Finding you

Chapter 8 - Legs

Jessie and the others stayed at the clinic until it was six o'clock. They had spent almost the entire day there not giving them a chance to eat anything except some biscuits which was far from fulfilling. They had seen how Austin has been losing weight over the last couple of days due to not properly eating any food. They had brung it up multiple times on how he should take care of himself more, but was always brushed off with him saying he was fine and not to worry about it.

They suggested to go out for dinner for a change of pace and naturally invited Austin to join them but he was reluctant to leave Amara's side was going to reject them.

"You're not going to do anything by ruining your health, Austin." Felix bluntly told him. He disregarded the fact that his words were a little harsh and also didn't care if it would anger him because he didn't think what he said was wrong.

Austin looked at him and sighed, knowing that Felix was speaking harshly to him as his friend and not his alpha. He could tell that they were worried for him.

"...Alright," he said in a defeated tone. Austin took one last glance at the girl behind him before following his friends out.

.

.

.

Not long after they left, Amara's eyes opened. It took a minute for her to process everything but this time, her state of mind was much clearer and calmer than before. She looked around the room to find that she was by herself, causing her tense body to relax a little bit. She slowly pulled herself up but felt as if bricks were attached to her.

She observed the room she was in. The walls were a standard white and there wasn't much furniture inside except for a couch, a bed, and a couple of plants to liven up the otherwise bland and dull room.

Her eyes travelled along the bed and landed on the blanket covering her lower half body. She slowly pealed it off uncovering her long legs that were hidden beneath it. She stared at them with fascination. First, she tried to wiggle her toes, and when she saw them move her eyes widened and a childlike joy appeared on her face. She then turned her body to the side of the bed and with her legs hanging on the side, swung them back and forth.

One could easily tell how excited and fascinated she was with the way her eyes sparkled. If someone were to look at her now, they wouldn't be able to help but gush at her cute actions.

She spent more time playing with her newly acquired legs when suddenly, she felt it difficult to breathe, as if something was blocking her airway. She clutched her chest and although she didn't know what was happening to her, she instinctively knew what her body needed.

Water.

Patched of severely dry skin started appearing across her arms, quickly spreading towards her neck, legs, and chest. Her skin had become so dry that small amount of began to peel off. She felt that her skin was on fire.

She unsteadily stood up and tried to find a water source, when her ears picked up faint sounds of water dropping. Without think any further, she followed the sound and eventually ended up in the bathroom. There, she spotted a shower head that was dripping with water and walked towards it. She grabbed the handle and tried to turn it on, after many attempts water finally cascaded down from the shower head soaking her from head to toe.

Her body leaned on the wall for support before sliding down. After a moment, her breathing finally stabilised and she was no longer wheezing for air. The tightness in her chest had also dissipated leaving only a dull ache. Her eyes travelled to her arms, and the dry pathed on her skin started to disappear until it was smooth and soft one again. She continued to revel in the feeling of water against her skin. It felt good, but it still couldn't compare to ocean water.

Amara realised that despite becoming human, she still need water to survive. Sirens needed water as much as humans need air, and long periods of deprivation would lead to horrible effects, just like the ones she had just experienced. She was glad that she was able to figure this out quickly otherwise she would have died before she reached a water source.

.

.

An hour later, Austin and the other returned from dinner. He had eaten more tonight than he has in the past couple of days. After finishing their meal, Jessie, Felix, and Jackson collectively decided to return to the clinic for a bit for heading home.

When Austin opened the door, he immediately noticed the empty bed and panic filled his mind.

"She's gone!"

The others behind him looked at each other before scrambling to find her.

An aching feeling of regret made its way into Austin's heart. Just as he was about to run out to find her, his ears faintly heard the sound of the shower running in the bathroom. He swiftly made his way towards it and burst through the door. His mind blanked at the scene of Amara sitting beneath the shower, completely soaked to the bone. His feet felt as if they were glued to the ground and unable to move.

"Austin, did you find her?!" Jackson yelled.

He was immediately jolted out of his stupor and turned the faucet off. He knelt beside her and checked if she was all right. He avoided touching her for fear of frightening her as he was aware of her sensitivity.

"Call Lucas!" Austin ordered.

Her clothes became translucent and stuck to her skin after being immersed in water, exposing her lithe body. The sight of her pearl-like skin made the people around her blush at the sight of a beauty. if they were seeing a fragile beauty.

Austin's face remained unchanged when he saw her except for the redness in his ears. He quickly removed his jacket and slid it over her body. His fingertips softly caressed her face, but as soon as his hand made contact with her skin, the eyes that had been closed opened, revealing two emerald green eyes.

He froze.

Amara fixed her gaze on him and without averting his eyes, Austin met her gaze. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, but only a few seconds had passed. Despite his rigid appearance, she had a gut feeling he wasn't going to hurt her. She had recognised the man in front of her as the same man she had run into just before passing out.

"Alpha!" Lucas burst through the doors panting. His sudden intrusion had quickly snapped both Amara and Austin out of their daze and moved their eyes towards him instead.