Chapter 104

Ivonne's POV

"Of course she got burnt there was a fire and—-" I paused as her words settled in my mind. "She got what?"

"Burnt, I think," Lora repeated, her hand with a hint of black stand, scratching the side of her face in thought. "I saw something like that."

"Shit," I muttered in surprise and whirled around to face the kitchen entrance.

"Why the fuck didn't you say something?" Tobias questioned, his face worried as his eyes twitched frantically, his brain clicking on the things to do and not. "Where did she get hurt?"

"On the side of her arm maybe?" Lora murmured the revelation in a question, her mood wary of Tobias's outlook. "Or I could be mistaken, I just--"

Before she could finish, Tobias dashed out of the kitchen, causing her to pause her statement while my eyes widened in surprise and my mouth gaped open at his disappearance.

Lora turned to me, her expression mirroring mine. We gaped at each other for some seconds after which I closed my mouth and blinked back the shock, a small laugh bubbling in my throat at the situation I just witnessed.

"Why don't we get this cleaned up first?" I suggested, exhaling a breath I had no idea I was holding. I felt relief thus I knew Tobias would go ahead and do the needful.

"But what about Martha?" Lora questioned, her brows scrunched up as she peered out of the kitchen door in concern, momentarily forgetting she was holding onto the fire extinguisher. "What if she was really burnt? We should check her out and offer some help."

"Lora," I breathed her name in an exhale, "Tobias and mother are there, they'd help her okay?"

"Are you sure?" She raised a question, still worried. "What about the first aid box? Is it nearby? Does the Alpha know where it is?"

I was surprised to say the least at how frantic she appeared that I had to place my palm on her shoulders and said the words, "Lora, breathe!"

"Breathe!!" I yelled for the second time and her eyes snapped to me. "Do you have a burn phobia?"

"What?" She inquired, breathless, "what did you say?"

"I asked if you have any burn phobia," I exhaled in a breath, and eyed her outlook. "You appear more scared than you should be."

"What is a burn phobia?" She implored, confusion written all over her facial features and I inhaled a deep breath, trying not to loose my cool in frustration.

"Honestly I don't know if it's a thing," I confessed, a frown appearing on my forehead. "However, you are displaying signs for me to think so."

"Signs like what and—"

"Lora?" I called her name for the hundredth time in a question. "Enough with the questions."

"But Luna, I need to know what you are saying, I don't know what a burn phobia is," she started to explain. "Also you said something about the signs so I want to—"

"Signs like frantic eyes," I started to say and dropped my palm from her shoulders. "Signs like sweating out of the blue, signs like high pitched tone, signs like fretting and shivering in fear at the idea of someone's skin getting roasted and—"

"See?" I stopped my explanation to point out as her face scrunched up and she shivered, her eyes shutting for a second. "Like that."

"I'm sorry Luna," she tried to apologize, "I'm sorry I—"

"There is no need to apologize," I declared with a shake of my head. "It's just how fast the switch came that it marveled me."

"So does it mean I have a burn phobia as you said?" She quizzed, her eyes holding worry as a result of what I had just revealed moments ago.

"Like I said," I sighed. "I don't know if it is a thing."

"Okay," She bobbed her head, blinking, as if to dispel the fear in her eyes.

"Do you want to sit this one out?" I asked and her brows lifted in question. "I mean, let me clean this place if you are not up for it while you go sit in the living room."

"In the living room where she probably is?" She asked, her tone one of disbelief. "Where who is?" I implored in wonder, eyes holding curiosity.

"Martha of course," she let out, her voice a bit high pitched as she pointed at the kitchen door. "What if she really got burnt, how will I be sent back there?"

"Oh," I broke out in a laugh and waved my palms in the air. "No I didn't mean it that way, I thought you'd figure it out."

There was a bit of silence as she sent me a questioning glanced and I went ahead to elaborate. "I meant you should sit this one out by either going to the living room or maybe your room, not necessarily in the same space with Martha in the living room."

"Okay Luna," she murmured in understanding and appeared relieved at my utterance.

"So go ahead," I urged her. "You seem shaken up, and probably need a breather."

"But Luna, I—"

"I don't blame you for your reaction Lora," I declared as I observed guilt take over her expression. "It was an involuntary action your body expressed to a certain situation."

"So go ahead and breathe this one out," I advised and sent her a reassuring glimpse. "I totally understand."

Her gaze shifted from my face to the rest of the kitchen, the ashes spread out, the half burnt curtain still hanging from the rail and dripping water from when I bathed it.

I followed her gaze and made a face as I began to notice things I hadn't in the first place. A small plate with what appeared to be egg inside with a whisker beside it, some of the egg hanging on it and spreading over the counter,

The chopping board with onions and cabbages on it while some of them were scattered on the floor and the sink, the knife laying carelessly on the edge of the counter, giving a signal of unplanned abandon and I could guess it was because of the fire.

I noted a white crystal patch on the sink beside a transparent cup like container, the same substance inside. I didn't need to peep further as I discerned it was no doubt the salt.

Turning back to face Lora, I observed her head tilted to the side in a questioning glance. Placing a smile on my face that didn't reach my eyes I said, "I can handle it."

"I'll help you out Luna," she announced and I sent her a stink eye, however her blank outlook told me she wasn't backing down even before she went on to speak. "I am not letting you clean this mess alone."

I gawked at her for some moments and realised she wouldn't budge. "Okay, let's do this then." I declared and whirled to face the mess, inhaling a deep breath and squaring my shoulders for the task ahead.

We dived into action. Washing, wiping, drying, packing, disposing, arranging, sweeping, and mopping. It took a while for us, however we finished in record time.

"Take the extinguisher back to where it's from Lora," I told, hanging the last kitchen towel on the dryer after it was washed.

She bobbed her head in response and picked it up from the floor where I had placed it during our cleaning spree. Giving the kitchen one last sweep with my eyes and beaming in satisfaction, I trailed behind Lora out of the kitchen.

I had no idea what I expected to see, nonetheless it was never the sight of Tobias and Martha seated closely, too closely, their lips about to brush each other if anyone made a careless move.