Falling Rain

3

Rain 

    I wake up in a clean room, I know it’s clean because it doesn’t smell like piss, s**t and mildew. There’s actually a very appealing smell, I turn my head and see the man who said his name was Mason.. He’s been here for days. I don’t know why but having him in the room with me all the time makes me feel a bit safer, less panicked. I watch him all day, he tries to talk to me but I can’t make myself respond to him.  

“Do you think you can eat something today?” Mason asks me. He's been trying so hard to get me to eat, I feel like I should try. 

    I give him a small nod. He moves carefully and walks over to a table, picking up a tray of food, he sets it down on the edge of the bed. I see a fruit cup, my hand shakes like a leaf as I reach for it. I pick at it very slowly, it’s been so long since I had a piece of fruit. The sweetness of the pineapple melts on my tongue. I pop a grape into my mouth, crunching down on it. The juices explode into every corner of my mouth. I smile as I chew it. 

“You’re smiling, that’s great. Do you like fruit? I’ll make sure you have as much as you want” Mason looks really happy. I can’t help but stare at him, there is that appealing smell coming off him again. It’s like bark from an oak tree mixed with fresh linen hung outside to dry. I take in a deep breath of it. I feel like I can trust him somehow.

“After you finish eating I was wondering if maybe you’d like to have a bath?” He asks

I think back to when He drowned me in the barrel, my body stiffens. I place the bowl back down and roll onto my side

“You don’t have to, it’s fine. I just thought maybe you’d like to wash up.. whenever you’re ready. There’s no rush. You take your time. I will not make you do anything you don’t want to” 

I look at him for a moment before nodding and closing my eyes. 

“Angel, the doctor is here.. do you think you can wake up for her to talk to you?” Mason whispers to me, waking me from my sleep. I have to admit, I have been sleeping really well since he brought me here. Being in a real bed for the first time in years is strange to me but my back is not as stiff anymore. 

I try to sit up, but my body won’t allow me to move, everything hurts so badly still. The Dr. takes a step towards me, I recoil back into the pillows. 

“It’s alright Angel, she is just going to look at your stitches..” Mason assures me. 

Why does he keep calling me Angel? 

Does he think that’s my name? I’ll have to be sure to correct him soon. 

 “Hello… I’m Dr. Falls.. It’s good to see you awake and doing well. I see you are starting to heal, still slowly but it’s a start at least. Can you sense your wolf?” She asks me as she looks at my wrists. She turns my hands over in hers very gently, looking at the stitches along my arms. 

I shake my head no to answer her question. 

“Okay well, get some rest.. I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you” She gets up and walks out of the room, closing the door on her way out. 

“Are you still hungry Angel?” Mason asks me, I shake my head no. 

“Rain” I whisper, not entirely sure my voice even came out of me. 

Mason whips around to face me, “What?” He asks, shocked that I spoke. 

“My name.. is Rain,” I whisper. 

“Rain… it’s beautiful.. you are beautiful” He smiles brightly at me, my heart feels full when he smiles. 

“Are...are you..” I begin to ask if he is my mate when someone knocks on the door. I feel somewhat relieved to be interpreted. 

    Mason gets up with a sigh and opens the door. The lady from before comes in, she is short with shoulder length dark hair. She has bright hazel eyes and a pretty smile. I wish I was pretty like her. 

“Hello Dear.. My name is Annie. I am Mason’s mother..” She says softly. 

“Mom has offered to help you bathe if you’d like to.. you’ll be perfectly safe and I’ll be right here the whole time” I watch him for a moment, then Annie. There is something about him that I feel like I like. I nod once, removing the blanket from my legs. They are all bruised and scarred. Annie goes into the bathroom that is attached to the hospital room and I can hear the bathtub filling up. 

I stare down at my legs for a long time, wondering why they aren’t moving. 

“Can I help you to the bathroom, Rain?” Mason is beside me, but keeping his distance. 

    I stare up at him, I have not had a good look at him yet, or rather I haven’t paid attention. He has dark brown almost black hair, it’s shaggy, going past his ears. His eyes are a warm honey color, his body is built nicely. He looks strong and fit. He is tall, around 6’. I don’t know how tall I am. I don’t even know what I look like. My eyes snap up to his and I give him a small nod. 

    His arm slides under my legs, and his hand goes to my back supporting me. I feel my body explode with a tingly feeling. I expect pain but the tingles are all I feel. I watch him closely as he picks me up and carries me to the bathroom. 

“You can place her in the water. I’ll take care of the rest Mason” Annie says as she pushes Mason out of the room and closes the door. I am still wearing a shirt, it’s clean but it’s wet now. Annie comes over to me, kneeling beside the tub.

 “May I take this off?” She gestures to the shirt. I nod and she gently lifts it over my head and slides my arms out.

She grabs a spongy looking thing and starts to wipe me down with it, 

“You know. I was born with some serious health issues.. I thought I’d never shift.. but I overcame it with the help of my mate. I’m sure whatever you feel now Mason can help you overcome it. He is a good man.. He will treat you well. If he ever steps out of line you can come to me… You can come to me for anything” She says smiling at me. She doesn't comment on any of my scars. She just washes me. 

“Can I wash your hair?” She asks. I haven’t had a hair wash in years. I don’t even remember what color my hair is. I nod and she continues to wash me, rinsing my hair and lathering it with fancy smelling soaps. 

    She tilts my head back and pours a cup of water to rinse the soap out. She has to repeat the process a few times to get it clean but eventually she does. 

Once she is all finished washing me she lifts me out of the water, she is very strong. She slides a night dress over my head and down my body. I whimper softly as my sore muscles and broken ribs shift with the movement. She places me down in a soft chair and dries me off

“I’m sorry dear, did I hurt you?” She asks with a horrified look on her face. I shake my head no. 

“Can I brush your hair?” She asks. I feel like a little kid at Christmas, I’m getting spoiled by her, I nod happily. I remember my mother would braid my hair for me after bath time. 

“Can you braid?” I ask shyly 

“Of course dear. I would love to braid your hair” She grabs a brush and gets to work, once she is finished she grabs a hand mirror and shows me. 

    I stare at my reflection and feel tears slide down my face. My hair is so long, down to my butt. I have dark blue eyes and pale skin. I am mesmerized by the way the tears come out of my eyes. How they slide slowly down my cheeks. 

“Do you like it?” Annie asks after a moment. 

“Yes” I tell her. 

A knock at the door makes me jump and I drop the mirror, making it smash into a hundred pieces. 

I look at Annie in horror, wondering if she will be angry or not. 

Mason bursts through the door, looking around frantically. 

“What’s wrong?” He asks, coming over to me. 

I burst into tears, afraid I’m going to be in trouble for breaking the mirror. 

“Nothing is wrong Mason, you scared her, that’s all. Get her back to bed, I’ll clean this up. Don’t worry about it dear. It’s just a mirror” Annie says 

    Mason picks me up, I place my arms around his neck as he carries me to the bed again. The sheets have been changed, they were white before, now they are a pale purple. 

Did he change the sheets for me?

He sets me down in the bed and tucks my feet under the covers before pulling them up over me. I roll to my side and watch him as he sits down in his chair. 

“Are you my mate?” I ask, using all the courage I possess. 

“Yes” He answers, staring into my eyes. He doesn’t look away, not for a second. 

“Are you going to reject me?” It slips out of my mouth before I can even think about it. I hadn’t thought about the possibility before now. 

“Of course not Rain” He looks so sad. 

I close my eyes and drift off to sleep. 

“We are making progress, I think in a few days you can leave the hospital wings and go to the main house. You will have to be careful not to overdo it, but otherwise you should be okay” Dr. Falls tells us, I look to Mason for answers. 

“Are you sure she is strong enough? It’s only been a few weeks” He asks 

“Well, she’s awake, she can eat on her own. We won’t know about her legs until she gets stronger, but for now there is really no reason for her to stay here” 

I’m scared, I only just got used to being in this room now they want to move me somewhere else. Will Mason stay with me once I’m moved or will he just leave me? 

“Hey, it’s alright..” Mason says, sensing my nerves. He reaches out his hand and his fingers touch mine gently, making them tingle. I like the feeling of it. I let him entwine our fingers and hold my hand, I can see the massive smile form on his face. 

“Why don’t you take her for a walk? Get her out of the room for a little bit, it will help her get used to her surroundings” 

I don’t know if I like the sound of that, I feel myself begin to sweat. 

“Would you like to go for a walk with me?” Mason turns to me, hope in his eyes. 

I don’t want to disappoint him so I give a weak nod, swallowing a wad of saliva stuck in my throat. He gently picks me up, 

“What are you doing?” I ask in shock, my voice coming out a squeak. 

“We don’t have a wheelchair for you yet. I will have to carry you.. Unless you are uncomfortable” 

“No, but can I go outside in this?” I look down to my thin night dress. 

“Right, of course not. Let’s get you in some warmer clothing” He sets me back down on the bed and rummages through a dresser. He comes back with a pair of soft looking pants and a sweater. I can’t even dress myself, my body is still too sore. He gently slides the pants up my legs and over my butt, pulling them up to my hips, next the sweater, he pulls it over my head and helps me get my arms in. 

“Ready?” He looks me over, satisfied with the wardrobe selection. 

I nod weakly and he picks me up once more, carrying me outside. He shows me a few buildings, telling me where he usually trains. 

    Two young boys run up to us, they look no older than twelve years old, Annie is trailing behind them. They both have light brown hair and green eyes. They are not much taller than Annie, who smiles softly when she sees us approach. 

“Mason! We’ve missed training with you” One of the boys shouts as he comes over to us. 

“Chase, Jason, This is Rain, my mate.. Rain these are my brothers” 

“Nice to meet you Rain!” They both say politely. 

I nod at them and try to smile but I’m not so sure it worked. I feel overwhelmed by all the new faces and surroundings. 

“Rain, it’s so good to see you up and about” Annie says, she places her hands on the boy's shoulders. 

“I was just showing her around a little bit, getting her some fresh air” Mason explains to Annie. 

“We won’t disturb you, enjoy your walk Rain” Annie ushers the boys away, I can hear them talking to their mother as they walk. 

“She’s pretty, can she not walk?” 

“She is still healing, she will be okay” Annie calmly says. 

Mason walks us around the side of the main house, there is a beautiful large garden. 

“Want to sit in here for a bit?” He asks me, I nod, enjoying the smells of all the different flowers.