ARIA’S POV:
All night, I laid in the infirmary pondering on Ragner’s question.
Sometimes, I paused to ask myself why I was so invested in Ella–a girl I had just met, but then the answer was the same all the time and quite obvious.
I was that girl who had to suffer consequences for my father’s actions.
I had to fight battles I didn’t create and ending up said a lot about how my fight was going, but at least at the early stage of my life, I had it all.
Ella was too young to be fighting for her father’s mistake.
It was even more unfair that it was costing her life.
She deserved a full life and every time I thought about it, tears trickled down my eyes.
“Good morning, Lu…” I lifted my hand and stopped the physician before he got the chance to finish.
“I’m feeling better this morning, you have to discharge me,” I said authoritatively.
“I’d like to take your word for it, Lu…”
”Don’t call me that,” I interrupted again.
Clearly, he didn’t pick the meaning behind my interruption the first time.
“I’d like to take your word for it, ma’am, but unfortunately, I would be the judge of that,” he checked my arm.
“It’s two days to the wedding, can I be ready by then?” I probed,
The physician observed my hand and then shook his head.
“Except by some miracle you become a stronger wolf overnight. You need at least a week.”
Disappointment hit me, but I quickly absorbed it.
“That’s okay.
I can get a dress with a cape that perfectly hides the cast.”
”Lu…” he cleared his throat.
This time, he didn’t need an interruption.
“Madam Aria, you can’t…”
The door was pushed open by Ragner and Draven followed behind him.
“How is she doing this morning?” Ragner asked the physician.
“I’d say better, except she’s worried about the wedding,”
”Did I not ask you not to think about that?” Draven stood by the left side of my bed with Ragner beside him.
The physician was on my right.
I was literally surrounded.
“Invitations have been sent out and the wedding will happen,” I said, “I’ll wear a cape dress that perfectly hides the cast.”
”Why are you so obsessed about the wedding?” Draven yelled, terrifying everyone in the room, including myself.
The reason I was so obsessed was because I didn’t want to have any reason to stay a day after the one year contract had expired.
All of these felt like a way to keep me longer than I should stay.
The silence that followed immediately called Draven to order.
He signaled for the physician and Ragner to leave the room.
“You want to tell me what is going on?” He asked, as soon as the door closed behind them.
“I don’t want to have a reason to stay here, one second after the one year contract,” I said, avoiding his gaze like a plague.
“I read the contract.
It stated that it has to be a year, attested by witnesses from the pack.
It means there’s no contract until the pack says so, because we’re doing it for them.”
”All of this is for the public eye.
I’ve been here for over a week and now that’s unaccounted for.” I concluded.
I saw his heart break through his eyes.
Silence followed.
“Very well then,” he responded, “the wedding is in two days, and for the days you’ve spent, I will count it for you. You can leave immediately, when it hits a year, not a second after.”
I was supposed to be rejoicing.
I had gotten what I wanted, but my heart was in little shards.
His tone and body language yelled a depression that immediately pulled me down too.
“Anything else?” He probed.
I couldn’t speak.
My lips felt heavy.
I shook my head and looked away.
“Very well then,” he walked to the exit, “glad to see you’re better.” He turned the knob and walked out, calmly closing the door behind him.
“The physician came up with a brilliant idea!” I heard Ragner’s voice from the other side of the door. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“You don’t have to be intimate with her to strengthen her wolf, you can heal her.” An excitement accompanied Ragner’s voice, like they had cracked a tough code.
Draven was quiet.
I walked to the door and leaned closely to get the rest of the conversation.
“She doesn’t have to wear a cape dress,” the physician added.
His voice was as high-pitched as Ragner’s.
It was only a confirmation that Draven was not receiving their news in the good spirits they were giving it out.
“I won’t do it,” I heard Draven’s cold voice and then his footsteps followed.
The silence was loud.
I rushed back to the bed, before Ragner and the physician could walk back in.
“Like I said, it would take a week, but you’re free to leave the infirmary now,” the physician packed up and left.
His face and body movement did not conceal his disappointment.
Ragner stayed.
He managed to help me pack up and then led me out of the room.
“I was eavesdropping.” I confessed.
Ragner did not look surprised.
He wore the same disappointed look the physician wore.
“You should rest,” he said.
We were just arriving at the stairs that led to my room.
I ascended the stairs in silence with Ragner following behind me.
I stood at the door, afraid to go in.
Chances were high that Draven was on the other side of that door and I was not ready to face him.
Given the parameters, I decided on something drastic.
“What are you doing?” Ragner asked.