In Sickness and Health

8

The next couple of days pass slowly. Stephan and I talk a lot about me starting chemotherapy. I eventually tell him that I'm scared because I know it won't work. 

"We'll try it anyways," he tells me. "Everything will be okay." 

His words do little to calm me. 

Stephan had to get back to his job, which I asked about - he said it was too much to explain right there so he would explain it to me later. 

Stephan was gone for a few hours each day and I was getting increasingly bored. It was almost like I was back home, but I understood that his job was important. 

Occasionally I would shift and go for run and possibly hunt, depending on my mood. I knew I was getting worse. My hair was falling out. It was coming out in hand fulls every time I ran a hand through it. 

One night, I decided to just shave it off. It would be coming out anyways. So, I went into the bathroom and started shaving. It was weird to see my head now bald - it was super pale. It just made me look all the more sick. 

I put a beanie on and waited on the couch for Stephan to come home. He didn't talk much about his job; I knew it was something with the alpha. 

I heard someone putting keys into the front door and I looked up to see Stephan stepping inside. "Hey honey," he says and makes his way over to me. 

"Hey." I subconsciously tug the beanie down further. "How was your day?" 

"Pretty good," he replies. I feel the couch dip and I turn to see him looking at me quizzically. "What's with the beanie?" He goes to reach for it and I slap his hand away. He arches an eyebrow at me and I frown. 

"It's - my hair has been falling out." I take a deep breath. "So, I shaved it all off." He blinks and I swallow nervously. 

"What?" He sounds odd, his voice higher than normal. "Lemme see." I look down and Stephan reaches for the beanie. I let him pull it off. Tears are already brimming my eyes. "Tony." I glance back up at his cloudy eyes. He doesn't say anything at first but surprises me when he leans forward to peck my lips softly. "Were you worried that I would say something bad about it?" His eyebrows are scrunched together. 

Blinking, tears fall free. "Yeah," I croak, then bury my face into my hands. "It makes me look ugly. I look so sick." 

Arms come around me and I lean into him, removing my hands so I could take a deep breath of him in. "You will never look ugly to me, beau. No, no, hey - don't look like that baby." He tilts my chin up so I look at him. "Do you know what beau means? Beautiful. And you are beautiful to me, sweetheart." 

I kiss him. The kiss tastes like tears and it's sloppy, but I almost immediately feel better. "You're beautiful to me, too," I whisper, staring into those gray depths of his eyes when we pull apart. He smiles, revealing his white teeth. He pecks my nose and I take in a deep breath. "What's your job?"

He sighs. "It's complicated." 

I pout. Seeing this, he rolls his eyes. "Come on," I whine. "You know my deepest secret. Tell me what your job is." 

He sends me a crooked smile. "I work for the alpha." I note in my head that he calls him alpha instead of father. It's more respectful and sometimes necessary, especially when the alpha is working with you. He will refuse to see you as a family member and just someone he works with and won't be a fatherly figure during these times. 

"What do you do for him?" I lean closer to him and he motions to me. I curl up into his lap and my mate rests his chin on top of my head. 

I feel the vibrations when he speaks. "I'm kind of like a warrior of some sort." 

I situate myself so I'm facing him - straddling him. "I'm intrigued. Go on." 

He chuckles. "Basically the alpha has me run missions." He can tell I was going to say something because he says, "But," - which silences me - "sometimes they're dangerous. Spying on neighboring packs, dealing with traitors, rescuing other pack members; whether it be from being kidnapped or hurt. I've been stabbed." He pulls up his shirt to reveal his abs. A crescent shaped scar caresses one of his abs. I lean forward, looking up up to see it was okay. He nods and I trace his scar. 

"How?" He understands my question. 

"I was sent to spy on a pack. The one I told you about before, where they were raping the females." I nod and he continues. "Well one of the beta wolves saw me and stabbed me. Thankfully I was able to escape or it would've been a lot worse." His fingers rub his scar. 

Betas are normally the next ones in line for Alpha, but sometimes they're the trusties of the Alpha and Luna - the Alpha's mate - themselves. Sometimes the Alpha will give up his title and retire and the Beta next in line would be the one to take on the title Alpha after.

"Are you going to be Alpha after your father passes away?" 

He smiles crookedly. "No, I'm just a warrior." 

"Elaborate." 

Stephan sighs. "Well, I don't want to be Alpha. My father wasn't happy upon hearing this but he let me choose what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to be a warrior. He said whatever we needed manpower, the warriors would come and help. But then he brought up spying and killing. At first, I was skeptical but then I was sent on my first mission." 

I perked up. "What was your mission?" 

He kissed my forehead. "Another time, beau." 

I sighed and we stayed like that, falling asleep.