Chapter Ten

Jasmine’s POV

I woke up to the feeling of the Sun in my face.

Knowing not to open my eyes immediately, I gradually blinked them open and turned my head away from the glare of the Sun rays shining through my open window.

I looked around at the familiar sight of my room, wondering how I had gotten there for a moment before the memories of the previous day began to flood through my head.

I remembered everything.

Up until I had lost consciousness in scary Alpha’s study.

I remembered even the dream I had about him.

I had dreamt that he had been in my room and had somehow apologized about hurting me. I remembered how guilty he had looked in my dream and how he couldn’t look right at me.

That was what made me sure that it was a dream.

His entire being radiated power and confidence.

There was no way he had felt guilt and had come to make sure I was okay.

That reminded me of something else.

Compared to the pain I had been in yesterday, I surprisingly felt good.

I looked to my left arm to see that it was in a sort of sling and my burned hand was surprisingly without a scar or redness, almost as if nothing had happened to it.

The only indication that I had been in pain was the full throbbing of my shoulder and the back of my head.

My mind went straight to Nana.

She was surely the reason I felt a lot better and even if I could not trust what she was, I knew I could trust her to not harm me.

Besides, I was grateful to not have woken up in pain.

Not wanting to push my luck, I got up slowly from my bed and made my way to the wash room to clean up.

Afterwards I came back into the room and was struggling to put on a dress with one hand when my room door was carefully opened and Lena walked in.

Upon seeing me, she froze for a moment before rushing to throw her hands around me in a hug.

I hissed immediately, not exactly from pain but to remind her of the sling holding my left arm in place.

“Oh”, she said upon realizing and proceeded to hug me anyway, though more careful this time.

She pulled away and gave me a look over before firing her questions.

“Are you okay?” She asked first. “Does your arm still hurt?”, she continued, inspecting each place for herself as she asked, as if not trusting me to be completely truthful with the answers. “How about your hand? Does it still hurt?” She asked as she continued her inspection.

I let her fuss over me. Partly because I did not have it in me to try and stop her and also because it warmed my heart to finally have someone who could worry over me.

After she was convinced that I was not in any more pain, she sat beside me on the bed and began to help me with putting on my dress.

“Yesterday was absolutely horrible”, she told me as she helped me. “With you getting hurt, Nana being so angry with Regan, Regan nearly hurting Nana and then disappearing for the rest of the night, I never want a repeat of it”. She said firmly.

I froze before turning to face her slowly.

“What do you mean Alpha Regan nearly hurt Nana?” I asked, not believing the absurd notion.

“It’s true”, she said. “I would never have believed it had it not happened right in front of me”, she told me, worry taking over her face. “I have never seen him act that way with Nana. He looked so angry and his eyes were so red”, she said shivering at the memory. “I was really scared”, she confided. “And then he disappeared since then. He didn’t come for supper and we haven’t seen him for breakfast either. Luke says he has ordered that we all stay away from him for a while but Nana won’t hear any of it. She went to his room this morning but he wasn’t there, and when she went to his study to see him, the guards wouldn’t let her in”, she told me, her eyes brimming with worry.

“I’m sure there is nothing to worry about”, I said, trying to comfort her.

“You don’t understand, Jasmine”, she told me. “I have never seen him like that”, she said. “It was almost as if…”she was saying and trailed off.

“As if what?” I pressed, curious to know.

She brought her eyes to mine, and I could finally see the fear behind the worry.

“As if he was loosing control”, she said almost whispering. “I don’t how much you know of our pack, but the Midnight Wolves are one of the strongest packs in the East. And it’s all because of Regan -or rather- his wolf, Rage”, she told me. “You’ve seen the way he is feared. It’s not just because he is a powerful Alpha, it is also because his wolf is the strongest and most dangerous in the East. And that is why we are a strong pack”.

She stood up to move towards the window.

“Regan has always had control over his wolf”, she said looking out. “If he is loosing control of Rage, I am scared of what it would mean, not just for our pack but for the innocent packs out there”.

I rose from my bed and made my way to where she stood, putting a comforting arm around her as she always did to me.

“I am sure it is not so bad”, I told her.

She turned to me and gave a sad smile.

“You have never seen Rage, have you?” She asked and I shook my head slowly. “I pray you will never have to”, she said. “He is the most terrifying wolf I have ever seen”.

I gave her a small smile of encouragement.

“Everything will be fine”, I said with a confidence I did not feel. “You will see”.

She returned my smile with a somewhat sad one before gently pulling me away from the window.

“Let’s get you ready so we can go downstairs for your breakfast”, she told me.

“Nana did not want anyone to disturb your rest since your fever finally broke”, she told me.

“ I had a fever?” I asked as we sat on my bed and resumed what we were doing.

“A small one”, she confirmed. “But Nana said you needed rest and that you would rest better in your bed since you were familiar with it. That was why we brought you back here last night”, she told me.

“I hope Nana is not angry at the trouble I must have caused yesterday?”, I asked nervously.

“Angry at you?” Lena asked and scoffed as if the thought alone was too ridiculous. “Of course not”, she said. “If there is anyone she is angry at them it is certainly Regan”, she added. “She is furious that he is avoiding her. Although, if you ask me, I would say she is just very worried about him and she is frustrated that she cannot see for herself that he is okay”.

When we had finally succeeded in putting me in a dress and combing through my hair, we made our way downstairs to a small dining room for me to have breakfast while Lena kept me company.

Afterwards, we made our way to the healing house to show Nana that I was awake and well.

After she had been assured that I was well, she sent us on our way after giving me something to drink for my throbbing head and shoulder.

I didn’t ask what it was but thanked her as she shooed us away to take a walk to help clear my head and help me feel better.

Lena led the way as we walked arm in arm around the pack.

She led us towards the training field where, even from the distance, we saw warriors training.

As we got nearer, we were greeted with the ‘delicious’ sight of warriors fighting both in their wolf forms and human forms - Lena’s word, not mine.

Somehow, from among the numerous, intense movements of bodies, I spotted the scary Alpha.

He was sparing alongside Luke with what looked to be knives from the distance.

I suddenly wished I had a wolf so that I could have enhanced sight to better see them.

As if reading my mind, Lena pulled on our linked arms to lead us around the field to stand at a distance that afforded a better view of Luke and the scary Alpha as they trained.

I didn’t know much about fighting but still, I could tell how powerful they both were by their movements.

While the scary Alpha was strong and deadly with his hits, Luke was fast and quick on his feet with his attacks.

They made quite a picture of strength and wit.

Even though we were not the only ones watching - there were several werewolves, warriors and even she-wolves who stood to the side watching - as soon as I unconsciously began to trace the muscles on his shirtless torso as he moved, I saw him suddenly tense as if feeling my gaze.

I dismissed the ridiculous thought that he must have somehow felt my gaze despite the fact that a lot of people were watching as well and continued to admire his body as he moved.

I had never done anything so shameless before and truly didn’t understand the reason why it was him my eyes were lingering on rather than Luke who was my savior.

His once smooth movements had started to become stiff and tense and Luke must have noticed this because he took advantage of it immediately and landed a quick blow that sliced through the back of scary Alpha’s knees, causing him to fall. He delivered a quick kick to the side of his face to bring him down before kneeling over him with his knife to his throat.

I gasped at how fast it had all happened as well as at the sight of the blood that spilled from the cut to his knees.

Even though we were not so close, we were close enough to hear Luke when he spoke.

“What has you so distracted that you didn’t see that coming?” He asked as he withdrew his knife and stood to his feet to bring a hand to assist his Alpha.

His Alpha took his offered arm and stood to his feet, wincing slightly at the pain from the cut behind his knees no doubt.

I expected him to turn his glare to his friend.

What I did not expect however, was that he would turn that glare to shoot right at me, causing me to freeze in surprise.

Still glaring at me, I watched his eyes quickly look over my body and come to rest on on my arm in a sling.

The heat of his glare reduced at the sight and he brought his eyes back to my face.

Luke, obviously following his gaze when he did not respond, turned to look at us and on seeing me, his face broke into a teasing smile.

“Well, if it isn’t the peach that bruises easily and her red haired friend”, he teased and began making his way towards us.

Rather than following his friend, scary Alpha remained where he was, maintaining his glare.

“How do you feel?” Luke asked as he came to a stop before us.

“Better”, I simply said, unable to stop looking at the man behind him.

“You caused quite a bit of trouble with your last stunt”, he said. “I would advise that you make yourself scarce for a while”, he advised and turned to Lena. “You as well”, he said.

“It is good that I have never taken any advice you have felt the need to give then”, Lena said with a scoff.

“I mean it, Lena” he said. “This is no joke”, he said, the teasing glint leaving his eyes.

Before she could respond, I noticed that scary Alpha was making his way in the opposite direction from us which led to the woods.

“Where is he going?” I blurted out my thought.

Luke turned to see what I was referring to.

“A much needed run”, he said cryptically and walked away from us towards the direction of the house.

I turned back to watch as he disappeared from sight into the woods and had to resist the urge to go after him as Lena pulled me to follow after her cousin.