In Reach?

Mira’s POV

I walk into my room, and hurry along to the bathroom. I’m rinsing my hand under the running water of the tap, trying to pull out those pieces of glass still stuck.

I hear the door to the room being roughly swung open as it hits the wall behind it. I hear heavy footsteps coming to the bathroom and I look up to the side, through the doorway to see who it is.

Standing before me is a very angry looking Alpha.

What? Is he not done being angry at me?

I look back down to my hand under the running water.

“What the fuck was that down there?!” He shouts through the room.

I bite the inside of my cheeks trying to calm this growing anger in me again.

I close the tap and grab the towel hanging next to the basin.

He stomps into the bathroom.

“I’m talking to you!”

“I can hear you!” I shout back with that evil glare I had downstairs.

I hear him growl. “You will not disrespect me like that again. You are the one that got caught sneaking around the house. Now you’re trying to argue your way out of this.”

Wow he’s back to accusing me, again, based on nothing but suspicion.

“I already told you, I didn’t do anything.” Nothing that they're accusing me of.

“How am I supposed to believe you when everything concerning you doesn’t add up?”

“Me? Me?” I walk closer to him. “What about you?” I point on his chest and shove past him, back into the room.

I hear him following after me and he swings me around by my arm to look back at him.

“What about me?” He says angrily as he’s still gripping my arm.

“You’re the one that doesn’t make sense. Tell me, what am I doing here?”

He looks confused at my question.

“Tell me. Am I your prisoner, your guest,…….your mistress?” I point around to the room as my voice is raising.

He’s silent as he clenches his jaw.

“You keep threatening me and accusing me on whatever the hell is going here. But you and I both know, you can’t lock me up for any of it, because you haven’t found anything solid on me. Have you?”

He’s still quiet.

“But you’re still looking aren’t you. Like you want to find something, to have a reason to keep me locked up here. Well, guess what? You can keep looking all you want. Just be sure to book my ticket back already. Coz I’m not going to pay for it, to pay for the shit you put me through. Just hurry up so I can leave this forsaken place already!”

Ggrh! He growls again, as he shoves my arm back, walking out of the room.

That whole day I avoided everyone. My anger didn’t want to die down, and I think seeing anyone would just elevate it or become my target to take it out on.

Even at night when I wanted to sleep. I couldn’t. My body was heating up, like it was on fire. I was in a sweat. I had to take a cold shower in the middle of the night just to cool my body down. At least the cuts on my hand were already healed by then.

The next morning, everyone seemed like they were avoiding me in return. Not that I care.

It seems Aubrey couldn’t be there. Something about having to help Charlotte and the omegas for the upcoming party.

So now I’m sitting in a room full of people who either hate me or look disappointed in me. Like what the f….?

I’m starting to stress eat now. This appetite of mine is just growing, and I’m getting angry again. Why can’t they serve meat during breakfast?

I wanted to ask Theo if he could take me to Aubrey so I can hang out with her, but I don’t really want to. I’m still pissed at him for being suspicious of me, and they’ll probably just say no. I can tell that Noah won’t want me near her now.

I might as well go to the library and turn this into stress reading. Yes, that’s a thing.

But as I’m sitting in the library, I can’t focus. I’m burning up again and my head feels dizzy. How am I hungry again? It’s not even lunch yet. This is annoying.

I slowly and steadily make my way to the window. I open it wide and poke my head out trying to get the fresh air to cool the sweat on my skin.

“Are you okay?”

I look behind me and see Theo standing there looking concerned.

“Yeah.” I try to keep it short. What reason would he in any case have to care?

“Are you sure? You seem.......restless.”

I huff out annoyed. But when I look at him, I feel bad for my response seeing that concerned expression still there. “I’m fine.”

But I know I’m still a bit dizzy. I feel it the moment I try to walk and find myself swaying a bit. Theo rushes to my side.

“Woah. Are you sure about that?”

I hold onto his arm a bit to stop the room from spinning.

“Yeah. I’m just a little tired. I didn’t sleep much last night. I think I’ll just head back up and get a quick nap.” I look at him, trying to give a quick smile of assurance.

He just nods his head. But I don’t know if I’ll find my way to the room. I think I’ll just nap on the couch here.

I let go of his arm, but he still looks a bit hesitant to let go of my waist. I walk to the couch and lay down. Just putting my head down, I feel the room stop moving and I know I should just stay like this, let my heavy body relax in this spot. In a matter of seconds I can feel my eye lids close and the room going dark.

I wake up, but opening my eyes I’m having a sudden moment of amnesia. I don’t know where I am. I look around a bit. Sitting up I realize, - this isn’t the library; how did I get back to my room?

It’s dark out. How? I look at the clock on the bedside table and see the time. It’s a few minutes to twelve,…….at night? Did I sleep through the whole day?

But that thought is interrupted with my stomach grumbling loudly. Of course. I didn’t eat lunch or dinner. And I can’t go back to sleep now.

I pull the covers off me. I’m still wearing my clothes at least. But they feel a bit damp, like I was sweating in them. I’ll go change, but into something comfy and light. I think there should be an oversized pyjama shirt in the closet. I’ll put that on. But if you ask me, it really just looks like a man’s shirt.

Peeking out my door and into the hallway, I’m starting to get second thoughts again. The last time I was up when everyone was asleep, I was accused and almost attacked by a group of muscly men. I still can’t believe I didn’t back down from that. My tiny ass needs to reel itself in.

But I’m too hungry. I’ll just tip toe down. Walking down the stairs I realize just how happy I am that none of them squeak.

I make my way to the fridge. It’s filled with food, but nothing is piquing my interest. But I smell what I’m looking for. I reach into the back of the fridge, I find a packet of beef strips. Holding it out, I’m biting my lip, knowing that I can’t start cooking now. That’ll definitely wake someone up.

Contemplating the thought, it falls out of my hand and onto the floor. Leaning down to pick it up I notice the cling wrap around it tore a bit and some of the blood is dripping out. But something in me has me biting my lip. I’m tempted to taste it.

I’ve been craving meat for so long now. I mean, I’ve seen their wolves in action as they hunt and attack. They don’t seem bothered biting into flesh. This interest of mine, it must be a wolf thing?

I give a quick look around. No one is here. I bring my finger with some of the dripped blood on it closer to my mouth. I give it a brief lick with the tip of my tongue, but I can’t really make out a taste. I put my finger in my mouth and the taste fills my mouth. I know it, this is the taste of blood. But it’s hitting my taste buds a bit differently. I can taste a bit of saltiness in it, and the iron taste is rich in it.

I’m practically sucking on my finger now, to get a better taste, but it’s gone. I want more.

I look down at the meat and now my mouth is watering. I bite my lip out of hesitation, but I already know what I’m about to do.

I tear the plastic covering off and take a strip. It’s still dripping with blood. I put it in my mouth, and the taste explodes in my mouth. I can’t help but moan, and it almost sounds like a growling groan. I bite into it, and my teeth seem to cut into it easily. I pull at it trying to help break the piece off.

I chew on the bitten off piece in my mouth and the texture makes me want to chew on it more, to get the blood out. I go for another bite.

As I’m eating these bloody strips and enjoying every moment of it, I can feel the blood dripping down my chin and I can see droplets of it on my white oversized shirt.

I’m sitting in front of the open fridge with my ass on the floor, one leg crossed in, and the other stretched out onto the floor.

I’m having the time of my life with these bloody strips. I’m sitting as comfortably as can be, moaning with every bite I take.

“Sweety. What are you doing down here?”

I quickly turn my head to the voice, looking at a very concerned face of Charlotte.

Crap! Someone caught me. Are they going to blame me for something again?

I drop the strip in my hand as she’s nearing me.

“What are you doing?” She asks worriedly as she kneels down in front of me.

This must look weird. Me, sitting on the floor like this.

“Uhm,….I was hungry.” I bite my lower lip from the embarrassment of this. But the taste of the blood has me licking my lip now.

She furrows her brows. “For raw meat?”

I look back down to the meat before me, and back up at her. Why does she look so confused?

I just nod my head.

“Why?”

What does she mean why? It’s meat. Don’t wolves like meat?

“I…..wanted it.” Now I’m sounding unsure. But her worried expression is freaking me out now. “Is it not a wolf thing?”

She tilts her head, like I just asked a weird question. “No sweety. It’s not. Our wolf forms may eat raw meat, but our human taste buds prefer it cooked.” She says with a steady voice.

“It’s not?”

She gently shakes her head.

Oh dear. I can feel my stomach twisting at the thought now. I just ate raw meat and enjoyed every second of it.

I rush past her and lean my head into the dustbin next to the counter, as I vomit the bloody contents from my stomach. I heave a couple more times after most of it’s out, but I feel a hand rubbing my back.

I look up and see Charlotte looking all worried. She’s wiping my hair from my face, and wiping the blood from my chin with a damp cloth. I don’t know what to say. This is worse than just being embarrassed. What is happening with me?

“Oh sweety, you’re burning up.” She says as her other hand is on my forehead.

What is this then? Am I sick? As a dormant wolf I can get sick. Maybe that’s it.

“Let’s have Aiden check you.” She says as she tries to help me up, but my body is too tired to stand.

“No.” I say instantly. I’m sure he doesn’t want to be bothered with me, especially at this time of night.

She looks confused at my sudden response. “He needs to have a look at you. So that we know what’s wrong.”

So something is wrong with me. “I-,… I can see him tomorrow.” But I hope not. “I’m sure it’s just a flue or something.” I try to chuckle saying that. But she doesn’t seem to find it funny. “I don’t want to wake him.”

She sighs heavily and looks up at me apologetically. “I’m sure he won’t mind. He's already on his way.”

He's what? When did she call him? Oh, she probably mind-linked him. But why?

I pull her arm from my face, “I told you, I’m fine.”

But I already hear the foot steps hurriedly coming down the stairs.

I look up and see Aiden standing shirtless in the kitchen looking between me and his mother. But when he focuses on me, he’s eyes widen. It must be the blood on my shirt, or he’s probably annoyed with my presence here at night yet again.

He walks closer to us, but his expression seems more concerned than the angry look I was expecting.

“What happened? Are you okay Mira?” He squats down in front of us looking at Charlotte.

“I think we need to take her to the infirmary. She’s burning up and she just threw up.”

Aiden puts his hand on my forehead and looks at the staining on my shirt.

“Okay, let’s go.” He pulls me up by my arm, but too quick and I’m feeling dizzy again. He looks at me and picks me up into his arms, walking with Charlotte next to him. This swaying in his arms is making me more dizzy and I just try to close my eyes and rest my head into his chest as I try to stop the world from spinning.

“Did she throw up blood?” I hear him say, probably to Charlotte.

“Yes, but…….”

“What is it mom?” He demands gently.

“I found her on the kitchen floor eating raw meat.”

There’s a brief moment of silence, until I hear Charlotte’s voice again.

“She thought it was just a wolf craving? But then she threw it all up afterwards. That’s why her shirt looks like that.”

I feel my body being placed on a bed, and when I open my eyes, I see the two of them talking with each other, I don’t know about what anymore.

I push my body up with my arms, trying to sit up.

“Woah, Mira. Slow down. You need to lie down.” Aiden is next to me again.

I hold his arm back from me. “No it’s fine. I’m fine. I’m sure it’s just the flue. I just need to go back to bed.”

“Mira, lying down won’t help. You were asleep the whole day, practically passed out. Not to mention, you’re burning up and now you’re having weird cravings.”

Uhm okay. If he puts it that way….

“Let me just give you an IV and have you stay here for the night. If it is the flue or something, then the drip should help nourish your system again.” He looks at me adamantly.

I might as well. I’m too exhausted to argue. At least he’s not scolding or accusing me of something.

I just nod my head and lie back down, letting him do his thing.