CHAPTER 13: HEALER
1008 Words
Aurora’s POV
Who knew pack gatherings could be this enjoyable?
I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I did yesterday. At one point, I didn’t want it to end. I managed to make more friends than I ever had combined in my life.
I laughed more than I had since we left Vancouver, and I fell asleep that night with the unfamiliar sensation of my cheeks sore from smiling.
For the first time, I had real contacts saved in my phone.
Jenny Cole, whom I saved as “Jenny Fire,” had already sent me three voice notes by the time I woke up the next morning.
Each was longer than the last, about definitely meeting up again, and other weird stuff I did not really get.
Lucielle had quietly slipped her number to me when the night ended, passing a small piece of paper as if it were a secret.
The only other contact I had was Lucas. insisting I add three hearts after his name.
Mr. Grumpy Sexy hadn’t offered me his number.
Not that I wanted it. Seriously, I’d rather spend a year munching on stones soaked in rotten eggs than ask Logan Pierce for his phone number.
I pushed thoughts of him aside and rose to get ready for the day.
It was a defense class day, so I swept my hair into a quick bun, applied a dab of lip gloss, and looked at my reflection in the mirror.
My face appeared fuller than it had a week ago, my cheekbones were higher, my eyes brighter. Connecting with my wolf was restoring everything the wolfsbane had taken…strength, vibrancy, and my very presence.
It was as if I was slowly coming back to life, like a plant recovering after a long winter.
But the process was exhausting. I was drained all the time. Having to take longer naps than usual. I was always nosebleeding, and let’s not forget the worst of it all, the relentless headaches every f*****g day.
Lucas stood at the bottom of the stairs with two coffees in his hand. He handed one to me the moment I appeared, his gaze lingering on my face longer than usual.
“I was thinking,” he began.
“That sounds dangerous.”
“There’s a party this weekend. One of my guys. You should come.”
I wrapped my hands around the warm coffee. “I have homework. Plus other things to catch up on.”
He raised an eyebrow at me.
With a sigh, I agreed. “Alright. I’ll be there.”
“Sweet.” He pressed a quick, warm kiss to my cheek and grabbed his keys from the hook. I followed him to the car, attempting to suppress the smile stretching across my face throughout the entire drive.
When I entered the lecture hall before class had begun, Lucielle was already there, which didn’t surprise me. She always arrived early, sitting by the window as if she were looking for something.
I took a seat beside her. “What are you looking at?”
She turned abruptly as if my voice had woken her up from a trance; it was so sudden that she smacked her nose against the window frame. It made a loud wet sound, and I definitely heard the painful sound of bone crunching.
“Oh no,” I gasped, grabbing her arm. “I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”
“It’s fine,” she replied, blinking hard, tears gathering in her eyes.
“It is not fine; you’re crying!”
“I’m not crying.”
“Lucielle. You are crying.”
She pressed the back of her hand to her nose, wincing. “Honestly, I’m fine. It's barely…”
“Let me see,” I said, turning in my seat and cupping her face in my hands before she could protest. I tilted her face toward the light pouring in from the window.
She froze. Up close, with her heavy fringe drawn back and glasses off, she was breathtaking. Soft features, stunning eyes, cheekbones that defied reality. I felt a pang in my heart; how could I hurt someone this precious?
“I don’t know how to have friends,” I blurted, “Two days in, and I’ve already destroyed your nose.”
“You didn’t destroy my nose.”
“I think I bent it.”
“You didn’t…”
“It looks bent.”
A tear slipped down my own cheek before I could catch it, followed by another. Staring at her nose, I began to cry, which was absurd, and in the back of my mind, I berated myself for being this person.
Look at me. Crying instead of taking her to the nurse's office.
I was about to suggest that when I felt a warmth radiating in my palm. I felt the warm glow from the center of my hand, spreading to my fingertips. Before I fully comprehended what was happening, a pale golden glow enveloped my palm.
I felt a sharp sting briefly before it vanished. The light dissipated.
And I met Lucielle’s equally shocked gaze.
Together, we glanced at her nose, which was perfectly straight; there was no trace of swelling or redness, as if nothing had ever happened.
The silence hung between us for four heartbeats.
“Wait.” Lucielle gingerly touched her nose, poking it repeatedly with her fingers. “Wait, wait, wait.”
“I don’t know what that was.”
“You just…” She pointed at my hand, astonishment lighting her eyes. “There was light. It came out of your hand.”
“I know.”
“And my nose doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“I know.”
“Aurora.” She grasped my wrist, her eyes wide. “Are you a healer?”
I glanced down at my palm. The skin looked completely ordinary. No mark, no heat…it was like nothing happened at all.
“I have no idea what I am,” I confessed, and that much was true.
- Writer
