VEUX

Twenty

March 1

"I will be right outside this door." Oracle said to Saoirse. "If you need me, just shout. If you feel uncomfortable even the slightest, you can leave at any time." His dark eyes flickered to his brother, where a growing mass that sunk black, cloud like claws into Saoirse, yet she was oblivious. "If he tries to threaten you, don't believe him. He is on my territory, he can't hurt you."

Her mind was elsewhere, beyond his words. "I understand, Alpha."

Oracle's gaze flickered from her hazy orbs to his brother's, anger seeping in. He almost desired a fight from Saoirse to show Obsidian just what he'd left him to deal with for the past four and a half months. Her compliance only enhanced her innocence to her mate, once again making Oracle look like he'd been referring to a completely different girl. A wild one, with crazy inhibitions and an anger that skyrocketed within seconds. No, no. That couldn't be Obsidian's sweet and fragile Saoirse.

The female wolf watched him go, the door barely closing before Obsidian had swarmed her with his presence. He stood closer than ever before, and she couldn't find reason to hate it. To hate this strange man that had torn her life away from her. He had to have a reason. Hadn't he?

"You need to take better care of yourself," Obsidian's tone softened, but still it was rugged and coarse. He'd never tried to sound gentle for anybody before. "My brother is unreliable."

Saoirse felt compelled to speak. She'd been silent for so long, but only because she hadn't felt the need to be loud or crazy. She was content, under Obsidian's watch. And she felt so dirty for it.

"I hadn't meant to," Her throat croaked with lack of water. "It was a mistake." Her words were vague, mind cloudy. She couldn't pinpoint which mistake.

The doors opening again saved her from having to listen to more of his non sensible talk. About doing as told and following rules, yada yada yada. He could talk and talk until Saoirse's ears fell off, but she still wouldn't listen.

Tobiasson entered the room with a tray in his hands. Obsidian snapped his mouth closed, regarding the wolf with dark eyes. Tobiasson had the same weariness about the trespassing Alpha, unafraid of him yet fearful for Saoirse. She was yet to know his wrath. The wolf set the tray down on the coffee table, hesitant to leave.

"You may go," Obsidian tried his best not to command his brothers pack members. They weren't entitled to listen to him anyways.

However, Tobiasson's gaze was locked on Saoirse's. She noticed him waiting, the tension brewing. She nodded at him, hurrying him along with her words. "Thank you."

The doors closed once more, Saoirse's exhale far from a breathe of relief.

"Sit." Obsidian's tone held no wiggle room for Saoirse, not that she desired it.

Eating sounded pleasant enough as she made her way to the silver pleated couch, sinking against its pale pillows. Light from the glass wall shone in, the days beauty of an azure sky and fresh mud tainted in her memory by pools of blood. She pulled the warm plate to her lap, checking over the egg omelet and avocado toast, reaching for the water bottle instead. She regarded the label, the same blue sticker of a glacier that branded every water bottle here. Springsteen.

Obsidian sat beside her. "Do you miss it? The sweets and fats?"

"No," She said after giving it some thought, swallowing the water greedily into her body.

She thought she might have, at some points, but those were only lows in her life. When her memories wrangled her mind about the junk drawer at her sister's place, the chips she shared with her niece Gabby for bedtime stories, the peanut butter and jam sandwiches she would sneak to her as her favourite meal.