Chapter Four

The light was too bright for his suddenly enhanced sight. There were noises that he could not figure out. The bed so felt hot that he sat up. His throat was suddenly dry. What was happening to him?

He sat up and removed the thin cloth covering him which felt like it had hot coals inside. He heard footsteps approach and was ready to attack whoever was coming for him.

"Mikhail! Orion! He is awake!" He heard someone call out. He followed the direction of the voice and saw a familiar woman standing there. She looked relieved that he was awake. 

"What is going on?" He asked,his voice raspy.

"It's okay. You're okay. Lay down. I will bring you some water." She said and left the room as his two best friends walked in.

"Divine! How are you feeling brother?"

"Really hot and thirsty." He said.

A cup of water was handed to him and he gulped it down like his throat was on fire.

"Better?" She asked smiling.

He nodded. "What happened?" He said looking at Orion and Mik.

"You were poisoned..... You almost died. Aliyah saved you." Mik told him.

Aliyah?! He then remembered who this woman touching him and tending to him was. 

"Where is he?" He asked.

"The assassin you mean?" Orion asked and he nodded.

"We locked him in the clay hut but he would rather die than reveal who sent him." Mik told him.

"Then I will make him talk." Divine said getting up.

"No. Lay down Vines. You can't talk to him. He killed himself on a spike." Orion said.

Divine could not believe it,who would want him dead so badly?

"He was not a rogue though. He did not smell or look like one." He said.

"Yes. It seems he rather knew exactly who you were."

"No outsider knows you were exiled. But I have no idea who that man was. I know all the people in our pack and him not so." Mik added.

"He had a mark on his chest though, like a viper's teeth...." Divine said remembering.

"We will find out about this soon but now you need to rest and we should head back to the border, we should not raise suspicion." Orion said.

Divine was about to protest that he was fine but was cut off by Mik. "No lay down please. We already scouted the place for anything. And we shall double the security."

"Fine. Let me know if anything goes awry, as soon as possible."

"You too. Feel better brother. Let's go Mik." 

The other two left for the posts leaving Divine with Aliyah.

"I apologize for all this Aliyah, I should be taking care of you now not the other way round."

"It is no trouble at all. Besides I feel fine now." She told him with a smile.

"How did you help me? If you don't mind me asking."

"Oh well, the little shrubs that are near the treehouse are herbs. I have a bit of knowledge when it comes to portions." She said.

"How so?"

"Before I was locked up and everything, I was a healer. I was even surprised to find those herbs here, they are rare." She said a frown etching in her face.

"My mother planted those..." Divine said smiling sadly.

"Are you close with her?" Aliyah asked.

"I was. She died a few years ago."

"I'm so sorry. My parents died when I was young too. I was raised by the healers in the pack."

"I'm sorry too." Divine said and closed his eyes. He was too drained to continue the conversation. 

He woke up again some time later after being awoken by Aliyah. She had a bowl of soup in her hand. His growling stomach told him he was indeed hungry.

"You can have it, I will make something." He told her.

"Don't worry I already had mine. The lads gave me instructions before they left." She told him with a smile.

"Thank you."

He took it from her and began eating.

She sat head down on the wooden chair across from the bed. She fiddled with the race material of the dress she had worn.  It was one of the dresses his mother had had made for his mate. He almost laughed at how unfortunate he was and what his mother dreamed of.

"Can I ask why you live here by yourself? Do you not have a pack house or you merely like the solitude?" She asked after some time.

He wondered if he should tell her that he built the place with his father and mother. She was still a stranger to him, he could not tell her anything of the sort.

"I am not the king alpha. I am a sentry." He said stoically.

"You are definitely an alpha...." She said.

He sighed loudly putting the bowl down. "I was exiled and therefore I'm not the alpha."

"You seem like you can't hurt a fly, what happened?"

"Have you heard that looks are deceiving?" He asked her furrowing his brows.

"Yes. So?"

"How about curiosity killed a cat?" 

"I take it you do not want to talk about it."

"No. I'm afraid no. It's rather an unpleasant topic."

"I'm sorry D...."

"It's okay. It helped me in ways you can't understand. I'm not sad about it. "

"You don't look sad, you look rather fine but disturbed..."

"Enough about me, let me ask you something, where is your pack?" He looked at her now full attention.

She stiffened at that. "My pack was killed by rogues many years ago. I was taken in by others." She said slowly.

"I apologize for that." He told her innocently.

"It's alright. I would like to believe that the goddess knows our pain, she has a purpose for everything." She said with a sad smile.

He wanted to reach out and comfort her but held himself back. He did not want to further establish himself in her life. Could he feel the tingling warmth he had felt previously?  Did he want her to be his in any way? She was kind and beautiful, she could make the perfect Luna. He jerked his head up when that thought struck. He cleared his throat.

"Maybe she has."

She nodded.

He got up from the bed and looked outside. If he was right, it was a few  hours  to midnight.

"Will you be okay. If I leave you here? I will be back in the morning. "   He asked her.

Fear flashed in her features. "Alone? Here?"

"You will be fine. If anything happens, I will know before you are even hurt."

"Promise?"

"Yes. You are perfectly fine here." She told her.

"You have to promise D."

He sighed. "I promise."

She studied him then as if coming to an epiphany. "Very well then."

He got up from the chair and left the place. He knew he was running but it was not from her entirely. He did not trust himself or his thoughts at the moment.

He arrived at the post and was welcomed by disapproving looks from Mik and Orion.

"Why are you here Vines?" Mik asked.

"I'm on duty remember?"

"You left her all alone? You are not even well yourself!" Orion said in a whisper.

"I am fine and she is perfectly fine. If anything, I will know." He told them getting irritated.

"What do you mean you will know? You mean like earlier?"

"How does that even work?" The guys bombarded him with questions.

"I'm not sure. I just know."

"Fine.  How are you feeling brother?" Mik asked.

"I am okay. Give me the evening's reports so far."

There had not been any more incidents. They did not spot any rogues or any threats.

"Very well. Let's go and dispatch more guards. We will need to do two more scouts in the night."

"Do you not want to get back to you mate that bad?"