Out in the Woods [5SOS AU]

Chapter 14

"Have you slept at all?" Valeria asked the Beta the moment he entered the kitchen. Calum blinked a few times, focusing his tired eyes on the blonde girl that was sat at the cooking isle. "Y-yeah."

As if to contradict his own words, he yawned. Valeria simply shook her head, giving the Beta a worried glance. "Look, I know there's something going on between the two of you and that you care deeply for him, but if he were awake he wouldn't want you to have sleepless nights because of him. At least try and take a nap. In his room for all I care, but you gotta look out for yourself."

Calum averted his eyes to the floor as he stayed in his place. He knew she was right. Him having no sleep didn't help his health and it surely wouldn't help with Michael's, but it was hard. He kept worrying and hoping and the same two over and over again. It was horrible and stressful, but he accepted it. He didn't like it, no, but he didn't know how to stop himself, so he thought accepting was the next best thing. "I know."

"Is there anything I can do to help? I don't want you to get sick too. If you know something, please let me know." The girl told him sincerely, frowning sadly at the exhausted Beta. He simply hummed, moving around the kitchen now and getting himself some food, before disappearing again.

"It's sweet of you to want to help him." Valeria looked up, smiling shortly at Bryana, who walked in further and leaned on the kitchen isle. The girl simply nodded at her, shrugging lightly. "I just care for him. For all of you, I guess. Which is in a way weird, because I don't know you all that well, but still."

Bryana smiled, moving to get a glass and fill it with water. "You're a good person, Valeria."

The blonde and purple haired girl nodded, smiling a little. "Thanks."

It was silent for a moment, the only sound coming from the water that was poured into the glass Bryana was holding. The female Alpha then turned around, watching Valeria trace circles on the cooking isle. "How is he?"

"Better." Bryana hummed, looking down at the glass for a moment. "He still has a bit of a headache, but the drug has worn off. I think it was mostly a sedating drug, but he's fine now. We'll just keep an eye on him for a little while."

Valeria nodded, turning around and facing Bryana. "Good. I didn't want for him to get hurt too. Heck, I didn't even want for him to get hit with that stuff."

Bryana smiled. "It's fine. He's here and alive, which is important."

Both looked at each other for a moment, before Valeria nodded again. "Maybe you should bring him that water. I'll go and check up on Calum."

"That's fine. Ashton might pop by later, I think. He's worried too, obviously." Bryana then smiled a little, as she seemed to think of something. It made Valeria somewhat curious, but she kept it to herself, not wanting to push. Yet the Alpha spoke from herself, quietly. "He was worried about you this morning."

Valeria looked at the other in confusion for a moment, before tilting her head. "What?"

"Like I said. And I can't blame him. You've taken care of our pack and him and the last thing he remembered was getting shot by that dart while the two of you were running from whoever was chasing you. Of course he was worried. You've proven yourself to him." Bryana smiled proudly. "He might not trust you completely still, but you've earned your place."

The girl took in the words, watching the Alpha walk away. She was surprised, because she honestly thought Ashton would never accept her. Not even after yesterday night. Especially not after knowing he now knew her parents were werewolf-hunters. Sure, she wasn't one herself and definitely didn't want to be, but he didn't know that and if she'd say that, she doubted he'd believe her. But in contradiction to her beliefs, he had seemed to accept her. And it made her feel a bit better.