Visions Unveiled Ch. 06

Shane turned his hand over so that her palm fell into his, "You didn't sleep much did you?"

Again she smiled, "Your spells don't last very long on me anymore. I'm older now, I can bring myself out of them."

Shane lowered his eyes slightly, "Erin, I am so very sorry that you were hurt. If I could go back and begin this day once more, I would change it all."

Erin squeezed his hand. "Having everyone in my skull was no picnic today. But that is over now. I have been worried about you. Logan and I both are. This girl, you truly believe she is your mate?"

Shane nodded. Thoughts of Faline had been dancing around in the back of his mind ever since he awoke from what he now realized had been a blissfully dreamless sleep. Now, the mention of his mate brought thoughts of her to the front of his mind instantly. He found himself actually smiling. "She is my mate. I am certain of it," he released her hand as this brought him to his feet, "I must also check on her. She is ill and Kevin is with her."

Erin watched her brother intently as he started to move away from her. "Shane, wait. Logan and I, there are things we need to tell you, things which came to light while you were away. And this girl ... if she is your mate, there are so many questions."

Shane leaned down and kissed the top of Erin's head, "She is. There is no question about that. Now get some more rest."

Before she could answer, he was already leaving the room, questions of his own swirling though his mind.

* * *

It felt like someone was shaking her, and she wished they would stop. She was freezing again, and felt like she was swimming in a sea of darkness. As if from a great distance she heard a fragmented voice. It soothed her. Longing to hear it again, she struggled to emerge from the blackness surrounding her.

Finally, she was able to open her eyes, and Faline blinked slowly as she tried to focus on the deep voice that she recognized from earlier. It was him, the Alpha wolf. The one she was terribly frightened of in the beginning. While she still felt wary of him, the crippling terror no longer tormented her, and she had to admit to feeling relieved about that.

He was perched on the edge of the bed next to her. She was lying face down, and while she could feel his hand resting on her back gently, the shaking she felt was not caused by him. He spoke again and this time she could make out his words, "Your fever is breaking, the chills are normal."

Unable to speak yet, she could only nod. At that he reached over and pulled what felt like a heavy blanket up to her shoulders. The chills lessened.

Closing her eyes again, Faline took stock of her illness. The fever was a problem, but he was correct in that it was ending. She could feel that much. She still ached, but the soreness in her chest was not as horrible as it had been earlier when they were outside in the cold. These were good signs that she was recovering. While she was easily susceptible to sickness, Faline was grateful that most of the time she recovered as quickly as she fell ill.

Between the episodes of shaking chills, she also felt flushed and overheated, and wondered just how bad the fever had been. Raising a shaky hand towards her face, Faline was surprised when she found her skin completely damp. Next to her the wolf nodded, "If I could make this part easier for you, I would. I wish I had that capability."

She watched as he reached towards the table beside the bed and pulled a small towel from a bowl. He squeezed a bit of the liquid from the clothe before placing it against the skin at the nape of her neck, where her hair had already been moved to the side. She was expecting the water to be chilled, but it was only slightly cool, and it felt wonderful against her fevered skin. She breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, noticing a faint herbal scent. The water must have been treated with something to soothe. She was grateful for his gentle touch as he dabbed the towel along her skin for a few moments. When he pulled it away, she instantly felt much cooler.

Her mouth and throat were so dry, but she didn't want the cooling sensation to go away. Licking her lips, she felt them cracked, but managed to croak out a few words. "Please. Again."

He immediately rinsed the towel in the water and applied it to her neck once more. "This helps?" he asked in that wonderfully calming voice.

Faline nodded without opening her eyes. He repeatedly applied the cool towel to her skin again and again. She felt herself drifting off, lulled by the soothing sensation of the way he gently moved the towel over her neck, and from time to time over her forehead and face.

She dozed in and out of a light sleep, conscious only of the fact that the wolf never left her side. When she finally did open her eyes again, she felt much better. When she began to push herself upright, he backed away slightly to give her room, but he made no effort to move away from her. Once sitting up, Faline noticed that she now only wore her jeans and her white tank top. Her sweater and socks had been removed, she assumed to assist in lowering her temperature. She looked around the room, wondering where she was this time. The light through the window was a deep golden color, telling her the sun setting. A lamp in the corner illuminated the room in a soft light.

She returned her eyes to this wolf who was apparently determined to be her savior. "There was someone else here," she rasped, "Someone like you."

The wolf nodded, "Yes, he is a trusted friend. He said you gave him hell when he tried to give you medicine earlier."

Faline remembered waking to find a stranger holding her upright, while forcing her drink a liquid. In the end, he was stronger and more determined and he won the battle. She remembered short bouts of delirium when the same stranger repeatedly checked on her, though his touch was always gentle and professional. Whatever care they'd given her had obviously worked well, for she felt much better now.

She cleared her throat to answer, but couldn't quite talk. Noticing, he handed her a glass of apple juice, and she drained half of it in one gulp. He was still staring at her intently as he took the glass and set it on the table within her arm's reach.

"You're feeling better, I hope?" he said gently.

Faline looked down at herself and frowned. Her hair and clothes both felt damp. "I feel disgusting, honestly. But I feel much healthier now. Thank you for helping me."

He nodded, "When I am sure you are strong enough, you can take a shower. That will help."

Still thirsty, she picked up the glass and finished the juice. When she had set it down again, she realized he was still staring intently at her. Then suddenly he asked, "Faline, who is Sophie?"

Faline felt her own eyes widen and she moved suddenly to get out of the bed. "Sophie! I have to call her."

Instantly, the wolf placed his hand against her shoulder. "Shhh. You can call anyone you like. Please, take it easy."

Faline felt her defenses coming back up. "How did you know about Sophie?" she snapped. In her upset, she felt her breathing hitch, and found she was coughing for a moment. When she recovered, she repeated her question.

He held her shoulder for several moments, until he seemed convinced she wouldn't try to flee from the bed again. "You called for her, several times in your sleep. Who is she?"

"Sophie is my m-" Faline began with her usual answer when people asked her about Sophie, which was to introduce her as her mother. As it was true, the woman had adopted her when she was a child, and it just was always easier to refer to her that way. Something though, stopped her from saying those exact words to this werewolf. Almost as if she suspected he would not accept them. Instead she curtailed her answer in this case, "She is my family. I know she must be worried. I have to get home."

He seemed to understand this, though he frowned once she started talking about leaving. So she pressed on further. "I am thankful for how you took care of me when I was sick in the forest, and again now, but please, let me go home."

Before he could respond, a ringing noise cut through the air. He sighed with great patience before standing from the bed and fishing a cell phone out of his pocket. "Excuse me," he said, "I have to finally answer this."

She nodded, understanding that he must have ignored several calls while sitting with her. His eyes were apologetic as he quickly answered whoever was on the other end with brief replies. Faline tried to be polite and ignore his conversation, but when she detected his voice hardening slightly, she couldn't help but pick up the thread of his words. "Ask if they wouldn't mind rescheduling. I have had important matters to tend to, which I could not ignore."

Faline bristled slightly, feeling like he was speaking of her. When he spoke again, there was a slight chuckle in his tone. "Of course they will want to drain me dry. For their inconvenience, feel free to make a reservation at the Plaza then. That should mollify them. No earlier than next week." There was a brief pause as he listened to his caller and then he nodded. "Yes, Marie. Same table as always, book it under Kellen."

She felt her jaw dropping as she watched him thank the person named Marie and then end the call. By time he disconnected the call and turned back to her, Faline had risen from the bed and was standing on shaky legs. She wasn't completely well yet, and her movements were unsteady. She felt a shock spread through her, starting at the top of her head, quickly descending towards her feet.

He pocketed his cell phone as he turned back to fully face her again, "I'm apologize for that, I had to-" when he realized she was out of the bed, he broke off, "You shouldn't be up, it's too soon."

He took a step towards her and Faline stammered, "Kellen? You are Kellen?"

He froze then, staring at her like he was trying to figure something out. After a moment he seemed to collect his thoughts. "I'm sorry, I suppose I never did get back around to introducing myself to you. Again, I apologize. My name is Shane."

"Kellen?" she repeated again, knowing she sounded like an idiot.

He smiled at her though, his brown eyes ever as gentle each time he looked at her. "Yes. Shane Kellen."

The words were no sooner out of his mouth when she sprung forward, throwing her arms around his neck, and she began to sob with heart wrenching tears. She felt his posture stiffen in surprise, though he caught her, his arms tenderly circling around her back. He was murmuring softly to her, but she didn't hear a word. Instantly, at those few words, she knew she was now safe. For the first time in her life, she felt completely secure. All this, just from learning his name. And sheknew, without question or fail that everything was finally going to be all right.