Four

CHAPTER 4 – JANE

I curl up on the bed, dragging up the duvet to cover my body.  Vishal gets down and heads into the bathroom. He stays there for half an hour. Sometimes, I hear him cussing. Other times, I hear his fist smashing against the wall. And then, the shower starts running. Then it gets turned off,  but he's still not out.

Tears roll down my eyes and I quickly wipe them off. I wasn't sure why my heart was feeling rather heavy.

Maybe it is the awful change of mood when I told him I saw Richard's reflection. Vishal paled instantly. And that was the end of our little fun. I didn't get my release, he still has a boner, but he didn't seem to give a fuck about that.

Something about what I told him is eating at him and I'm not sure what.

Just then, the bathroom door opens and he walks out. He goes to the closet and picks an outfit. He stands in front of the vanity mirror and runs a comb through his brown hair.

He's watching me through the mirror and our eyes meet. He holds my gaze, and I could be wrong, but there's a tide of uneasiness in his eyes. And I hate it.

My mind runs wild as I think about the possible way to lighten up the suffocating mood. 

I get down from the bed and go to meet him where he's standing.

"Vi," I sigh, hugging him from the back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ruined the mood with my hallucinations of Richard,"

"What if it wasn't?" He replies in a cold tone. My lashes bat in confusion for a second. "What if he really was there?"

"Why – why would you say that?" I'm confused by his reaction right now. Other times, he always brushes off my nightmares and fears of Richard's return. He's never serious about it. Why is he acting differently now?

He turns around to look at me, loosening my grip around his waist. His brows are creased in an agonizing expression. It scares me a little.

"Don't get me wrong, Jane. I'm not trying to get you scared. I'm just being a bit realistic now. Just what if Richard was really who you saw? What if he attacked you there? What then?"

I'm silent for a second. "Are you trying to make me feel guilty for going out with the girls last night?"

"You can't deny that staying home is the best way to stay out of trouble. Can you? You ended up on the street last night. What if something worse happened?"

He walks away from me and heads to the nightstand to grab his wristwatch.

"Really?" I sigh, watching him almost leave the room. "That's gonna be your reaction?"

"What do you want me to say, Jane?" he sighs, glancing at me but his grip is on the doorknob. "At the end of the day, I'm just your mate. Not your god, can't force you to do what you don't wanna do, "

Tears pricked my eyes and I let them down. The one person who should be my comfort is blowing me off. I have all the reasons to cry.

"It's fine. Go. Get out!" I clench out, pointing at the door. He should leave rather than hurt me with his cold reaction.

He takes a step, opening the door, but then he halts and shuts the door.

"There was an intruder last night in the pack," He says, taking slow steps closer to me. "Nikolai, Scott, and I went to check it out,"

"And?" I ask, getting frightened by his story and the fear in his eyes.

"It was a feral werewolf. A male, trained feral werewolf," he waits like he is giving the information time to sink into my head. 

"Was – was it Richard?" My voice broke off as tears clogged my throat.

"No," 

I take in a sharp breath at his reply. "Did he say what he wanted here?"

"No. He chose to die than tell us a thing,"

"Is – is this the first time a feral werewolf came into our pack?" I ask the one question that has been bothering me since yesterday.

He looks away, avoiding my gaze. His fingers run through his hair and he walks past me, going to lean against the wall.

"Vishal?" I turn to him, waiting for an answer.

"No," he finally says. 

I gasp, and tears rush down my eyes unabatedly. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"How could I?!" He snaps in a sudden outburst. "You've been having these sick nightmares and you're becoming a shadow of yourself. I'm supposed to comfort you, not add to your fears. That's why I couldn't tell you…"

"But that's also why you don't let me go out," I added. Now it makes sense to me. Even before leaving with the girls last night, we argued about it. 

"Yes," he nods, "I got to keep you safe, love. And, and if your nightmares are becoming real, then that's even more reason why you should never leave my side. I need to know you're home always, that's the only way I'll be sure you're safe,"

"But I can't always stay home! It'll drive me crazy," 

"You have no choice. It's either that or you fall into the wrong hands and I get to lose you forever. I'm never taking that option, so I'm sorry, but you got no choice," 

He kisses my forehead and storms out of the room, slamming the door shut.

My wobbly knees led me to the bed and I sat on it, trembling from fear.

'You don't have to be so scared, Jane. If Richard shows up, we'll fight him,' My wolf comforts me.

I manage a small smile at her confidence but it doesn't help me chill. There's something about Richard's possible return that scares the shit out of me.

Just then, my phone pings, and I check the text message.

ROSE: Shopping for wedding outfits. You coming?

I text my reply quickly and send it to her.

ME: I'm sorry but I can't. I feel a little sick.

Another ping.

ROSE: Sorry about that. Try to get some rest then. I'll pick up something sexy for you. 

ME: Thanks, Rose. You're an angel.

I crawl into the bed and cover myself with the duvet again. My head touches the pillows but I refuse to close my eyes. I don't want to have another nightmare.

I try to think of something else, but my mind still drifts to Richard and the feral werewolf that invaded our pack. I say a silent prayer for my loved ones. Hiding in here while they're out there isn't comforting. 

"Please keep them safe," I mutter between sobs. Richard never comes directly to me. He goes through my loved ones. And I fear he might do it again if he does show up.