A Wolf's Tear

nine - a ready sacrifice

Hospitals were places that Selena despised. The smell, the sounds, and the gloomy atmosphere overrun by a sense of looming death always made her feel uncomfortable. Selena fidgeted with her fingers as she sat meters away from Nathaniel and Katie.

Katie laid in bed talking to Nathaniel. Their voices were barely audible but Selena quickly surmised what they were talking about. The creases on Nathaniel’s pale face were evident of the dread inside of him.

He looked at Katie as if she was the most delicate creature to have ever been born and held her as if she was about to lose her life. Like it was the last time they were going to see each other.

Selena’s confusion grew further. He was so gentle but not to her. He only had eyes for his chosen mate and that fact alone caused bubbles of jealousy to surface inside of her.

She knew it was wrong to feel this way when Katie was lying pale and pasty on a bed but she wondered how it would feel to have him hold and look at her just as the way he did to Katie.

To have him look at her with overflowing love.

“For the Moon’s sake, Nathaniel. What have you been doing to Katie?” Jacob ruefully glared towards them.

He was sitting next to Selena and his sunny disposition from before had turned into a thunderous storm. The frown on his face was plastered permanently ever since he helped carry Katie to the hospital.

“Don’t worry about it, Jacob. I received a text from work about a situation that should have been settled months ago. It’s not your brother’s fault.” Katie tried her best to smile.

“I told you to take it easy, didn’t I?” Nathaniel sighs. “You don’t listen to me.”

“Work is work, Nate. You can’t expect me to not think about it and I can’t lose an investor.”

“I only expect you to take it easy, that’s all. You know your wolf can’t handle the stress.” He cups her cheek with his hand and pecks her forehead.

“Okay, I’ll let the others handle it for now.” She looks away from him.

Nathaniel’s domineering and determined stare made its way to Selena. It shined with worry and guilt but all she could do was turn and close her eyes, gulping noisily to conceal the words that were bubbling inside of her.

Why did it hurt to feel mad? Selena’s heart raced at an unfathomable speed as again, the love she had was nothing but a feeling filled with hurt and not the bliss she saw from others.

“Well, I have to speak with the doctor. He’s probably shaken once he reads your medical record. Try to sleep.”

He clears his throat and swiftly passed Selena’s petrified body. His intoxicating smell engrossed her, sealing her fears in and throwing her hatred aside.

If only he would say the words to let her go, maybe then she wouldn’t be feeling this way.

“I’ll go too, I need to relieve myself.” Jacob followed his brother out of the room.

Almost immediately, Selena dreaded the time she and Katie were going to be alone. Though she sat a good distance away from the ailing wolf, she was panicking left and right.

Katie’s body wrapped in a hospital gown looked small laid in a bed of sheets. She had her eyes closed and lips slightly apart like she was completely asleep. After she collapsed on the street, Selena remembered how Nathaniel broke down and kept chanting her name. Even though she had mixed feelings for him, that moment made her see that even the great Alpha of the North was vulnerable to emotions.