Filed to story: The Rejected Werewolf Princess (Camilla & Tyson) by Didi Adeyemi >>
He placed one hand behind my back and the other under my knees and in one swift move, he had me half sitting up. The pain was intense but he did it quickly and it only lasted the fraction of a second but my b*dy still vibrated from the after effects.
While I struggled to reunite myself with reality, I saw Ryker take the bowl of oatmeal and I expected him to hand it to me but instead he sprinkled the fruits over it and picked the spoon in his hands. I knew what he was about to do before he even started.
“Are you going to feed me?” the words left me in a barely there whisper, “I can do it myself.”
“You can barely move Camilla,” he spoke softly, as if he was speaking to a child, “Allow me do this for you.”
I knew he was right so I stayed silent and let him feed me quietly. The action felt more intimate than it should have, especially whenever he dabbed at my chin with a wash cloth. I tried my best to focus on what was happening and not the crude thoughts that were currently flying through my head.
He finished but didn’t move away and we stood there staring at each other for a full minute after until I broke the spell by looking away. I heard him clear his throat as he stood up and placed the dirty dishes back into the tray.
“Is there anything else you need?” he asked without looking at me, “I could get Lucy for you.”
“Did you find Lauren?” he froze at my question and I felt anger roll off him in waves. I wondered if I had done something wrong by asking and was about to retract the question when he turned around and took the seat in front of me.
“What do you mean by did I find Lauren?”
“She kind of disappeared out there.”
He stared at me in confusion and I know that he was expecting an explanation so I told him about how the carriage stopped and Lauren went out to fix it but the next minute she wasn’t there and the rogues. appeared.
As I spoke, he got angrier. I could see the veins on his hands bulging and the one on his temple looked like it was one second away from exploding. I trailed off with my story wondering if I was the one upsetting him.
“Keep going,” his voice was gruff and it was obvious that he was suppressing a lot of anger, “I want to know what happened.”
I told him about how I tried to outrun and fight the rogues but they overpowered me. From the way he winced, I knew he was the one who found me. He wouldn’t have that kind of reaction unless he saw firsthand what happened to me.
When I finished, I sighed deeply, “did you find Lauren?’
“She found us,” he said simply, “She came into the hospital covered in mud saying that there were rogues and she left your side because she wanted to hunt them down.”
I wasn’t sure whether I believed her story but I also knew it didn’t matter what I thought. “Where is she now?”
“Probably looking for another job,”
Shock filled my every pore and I stared at him with my mouth agape, “Did you fire her from being general?” he nodded, “Why?”
“She neglected your safety. A good general would have never done that.”
I didn’t know what to say about that or how to react. I would never have actually expected him to fire her and I hated that I actually felt giddy about the entire idea. I knew I shouldn’t be happy that she was out of a job but for some reason, it made me happy because I knew it meant that she would no longer be guarding me and I would never have to see her again.
“I don’t know what to say.” I said finally and he shrugged then stood to his feet.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he ran his hand through my hair; “Lucy will be here any second now to give you something for the pain.”
As if on cue, Lucy burst in through the doors holding a syringe. She gave me a small smile as she injected whatever the liquid was into my free arm. As soon as she was done, she left Ryker and I alone in the room.
It only took a few minutes for me to start feeling the effects and I started to feel drowsy.
“Don’t fight it,” Ryker said to me, “Just rest, I will be here when you wake up.”
I allowed his voice lead me like a lullaby and it was only a few seconds. before the darkness overcame me and I was out like a light.
By the time I woke up, it was dark outside and if not for the soft light from the lamp on the table next to the window, I probably wouldn’t have been able to see anything in front of me.
The IV with the blood was gone from my arm and now I was h ooked up to a proper IV with a clear liquid composition. For some weird reason, I felt stronger and well rested but I could still feel the pressure of the dull throbbing pain in my side.
It didn’t take me long to find Ryker, he was standing by the window looking lost in thought. I decided not to bother him and instead chose to watch him and take a good look at him. He had finally changed out of his rumpled clothes and was wearing a pair of dark slacks and a simple shirt. His hair was messy, almost as if he ran his hands through it a number of times and he was softly stroking the petal of a flower.
I don’t think he realized that he was doing it; it was most likely a sort of absent minded or subconscious action.
He must have felt my eyes on him because he turned and our eyes met. He smiled softly as he made his way over to me and sat in the uncomfortable metal chair by the side of my bed. His eyes glossed over for a second and I knew he was mind linking someone so I waited. patiently for him to be done.
“Eve will be here very soon.” He said once he had finished, “I figured you would be more comfortable with a home cooked meal than with the hospital food.”
“I really don’t mind if I’m being honest.” I shrugged- or at least tried to, “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience anyone.”
“It’s not an inconvenience Camilla. You are going to be their Luna, everyone lives to serve you.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that so I diverted the conversation to safer grounds, “This was the room you stayed in when you were hurt. Is a coincidence or was I specifically put here?”
“This room is set aside for members of the Alpha’s family. Should there be an incident or an emergency, they will be rushed here.”
“What happens if the hospital is full and someone else comes in hurt?” I asked, “Would they be put here or is it out of bounds?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted, “We have never had a situation like that before. I’m sure when the time comes we will be able to figure something out.”
I was saved from having to respond when the door opened and Eve walked in. She was in a pretty blue dress and she had a covered tray in her hands. When she saw me, she heaved a sigh of relief and all but rushed over.
“I am so glad that you’re okay,” she breathed, “When I heard what happened, I was so worried. You look terrible,” she must have realized we weren’t the only two in the room because she slapped her hand over her mouth, “I meant you look beautiful and well rested.”
“It’s fine, Eve.” I assured her, “I probably look a lot worse than I feel so you don’t have to worry about it.”
“Well, I still have your oversized scarf in my things so maybe when you’re better we can kick off where we last stopped.”
“I would like that very much.” She offered me a soft smile then bowed to Ryker and disappeared from the room.
Ryker stared at me for a full minute after she had gone and I had actually started to worry that I had done something wrong. In that one minute, I played back the entire conversation in my head and tried to pin point. whatever it was that I could have done wrong.