Without a Wolf

9

Thorne was about to open his mouth to say something else, but he seemed to hear something. I could see it by the way his demeanor changed.

His face fell blank, and his eyes moved to the left. I couldn't hear what he was hearing, though. I just had to wait until whatever noise it was fell on my much less useful human strength ears.

It didn't take long to figure out what they had heard. Only seconds ticked by until I heard the footsteps closing in on us. I had a guess who it was, too, because both Thorne and Ronan sat up straight, pulling their focus away from me.

Emeric walked into the kitchen. It was interesting to note the way the Betas energy changed. They seemed to shrink and become smaller. I wasn't sure if that was true, or if it was because Emeric's energy was so large, theirs seemed tiny in comparison.

I turned to look at Emeric, and I wasn't surprised to see him already staring at me. He seemed confused by my presence, like he wasn't expecting to find me here, outside of the four walls of the white room. He closed the distance between us, and I didn't say anything as he did so. I noticed the white dress shirt he wore on his body, it looked expensive and perfectly fit to his body.

"Good morning," he said to me, once he was only inches away. He stood closer to me than I was expecting, so close he could reach out and make contact with me if he chose to. "I didn't expect you to be awake so early. You need rest."

"All I've done since I got here was rest," I shrugged, though his words made me curious. "What time is it? There's no clock in my room."

"Almost six," I heard one of the wolves from behind me answer, from the sound of his voice alone, I think it might have been Thorne. "Looks like Gem's an early riser just like you, Boss."

Emeric's eyes flickered over to Thorne, a sharpness in his gaze that made the Beta wolf shift uncomfortably. I got the impression that Emeric was possessive over the wolves in his pack, and he was wary at the idea of them talking to me without his permission.

"I was worried when I couldn't find you in your room," Emeric muttered, looking me up and down like he was trying to make sure I was not harmed.

"I didn't mean to worry you," I said, feeling momentarily guilty that I had, though perhaps I wasn't quite sure why.

"Maybe you should go and rest some more," he suggested, turning his attention back to me. "You are not yet fully healed."

I nodded, though I didn't feel like sleeping any longer. The idea of being cooped up in that white room for another day was suffocating. I needed to breathe, to move, to see something other than those four walls.

"I'll go with her," a female voice spoke up, and I turned to see Selene approaching us. Her violet eyes were soft and concerned, and I felt a sense of relief that I wasn't alone with Emeric, and his Betas.

Emeric glanced at her, but didn't say anything. I got the impression that he didn't like the idea of me being on the grounds, away from him. Selene didn't seem to care about his silent disapproval. She took my hand gently and led me towards the door.

"Come on, child," she said, giving me a small smile. "The fresh air will serve you well."

We stepped out into the morning sunlight, and I was momentarily blinded by the brightness. But as my eyes adjusted, I saw that we were standing in a beautiful grassy area, surrounded by trees and plants. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers, and the sound of birds chirping.

"This is beautiful," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Selene nodded. "It is our pack's garden," she said. "We come here to heal, to meditate, to be close to nature."

I could feel the tension in my body beginning to ease as I took in the beauty around me. For a moment, I forgot about the white room, about the bad news, the Hunters, and about Emeric's deal. All that mattered was the warmth of the sun on my skin, the sound of the breeze rustling through the leaves, and the gentle touch of Selene's hand on mine.

We walked through the garden, admiring the flowers and the trees. Selene pointed out different plants and their healing properties, and I listened with interest. It was fascinating to learn about the natural remedies that could be found in the garden.

As we walked, I began to feel a sense of peace that I hadn't felt in a long time. It was as if the garden was washing away all the pain and fear that I had been carrying with me since I woke up in that white room. It felt like just for a moment, all my anxiety had washed away.

Until Selene's next words left her mouth, and then I became scared to death.