A Friend To The Elements

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

*Cane's POV*

I cracked the door open, but Harmony made no movements to signify that she saw me. Her head faced the opposite wall so all I could see were pink tangles. The dinner her mom brought her last night still sat on the nightstand closest to the door. It looked completely untouched.

Normally Harmony's mom wasn't happy about me being in her daughter's room. If she was home, then we needed to stay in a common area or keep the door wide open if there was no avoiding it. Today she had practically pushed me up the stairs to her room.

I pushed the dinner tray with the new breakfast tray so both sat half dangling off the stand. The bed shifted as I sat on the mattress. She didn't roll over until after I kicked my boots off and pulled my feet into a crossed position. Once she felt like I wasn't here to drag her out of the bed she rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. The fan spun in slow circles. Dark curtains were drawn over her bedroom window, so the room only maintained a dim atmosphere even during the brightest part of the day.

Her arms came out from underneath the pale pink comforter and laid at her side making the blanket tight around her upper body. I could see the straps of her flowery tank top. It was the one Lily gave her for her birthday last year.

"If you're not here to give me good news, I don't think I would be good company." I shrugged and picked up her hand placing our intertwined fingers on my knee. Her hand remained limp and malleable. She didn't push me away which was progress, but she also wasn't actively reaching for me. I briefly regrated wearing jeans.

Her room was soft, gentle, and quiet. She was so delicate right now that I worried even the rough fabric of my jeans against the back of her hand would be enough for her to jerk away and draw into herself completely again.

I wasn't really sure how to respond so I just sat there rubbing my thumb over her hand and watching her watch the slow-moving fan. Our bond had grown weaker over the last few months. At first Harmony was deadest that she was going to find Lily. Her future as an investigator for the pack was already in sight so she felt like it was her responsibility to find her within the limits she had.

Lily, Josh, and Harmony made an odd trio. Or more like two duos with Lily crammed in the middle. Josh and Harmony never meshed well despite how many times we all tried to hang out. Harmony had been loud and opinionated. Josh had been revolving around the one person he was meant to protect. In the end she knew that Josh would come before her and that was okay. She had other friends here and there, but Lily was still the only one she really felt like herself with.

Her limits of being able to search ended at the compound fence. She wasn't strong enough to protect herself or from a high enough ranking family to be protected if something was to happen. When Josh stopped coming home from the other pack information was cut off. That was when she locked herself in her room. Without so much as a phone number to get updates from Adam or Josh she just laid in the bed and worried herself to numbness.

"I miss you, Harmony." I didn't mean for my words to come out chocked, but I couldn't push down the knot in my throat enough to hide it.

Her eyes briefly shifted to me then returned to the ceiling. I attempted to try again knowing that I was pushing my luck. "You know she wouldn't want this."

At this comment her eyes darted over and she yanked her hand away to be able to prop herself up on her elbows. The anger in her eyes was canine and her voice shook as she spoke through the growing teeth. She had to calm down. She would be too weak to shift, but at least some emotion was better than none.

"You know who didn't want this? Lily. She didn't want to be kidnapped by some sicko while everyone sits around doing nothing."

I leaned in and kissed her forehead gently. "Then let's do something, but first you have to eat."