Chapter 8

The following couple of days, Felix tried as hard as he could to avoid Mercedes. To be honest, it was not so hard because she spent so much time helping out at the clinic, but he couldn't take any chances. With the hope of finding his mate looming, he didn't think it wise to develop feelings for someone other than a mate. It would not end well for anyone involved. But he was still concerned by the mysterious pull he felt for her. Her green eyes held more than meets the eye, and he felt it in his bones. It was not accounted for, and he never thought it would happen. It was like someone possessed him to feel that way about her.

Mercedes was diligently helping out Crystal as much as she could. There were not a lot of patients because one of the perks of being supernatural is that you don't get sick regularly like human beings. She envied that, among other things, but thinking about it, she never got too sick. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she fell sick.

There were only just injured patients and deliveries. Mercedes was not allowed to be in the delivery room. She curiously asked if werewolf babies were born puppies instead of humans, to which Crystal and a few other nurses cracked up. To some it was offensive, but they understood that she didn't know better. Her innocence was amusing to a certain extent.

After working non-stop, Mercedes would make sure to escort Crystal to her room and offer to massage her feet. It was the least she could do for her pregnant friend, who she couldn't understand, where she got the energy to be up on her feet all day.

" Crystal," she called out her name as she put pressure on the knots in her feet to get the blood flowing regularly and smoothly. Crystal was enjoying her free treatment, and it helped her relax and eased the tension on her feet.

" Mmh?" Mercedes could not understand if she was moaning or responding to her, but she decided to proceed with her question.

" How long does werewolf pregnancy last?"

" Not long. If you are having an Alpha pup, it usually takes 3 to four months. It is not that different to a Beta, so I'm not that far along. But if you are just a regular wolf, it lasts up to 5 to 6 months. It varies by the baby's eagerness to come into the world." Mercedes took in all the information. She found it interesting, and she didn't just want to live here like an ignorant fool who knows nothing about the people around her.

" Mmh," she hummed, nodding her head. After giving her a massage, they talked for a little while longer until Jake came back from patrolling the border.

" Thank you for taking care of her, Mercedes. She can be a handful at times," Jake said, teasing Crystal, and she punched him on the arm playfully. She witnessed their love for each other in the little things they did, whether it be teasing each other or pretending to be mad at one another. They didn't need to say it out loud for it to be clear.

" It is not a problem at all. I am happy to do it." she smiled. She was ready to leave the two love birds to their business, but Crystal stopped her.

" You can stay, Mercedes. I'm sure Jake does not mind," she said, giving him a look. He shook his head. " Who would mind the company of two beautiful ladies!" Mercedes snickered and their cuteness, but she politely refused the invitation.

She wrapped her arms around herself and walked to her room. Once she was there, she changed into her pajamas and hopped into bed. She stared at the ceiling, hoping for a dreamless sleep. She thought about living in another place and running from her past, but they were right when they said the past will follow you wherever you go as long as you don't confront it.

Every time she closes her eyes she sees the scene of that fateful night. It haunts and torments her. What is worse is that she does not even know what happened. She keeps trying to put together the pieces and make sense of that, but nothing fits. Sleep evaded her, and she ended up getting out of bed and going to look out of the window. The night was chilly but good. There were some people still up and walking around. She lived in a big place with many people, but she felt comfortable with a selected few.

With the uncertainty of her stay, she figured maybe it was better for things to stay the way they were. She was not even sure if Alexa, the witch, could erase her memory like it had to be. She grimaced at the thought of going through that ordeal again. The excruciating pain that she felt was nothing she wanted to feel again. Her mind was fighting against the magic, as Alexa said that day, and she felt it too.

At first, she thought it was her will, and she didn't want to forget the friend she found, but it was not it. She felt another presence in her head, but due to the pain she was in, it was all fuzzy. But deep down she knew it meant something. That has been something that has bothered her. Experiencing things she can't explain.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she caught a glimpse of Felix. He was approaching the house, and he didn't see her from her window. But she was having a moment of marveling at him. She hadn't seen him since their encounter because of her time at the clinic. Even though she didn't get to see him that much, her mind would always think of him at times. She deduced that he didn't like her that much, but she did. Day by day she realized that she was developing feelings for her without doing anything. No effort at all to get her heart pounding at the sight of him.

All he had to do was look rugged and lava hot. Bless the werewolf genes for making such a fine and magnificent specimen. Whether she liked it or not, being attracted to him was inevitable. She even asked Crystal the other day if he had someone in his life like her and Jake. Luckily, Crystal didn't catch on to her and nonchalantly told her that he didn't have anyone in his life. She found it had to believe because he was too handsome to be alone.

After catching a glimpse of him, a smile spread across her face. All her worries were washed away by his presence. He just had something that made her feel better instantly. Yet another thing she couldn't quite put her finger on because they hardly ever spoke, and he always seemed like he couldn't stand her. She should have felt scared while she was near him, but she never felt safer with anyone. The pull she felt towards him was a mystery she had yet to figure out. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.