Chapter 3
“My father said you needed a healer…” She trailed off as she took in the sight of him. “But he didn’t say it was this bad.”
A grim look shadowed Adam’s face and his eyes moved to the ground at his feet, ashamed of his weakness.
“Why don’t we take a look at what is going on?” Ella suggested, trying to break the tension.
Adam gave a curt nod before standing back to let her in. Ella followed him into his house, shutting the door behind her.
“What happened, Adam?” Ella asked, wondering what kind of wound would leave an Alpha so weak.
He lifted his shirt and took off his bandage to reveal three jagged lines oozing grotesquely. Although they had stopped bleeding long ago, they seemed to refuse to close, leaving the wound open to infection. Ella took in a quick breath, gasping at the sight.
“That bad, huh?” Adam asked, trying to smile through his pain.
Ella’s mouth formed a hard line, and she stepped closer to examine him more carefully. Her hands stretched out toward Adam, but she suddenly stopped herself, remembering the last time she had touched his bare chest. She pulled her hand back to her chest, forming a fist in front of her heart.
Adam’s face fell as he noticed her reaction. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Ella,” he told her softly. “I know that I hurt you, and I’m sorry. I just wish I could make up for the pain I put you through.”
Ella looked into his beautiful green eyes, the ones she used to stare into and get lost in. She could see the tenderness had returned; the fire of hatred fizzled out. Ella searched his eyes, trying to see what else she could uncover, but he looked away, no longer able to hold her gaze.
Ella hadn’t noticed, but while staring into his eyes, she had stepped closer. Her hand subconsciously lifted to his chiseled chest. She looked down at her fingers, wishing they’d stop having a mind of their own. Ella moved her hand over to the wound, gently feeling the skin around the gashes.
Adam winced as her fingers touched the tender skin. The area around the scratches had become red and swollen, and a bit of green pus leaked out of the bottom one.
Ella’s thoughts went back to the attack during their mating ceremony. Adam had received a blow to his chest during his fight with Orion. This couldn’t possibly be the same wound.
Ella’s brows furrowed and she looked up at Adam. “When did you get hurt? This wound hardly looks new, but it should have healed ages ago.”
Adam sighed. “I got it the day Orion attacked.”
Ella’s eyes widened and her mouth made a perfect O. “There’s no way...” Ella stuttered, unable to finish her sentence.
She remembered the fight between Adam and Orion like it was yesterday. After leaning over her dead mother, she sat helplessly, tears streaming from her face, but that didn’t stop her from seeing the two fearsome wolves tangled together, fighting tooth and nail to survive.
Even though Adam had been much more agile than Orion’s golden-furred wolf, Orion had gotten a few good strikes in, including a swipe to Adam’s ribcage. Ella remembered crying out as she saw Orion’s grimy claws swipe at her fiancé, blood dripping from the wound. But Adam had not backed down.
Surprisingly, he didn’t falter at all, giving him the chance to get in close enough to sink his sharp, white fangs into Orion’s neck, taking a chunk out as Orion had ripped away.
Ella’s thoughts came back to the present as she noticed Adam staring at her.
Adam looked at her, and by his grim expression, she knew he was telling the truth. Even through all her years as a healer, she had never seen a wound take this long to heal. What could have made the injury so bad? Ella knew that sometimes when a male is rejected by his mate, his health can decline, but she never realized that it could cause a problem so extensive. This is all my fault. He didn’t heal because I left.
Ella stepped back, her hands coming to her face as she comprehended what her actions had caused. Her eyes welled up with tears. I caused this. Bewildered by her reaction, Adam stepped toward her, cautiously, pulling his shirt down with one hand and reaching out for hers with his other.
“What?” he asked as he tenderly held her hand in his. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Ella resisted at first. How could she tell him that she was responsible for him coming so close to death? “It’s my fault you haven’t healed yet.”
“How is it your fault?” Adam asked, thoroughly confused.
“When a werewolf rejects their mate, the other is affected. It usually causes a decline in health, and often the partner spirals into depression,” Ella explained. “When I left you, I rejected our connection, and your wound couldn’t properly heal.”
A look of realization donned on Adam’s face. He dropped Ella’s hand and took a step back, staring at empty space as he tried to wrap his mind around the news.
After a bit of contemplation, Adam looked up at Ella.
“Ella, please let me reclaim you." His words rushed out of his mouth faster than he could even think of them. "Just so I can heal, we don't have to—”
“I-I don’t know, Adam.”
Ella’s eyes darted back and forth as she stared through the floor, trying to think of the implications. He had already hurt her, could she really get back together with him?
Noticing her uncertainty, Adam continued, “We never had our mating ceremony, so it won’t mean anything. Then you can leave if you want to. You won’t ever have to see me again, if that’s what you want.”
Ella shook her head slightly, not sure if she could commit to being claimed by Adam again. “I don’t know if I can, Adam,” she nearly whisperdher eyes downcast.
“I understand, Ella. You don’t have to decide right now. Go ahead and stay with your father while you think it over.”
Adam’s words surprised Ella. She had expected him to push harder. Maybe he really is over me. Her heart dropped a little at the realization that she had secretly hoped he still loved her and wanted to be with her. She nodded in agreement and started toward the door.
Adam made a slight noise, as if to stop her, but changed his mind at the last second, letting her go through the door. He stared at the door after she left, willing her to step back through.