My mind wanders, going over the events of the evening. I don’t expect to relax or fall asleep, so I’m shocked to wake up inthe same spot a few hours later with my legs still halfway off the bed.
I guess the events last night took more out of me than I realized.
When I try to raise myself, everything hurts. My joints scream, and my muscles ache, rippling waves of fiery agony through my body. Bracing against the pain, I force myself to sit up. I know this isn’t just from sleeping in an uncomfortable position. This is the sickness slowly manifesting itself inside me.
It’s different for everyone. Sometimes it comes as the flu. Sometimes muscle shakes and nosebleeds. I guess for me, it’s going to be fatigue and shocking muscle pain.
I grit my teeth together and heave myself up, ignoring the pain as I get up to go to the bathroom and change. I don’t feel better once I’m up and moving, so I just have to ignore the agony rippling through me and keep going.
This is exhausting. Do people with chronic illness feel like this all the time? I can’t imagine a worse hell.
The thought that I might be like this for the rest of my life drifts through my mind, and I shut it down quickly. Once I’m freshened up, I head downstairs to see that it’s still fairly early and Hyacinth isn’t up yet. I go to her door and listen for a moment to confirm she’s still inside, then go back to the kitchen to start breakfast.
I’m serving eggs, bacon, and toast on two plates when I hear her enter the kitchen behind me. For a moment, I keep my back to her, wondering what the hell I’m supposed to say to a woman I just kidnapped.
Good morning! How did you sleep after I literally took you by force and married you without your consent?
“Is that bacon and eggs?” she asks. “I’m absolutely starving—is there any coffee?”
I turn around slowly, half expecting her to be giving me a scathing look, but when I finally see her face, she just looks exhausted and a bit wary of me. I breathe a little sigh of relief as I bring the plates to the table.
“Sure,” I answer. “I’ll go get you a cup.”
She digs into the food, keeping her eyes down as I return with her coffee. For a few minutes, we just eat, and even though I try as hard as I can, I can’t think of a single thing to say to start a conversation.
I just keep coming back to “I kidnapped you. How does that feel?” I sure as hell can’t lead with that.
“So, do we go to your… ah, council or something today?” she asks hesitantly.
“Yes,” I answer. “I’ve already gotten a text from the elders. They’ll be expecting us in a couple of hours.”
She nods, twirling her fork between her fingers. “And what happens then?”
“Well,” I reply, taking a sip of coffee. “Generally, meetings with them are very boring, and things don’t happen quickly. We’ll most likely spend today just updating them on what happened, and no decisions will actually be made.”
“Wait, what?” she asks, fixing her eyes on me in a cold glare. “I thought we were going to get this whole thing undone today. Then I can go back to my life.”
“It’s not that simple,” I reply. “Didn’t you hear Sadie last night? She said if we break the ritual now, it could go badly for all three packs. The council definitely won’t agree to that.”
Her lip trembles, and for a horrible second, I think she’s going to cry.
I don’t know what I’ll do if she breaks down. I can’t stand to see a woman cry.
“I know she said that, but all of you were so worried that I’m not the right person,” she says.
“But we aren’t sure,” I say. “That’s why it’s a delicate situation.”
“How do we find out if I am the right person?” she asks, exasperated. “Can I at least find out that much today?”
“Unlikely,” I reply. “The others will try to train you to see if you have any witch powers. The two of us will have to spend some time together to see if the pack improves.”
She sighs, taking a sip of coffee. “So, why are we going out to your council, then?”
“Basically, so they can yell at me,” I say, shrugging. “I acted against their orders, and it looks like I’ve done more harm than good, so they’ll want to complain in person.”
She shakes her head. “I still can’t believe this. This is a council—a wolf council? Am I going to see werewolves?”
“No,” I chuckle. “Well, technically, yes, but they’ll all be in human form. A lot of us can’t shift now, because of the sickness.”
