The chirping of birds, coupled with morning's light, pulled Kael from sleep. He stirred, registering the dull ache in his chest. A groan escaped him as his eyes flickered open to the familiar ceiling of the pack clinic, wooden beams crisscrossing overhead, modern fixtures embedded seamlessly into rustic panelling. Sunlight streamed through windows that overlooked the forest clearing beyond.
Kael's gaze traced from the ceiling to the walls lined with medical supplies, then out to the window beside his bed where sparrows hopped along the sill. His eyes fell to his own bandaged torso, strips of gauze wrapping from his chest down to his lower stomach. He flexed his fingers, watching as they curled and uncurled, testing their responsiveness.
His head turned toward the door as it opened. Lyra stepped inside, dressed in her hunting uniform of dark leather and reinforced canvas, the scent of pine and earth clinging to her clothes.
"You're awake," she said, moving to help him sit up.
"How long have I been out?" Kael asked, his voice rough with sleep.
"Not long," Lyra replied, adjusting his pillows with careful hands. "It's the morning after."
Kael nodded slowly, trying to piece together the fuzzy memories crowding his mind. The last thing he remembered clearly was the never-ending pain that burned.
"You look... better," Lyra said, eyeing all the bandages covering him. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine. Everything's a bit hazy." Kael was cut short when Aeron walked into the room.
The alpha's presence filled the space like a stone dropped into still water, the ripples of his authority touching everything. His silver-threaded hair caught the morning light, cold eyes surveying Kael.
"We have much to discuss about last night."
Kael's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. The ache in his chest had nothing to do with his injuries and everything to do with the conversation that was about to unfold.
Lyra moved to give Kael a quick hug, her arms briefly encircling his shoulders before she stepped back. "I'll check on you later," she murmured, casting one last glance at Aeron before leaving the room.
The door clicked shut behind her, and Aeron pulled the chair beside the bed closer, settling into it with deliberate calm. The wood creaked under his weight.
"I'm glad you're doing better now," Aeron said, his pale eyes fixed on Kael's face.
Kael nodded once, sitting up straighter against the pillows. The movement pulled at his bandaged chest, but he didn't show discomfort.
"What happened yesterday?" Aeron asked, leaning forward slightly.
"I was on patrol, and might have ventured too close to the border," Kael replied, his voice steady despite the memory. He shook his head, brow creasing as he tried to piece it together. "It was odd. I could feel someone there, but I couldn't see or smell them."
"At all?"
"Yes." Kael breathed out.
Areon nodded a few times as his eyes lingered closer on Kael bandage. "Why didn't you shift?" Areon asked, wanting to know why they had found Kael close to death without him taking a percussion to preserve or prolong his life.
Shifting would enable his healing abilities to work faster.
Kael's jaw worked once, "Whatever I was shot with prevented it."
The silence stretched between them until a soft knock interrupted the tension. Mirela entered, her dark skin glowing in the morning light filtering through the window. Her glasses caught every reflection as she moved with her usual gentle smile.
"Good morning," she offered brightly. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"
Aeron's mouth curved upward in response, giving her space to work. Mirela approached the bed, her movements practiced and efficient as she began unwrapping Kael's bandages. The first layer came away easily, then the second.
Her smile vanished when the final strip loosened and the raw, angry wound near Kael's heart was revealed. The skin around it was inflamed, the edges puckered and unnatural. Fresh blood had seeped through despite the dressing.
She leaned closer, "This..." Her voice trailed off.
Aeron's chair scraped back as he stood, wanting to get a closer look on Kael's wounds. "What... what is wrong?"
Mirela's eyes slowly raised to meet Kael's, his amber gaze steady despite the pain etched into his features.
"I'm not sure," Mirela lied, her fingers already moving to clean the wound with practiced efficiency. "I'll have to look into it more." She dabbed gently at the inflamed skin, noting how it pulsed with an unnatural heat. "Who was shooting at you?" she asked as she reached for fresh bandages.
Her fingers stilled as she looked back up at Kael, waiting for his response.
"I didn't see."
"I see," she murmured, though her eyes betrayed that she saw far more than she admitted. She nodded absently, more to herself than to either of them. Her hands moved down to his leg, fingers working quickly to unwrap the gauze there. When the final layer fell away, her brow furrowed. The wound that had been deep and ragged yesterday was completely healed, skin smooth as if it had never been torn.
"Mirela," Aeron called softly, his patience wearing thin. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong... for now," she replied, already moving to lift Kael's dark hair, checking behind his neck for bite marks or scratches. Her fingers probed gently along his scalp.
"Do you feel your wolf?" she asked, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper.
Kael was silent for several heartbeats, that distant expression crossing his face as he searched inward. Finally, he spoke: "Yes, he is weak but there."
"Good, very good," Mirela breathed, though her relief seemed forced. "Well," she said, clapping her hands together with perhaps too much enthusiasm, "That's all for now. You're good to go home, but if you feel any changes, anything at all—"
"I know," Kael interrupted, his patience snapping at her strange behaviour.
"Okay, then," Mirela said, gathering her supplies with deliberate care. "I'll leave you two to it." She moved toward the door, pausing only briefly to cast one last assessing glance at Kael before disappearing into the hallway.
The wooden floorboards creaked under her weight as she left, leaving only the two of them in the suddenly too-quiet room.