x
Mia
I stood at the entrance to Kristen's room, preparing a new chart for Ma. It's been a week now since I first got here but these last few days since Kristen woke up has been close to hell.
It's been back to back conversations between the people, who I've come to learn are pack members, and Kristen, about the events that took place. Unfortunately, ever since she'd woken up, she had little to no memory of the encounter. Only figments.
Two days ago, the amount of traffic here had gotten so unbearable for both Kristen and the staff that Ma involuntarily signed me up as a medical assistant slash bodyguard to the girl. My job is simply checking up on her to see if she's well both physically and mentally throughout the day and if there're any signs that she's not, then I get the luxurious privilege of telling the wolves, Peter included, to fuck off.
At first, I complained about the whole endeavor until she semi-persuaded me that it'll be a good exercise in anger management and that I'll be able to make a friend.
Ha ha, very funny Mom.
Though I have to admit, it does give me something to do to take my mind off of the events from last week.
"Mia."
But from time to time, I find myself replaying that night. From Madness suddenly coming out of me like that to the way Merida acted and even when her eyes went from blue to white to a black void. Something was off, yet, I can't figure out what.
"Mia."
I can spend as much time as I want deciphering it but I might have to ask someone eventually.
"Hey, Mia."
Or I can just stop thinking about this and get back to my unpaid job.
"Mia, Goddess are you there?" Kristen's icy tone snaps me out from my rapt thoughts.
"Huh, oh, sorry. You were saying something?"
"Yea, I was trying to call you." She shifted in the bed, her bandages replaced the wires that were in her a few days ago. As well as the markings left by the incident. "If they held auditions for marble statues, I'm sure you'll get the part."
She had soft black hair that usually straight but tussled due to the bandages wrapped around it. Her dark brown eyes stood out against her pale skin that turned golden in the sunlight.
Kristen was young but not that young. She never told me her age but I suspected she could be around 18. The lucky thing about pack clinics is that age rarely gets listed. Ma told me it was because a lot of wolves wanted to keep theirs hidden, since a wolf's age could range from 14 all the way until about 400 at least. Didn't believe her until Scott told me he worked as a medic in Crimean War.
A fact that I'm still trying to process.
From what she told me, she'd been changed a few years ago by her ex who had a short temper. Sadly, it was only after she'd first turned that she'd realized why.
About a year ago, she managed to hitch a ride from Omaha up here with a few others who'd joined.
Despite the injuries she'd sustained, Kristen healed pretty quickly. The only things left on her slim body were a few bruises here and there, the triangular markings that don't seem to be disappearing as they should, and a few fading lines curtesy of her surgery.
"Yea, yea." I mocked laughed. "What did you need?"
"A hug." I rolled my eyes at her.
Walking to the bed, I lifted a hand and plucked her on the head causing her to wince.
"Meanie. But seriously, what's up with you. Is my chart that bad?" she asked.
Shaking my head, I set the chart down and sat at one of the chairs beside her. It was about noon now so the clinic had a slight break with the guests while everyone ate lunch. I decide now is probably the best time for us to have a proper conversation.
"Kristen, could I ask you something?"
"Yea, what's up."
"Was there ever a time where your wolf did something strange?"
She tilted her head slightly. "Strange, how?”
"Like, I don't know. Responded to someone in a way they shouldn't."
"You're gonna have to elaborate for me, girl, cause I have no idea." she joked.
I sighed replaying the events back with minor detail. Her eyes widen slightly but then her face went neutral.
"Well, that's strange for sure. It sounds like a mate bond."
"What's that?" I cocked an eyebrow in confusion.
"Seriously, you don't know what a mate bond is? Or even mates?" She asked shocked.
I shook my head honestly. I didn't need to explain since she and the rest of the pack knew by now that I lived by myself or was "rogue" as they call it, for the last four years.
"I, well, it's like when you and that other person are together, bound together. And there's nothing anyone can do to break it. Your wolves are tied to one another and they want to be together, like all the time. And I guess the human just follows." She stumbles to explain it but the more she does, the less I get it.
"That sounds horrible." I reply.
"I mean, when you put it like that, yea. But a mate bond is beautiful. You're connected to a person, devoted, and attached to them and vice versa. There's just something special about that connection, you know."
"Do you have a mate?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "I thought I did," she says, and I know she's referring to her ex. "but I know they're out there. Searching. I can feel it."
"But Merida's my sister. Can someone be both a mate and a relative?" I think back to the scene. I didn't feel anything when Merida was close to me. But then again I have no idea what a mate bond is suppose to feel like.
"I mean, if you're relatives then it's impossible to be mates. Like absolutely impossible. Like 'there's no weird miracle of a chance that it'll happen' impossible." She exaggerates.
"Okay, okay, I get it." I laugh.
She smiles. "But seriously, I don't know why but when it comes to relatives, the mate bond won't appear between them. It's actually quite the opposite."
I nod with a newfound revelation. Okay, well that settles that. Merida isn't my mate and I'm just thinking too much into a sisterly gesture.
"Speaking of, what's up with you and the Alpha?" She asks suddenly.
I look up at her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean why do you not refer to him by his title?"
Madness stirs but otherwise remains settled. Standing with a sudden itch to move, I shrug.
"I just don't see Peter as my Alpha nor my father for that matter."
She stares at me in shock, mouth agape. "Girl, seriously, you're something special, you know that."
"I don't get what you mean." I say as I move to the door.
"What I mean," she emphasizes each word, "is that if anyone else said that, or even acted like that towards an Alpha, their lungs would be crushed solely from the power an Alpha holds alone. And yet here you are. Just. Standing."
Reaching the door, I look back into the room. "Maybe an Alpha isn't as powerful as you think."
"Or maybe you're more powerful than you realize." she scoffs. "An Alpha's power is linked to their age and some can live up to about three hundred."
"Who knows." I say walking out. I hear her mutter something about me being a bit crazy but I only laugh at the statement.
Shockingly, living with an insane beast inside of you for four years is bound to drive a person a little crazy. Especially, living under the roof of the man who caused it.
ns 15.158.61.12da2
