Chapter 03

Chapter 03

I held out, I did well, and I was proud of myself. I smiled in my sleep.

Hmm, bread, no.. bacon.. no?.. pancakes.

Who was baking in school? Is this allowed?

I heard whisperings, I tried opening my eyes but I couldn't. Instead I groaned.

"She never listens, Eli, I am tired.."

I recognize that voice, it's my mom. Wait, what was mom doing in school? Eli? Was she reporting me to dad? Aiden, that motherfucker! How dare he tell on me?!

Why couldn't he take care of me and he had to call mom to school?! Wait, was it urgent? Was it a life-death situation? Did I almost die? What's going on?

"Oh, she's talking in her sleep lol, her lips are moving" That was Ryan. Ryan! I tried to speak but I couldn't, my eyes couldn't move either.

"At least she isn't dead" I heard Aiden mutter. My heart leaped. He was here.. with me, in school.. of course he was, we were in school.

School? I moved my nose, sniffing and I could and this definitely didn't smell like school, instead, it smelled like.. home.

It feels familiar yet disorienting.

"Her nostrils are moving too.. weird" Ryan. I was home!

Then I snapped my eyes open, and every other part of my body, up. I sat up at once and I heard Ryan scream as he fell to the floor.

I was home, and Aiden and Ryan were here.

"Girl, what the hell, I was only trying to see why you were acting weird and you just snuck up on me like that, the fuck?" Ryan rambled on while Aiden.. he only sat there and watched me with those eyes, the eyes that seemed to be judging every part of my existence.

I bit my lips and only looked away. Ryan brows dipped as he looked at Aiden, and then me. He grabbed my chin and pulled it to him. He stilled like he was examining my face, my eyes dimmed as I watched him from under his grip.

"How are you feeling?" He finally dropped my chin, and said with a smile.

I squint my face in disgust. "I'm fine and wHat Am I DOING AT HOME?" I said, turning to Aiden as I said the last words.

Ryan got on his feet. "Well.. let's see.." He held his chin like he was thinking. "You tried to impress Aiden here, and then you passed out.. for three days" He said and my eyes widened, then dipped.

Impress? THREE DAYS?

My head snapped to Aiden and he only kept staring with those judgy eyes.

Hmm, so I failed and instead embarrassed myself in front of everyone, and Aiden. I looked at him again, then away. He was mad.

Whatever, who cared if he was mad. I tried getting up but I heard my bones snap. I snapped my eyes to Ryan who only chuckled.

"Don't move, you're still not okay, unless you wanna snap every bone in your body before you get to meet your wolf" He mocked me.

"What happened?" I asked no one.

"The cold was too much for your weak body, and it weakened every part of your bones" Mom. She smiled at me as she set the table.

"Come kids, let's have breakfast" She said and Ryan got up his feet hurrying to the table. Aiden followed too.

I looked down at my legs, what about me? I can't move, I wanna eat...

My eyes widened, when I felt Aiden's warmth fill me. He wrapped his arms under my lower back, and lifted me up the couch and to the table while I could only stare at him like an idiot. He pulled a chair for me and set me down.

"Thanks" I muttered. He only walked away and had his seat opposite me.

"Here" Ryan cut some meat for me and gave it to me. "This should give you some strength" He said, flashing me a smile.

"Yeah, don't do that. It irks me out" I said and he frowned then proceeded to take the pieces of meat. I stopped him immediately.

"Thanks love" I said with a smile. He smiled and brought his hands closer slowly, then grabbed my cheeks, pulling them hard and I screamed.

"That doesn't work on me anymore, I have a mate. And next time, be grateful" He said with a glare then dropped his hands.

I moaned in pain as I gently massaged my cheeks.

"Ryan, be nicer to her. She's just getting better" I heard mom say from the kitchen.

"Yes ma'am" Ryan said, plastering on a smile. I glared at him hatefully.

"Speaking of mates.." That was Ariana as she joined us on the table.

She made her seat beside Aiden and I stilled. I looked at Aiden who only ate on, and I smiled secretly, covering it with a cup.

"What about you?" She asked. I dropped the cup, then placed my hands on the table.

"I don't need one yet" I said curtly.

Ariana smiled. "I wasn't asking you.." my eyes widened slowly as she turned to Aiden.

"When will you find your mate?" She asked with a smile.

Aiden who was cutting his meat stopped, his hands still holding the fork, his brows lifted and he turned to Ariana who only smiled.

Ryan cleared his throat when neither of them spoke after a while of just staring at each other.

Did I mention they once dated? No, I didn't. Because I never liked to think or speak about it. Every time I did, this happened. My chest knitted and twisted in pain.

I let out a heavy sigh I didn't know I was holding and that seemed to get everyone's attention as they turned to me.

"Nothing" I responded, raising a cup to my lips when I saw Ryan's raised brow.

They dated as kids, they dated when they were thirteen, and broke up a year later. It's been three years, and something told me neither of them moved on yet.

"Well, we are on the search for his mate" Ryan finally said, clearing the awkward atmosphere.

Ariana's gaze snapped to his. "You are?" Her face shot up in amusement.

"Yep, something tells us his mate might not be in our school, so we.. all planned to go to every region in ColdTown every day, perhaps they could meet one day. And three days ago was one of those days before Arielle here.." He turned to me and everyone else looked at me.

"..decided it was the right time to pass out for days" He mocked and I sent him a glare.

"Yeah, like I did that purposely" I said in a mocking tone.

"Could be" That was Ariana. My eyes snapped to her and she only looked up with a smirk, watching my reaction more closely.Aiden and Ryan's brows knitted in confusion.