Sounds and Vibrations (Gifted Werewolf Series: Book 1)

Opaline

Aryn and Vuk  left the next morning, needing to return to urgent matters within their  pack. I was silent throughout the whole parting words, but caught the  Beta watching me occasionally with a curious expression. He didn't act  on that curiosity, but he did come up and personally apologized for what  happened three years ago as well as saying goodbye. I only nodded and  smiled, finding my voice had disappeared somewhere between the bedroom  and outside. Aryn came  up afterwards and kissed the back of my hand before he also said his  goodbye and congrats for being Luna. They shifted and ran south as I  watched with Lykaon by my side, an arm around my waist.

After  seeing Melanie and taking out my anger on her, I had felt sick and  somewhat hollow. Last night, those feelings lessened when I realized Lykaon  was caring for me without so much as second glance at any of my  intimate body parts. I knew men liked my shape with all my feminine  curves and whatnot, but he didn't seem to mind at the time. Loup had  taken glances every now and again, and even tried a few things back when  he thought I didn't notice, but Lykaon seemed different. 

Sure,  he's kissed me, but he's never really done much after that. Last night  was the most intimate we have ever been since meeting each other. It was  satisfying, yet my wolf and body yearned for more. Having him hold me  close, having skin-to-skin contact, and having his heat wrapped around  me was the best feeling I've ever had. Having his lips on my  mark...kissing it like he did created a feeling I hadn't known could be so  strong. My belly clenched tight and my breathing got shallow and fast.  It felt so good, I whined when he pulled away. Even in the aftermath of the dream I had, it was better than anything I've felt. 

I wasn't sure if Lykaon  felt the same way about last night as I did, mostly because he had to  care for me and listen to my screams and cries all night, but he did  keep glancing at me. He seemed to keep an eye on me while also keeping  his distance too, like he was afraid I might have been mad about it. I  wanted to talk to him, but didn't know how that conversation would even  start. "Hey, I know I kept you up most of the night, but did you have an  intense feeling of needing something when you kissed my mark, because I  did and was hoping you'd feel the same way?" No, I don't think that  would have worked at all.

After  everyone left, including my family, I told my mate I'd be in the  kitchen. He nodded with a kiss to my head before I left. I felt his eyes  watching me closely, fixed to my back like mine were fixed to the door  five feet away. Nadine met me inside and pulled me after her towards the  living room, making me sit and trying to tell me something about Bertolf. I blinked and tried to focus, but my mind was in a blur. 

"Opaline!" she hissed. 

I looked up, seeing tears in her eyes. "What happened?"

"He's still not up!" she cried. "It's been almost two days and he won't get up. Something is wrong with him!"

"What do you mean he won't get up? Is he not wanting to get up?"

She shook her head. "He's still paralyzed. All his muscles are. Truent is feeding him by tube and giving oxygen by a machine, but he's not changing at all."

Melanie must have used something similar to that when she raped the men a few years ago. I say, "May I see him?"

She nodded and we left the house. Lykaon was nowhere to be seen outside so I didn't bother telling anyone where I was going. Nadine rushed me to the hospital and into Bertolf's  bedroom. When I saw his pale form in the bed, my gut wrenched. "He's  been like this ever since they've found him," Nadine explained. 

I  walked over and looked down at the large man. His eyes were looking up  at the ceiling, yet didn't seem to be focused. His arms and legs were  straight and his body as stiff as a board. He had an IV in his arm and a  tube down his throat, other than that, he seemed like a corpse. I  rested a hand on his chest where I faintly felt his heart beating  rhythmically and his skin was warm. I sat beside him and carefully laid  my head on his chest, closing my eyes and letting the sobs break me once  again.