. I set down the ice to eat and Matthew examined the bruise from across the table. I was starting to worry that maybe my face had been split in half. What was all the staring for?

                As soon as lunch was over I headed off to find a mirror. I wanted to see just what kind of damage Katie had done. I found a mirror hanging in the hallway leading to the living room.

                The light wasn’t the best, but from what I could tell it was only a bruise. A purple splotch ran across my right cheek bone, a red scratch was marked down the middle. It looked like I had been punched, nothing more. I tiny scratch and a bruise wasn’t that big of a deal. At least not damage wise. As for beauty, I wasn’t feeling so gorgeous with a battle scar.

                I saw Matt come around the corner in the mirror. I turned around to face him.

                “Up for more research today?”

                “Sure,” I answered and followed him down the hallway. We walked into the office again and Matt opened the file. I sat down on the edge of the desk again, not sure how much help I would be.

                “Are you sure you’re alright?” Matthew asked. I looked up from the file to see him staring at my cheek.

                “Just a bruise. Wilbur said it’ll heal fast,” I answered.

                Matthew nodded. “You know, I really don’t know that much about you.” His off-topic statement surprised me. 

                “I don’t know much about you either,” I shot back with a smile. It was true for both of us. We’d been living in the same house for the past few weeks and we hardly knew anything about the other. I’d just been accepted into the pack immediately. No questions asked.