Vague

WAYNE’S POV

            I awakened to the harsh toll of an iron bell going through my ears and raking into my head to spark a vibration. I flustered my eyes open to see the blurred sight, which gradually cleared into the view of a dark, starless sky before my face.

 

             It was an early morning, I could tell, yet I felt dizzy, not excepting that my head banged like a dozen boxers punched away at it. I felt so misplaced and uncomfortable, and somehow, it seemed like I had a heavy weight upon me.

 

            I tried to remember the events of the day before, but even the memories of how I particularly got to this place had completely evaded me, except that now I could recall how I practiced with Phyllis and had to stay outside the rest of the day, drunk to stupor. Regrettably, the last moment I could recollect was when Phyllis had quickly left my sight due to an emergency. The rest of activities after that appeared… distorted.

 

            I racked my head to remember more of the things that happened, but all my efforts ended up vague and only resulted in a migraine. Nonetheless, the heavy weight on my torso got me wondering and I tried sitting up, only to be pressed down by whoever laid on me. I had to crane my neck to look down at my body, my hand reaching down to tilt up the head of the sleeping person.

 

            She jerked awake and sprang up to a sitting position. The mildness of her facial features, her ink-black tousled hair and the sudden frightened look on her face as she tenderly looked at me told me that she was no other person than my Mate, Elspeth. However, there was more to all that was currently going on.

 

            Elspeth was unclad and there was a flash of agitation in her eyes. She immediately shuffled quite far from me as she grabbed her dress, which was by her side, and cloaked it upon her body. My brows creased as I regarded her with scrutiny, my lips parting in wonder.

 

             I needed no one to tell me that something must have gone on when I seemed out of the world because sure my body felt too drained and now that the wind blew, I realized my member was out to the world.

 

            I panicked and frenziedly stood up, ignoring the pounding in my head. I shoved my boy into my pants and my eyes zeroed in on Elspeth once again. She shifted uncomfortably in her position as fright invaded her eyes, “I... I . . . I am,” she stuttered as she probably tried to explain herself.



            My hands wandered to zip up my fly as confusion raked through my head. Everything seemed to be a mess and what made it worse was the fact that Elspeth kept moving with unease. This time, she stood up to wear her dress and I looked away, the steady pounding in my head causing me to shut my eyes for a moment. It was becoming unbearable, my body felt so weak, and so were my bones, not excepting that I felt light prickles on my skin.

 

            I struggled to get on my feet and after staggering more than twice, I finally found my footing. I turned to Elspeth. I could not see her clearly in the dark and I did not want to activate my super sight either, but I could see the way her eyes glistened despite the darkness as she stared at me. I hawkeyed her countenance to see that the glistening seemed to spread to the lower parts of her face; now what, was that tears?

 

            “You really do not remember all we shared yesterday, do you?” Elspeth blurted, her voice sounding upset, it stung my heart. “Do you not recall the sessions we had? You asked me if I was ready to complete the mating process and I said aye. How could you forget all that?” I could not take the hurt in Elspeth’s voice, she was still able to maintain her calm composure, but that did not still cloak the chilly feeling her tone instilled in me.

 

             My shoulders fell as I gawked at her stooping figure; she was obviously trying to stop herself from bursting out in tears, as I could clearly hear the way she shivered with… anger, pain, or fright?

 

            Honestly, I was not just exaggerating that I knew nothing. I actually could not recall all that had happened since. Crap, I had hurt my mate and it was so bad. My two hands surged forth as if trying to reach for Elspeth, but maybe her sniffs were what stuck my feet to the ground and restricted me from moving.

 

            “I am…” Elspeth trailed off when I tried to walk closer to her. She stepped back, “I am sorry,” she whispered and my brows puckered. I did not get why she apologized, but I could see the pain swirling in those orbs of hers as her gaze lingered on me before she turned away and strode out of my presence. I heard her sniff as she began to run, and then came her outburst of tears. I was too shocked to stop her; call her back. I did not realize that I had my mouth parted wide open as I blankly stared at the space that Elspeth just left.

 

            I heard slow incoming footsteps and I abruptly turned back to find Phyllis. She came to stand at my front and stretched out my bare sword to me. Her face was expressionless and for a moment, I wondered if she had eavesdropped on my conversation with Elspeth. However, it did not look like she was going to mention it.

 

            “The Alpha is dead,” she notified without a morsel of solemnity, but my own reaction was not any better, as I seemed void of reaction when I was supposed to be surprised; seeing that the man looked well when I last saw him. My eyes wandered down to Phyllis’ solid, waist belt, its width as thick that it had to cover up the lower part of her stomach.

 

             “Your initiation is this morning. Your Alpha-naming follows after,” her voice came again and I looked up to find her steely eyes on me. “Follow me.”

 

            The day had begun to brighten when I stooped down to grab my abandoned scabbard, which leaned against the Fir tree. Phyllis stopped to watch me as I stood up and I knew she saw the way I wobbled back to lean on the tree.

 

            The witch advanced towards me and grasped my left wrist. “What is going on with you?” she asked, but it would take me more to say it. I winced and closed my eyes when the aching in my head intensified, a stinging sensation spreading through my jaw lines as the feeling of plunging down a steep cliff invaded me.

 

            “Make him sit, Elspeth,” - that was the next thing I heard before two hands grasped mine, I then felt myself sitting down on my bed.

 

             My eyes slowly flustered open, the aching still lingering in my head. I met a pair of ocean orbs when I opened my eyes completely. They were not as bright as before, as they had a red shade, yet they still sank a tingling sensation into my soul.

 

            Sadly, Elspeth turned away too soon. She faced Phyllis. “Find some oil and apply on his skin to clear the suntan,” the latter instructed and left the room, leaving me alone with my Mate.

 

            I stood up just as Elspeth turned her attention to me and aided me to pull my leather shirt through my head, but when her fingers grasped the waistline of my pants, I stopped her. “Meet me in the bathroom after a minute.” I did not know how it happened, but my voice came out sounding kind of cold and cracked.

 

             However, the look on Elspeth’s face did not evade my knowledge; it was dull and sullen, her lips twitching down in a sad manner as she retracted her hands and looked down. I blamed myself for using such a hard tone on her and felt damn guilty that I had to make her pass through all that she must have been experiencing now.

 

             I reached the bathroom door and wrapped my fingers around its handle, turning to Elspeth, yet I did not catch her taking a sneak peek at me as she usually did, only then did I realize that my mate would begin to avoid me. My heart stung with pain at that thought.