Lost and Found

Fourteen

Entering the room, Tessa slowly approached Zane, who seemed weary of her. She frowned at him as her eyes scanned over his face and features. Before she could stop herself, she reached out a hand and let her fingertips brush against his cheek. Zane flinched, but didn’t stop her. His hazel eyes searched her blue ones. She could almost read the questions she saw in him.

“I will not let anyone else get hurt because of me,” she said quietly. “Though you have no reason to believe me, especially after whatever just happened, I want to make this promise to you: I will not do anything to purposefully put others in danger.”

Zane stared at her for a few more moments before letting out a sigh and pulling back from her hand. He glanced at the nurse on the floor and then brought his eyes back to hers.

“Alright. I’ll hold you to that promise.”

Tessa nodded once. There seemed to be an unspoken understanding between the two, and there was a certain peace that settled between them. She didn’t know what was going on or why these things were happening, but she did know for certain that she was tired of seeing others get hurt or be in harm’s way.

“Why did that weird guy from the forest appear in my dream?” he suddenly asked, grabbing her attention.

“He appeared in yours too?”

He nodded. “Yes, he was saying a lot of things I didn’t understand. Like, I mean, he didn’t make sense like in the forest. He was just saying sentences that weren’t sentences.”

“Was there another man with him?”

Zane arched an eyebrow before saying, “No? I don’t remember seeing anyone else. Just him talking at me, saying stuff like, ‘She’s the end’s beginning’, or ‘Walking curses cry at her sighting’. I don’t know. He didn’t make any sense. Who was he talking about?”

Tessa bit down on her bottom lip in thought. She didn’t know what that man, Darrian, had been saying or what he meant or even who he was talking about, but she had a hunch that it had something to do with her. It didn’t sit well with her. If she voiced her thoughts, she worried that Zane would kick her out for being far more trouble than she was worth.

“If… if this all ties back to me, will you be upset?” she timidly asked, her eyes now refusing to meet his.

He turned his head, running his fingers through his hair. It was a question he’d wondered about numerous times already. Things felt out of control, and it hated the feeling. He had thought he’d learned this lesson already.

“I don’t–”

Her hand caressing his cheek stopped him mid-sentence, and he froze at her touch. Her thumb rubbed lightly over the skin just below his temple, and when she slightly pressed down, he jerked backwards, letting out a small grunt.

“Ouch! That hurt. What was that for?” he said, his tone accusatory.

Her eyes widened immediately. “Oh,” she exclaimed, pulling back immediately. “I’m so sorry. You just have a mark on your face. It kind of looks like a bruise or cut? I wanted to make sure you were alright. I apologize.”

Zane couldn’t explain why he missed her touch the moment it left him, but he shook off the feeling. His fingers lightly brushed against where the pain had originated, and he grimaced as pain shot through his head. He looked around until he located the small mirror in the room, stood, and walked over to it. On the side of his face was indeed a bruise-looking mark. However, when he peered more closely at it, he thought he could make out a symbol. Of what, though, he couldn’t say.

“What is this? Man, I’m really tired of asking questions with no way to get the answers,” Zane said.

His voice sounded tired, and she felt personally responsible. She wanted to give him a hug and to comfort him, but when she took a step towards him, she became painfully aware of the fact that he was only dressed in the hospital gown that was not fully closed in the back. Tessa’s cheeks flared pink, and she had to glance away from him, clearing her throat awkwardly.

“Though, you seem just as in the dark as I am, so I can’t put the full blame on you. I’m sorry if it’s felt that way. I thought that I had to have everything under control and figured-out before heading into these frustrating situations, but I’m seeing how unrealistic that is and how unfair it is to everyone else.”

“I’m sorry that I’ve been no help at all. I’ve only caused you trouble and brought issues into your, uh, what’s it called?”

“Pack.”

“Yeah, that…” she finished.

Zane chuckled, turning to face her. “I know we kind of started on the wrong foot, but considering everything, do you think we could start over or move forward?”

Tessa smiled at him. “Yes, I think we could do that.”

“So, do you know what’s on the side of my head?”

Gently placing her hands on his arm, Tessa stood up on her tippy-toes to try to get a better look at it. Even with Zane bending down some, she couldn’t make out anything specific. It seemed as though the longer she looked at it, the less she was able to figure out.

Tessa shook her head. “I can’t tell, but I see what you mean. It does look like it’s supposed to be something.”

Zane looked over at her, aware of just how close they were and her hands on his arm. More feelings came up that he couldn’t comprehend what they meant. He inwardly grumbled about all of the things he wasn’t understanding lately. This woman had entered his life and turned it all on its head, and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. What he did know for certain, though, was that when she stepped back from him, he had the biggest urge to sweep her up in his arms.

“I suppose we should check in on these people on the floor. They don’t seem hurt or anything, but I’m not sure if they still need medical attention or anything,” Tessa said, pulling his focus back to reality.

As a response, Zane lifted the nurse off the floor and placed her on the bed. He then checked her pulse and made sure she was breathing steadily.

“Who else got knocked out like Melissa?” he then asked.

“Oh, both Bre and Leo were on the floor in my room,” she said, and then quickly added, “But don’t worry. I checked on them both. They were breathing and seemed fine when I left and found you. Also, why are you up when everyone else isn’t?”

Zane rubbed his chin in thought. “What a good question. It must have something to do with that guy in our dreams.”

“Though, mine didn’t feel very dream-like.”

“What happened in it?”

“Darrian, the, uh, guy we met in the woods, I believe that’s his name, he brought another man with him and wanted me to shift. He also said a lot of weird things, and the other guy seemed annoyed with him. He called me broken, but Darrian corrected him, and said I wasn’t broken.”

He frowned at her. “Broken?”

“Yeah, but again, Darrian said I wasn’t, though I don’t recall what other word he used. In the dream, or whatever it was, I was in a cage, and that seemed to interest Darrian, but then he got rid of it and approached me, grabbing my wrist.”

Zane felt a surge of anger. “He what?”

“Well, he was yelling at me to shift, and when I said I couldn’t, the other guy said the broken comment. The other guy was really frustrated, and then a really bright light took me out of it.”

“Hmm,” he pondered. “That certainly is different from mine.”

“What happened to you?”

He half-shrugged. “I was on a riverbank and somehow knew that I needed to cross the river, so I waded into the water. The current was strong, and I was fighting it, and then that weird guy appeared on the other side saying things at me. I don’t know what happened, whether I made it to the other side or not because I woke up, found Melissa, and then you walked in.”

Groaning from the hallway pulled both of their attentions to the doorway, which was soon filled by a confused looking Leo. He was holding his head in one of his hands and using his other hand to prop himself up while squinting at them.

“What happened?” he asked. “My head feels like I’ve lost a bad fight or something and got hit hard.”

“Leo!” Tessa said excitedly. “I’m so glad you’re alright. We were just about to come over to check on you and Bre. Is she stirring too?”

“Yeah, she stepped out to take a phone call,” he replied, looking over at Zane, who had a scowl on his face. “What’s up with you, Alpha?”

“N-nothing,” Zane mumbled.

Shrugging it off, Leo looked Tessa up and down. “Well, if anything, it looks like your legs are just fine.”

Tessa and Zane both looked at themselves, surprise evident on their faces as their legs were in fact perfectly fine. They had been unable to walk, and now, there was no trace of infection.