Chasing his Mate

Chapter Six - Pool Party

She could tell that a lot of time had passed while she had been unconscious. It had to be near morning, but she felt somewhat better, despite the routine dreams of violence and fangs. Denali knew the nightmares drew inspiration from that night, but she had grown used to them and after a few calm breaths, her anxiety began to fade and with it, the emotional reminisce of the dream.

Denali opened her eyes to find herself still on the bathroom floor. That surprised her in a way. She would have thought Takota would have carried or somehow moved her to a bed, judging by the look he had been giving her before she passed out.

She felt slightly dizzy as she rose but managed to stay upright. She then changed into the pajamas dropped in her rush to get in here last night.

She felt better in them and decided she was going to rest today. She had a final, but she wasn't going to take it like this. She would send her professor an email explaining she was sick all night. He should cut her some slack since she hadn't missed a day since semester started.

When she opened her door, she heard a grunt and looked down to find Takota, who had been sitting on the other side of the door. Part of her was happy he was worried; the other part was kind of weirded out that he had stayed the night outside her bathroom door.

"Are you alright? How are you feeling?" He immediately asked as he seemed to jump awake from his half-asleep state.

"I'm better now. I can take care of myself." She answered, feeling defensive that he thought she couldn't take care of herself.

"I never said you couldn't." He answered with an amused tone.

"What do you remember after you passed out?" He quickly asked as she thought back.

"Nothing, just sleeping after I embarrassed myself in front of my boss." She admitted then had to restrain from smacking herself on the forehead for saying it.

"I will have someone else take care of your duties. Rest for now." He ordered before he left. She shrugged before she got into bed and sighed in relief as she closed her eyes again.

She woke sometime in the afternoon and went to the kitchen. She heard the heated discussion between Rhetta and Xena long before she entered the kitchen.

"Where is he, Rhetta? He has been spending less and less time with me." She yelled at Rhetta who looked at her like a mother disappointed in a child.

"I may be his childhood friend, but I am not his keeper. If he was truly your mate, he wouldn't want to spend time away from you. So, my question to you is what game are you playing this time." Rhetta calmly asked back before she turned her attention and ignored Xena knowing she wasn't really going to get an answer to her question.

"He was spending time with you, wasn't he?" Xena immediately accused as soon as she turned and Denali in the kitchen's doorway.

"You went with him last time." She declared as she came closer and got up in Denali's face. This time, Denali didn't walk away. She stood her ground and refused to shy away or give in to her anymore.

"Guys can do things with other woman. Why are you so worried about it?" Denali taunted as she folded her arms across her chest with amusement.

It felt good to be the one dishing it out for once. At this point, she figured she would have to look for a new job anyways. Her reason for restraining herself was gone and frankly, like Rhetta, she was done with this attitude.

"It's because he's my mate that I miss him so much, but someone like you would never understand that." She taunted with a grin.

"Understand what? Feeling like I can't keep a guy unless he only looks at me?" Denali taunted and was rewarded with a small sound of amusement from Rhetta.