The Alpha's Keeper

V: Not So Serious Talk

This is impossible! Edith thought as she saw the honest eyes of that man looking at her with determination. She wanted to laugh at his statement, but it was impossible, it was clear that this guy was not lying, and that puzzled her.

“Are you talking seriously?”

He smiled brightly before responding happily, "Yes! I am!"

She did not stop looking at him, stunned. When she, with a sigh, regained her composure, Edith looked at him with a somewhat evil smile. She said, "Listen! What you are feeling is nothing more than gratitude because I save your life. That's all. There is no need to exaggerate. It's fine.”

Joshua smiled disappeared at the confidence with which Edith said those things. She seemed to be convinced of everything she said, and he did not like that one bit.

For Joshua, nothing that he was feeling was an exaggeration or gratitude. He sighed calmly and got up, walking around the room looking at the scattered books that Edith had used to save his life.

A small smile appeared on the face of the werewolf. He looked at her and, with a calm voice trying to emphasize every word, he said, "Listen. This is not gratitude. This has nothing to do with the fact that you saved me. I am grateful for that, of course.”

“But that does not mean that what I am feeling is a consequence of that fact, this is my nature, and I cannot escape from it,” he continued.

And calmly, he takes the books to the library basin to accommodate them. While he was doing that, Edith was looking at him with palpable curiosity.

 She didn't really know what was happening, but something was certain. Looking at that man caused her a complicated state of anxiety. The desire surfaced. She had to make a conscious effort to remain calm.

If only he wasn't naked! Edith thought as, after arranging the books, Joshua walked towards her.

When she looked at him, she smiled without knowing why and then offered, “Why don't you get dressed? You're going to catch a cold!”

Are you going to catch a cold? A werewolf? What nonsense are you talking, Edith, please! The young woman thought when she realized how silly her comments were.

Joshua stares at her with a smile. He raised his hands in wonder before asking seriously, “And how do I dress? I have no clothes.”

She got up. Edith already felt a little better, but her body was still weak from the use of her magic. The magic applied strong pressure on her body, and that caused her fatigue to grow every time she used it, which is why she avoided using magic in whatever way she could.

She approached a chest and, opening it took out several pieces of clothing.

The wolf looked at her with interest and, taking them, said, “Where did you get these clothes from?”

She smiled, and as he dressed, she felt her cheeks blush. Edith turned her back on him before explaining, "I collect the disasters of their battles many of those clothes belong to-”

“Vampire! Grotesque!” Joshua yelled in disgust before throwing a long-sleeved shirt to the ground.

She looked at him and, with a face of confusion, asked, “What's going on?”

“That smells like a vampire! I am sorry!” And with those words, the werewolf, who now had torn pants, approached with his bare chest to her and took a t-shirt. He then put it near his nose and calmly put it on.

She was looking at him inwardly, but something curious occurred to her while he was putting on his t-shirt.

“Your wounds! Not all were healed completely!"

He looked at her and automatically knew that she was referring to the three marks on his back and smilingly nodded as he said casually as if there were nothing, “Not all heal.”

She looked at him curiously and said, “But the ones from yesterday's battle all healed perfectly?”

By turning, he showed his abdomen, and there was still the mark of the stab that the white wolf had given him touching it. He then explained, "This Jerald did it to me. You saw it yesterday. Well, the wounds made by silver weapons, or in the new moon, those do not heal that fast with my natural ability, and they always leave a scar.”

She nodded, but the mention of the previous battle made her remember that she had not yet lifted the corpses from the plain. Edith felt an enormous weight on her shoulders just thinking that she should carry out that task and a lazy grimace appeared on her face.

Joshua stared at her and said softly, "You feel bad again?" He approached her and opened his arms to carry her again while he said, “Come, I will take you to bed.”

Promises promises! She found herself thinking when she felt that man's arms closing around her.

She managed to regain her composure. “No need, I'm fine!” She stepped back a little and looked into Joshua's eyes when she said, "I just remembered that I have to take care of something, and I'm still a little tired.”

He looked at her with a smile and approached her. He said, "Let me do it for you, so we will be even.”

Edith thought about refusing, but using the werewolf's strength for her benefit would not be a negative thing.

They decided to go out to the clearing to search for the remaining corpses so that she could take care of her work, but when they reached that place. Joshua's face darkened at the sight of his dead brothers.

“Never raise your hand against your family!” He suddenly said, looking at his former comrades, “My father used to repeat that to us, and I did this with my own hands.”

Edith remembered the vision of the dead king and calmly approached to ask, “Are you okay?”

But another voice answered behind her instead.

“Too okay if you ask me!”

She watched as Jerald, the white wolf, walked slowly towards them.

Joshua, who had leaned over his fallen companions, looked at him and heard how he addressed Edith.

“I thought it was a matter of time for him to die, but it seems that you healed him, witch!”

At that moment, Edith held her breath.

“I must understand. Do you have a special interest in this traitor?” Jerald questioned coldly.

But Edith was unable to answer. Aside from the fact that she was not sure about the answer, she was also very much annoyed with Jerald as of that moment.  

"I'll make sure you don't survive this time!" Jerald said to Joshua before she could speak. And with those words, another battle began.