please accept me DRAGON X WOLF

Part 20 'solid guess'

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A/N All honor and glory go to a_well_behaved_spork for their support! Your username makes this all the more better lol

I feel wretched after puking each meal up, the taste always lingering. The side effects from the anesthesia overdose never miss a beat, plaguing me steadily for the three days I've been awake. Thankfully, I at least haven't experienced the expected side effect of hypothermia where the body loses heat faster than it can produce it.

Crest, thanks to her dragon self keeps me eternally warm, guarding our inner flame. Had Crest not been weakened, the temperature would have risen to a dangerous level leaving me, instead with hyperthermia.

Snuggling more into the bedding, my gaze travels from the vomit bucket to the sunny window displaying a calming view of the forests outset. 'Will I ever get home..?' Crest in those three days has only muttered a sorry and ignored the rest of what I've said. I can't fully blame her now when every now and then her feelings of disappointment and sadness sweep over me.

It's a fickle thing leaving your Given. Those of whom I know and heard about, lose their emotions and become dulled by everything. Just like the walking dead, never looking forward to a moment ahead. A good ruler should rule with insight and empathy for her kins concerns, grievances, and quarrelings. Yet..will I really lose all of that for something the gods have decided against me?

When I get back..my hand will be forced on the matter and I'll have to reopen the case. Krel, what will become of you? I hear werewolves go crazy without their Mate..If my court of justice doesn't destroy him first.

Ever since the first day I woke up and told him to get away from me, Krel hasn't tried anything and has displayed a great amount of self-control. Everyday he will knock on my door, I in turn, will not answer him. In hopes of not becoming even more attached and hurting Crest by showing her things that she can not have. It also doesn't help that I can smell wounds on him.

But each time..Krel will whimper and stay besides the door for half the day, sometimes even fall asleep against it. He'll lightly scratch the door in desperation when he feels I had forgotten his presence. Krels Beta and Gamma don't dare move him and leave his pitiful self alone. I wish to go out there and yell at him to go away so it won't be as hard for me and Crest, but I cannot make myself even leave the bed..

When the servers come in with food, or the housekeepers to clean up, Krel will always stare through the doorway with a pleading gaze to which I avoid.

As surely as temptations are thought upon, they seem to appear. At the far end of the corrodoor I can hear the soft footsteps coming my direction. From the corner of my eye I can see the door open wide as two figures lurk at the doorway. Krel being the good boy he is doesn't step foot in as the server collects the tray of food I had unsuccessfully eaten.

One of the attendants shakily take my hand and placed a warm cup in it. These wolves are afraid of what they do not know. It's entertaining. Or maybe they do know...wait. There were so many instances I reacted the same way only a dragon would have. 'Could they already.. '

I stare down at the steaming mug of remedial soup. It has that orange vegetable floating around in it along with celery bits and mushrooms. The server silently exits the room, quietly closing the door with a 'click' on her way out.

"You are experiencing stage one of Dementia. I am unable to heal you. Stage three will be irreversible if we don't shift in time."

'What..?' I'm forgetting things? What else have I forgotten?! At some point maybe even to leave this place??

"The time you were unconscious for those five days, I also fell asleep for half that time. I am beyond weakened. We need to shift immediately."

So that's what happened.. Crest wouldn't tell me before. 'How would I-'

"Figure it out."

She had not only interrupted me, but also snapped at me too? Sighing, I answer back, 'Do not cause me anymore inconveniences!'  Or setbacks.. After clearing my throat a few times, I call out, "Krel, you may enter, we need to talk."

I could hear him quickly shuffling to a standing position. Hesitantly he opened the door with his head down in submission. Knowing he doesn't know where to go, I usher him over, saying, "Stand before me." He does as he's told as he moves to stand stiffly next to me, fidgeting nervously with sweaty palms.

I give him a bored expression before sitting even straighter, doing my best to show little emotion for Krels state. He looks terrible, exhausted physically and mentally. We both are.. I can only hope I don't look that bad.

Through his hair, I can see Krel biting his lip in hopes it will aid him to hold back his emotions, or maybe to keep him from saying something useless. Thinking that's the case, I don't wait for him to say anything and begin first. "Tell me, you know, don't you? You're no fool, I'm sure you picked up the hints and have made a few guesses."

Krel flinched at the sudden confrontation. He began to shake a noticeable amount and pick at his fingers roughly. The feeling in his hands I'm sure went numb at his extreme sense of panic.

Time ticks by silently for me, but I know his thoughts are screaming loudly at him. My attention pans back to the window for a few minutes, waiting for Krels reply. Minutes go by and..nothing. I look back at Krel to see him warring with his words, trying to push them out of his mouth as he opens and closes like a fish with a pained expression. His eyes trained on the twisted bedsheets.

Against my better judgment, I reach out and gently lift his chin up for him to focus back on me. The contact felt so right; Krel felt it too as he leaned in desperately for affection. Wait, this is bad. Okay self, you can do it, slowly take your hand back... Do.Not.Be.Swayed.