One too many

Part 24 ~ Getting healthy

After Erik had marked Stark, her health started to improve a lot every day, her skin was no longer lifeless and grey, her cheeks were getting rosy again and she finally got her appetite again and was gaining weight. She was happy, for the first time in a long time she was content and looked forward to the future, she wanted a family, a big one, she also wanted to marry Erik, she had heard her helpers talking about something called a mating ceremony, she was curious so she asked what it was. They told her it was like a marriage ceremony. It was a day filled with joy and happiness, where all  family and friends came together to celebrate how two higher beings found their one true mate.

Stark had lost her memory so she had no idea what a mate really was to higher beings, truthfully she had just learned that Erik was a wolf when he bit and marked her. She had woken up first afraid of him but after Asa had told her about what it meant she had become almost thrilled that he had chosen her, her out of all people in the world, she could not believe her luck. Asa had not gone to details of what it meant, she had been preoccupied at that moment and did not have time to fully tell her what it meant and Stark had not asked again, they had both been busy, one with gaining her health back and the other finding the best way for Stark to get fully healthy. They had a lot on their plate at this time.

Asa had to go for a fortnight, there was chaos erupting in her coven, the fates were silent and had not talked to their witches for some time, everyone was worried and it was decided to call upon the fates and that took every member of the coven to perform it correctly. Asa was the most powerful so she was the vital part of the summoning. Asa did not have high hopes, she did not believe it would work, she was sure the disappearance of the fates had something to do with Stark but she could not tell anyone of it, for if she did it would doom her poor little human child. She had grown to care for Stark, she even thought of her like her own child, she felt a fierce feeling of needing to protect her from any harm, it even felt like it was a feeling made from magic, she could not be sure though, no living witch had the power to make a magic as strong as this and use it on her, the only ones that could were the fates, that is why she knew she had to protect the girl with her own life.

Stark had been working hard to gain her strength back, she could not walk a few steps without falling and every day she was getting better. Erik came to see her every day but he had told her that he was very busy, there were some problems with a neighbourhood pack that he needed to tend to. Stark told him she was fine, she had so many wonderful helpers all around her and told him to not worry about her in the slightest. One day she was feeling exceptionally good so she asked if she could go and see Erik in his office, at first they were not so sure, they had all been told that she could not meet Stone at the moment but he had gone to solve the pack problem, they asked Stone if she could come and join him for lunch, after some hesitation he said yes.

Stark could not smile any wider, she had always been curious about other parts of the village, she had never gone from her side of the building except for the garden, she wanted to explore now and see all the village but she wanted to start with where her beloved spent most of his time. Before she arrived she chose to dress up, she was a young woman that was finally gaining her health back, she just wanted to look pretty for him so it took a while for her to find the right dress and make herself look they way she wanted. She was not strong enough to walk yet so far so they used a wheelchair, it was exciting and she could not wait to see him again.

Erik was very busy and after saying yes to her to come he drove right back to work and forgot all about her coming. It was not until a light knock could be heard that he came back to it. He told them to enter so they opened the door and there he saw Stark standing. She had wanted to walk into his office, she wanted him to see that she was getting better and hopefully soon they could become more. After that day, he had not touched her nor had he talked about that day. He had been ashamed of loosing control of himself and did not want to think of it again. He was timid when it came to her, he was scared she would break, scared that she would remember, it was such pressure on him and he did not know how best to resolve everything.

He was delighted when he saw her standing up and walking towards him, he was beaming with happiness, she was finally getting better but still he was scared of her getting better, maybe her memory would come back if she gained her full health, his anxiety was high all the time, it was a lot of pressure being put on him, keeping Stark happy while trying to soothe Stone, it was all just so much and he was swamped with endless tedious work, how he longed for a vacation, with his mates but that was nothing but a pipe dream but a dream that would hopefully come true in the future.

He took Stark hand and guided her to her seat, he had made arrangements with lunch as soon as he had gotten a word. He had requested that they would make her favourite meal. They had a wonderful time and Erik felt much better, it was like he had just taken a nice nap, he felt refreshed and ready to tackle his workload again. He wanted to take Stark back to her room before though and she happily said yes. He stood up and help her to stand up also as soon as he opened the door he saw Stone. He was battered and bruised, he had been fighting and he was hurt, he was quick to let go of Stark and rush to Stones aid. Stark stood there frozen, who was this man, she felt like he was familiar but could not remember, She did not like him at all nor did she like the way Erik had rushed to his aid, they felt close, too close, it bothered her immensely, she could not put her finger on it but something was wrong with this man, and she did not want to be anywhere near him.