Chapter 4 A Reward

My eyelids fluttered open, and a bright white light blinded my vision. The smell of disinfectant hit me--sharp and sterile. Where am I? My hands gripped the sheet underneath me, not entirely soft but comfy to the feel. My eyes scanned the room, taking in the narrow white beds surrounding me. A hospital? How did I get here? I peered through the walls of mind, trying to remember and then it all came rushing back to me. The car crashing, my broken leg… Greta. A sharp pain pierced through my chest as tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t save her. Greta was gone. Reliving the incident felt like torture, more pain than the aches biting through my bones weakening me. I could almost feel the rogue wolves ripping me apart. How was I still alive? Pushing the thought aside, and trying to make sense of how I’d got here, I stood up from my bed. I winced, gritting my teeth as each movement left a throbbing headache and a burning ache in my muscles. I stood up, the haze swaying me to the side, but I stopped to breathe. I had to get out of here, wherever this was. I had a pack to return to. The room wasn’t spacious. I had to squeeze my way through equipment while trailing my fingertips along the wall, using it to support my weight as I walked out of the room. I creaked open the door, fingers tightly gripping the handle, and to my surprise, there was a crowd of people roaming the lobby. I lowered my head and joined in until I got out through the door. Just when I walked through the door, I felt my eyes set on escaping, I felt a grip on my wrist. Every of my senses blared in alarm as I spun around to see. My eyes locked with the stranger as he pulled me back in through the door I’d managed to escape from. “Where do you think you’re going?” he said with a sharpness to his tone. At first, I didn’t know how to react. I suspected he was one of the rogues, but he didn’t have their scent. He was tall and toned, with brown curls that were slicked back, while some hung loosely around his forehead. I snatched my wrist from his grasp. “And who do you think you are?” He gave me a curious look.“Ronan.” “Well, Ronan, I don’t know who you are,” I cut him off before he could muster another word. “But don’t try to stand between me and the exit.” He heaved and ignored my protest as he dragged me back to the room I’d come out from. “Hey! Let me go!” I barked out, but that didn’t stop him. He shoved me to the bed where I sat down begrudgingly. “You still need rest.” he said. “Not when I don’t even know where I am,” I bit back, trying to measure how fast it would take me to run through the door. He blocked my view, his gaze hard. “You haven't even given me a chance to explain. So relax.” I decided it was better to hear what he had to say, so I obliged. Crossing my arms, I raised my head to meet his gaze. “I’m listening.” “Do you recall anything that might have happened a couple of hours ago?” he asked, as he sat on the chair next to my bed. Yes, I remembered every single moment, but I decided better on telling a stranger about it. “No.” He straightened. Unconvinced. “My alpha, Kael found you unconscious at the borders of our pack, right when rogue wolves were in the middle of tearing you apart.” He paused, as though reading my expression. “You should be thankful. He’s the only reason you still breathe.” Everything finally made sense. So that’s how I got here. Whoever Kael was, I thank the goddess he was able to make it in time to save me. “Thank you,” I said, “But I have to go back to my pack. They need me” “The alpha wants you to wait for him…” “I get he saved me, but I don’t think I can stay here any longer” “And who told you you get to decide?” a low, smooth voice countered mine, cutting in our conversation like a blade. I turned towards the entrance where a man stood. Maera who had been dormant since I regained consciousness suddenly purred, scratching at the walls of my chest. He was the most breathtaking man I had ever seen. With his towering height and muscular frame, he dominated every space of the room. His features were sharp, with striking blue eyes the color of the oceans water surface. Short ebony hair crowned his head, adding to the mysterious look he carried around him. There was something about him that made the air static, his ambience dangerous and intimidating. His words snapped me back to reality as a scowl fell on my face. “And who are you to decide?” I bit back. “He is the Alpha, the one who saved your life,” Ronan replied like I’d asked him. My eyes shifted back to Kael. Kael barely spared Ronan a glance as he took steady steps towards me. “You haven't paid your gratitude and you’re already trying to run.” “It’s not running if nothing’s chasing me,” I bit back, already accepting that I don’t like Kael that much. His gaze was penetrating, trying everything he could to make me uncomfortable, but I showed him I was the least intimidated by him. “Do you always do that?” I asked. He cocked a bushy brow as he grumbled, “What?” “Try to scare anyone you meet?” He drew closer, and with each step he took, Maera grew more frantic inside me. I sent her a warning as I tried to regain my composure. What the hell was wrong with her? I don’t know what the deal was with Kael, but it stirred my wolf in ways she’d never felt before. He got closer until he stood few inches away from, his eyes narrowed as he eyed me with a flicker of irritation. When he spoke, his voice was smooth as honey, dripping down my spine. “Are you scared, Aria?” My eyes widened. “How do you know my name?” “Aria Sinclair,” he proceeded to call my full name, seeing naming me had ticked me off. “How I know your name doesn’t matter. What matters is that you need to pay me for the live I gave you.” I blinked at him, surprised to know how this man had this much arrogance brewing inside him. “Pay you?” my voice dripped in annoyance. “Since when do good samaritans expect a reward?” “For the hassle you caused at my borders, and having me to save you when I had better things to do,” he leaned in close, casting a shadow over me. “I expect a reward.” I would’ve thought he was bluffing, but the stoic expression on his face said otherwise. Heaving an exasperated sigh, I glared at him through my lashes. “Fine. If it’s money you need so desperately,” I flashed him a mocking smile, ”You could’ve just said so.” His nostrils flared, and I realized I’d hit a nerve. He leaned in and suddenly shot his hand forward, grasping my cheek. Shock surged through me, but I couldn’t deny the rush of heat that settled in my gut. Maera’s growl sounded echoed through my mind. Aggressive and Possessive. ‘Mate!’ My heart hammered hard against my chest, as shock took a hold of me. It can’t be. But I felt it deep in my bones, the sensation rattling my nerves. Of all people, it just had to be…him. “You’d better watch your mouth. I don’t let people who disrespect me live,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous, sending a threat. My eyes widened, didn’t he feel the bond too? But my wolf couldn’t connect with his, her frustration heightening as she clawed at my chest. I composed myself and shot him a dirty glare. “I’m not afraid of you,” I bit out and snapped my face out of his grasp. He trailed his fingers along my hair, but I pulled away quickly. For some reason, a longing pooled in my gut. I needed to feel his touch again. I immediately snapped out of it. Ronan watched our crude exchange, as if eager to see what would happen next. “You should be,” was all Kael said before taking few steps back, giving me enough space to breath properly. Where his skin touched mine still burned, like the heat of flames licking at my skin. He shoved his hands into his pocket, his demeanor calmer. “I want to make you an offer. You seem strong-willed and… stubborn. Just the perfect fit.” My brows furrowed. “Perfect fit for what?” Something flickered briefly through his eyes, and I caught on it. Amusement. “To be my Luna.”