Fears To Face

∞ Chapter 41 ∞

~ Kayley ~

I walked over to the shed as soon as I was home Friday afternoon. I had the whole weekend together with Rayne and as weird as that sounded, I was looking forward to our time together now I knew he really liked me. It was enough to know that he cared for me for now. Thinking back to this morning, a smile played on my face. It had been amazing, like I had a small part of Rayne back who couldn't stand to have distance between us. He really trusted me now and that felt so good.

The whole week had been horrible. I hated to leave him alone in that cold shed to go to school. I had tried to talk my parents into letting me stay home, but they hadn't fallen for it. It wasn't like it would have mattered. I wasn't paying any attention at school, only looking at the clock in hopes the day would pass fast so I could get back to Rayne.

As always, Gwyn immediately knew something was wrong when she saw the dark circles under my eyes and Rayne was missing during my breaks. She asked where he was and I told her he was very ill. I figured that would sound the most believable.

She had murmured something like, "He is sick a lot."

My stomach had constricted when I'd said, "This time it is really critical. I don't know if he'll get better."

She was shocked to hear that, but when she saw I was having a hard time to keep myself together she hadn't asked what it was exactly that he was suffering with. I didn't know why I said it, I knew it wasn't smart and there was a good chance it would backfire, but I needed to tell someone, although I couldn't tell her the complete truth.

Wednesday morning Liam had come to me and asked why Rayne hadn't appeared at work for days without calling in he wouldn't come. I had made the excuse he was ill again, but I didn't tell him how ill, turned away and called Owen in my lunch break to give him a normal explanation. I told him about Rayne being sick and I that completely forgot to call him Rayne wouldn't be at work, which was true, and that Rayne was too sick to call himself, which was partly true. He told me not to worry about it and tell Rayne he hoped he would get better soon. I suppressed the urge to tell Owen I hoped the very same thing.

I sighed at the awful memories. I had been so unsure about his health then. Now luckily, he was better than a few days ago, the life in him growing again, his heartbeat slowly growing stronger, the light in his eyes a little bit brighter. I had been so blissful when the anxiety in his eyes faded and I could come closer without freaking him out.

I pushed the door of the room under the shed open, expecting to find that beautiful coloured wolf on the ground, but when I peered inside, I gasped and was rooted in my spot for a split second.

"Oh my god."

Rayne lay on the floor, trembling, struggling.

Human.

He was human.

I ran over and fell to my knees in front of him, crying, smiling, running my hands over his shuddering bare-chested body, carefully securing the blanket to rest on his belly, gazing at this miracle that lay right in front of me. "Rayne. Oh, Rayne," I half sobbed over and over as I brushed his wet hair from his sweaty face. He was all feverish. "Shh," I soothed when he groaned softly as he moved slightly. "Everything is going to be alright. It's going to be alright, Rayne." Tears were still flowing slowly over my cheeks.

The urge to take him into my arms, hug him tight and never let go was overwhelming. I longed to throw my arms around him, kiss him all over, never once straying from his body again, not even an inch. My heart was swelling with happiness, dwelling over with it.