Cinders [Completed]

Chapter 33: Training

On his way out, Cooper stops in the doorway, his hand resting on the wall.

"One other thing," he says. I brace myself.

"When you first came in, you were going to die," he continues, simple conviction in his voice. "I told Orion to mark you."

When I think back to the day I spent in the med wing, I only catch splotches of conscious thought. I definitely don't remember that.

"You did?"

Cooper takes a breath.

"Practically everyone that knew you were his mate said the same thing. He's the most powerful alpha on the planet. We thought his mark would - fix you."

Fix me. I run my hand across my scarred knuckles.

"Would it?" My voice is quiet. It takes Cooper so long to respond I wonder if he could even hear me.

"I don't know," he confesses eventually. "I don't know enough about stunted wolves. I don't know if anyone knows enough about stunted wolves. I think it would make you heal faster. But there's a chance that it would even undo your stunting. I was thinking - if I could get my leg back, I would. I thought you might want something back, too."

"Why hasn't Orion said anything?"

"You - " Cooper pauses, looking for the right word - "you dazzle him. I've never seen him like this before. He didn't want to pressure you. And, besides, he's worried. I assume you know about his curse theory?"

I nod. Cooper rolls his eyes.

"He's worried that his mark will do more harm than good."

Something beats in the space next to my heart. Goddess, it had been so long since I thought I could be fixed.

"Anyway, that's really not my business," Cooper finishes. "But I'll see you tomorrow morning at the track."

With that, he leaves.

-

They bring my clothes that night.

There's - a lot of them.

Like, more clothes than I've owned in my entire life.

They seem too fancy. The fabrics are thick and structured or silken and lighter than air. Colors, patterns, shapes all filling my closet. I pick up one brown shirt and just look at it, trying to decide if I like it or not. I haven't really developed a fashion taste, but I feel like I should know if I want to wear something. I sigh. I need Lucy.

The next morning, as I'm getting ready to go train with Cooper, I stare at the rows of clothes that finally fill up a significant chunk of the massive closet. It takes a half hour - mostly because I spend twenty minutes just gawking at the wardrobe - but then I find what looks like workout clothes (?) and quickly get dressed.

We had worked out the details last night. Orion would come to my room at 5 and take me to the tracks for my first training session. I was equally glad and horrified that he would be there. I'm veering more towards horrified, though, as I think about myself, struggling through any physical activity, sweating, and probably tripping over my feet. Goddess, maybe he won't be able to make it?

But then he knocks on my door, right on time.

"Good morning," Orion says, his smile strangely nervous. "Your hair looks nice. Did you cut it?"

This line is delivered so suddenly that he must have been practicing it. The idea kind of warms my heart. He's flustered and, though I didn't imagine that this word could have anything to do with Orion - it's cute.