From The Ashes.

Chapter 32

It took a few hours and a nap before I felt well enough to have a conversation. Somewhere in that time the sun had fallen and Dot had come to collect Cody and take him to bed so that Zak could focus on me. I watched as he walked around the room, making sure my blankets were tucked tightly around me and that the room was warm enough for me. All of this seemed so surreal, part of me still felt like it was in that strange field. The other half couldn't fathom why Zak was doing all of this.

"Zak?" I croaked out and he was by my side in an instant.

"Yes Princess?" I swallowed several times as I tried to get my voice to work.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you looking after me? You're the Alpha-Heir, you could have anyone do it." Zak looked at me for several seconds, his eyes narrowed in confusion. Then, he shook his head and smiled slightly.

"Why wouldn't I, Tera? You're my friend and it's my life you saved." Again, he frowned. "Why did you react the way you did?" I sighed deeply, thinking back to the memories that had swamped me along with the smell.

"It smelled like Rachel, like all those times I tried to stop Ceres from hitting her. I don't know why wolfsbane reminded me of it but my instincts were screaming that the smell meant danger." Zak pushed a strain of hair out of my face and smiled.

"I don't really get it but I'm happy you survived." I smiled weakly back and he sat down at his desk and started to shuffle through the papers. I couldn't help but smile when I realised his desk looked like a war zone again and it took him an unreasonably long time to find what he was looking for. Watching him, my chest began to hurt. He really was an amazing person, he put his pack before himself because he loved them so much, he was so scared for them because he took his job so seriously. If there was someone who I could trust it was definitely Zak but still, the thought of telling him what I did made my mouth go bone dry. Everyone had always seen me as strong and if I revealed how vulnerable I could be, would they ever trust me again? 

I took in a deep breath. No. I couldn't let myself think like that. If I didn't tell anyone I'd always be alone and I didn't want that. I wanted to be safe, I wanted to be there for the people around me but the last time that happened, I'd hurt them all. Zak ran his hand through his hair and scribbled something on the paper in front of him. I had to take a risk, I had to tell someone or it was going to eat me up from the inside. I couldn't keep my walls up all the time and who better to tell than the man who called me 'Princess'? I sighed, steeling myself for the story I was going to have to tell.

"Zak?" He looked up at me, his eyes wide with curiousity.

"What's up? Do you need another drink?" He asked, moving towards the water jug. I shook my head which sparked a coughing fit and Zak sat next to me, concern creasing his face.

"No. I just need to tell you something." Zak frowned as I struggled to bring my arms up to my neck so I could remove my necklace.

"You shouldn't push yourself - why are you doing that? Dot said you didn't like people touching it so we left it even though you were overheating." I didn't answer as I realised my arms were as heavy as rocks and trying to lift them felt like attempting to lift fifty kilogram weights.

"Can you help me?" I asked, ignoring what he said. If I didn't tell him now, I might talk myself out of it later and I couldn't take that risk. Zak didn't say anything, he just frowned and reached around my neck to unlock the multiple clasps that kept it secure. As the fabric fell from my skin, I closed my eyes so I didn't have to see his reaction as the silence seemed to stretch forever. Eventually though, Zak reached out and I felt his fingers hover just above my skin.

"Tera... what happened to your neck?" I opened my eyes but still couldn't bring myself to look at him as I reached up to run my fingers over the raised, jagged scar that stretched from one side to another. I'd kept it covered for so long that I'd forgotten what it felt like.