Chapter Five

Dr. Hangslin left Kendra alone, telling her that she would come check on her in a couple of hours. Kendra was tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep again. She knew that she would need all the sleep she could get so that way she would be somewhat presentable to the King when he arrived, but she couldn't help it. She was riddle with anxiety. Her entire body was still sore, though it no longer hurt thanks to the IV the doctor had given her. Her body didn't even feel like her own from the pain, but that was the least of her worries.

As an Alpha, she would be required to do so many things that she wasn't even aware of. Besides the basics like protecting and leading the Pack, she would have to approve marriages, determine if a Pack member's mate should be allowed to become a member of the Pack or not. She would be responsible for determining who would go on Patrols. Picking her own Beta and Gamma. There was so much that she would have to do that she felt like her chest would burst. Despite her father being a Beta, she never paid too much attention to what his responsibilities were, and she knew that there were far more for an Alpha than a Beta.

The door creaked open, making her sit up to see who it was. In the doorway was Derek, sending her heart aflutter. However, her heart fell when she realized that he wasn't her mate. She couldn't smell that alluring scent that everyone spoke of. Maybe, she hoped against hope, that since she had only shifted briefly, she just hadn’t acquired that heightened sense yet, and he couldn’t smell her due to it either.

"Kendra," he said breathlessly, and mate or not, it made her heart swell. "I'm so glad to see that you're okay."

"Well, I don't know if okay is the right word," she laughed a bit nervously, pushing her messy hair behind her ear.

"That's fair," he smiled at her, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I mean, finding out that you're the Alpha must have thrown you for a loop."

“Yeah, you could say that," she giggled, her heart pounding in her chest from how close he was.

“So, are you excited?" he asked as he put his hand on your leg. There was only a blanket and the hospital gown she had on between their skin. “I know that I would be."

“I am, but honestly, I'm kind of hoping that it's a mistake," she admitted, looking down at her hands. "This whole thing is crazy, and I don't know if I could handle it."

"Don't say that!" Derek exclaimed, startling Kendra. "I mean," he lowered his voice and cleared his throat. "I just meant that this is what the Goddess wanted you to do, so I don't think that you should throw her gift away so easily."

"I guess," she muttered, shrugging. "I'm just nervous about seeing the King tomorrow. He never comes to visit for no reason, so he must really be worried about this."

"Or maybe he thinks it's interesting. For all we know, he thinks that you're going to be powerful and wise. Or at the very least, he wants to see the first ever female Alpha,” Derek suggested alternatives as Kendra tried to keep her heart under control. He was so close that she felt like she might burst. “I do want to apologize, though,” he said, his face beginning to flush.

“What for?” she asked him, confused, with her head tilted.

“Well…,” he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m the one that heard you scream first, so I was the one that found you first.”

“So?” then, realization hit Kendra like a bus. “O-oh, so I was…,” she trailed off now, her face flushed red.

“Yeah. Pixie was right behind me so she actually picked you up, and we covered you up with a towel before anyone else got there,” he hurriedly explained, seeming a bit panicked.

“Well, thank you. I thought I was going to drown,” she admitted, drawing up her knees to wrap her arms around them.

“I wouldn’t have let that happen,” he said, giving her a lopsided smile.

In the low moonlight, Derek’s olive skin looked pale. She noticed that his dark hair was a mess, and there were bags under his equally dark eyes. “Have you not been sleeping?” Kendra asked, observing him more closely.

“Not the last few weeks, but it’s okay,” he waved her concern off. “Just some training stuff. I just need to get better at it.”

“Oh, okay,” she shrugged, turning to look out the window. “It’s a waning crescent,” she said quietly, an ache in her chest.

“Instead of the full it should be for you,” he said, almost sadly, as he too turned to look out the window.

“Is that a sign that She’s rejecting me?” she wondered out loud, gripping her knees tight.

“No, that can’t be it,” Derek grabbed her hand.

There was a heat, making them both gasp. Derek dropped her hand, his eyes as wide as saucers, mirroring the look on Kendra’s face. “Was, was that?” she whispered, holding her hand to her chest.