Shapeless

Chapter 2

I woke to a aching pain in my shoulder and calf. I knew something was off but I was still stuck in between dreaming and waking.

I tried to lift my good hand to rub my shoulder hoping that maybe it was a small splinter that was the culprit and not the arrow that I had dreamed about.

"Oh, no you don't" hummed a vaguely familiar voice as I become aware of a hand on my wrist. The stranger slowly laid my hand back on the bed with so much caution it was almost painful. Reminding me of the time I broke my arm falling out of a tree when I was five. My dad had been this gentle on the ride to the doctor.

I tried to sit up and look at my leg but attempted too fast and almost threw up.

His hand let go of my wrist and pushed me back down on the bed.

"Who are you?" I tried to say but it came out as only a hoarse whimper.

"Are you hurting? What hurts?" Then slightly quieter "Of course she's hurting nitwit. Stop and think for a minute." I hear some rustling and suddenly I see him.

He has blond hair, thick shoulders, and golden eyes. He reaches out towards me and, not knowing if I was safe, I tried to scoot backwards.

"Stupid" I thought to myself as I felt the cut in my calf stretch and pain shot through my shoulder and up my neck.

"No! Don't move. You lost too much blood and you need to regain your strength," He grabbed a glass off the table next to me and handed it to me. I looked inside and, seeing it was water, drank from it greedily.

"How long was I asleep." I asked once my tongue was wet enough for me to speak, and surprised at how horse my voice was, brought the glass back to my lips chugging the rest.

He smiled," You've been asleep for 2 days but you only stopped bleeding yesterday." I almost choked.

I looked at him bewildered, "2 days!" I said after my coughing fit was over. It came out a little more than a rough whisper but he caught my meaning.

"Yeah. When I found you, you were bleeding pretty heavily. Can I check your wounds see how they fared your little move? "

"No."

He looked at me with calculating eyes and a smirk on his face.

"I would be happy to answer every question you have when I know you are not bleeding again." he replied calmly. He reach out towards my leg. Out of instinct I back away again.

He snatched his hand back and mumbled, "Sorry. Could you move the blankets off your leg? Um.. I'm going to have to look at it to make sure. Do you mind? Your shoulder to."

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I guess I'm just a little jumpy right now."

"I don't blame you." He reached out and grabbed my ankle and carefully rolled it so he could see the cut.

"It doesn't look to bad. I think you will be good. Go easy on it. You could still reopen the wound."

"Okay."

"Do you think you can sit up? It would be easier to see your shoulder."

"I can try"

He helped me up and, once I was up, asked,"So what do you want to know?"

"Well, first off, I would like to know where I am and who you are."

"You are in the middle of nowhere. My family owns hundreds of acres in all directions around this house. You are going to have to stay here. It is not safe for you out there. There is a price on your head now and most of the kingdom knows who and what you are. Some will stand beside you but others are greedy and will hunt you to the end of the earth."

I held in a gasp trying to keep my face strait. He knew. I tried looked at him quizatively, " What I am? I don't know what you mean, and why would someone want me dead."

"Oh I think you do. You are a shifter." He stated simply. "That is why I saved you. It is my duty."

"Your duty? You make it sound like saving me is the whole reason you are alive."

He winced and his gaze turned suddenly cold, "You don't even know how close you are to being right." He said dryly. Standing he stormed out of the room. Before he could fully exit I yelled at him. "You didn't answer my first question. Who are you?"

He turned around stiffly, "You may call me Carac." Then he finished his retreat out of the room

I followed him with my gaze knowing fully well that if I actually tried to follow him I would be too dizzy to think straight. It was strangely cold in the room without Carac. Like his presence was the only source of warmth.

I lay in the bed staring at the ceiling and tried not to think about the way he reacted. I was so confused. I finally got bored and fell back asleep.