Survivor

Getting Answers

"Harper. You should eat."

Harper stared down at the tray of food resting on a rolling table top that was position so that it hovered over her lap. She wasn't hungry and looking at the food before her only made her nauseous. She risked a glance up at the towering male before her that had his back planted firmly against the wall. The muscles in his tanned arms bugled slightly against the rolled-up sleeves of his long-sleeved, black tee as he crossed them over his toned chest and he lightly rolled his neck, taking his eyes off her for a brief second before resting back on her. He had piercing, brown eyes that bore into hers and he would sometimes lightly scratch at the dark stubble that trailed his jaw and went over the top of his mouth.

She glanced back down at the tray before pushing the table away from the bed and folding her hands in her lap, wincing at the sight of the IV they had stuck back into her vein. The man before her sighed and ran a calloused hand through his silky, chocolate hair that fell to the tops of his shoulders. He moved from the wall and started to approach the end of the bed, but froze when her head shot up and her fearful eyes fell on him. Her chocolate orbs watched him cautiously awaiting any sort of threatening movement.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said lowly, not making any sudden movements that may alarm the woman. He slowly raised his hands where she could see them and he watched as her breathing slowed before she dropped her head to look down at her twisting hands.

Slowly, he lowered his hands and tried to search Harper's face, but her golden locks hid her eyes.

"You're safe here." He said softly and her head perked up, meeting his eyes before he moved towards the door and left.

His words echoed through her mind as she stared at the door and she let out a strangled laugh before it developed into a painful sob that racked her aching body. Her nails dug harshly into the palms of her hands as she balled them into fists. Hot tears poured down her porcelain cheeks and dripped onto the hospital robe, leaving darken stains.

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"Darling, you have to eat something." A nurse sat on the edge of her bed, her brown hair pulled into a neat bun and her lips coated red with dark lipstick. "I know it doesn't look appetizing, but I know you're hungry and its better than what those bastards were feeding you."

Harper just stared at the woman, who just stared right back. "You may not want to talk, but I know damn well you can hear me." She smiled and picked up a cracker off of the tray, holding it out towards Harper.

She flinch at the act, but the nurse didn't let it phase her. Harper sighed and took the cracker cautiously from the woman's fingertips bringing a smile to the nurse's face before it shifted to a frown as Harper placed the cracker back on the tray.

"You are a stubborn one." The nurse said, her eyes focused on Harper's. Harper quickly ducked her head to avoid the woman's gaze and gently pushed the table away from the bed. The nurse sighed before standing and heading towards the door, but before she went through it she stopped.

Turning back to Harper, she moved towards the side of the bed and pulled a notepad and a pen from her white coat, holding it out to Harper. Harper looked up at the woman before slowly moving her hand towards the items and taking them from the nurse, whose smile widened before she stepped away from Harper and left the room.

Harper stared down at the yellow notepad and gently removed the pen that was clipped at the top. Pulling her feet inwards, Harper sat up in the bed and removed the cap of the pen before pressing it to the paper.

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As soon as the large male stepped through the door the next morning, Harper was ready. His eyes widened as he looked from her serious expression to the notepad held out to him. Slowly, he moved forwards and carefully took it from her small hand before taking a seat on a chair positioned to face her, probably left by the nurse monitoring her last night. She tensed at how close he was, but relaxed as she watched him read over her writing.

"You want me to answer these?" He questioned, looking up to find the woman watching him. She gave him a curt nod and he sighed, sitting up straight in the tiny chair.

Who Are You?

"I'm the Alpha of the Eclipse Pack. My name is Gabriel Thane." He said proudly and looked over at Harper to see some kind of reaction, but she still had the same serious expression. "Onto the next one then."

How Do You Know Who I Am?

"I did some research. It wasn't hard to find out that you went missing a few months after your pack fell apart." Gabriel said as he met her eyes that carried a raging fire, he was momentarily taken aback by the sudden change in emotion. "Think I hit a nerve." This earned him a eyeroll and she tilted her head away from where he sat. Gabriel chuckled lightly before looking at the next question.

How Did You Find Me?

"Your blood." Harper tilted her head back towards him and met his gaze. "I could smell it and the musk of those damn rogues." She watched as his eyes darkened and he zoned out as if he was reliving the moment. Slowly, the dark look faded and he shook his head before returning his gaze back to the notepad.

When Can I Leave?

Gabriel's jaw clenched at reading the next question and his eyes flickered over the words several time. He knew she was waiting for an answer, but he didn't want to give her one. Harper watched him expectantly and observed the small reaction he had to her question. If he was what she thought he was then she knew the question would be difficult for him to answer.

"Not yet." Came his simple reply, his eyes not leaving the notepad. "I can't let you leave in this condition." He muttered out reluctantly and slowly met her gaze. She had the answer to the next question without him even answering it, but she still wanted to hear it from him.

"Well, that's all your questions." Gabriel muttered, but quickly looked towards Harper when she let out a small squeak. His eyes roamed over her in order to find the source of her pain, but Harper only slowly motioned with her hands for him to flip the page.

Gabriel sighed and flipped up the page, reading the words on the page to himself and almost choking on them. "So you felt it too." He said, cocking his head towards her and meeting her soft gaze. "I was wondering if you felt it or not...due to the pain you were in." He said reluctantly, clenching his jaw as the memories of her whimpering and screaming in pain as he carried her back to his territory filled his mind.

He looked down at the question once more before turning back to Harper.

Are You My Mate?

"You are mine, Harper, and no one will ever hurt you again."