Chapter 20: Feeding Her

-Rogan-

I understood why Serena didn’t trust me. I wouldn’t have trusted me either if I was in her shoes, but I needed her to see I wasn’t the enemy. Her life kind of depended on it, and so did mine, or at least my sanity did. It was why I had to make sure she was fed too. As her mate, it was my job to make sure she was taken care of in every way.

*She needs a shower too.*

Yeah, she really did.

While I enjoyed her sweet natural scent, it was very clear she needed a shower, but she would have to get that later. Food was more important. We didn’t really come by anyone on our way down to the kitchen, but I knew everyone would know of her presence here soon enough. Word always spread fast among us wolves.

“In here,” I said and pushed the door open to the kitchen.

Serena seemed surprised when we actually arrived in the kitchen, but she still seemed on guard as I placed her by the kitchen island. I made her sit down, and she quickly began to look around.

“What now?” she asked.

I smiled a little as I walked over to the fridge and started to prepare some food for her. I just made her a simple sandwich and grabbed her a bottle of water, before placing it all in front of her.

“That is …”

“Food,” I said.

She looked at me with narrowed eyes, before looking at the food again.

“Is it poisoned?” she asked.

“It wouldn’t really make sense to let you live and come here only to kill you then,” I said.

“Maybe it is part of your master plan,” she said.

“What plan?”

She didn’t answer because she couldn’t even make sense of what she was saying herself. So, instead, she just started to study her food from every side and tried to figure out if I had done something to it. I sighed, shaking my head a little.

“It is just a sandwich,” I said.

“So, you say.”

“You saw me making it,” I said.

“You had your back to me,” she pointed out and looked up at me.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

“Just eat.”

“Is this a pie contest or something?” she asked me, giving me her annoying little attitude. “Am I supposed to eat with my hands behind my back?”

She had a point, and I walked behind her, releasing her hands. She slowly looked over her shoulder, and our eyes locked for a moment. My heart started to beat like crazy, as I looked into her beautiful blue ones, but then she turned away and looked at the food again. It was clear she still didn’t trust it, but she was very hungry, and I knew her stubbornness, in the end, would have to break, so she could finally satisfy her hunger. Hunger was stronger than pride. Always.

“Eat it,” I leaned closer and said.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she said and looked at me again.

I smiled a little, and then took the water bottle, holding it in front of her.

“Drink a little, at least,” I said. “The lid is sealed. So, it is safe.”

She looked hesitant still but finally reached for the bottle, quickly screwing off the lid and hearing the little click that indicated it had not been tampered with. She quickly swallowed the water, and I was almost afraid she might choke on it.

“Slow down,” I said, but she didn’t.

She was too thirsty. She practically drank it all in one go, and it only worried me to see, because it showed me just *how* thirsty she had been. I walked over to the fridge, found another, and placed it in front of her. She placed the empty one down, wiping her mouth with her hand and looking a bit unsure up at me. She probably didn’t like to receive anything from me, but her need to drink and eat was just stronger. She reached for the second bottle but drank this one a little slower, and not all of it in one go.

“I should have taken care of you earlier,” I said, but not really because I was talking to her.

Serena didn’t say anything but was looking at the food now.

“It’s okay,” I said. “You can eat it.”

She didn’t look sure but eventually decided to take a chance. It was not like she could escape or anything. She might as well eat it, and so she did, and it was clear the first bite was heaven for her, because she closed her eyes, and looked so satisfied. It made me feel better than I could describe seeing her so content. It was just the way this mate bond worked. We liked to see the other happy and satisfied. It made us feel good. Serena probably wouldn’t understand that, but as long as I could make her see we weren’t the enemy, then perhaps there was a chance we could both be saved from insanity and death.

“Good?” I asked.

She looked at me but didn’t answer me at first. She just took another bite, before she finally spoke.

“You want something,” she said.

I shook my head, but it wasn’t entirely true. Of course, I wanted something from her. I wanted her to see beyond the brainwashing and tell me more about the hunters, but the food was not a bribe.

“Just want you fed.”

“Liar!”

I sighed.

“Serena, you need the food, and as your mate, it is my duty to make sure you eat.”

“Duty?” she asked.

I nodded.

“It is how we work. Our mate is our first priority and their needs.”

Serena looked at me in a skeptic way, and so I continued to explain:

“We take care of each other, so it is important we meet all their needs.”

She seemed to think it over, as she chewed a little slower, but then she shook her head.

“No, you want something,” she said.

“Yes, I would like for you to believe me.”

“I don’t believe murderers.”

“But that is the thing. We are not killers,” I said.

“You are to me.”

I shook my head.

“It is time you learn that we are not,” I told her.

“And you really think you can trick me by giving me food?” she asked.

I shook my head again.

“It is no trick. I don’t want you to starve to death!” I said harshly. “I need to make sure you are taken care of, and once you are fed, I will let you shower and rest a little.”

“What?”

She looked so damn shocked when I said this that it was almost funny. Had this situation just not been so fucked up, I might have laughed.

“Exactly,” I said. “Tomorrow, I will show you more.”

“More of what?”

“Of my world. Of my people. You will see I want no harm done to you,” I said.

“You expect me to just believe that?” she asked me.

“No, of course not.”

She seemed a little surprised but did not stop eating. She was too hungry.

“I hope by showing you my world, you will change your mind.”

“And if I don’t?” she asked.

“I’m sure you know what happens then.”

“You will kill me?” she asked with a little attitude.

“If I can’t, someone else will,” I told her, seeing her almost look a little surprised. “My people come first. They have to.”

“So, you did lie. Your mate doesn’t actually come first?” she asked.

I sighed, not sure what to say. Of course, I wanted to put my mate first, but *she* was my mate, and that was the problem. So instead, I didn’t answer, and just let her eat her food before I brought her back to my room.

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