The Mediator - Alpha's Human Mate

CHAPTER 2

It had been three days since Christmas Eve, and the world kept moving like everything was normal, like I hadn’t watched an animal turn into a man right in front of me. Like I hadn’t seen golden eyes glowing in the dark, teeth bared, claws inches from Evans’ throat.

Everyone kept repeating the same sentence to me: “You were traumatized, Alice. It was a bear. A bear attacked you both.”

A bear? Sure but Bears didn’t have human-shaped shadows. Bears didn’t turn into celebrity bikers in shredded racing leather.

I wasn’t crazy. I knew what I saw but no one believes me.

Suzzy arrived just past noon, her scrubs smelling like antiseptic and baby powder. She carried a plastic bag which she placed on the table.

" Hi..." I greeted while locking the door after she entered.

She didn’t say anything at first. She just placed the food on the table and wrapped her arms around me tightly.

“Oh, Alice…” she whispered into my hair. “You look so pale. Have you been eating at all?”

“I’m fine,” I lied, I could feel my bones pressing against her as she hugged tighter.

“No, you’re not.” She pulled away, studying my face. “Three days, and you’re still shaking. I brought you something to calm your nerves. This is from our favorite spot and I know you won't say no to this goodness.” she started unpacking the plastic bag filled with food ; fried rice, grilled chicken, meat pie and a small brown paper bag of medications.

“It wasn’t a bear,” I whispered before I could stop myself. “I saw him Suzzy, I saw him turn into a human.”

Her expression softened into worry, the same way someone reacts to a child describing a nightmare. “Ali… sweetheart, you had just seen your boyfriend cheating on you. You were hurt and then attacked by a wild creature. You were in shock of all that happening at same time. Shock does things to the brain.”

Shock, another word I was tired of hearing.

She insisted I sit. Then she put food on a plate and pressed it into my hands until I took a bite. She sat close, brushing my hair gently like she used to do in nursing school when exams overwhelmed me.

For a moment, I felt like I could breathe.

Then she said, “About Evans…”

I stiffened.

She sighed, folding her arms. “He hasn’t checked on you. Not once. He hasn’t called me either, and you know he always calls to defend himself. This time? Nothing.”

I stared at the food, suddenly nauseous.

“He said he was embarrassed of me.” My voice cracked. Words they say carry more meaning depending on who they are coming from. I never expected Evans to say such words to me for any reason. We had come a long way or so I thought.

I met Evans two years ago during my first week of internship, he was a struggling business man and wanted a humble lady to settle with. He confessed to me two weeks after we started talking and since then I made sure to be all that he wanted in a woman. I never gave him drama even when he forgets some important dates, I don't bug him all day when he is busy or needs some times alone.

I gave Evans my all, love, affection, loyalty and money. I once sacrificed my life savings for him when business was bad and he needed help, I haven't asked him for it since then. I believed we were building a future together. I had to be on an extremely tight budget on some months after I must have offered my salary to Evan's growing business. I had my younger siblings to cater for and I was carrying all that but still supporting him in every way possible.

I don't ask for expensive gifts nor expect him to support me financially in any way, I did everything I could to be the perfect woman for this man but all these while he was ashamed of me. My body is not my favorite either but I believed that if anyone would say the word love to me it means they loved all of me.

I hated that I was petite, I didn't have enough flesh like other women. I waited for second puberty as they called it but yet nothing happened. I tried dieting and working out but my appetite said no. It took a lot of hard work to start loving my body the way I am but he just crashed all that. For the past three days I have been wondering if he ever liked me at all, if not why did he watch me pour my all into the relationship I thought we were building.

“Embarrassed. After everything I did for him. After all the times I worked double shifts just so he would feel supported.” I broke down.

Suzzy’s face twisted in anger. “He’s a jerk. A selfish, insecure jerk. He cheated, then body-shamed you? Alice, that’s abuse. Emotional abuse.”

My throat tightened painfully. The words replayed in my head, the way he spat them, the disgust in his voice. 'Flat. Embarrassing.'

I sobbed tears poured down before I could hold them back, ugly, shaking sobs that made my chest ache. Suzzy held me again, rubbing my back, whispering, “I’m here. I’m here. You didn’t deserve any of that and most importantly his opinion of you doesn't matter.”

After what felt like hours, the storm inside me settled to a quiet ache. Suzzy straightened her scrubs and got up reluctantly.

“I wish I could stay, but I have night shift again,” she said, guilt in her eyes. “Please take the meds. They will help you sleep.”

I nodded even though I knew I wouldn’t take them.

She hesitated at the door. “Call me if you need anything.”

I smiled weakly. “I will.”

She didn’t know. She couldn’t know. I was already being too needy, she had covered my Christmas shift, visited every day, brought food and comfort. I couldn’t add ‘By the way, something watches me every night’ to her burdens.

When the door closed, silence filled my little apartment like cold water. The sun dipped, shadows climbing the walls. My heart rate picked up the moment evening arrived just like it had the last two nights.

The feeling returned. That sense of being watched.

It wasn’t paranoia. This gaze was heavy, present, like a hand on the back of my neck. I could feel it no matter how many times I checked the windows or paced my living room.

Trying to steady myself, I locked every door. Even the balcony sliding door, even though it was ten floors up. I drew the curtains tight and turned off the lights leaving only the bedside lamp on.

I crawled into bed, holding the blanket to my chest praying silently to be overpowered by sleep soon. The silence felt wrong charged, humminglike the air before a lightning strike.

My heart started beating too fast.

Too loud that the sound filled the room.

Then… a faint gold glow drew my attention.

My breath caught. Across the room, near the window, two red eyes floated in the darkness bright, alive, unblinking and real. I was not hallucinating.

My scream stuck in my throat. “No no no... ”

The figure moved, fast and towards me. It lunged at me before I could reach the door or shout but the impact never came, instead a loud crashing noise drew my attention back to the bed. Over the red eyes beast stood another with shining golden eyes which I recognized immediately. It was him.The beast from the forest, the man from the race.

The creature with golden eyes that haunted my nightmares. He had found me. Again.

I watched as the two broke into a fight in my bedroom while I froze with fears. The red eyes was no match for the golden eyes but he had upper hand because he keeps coming my way after launching as attack to the later. It took me almost two minutes to recover from the shock, I made for the door immediately my mind started working again but before I could unlock the door I felt a hand on my neck, I don't know what he did but I suddenly felt a rush of peace. I was slipping into darkness until I felt nothing again.