He Is Different

Athena woke up with a thrumming headache that threatened to send her back to the darkness. 

The light filtering through the drapes hurt her eyes, and she knew it was morning. 

It had been dark when she went under. Now it’s morning, and… 

Something niggled at the edge of her mind, only to slip away as she tried to grasp it. 

Her headache increased from her efforts, and she sagged back against the bed. 

Every single part of her body that she could feel hurt so much that she wanted to close her eyes back. 

But then her eyes caught on her unfamiliar surroundings, and she reluctantly opened it again. 

She was lying on a narrow bed that seemed like she would fall off it if she turned too hastily.

“Damn it. It hurts so bad,” she gritted out as she sat up. 

One of the downsides of her wolf dying was that she no longer healed as fast as she used to. 

Beta Lupo said he had never heard of a wolf dying of grief, but it seemed that was what had happened to Athena. 

The pack doctor had agreed too, before the second attack which wiped out all members of her pack. 

Beta Lupo took the remaining soldiers and had them safeguard Athena out of the pack. 

They had not gone far before the bastards caught up with them. 

It was almost like someone was feeding them information. 

“Guard the alpha’s blood with your life!” He had roared as a charge to the soldiers as he shifted.

Tears stung Athena’s eyes as she remembered how the silver had pierced his heart. 

The soldiers had forced her to run like a coward, as they tried their best to protect her.

“A lot of good that did them. A lot of good that did anyone!”

She was beginning to think the moon goddess must be a sadist. 

How else would she have allowed all this suffering while she looked on like it was none of her concern? 

Athena had a lot to say to the moon goddess whenever they met, which was going to be very soon anyways if the vampires had their way. 

Her heart tripped as she remembered what had been niggling at the edge of her mind. 

“The man!”

Her feet had landed on the floor before she knew what she was doing. 

Pinpricks of pain lanced through her feet immediately. 

“Ouch!” she yelled before she could hold herself back.

She cradled her leg as the thoughts of the night before came flooding back. 

No, he wasn't a human. He was a werewolf. A powerful one, if his speed was any judge. 

Still, he had been surrounded by vampires when she ran, and he was probably dead by… 

The door opened, and a brunette entered.

Her white lab coat gaped at the front to show the green top underneath it.

She had on grey pants underneath her coat, and her curly hair was packed atop her head, where a few strands trickled down to tease her dainty ears. 

“I see you are finally with us,” the lady said as she came closer. 

“Is he dead?” Athena blurted out. 

The doctor's warm smile dimmed as she got closer and asked, “Is who dead?”

What the… “Don't play dumb with me. I told you…they…them what happened, and they promised. They promised they were going to help. They didn't, did they? Where am I?” She ended in frustration as the doctor moved closer to her. 

“Here, let me help you adjust that,” she said as she reached for the IV transfusion that Athena had barely noticed in her agitation. 

When Athena stiffened against her hand, the lady said kindly, “You need to rest. You lost a lot of blood, and those bruises are not healing up yet.”

“Just…”

“He is not dead.”

Athena’s shoulders sagged with such relief that the doctor was able to ease her back effortlessly. 

“Not all. Not everyone who helps me dies,” came the unbidden thought. 

She suddenly looked at the doctor's brown eyes as her hand clenched against the white coat. “You are not lying to me? He is okay?”

Alarm rang in her mind as she saw a look crossed the doctor's eyes as she started to say, “He…”

“There you are.” The voice came from the door, and Athena quickly looked over.

She cast a baffled look at the doctor as she remembered the almost sad look she just saw on her face. 

It was almost as if something had happened to him. 

“I must have imagined it,” Athena thought as she looked back at the young man who was almost beside the bed. 

“It's you. You saved me.” Athena breathed in heartfelt gratitude as she felt a lump in her throat. 

He was alive. He was alive and well, without so much as a scratch on him. 

He had looked outnumbered last night, yet here he was looking so fresh and unmarked, like he had not just fought those nightwalkers on her behalf. 

“You saved me. You didn't have to, but you saved me.” She murmured as she blinked back the embarrassing tears that wanted to escape her.

Every other person who had fought to protect her did not stay alive long enough for her to thank them. 

Yet there he was. Alive and well. 

“Yes, I did,” he said in a cheery tone that had Athena blinking. “I mean, how can I leave a beautiful lady like you all alone in the midst of those damn bloodsuckers? You really shouldn't worry your pretty head about that. It is what I do. Saving damsels,” he completed with a wink. 

A frown marred Athena’s brow as she thought she must have been really banged up the night before to think him different. 

He had seemed more…steady to her then. But this man was what she would call slick, with his shiny shoes, carefree attitude, and a charming smile that Athena would have probably found cute under different circumstances. 

She blinked as she saw his earlobe. 

Was that a… “Yeah, definitely. My mate pierced his ears.”

“Like what you see?” 

Athena recovered from her gawking when he said that in an amused tone that almost seemed mocking to her. 

“Stop finding faults,” she scolded herself before saying, “You are my mate.”

Athena was sure she was not imagining it this time. 

The shock on his face was clear as his smile died.

“What?”