Hearing His Words

Prologue

I was sitting in the waiting room as my best friend got a cast put on her wrist because she fell off the bleachers. My older brother took us to the hospital, and so was sitting in the corner pissed off about having to help us since we couldn't drive.

My legs were kind of stiff and I didn't do so well with waiting so I got up to walk around. As I got to the main part of the hospital and away from the ER I could smell the most intoxicating mixture of ceader, dirt, and a river.

I had just barely turned sixteen, but as I followed the scent through the hallways to the open door of a room I realized it was my mate's sent. It scared me to think that I had found my mate-which he could reject me, so that I would be alone forever-I peeked into the room anyway hoping I wouldn't be caught.

A lone figure lay in the hospital bed. He looked to be about my age, maybe slightly older, with long brown hair. I thought he was thinner than he should be given his tall broad frame and covered with bruises, but that was all I could tell from a distance. Walking forwards I stood by his side and looked down at him resting my hand on his arm. I could feel sparks where I touched him. Knowing I would have to leave soon, I felt the need to leave him with something, so he knew that I had been here, that I cared. Taking off one of the many friendship bracelets I had made I put it in his hand, silently vowing that I would come back the next day and stay, at least until he woke up.

A buzz in my pocket let me know I had received a text.

With a last look back at my mate I turned away and walked back to the waiting room, knowing that my brother was looking for me . As I reached Jim and Lisa my brother grabbed me roughly and dragged me out to the car, while Lisa laughed at us. Dropping off Lisa on our way we headed home to a family movie night, and as it was my mother's turn to pick we were once again watching "The Princess Bride".

As Jim grumbled and my mom made jokes about Buttercup and Wesley being mates, I thought about the mate I had seen in the hospital. Who was he? Why was he there? Did he want to meet me? Would he even be there? Questions continued to spiral through my mind as the night wore on, until eventually I fell asleep in bed.

When I woke up the next morning and drove to the hospital as soon as I could, excited about possibly talking to my mate. Walking through the hospital in my pajamas still I stopped when I got to the right doorway. Looking into the room I noticed a family gathered around the bed that contained a six year old girl.

Numbly I walked back to the car and drove to Lisa's house. I needed the comfort only your best friend or your mate could give to you. Walking through the front door I ignored her parents and little sister going straight to her room and collapsing next to her on top of her bed. Tears finally broke free as I sobbed into her chest waking her up.