Chapter 85 SCARED TO KNOW
Adam's POV)
Kael woke me up with a kiss. A slow, careful kiss pressed to my lips instead of a sweet one that would have turned to a good make out session. I prefer a make–out.
“Morning, baby,” he murmured.
I groaned and turned my face into the pillow. “Five more minutes.”
He kissed my temple. “No.”
“My body disagrees.”
“My authority overrides,” he said calmly.
I cracked one eye open. “Did you just Alpha me awake?”
“Yes.”
“That’s abuse.”
He smiled and kissed me again. “Get up.”
I sighed and finally pushed myself upright. The moment my feet touched the floor, Kael’s hands were already there, steadying me like I was made of glass.
“I can walk,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“I know.”
“You don’t need to hold me.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you holding me?”
“Because I want to.”
I didn’t argue that one. I shuffled toward the bathroom, yawning, when Kael suddenly blocked the doorway.
“I’ll bathe you,” he said.
“No.”
“Baby.”
“No,” I repeated, firmer. “I can bathe myself.”
He frowned. “You might slip.”
“I’ve been bathing myself my whole life.”
“You might faint.”
“I didn’t faint yesterday.”
“You might today.”
I stared at him. He stared back, stubborn and serious.
“Kael,” I said slowly, “I am not helpless.”
He exhaled, then suddenly stepped closer, voice lower. “Then let me come with you. I won’t touch. I’ll just… be there. Please. I can’t risk you slipping, or suddenly blacking out and hitting your head.”
I can tell every word he just said came from a very honestly scared place. He's afraid. And I get him because I am scared too. But I don't want to dwell on it.
I sighed. “Fine. But you stand there like a statue.”
“I can do that.”
He absolutely did not do that. He hovered. The entire time. Like a very large, very anxious shadow.
After we were done, he walked me back to bed and disappeared for a moment. When he returned, breakfast was in his hands.
The bitter soup. Again.
And fish. Again.
I stared at the tray. “You know,” I said, “I was hoping today the soup would magically stop being bitter.”
“It won’t,” Kael replied.
“I had a dream it tasted sweet.”
“That was a lie your mind told you.”
I picked up the spoon and sniffed it suspiciously. “I still hate it.”
“You hated it yesterday too,” he said patiently. “But you managed to eat it.”
“Because you stared at me like I committed a crime.”
“I will do it again.”
I groaned. “You enjoy my suffering.”
“I enjoy you being alive and healthy and beautiful.”
I took a sip and immediately made a face. “Why does medicine always taste so fucking bitter?”
Kael leaned on the table. “You don’t have to finish it fast.”
I took another spoonful, whining quietly between sips, but I finished it. The fish helped.
When I was done, Kael stood. “I need to step out.”
“Where?”
“I want to oversee the preparation of the space the seamstress will use,” he said. “I want to make sure it’s safe for my mate.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No.”
I blinked. “Why not?”
“I don’t want to stress you.”
“Walking is not stress,” I said. “It’s exercise.”
He frowned. “I didn’t follow. What did you say?”
“You can’t keep me lazying in bed all day, every day.”
“I’ll take you on a walk later,” he said. “The sun is up now.”
“The sun won’t kill me. I’m not a vampire.”
“So you know about vampires but not about werewolves?” he asked.
“Vampires are famous,” I said. “They’re gothic in a rich way.”
“What?”
“I’m not sure what aesthetic your people fit in.”
He gasped, almost dramatically. “What?”
“I mean,” I continued, “aside from being able to shape-shift into a cool huge werewolf and an even cooler wolf, what else is there—”
“I’ll show you,” he cut in. “Just wait.”
“Oh, I’m waiting,” I said. “But for now let me go outside with you. I can’t stay in here doing nothing. If I keep talking to myself I might develop some kind of mental problem.”
He stared at me, long enough to make me shy…
Then his expression softened completely. “You’re so beautiful and cute and lovely. I like when you argue with me.”
I laughed. “Is my cuteness enough to get me a ticket outside with the handsome Alpha?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “This Alpha is honored to have you by his side.”
He helped me up, slow and careful, and we stepped outside together.
The air felt good. So fresh.
As we crossed the hall toward the other side of the pack house, I saw Sara.
She was kneeling in the garden, fingers stained green, carefully picking leaves.
And suddenly everything she said, everything she claimed, came crashing back.
My mother.
Her son.
Archie.
My chest tightened.
If she really was my mother… I didn’t know how to feel. I didn’t even know how to think about it. She said her son had powers. I don’t have powers. I can barely process the fact that werewolves exist. My brain was human. Very human. This was all too much.
But as I watched her, quiet and focused, pity crept inside my chest.
She looked lonely.
I squeezed Kael’s hand. “Can you go on alone? I want to talk to Sara.”
He turned to me immediately. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I just want to talk.”
He hesitated, then nodded. “I won’t be long. Stay within this quarter. Don’t go anywhere with her. Go back inside if you feel dizzy.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m not a baby. Even if you call me baby.”
He kissed my forehead and walked away, glancing back more than once.
I took a deep breath and approached her.
“Good morning,” I said.
She turned and smiled. “Good morning, Archie.”
“You’re picking herbs?” I asked, because my brain had gone blank.
“Yes,” she replied. “I have some injuries that need medicine. Thankfully this pack house is rich with important herbs. Even rare ones.”
I nodded. “How’s your stay so far? Hope no one is being rude to you?”
“I like it here,” she said. “There is an abundance of food and everything. Especially these herbs. The tea here is very good. No one is rude.”
Wow, I’ve been here longer and don’t that good of a review.
“That’s great,” I said. “I was worried you’d be lonely or bored.”
“I am lonely,” she said softly. “Without you, I’ll always be lonely and miserable.”
My chest hurt. “Do you still believe I’m your son?”
“I don’t believe,” she said. “I know. Archie, if I lost my sight I would still recognize you. It’s sad you now only see me as an insane woman, but I’m glad you’re safe now.”
“I don’t think you’re insane,” I said quickly. “I just— this is hard for me. I don’t remember ever having a biological mother, and I don't know how I feel about the possibility of having one. I'm sorry if it's insensitive or not very empathetic of me.”
“I understand,” she said. “And I'm satisfied with just knowing you're fine. You don’t need to accept me.”
“Even if I was Archie once,” I said, voice quiet, “I’m Adam now. My life is… like a weird inconsistent tale. Kael is the only solid thing I have, and I'm hoping against hope for him not to disappear even if I somehow end up in yet another reality.”
She watched me with tears in her eyes.
I swallowed. “But maybe I should
be more open-minded. Can you tell me about Archie? What he was like.”
Her lips trembled.
“Yes,” she said. “I can tell you about him.”
And my heart started racing, because I didn’t know if I was ready to hear it.