Chapter 29 Strawberry Ice Cream
1951 Words
Chapter 29
Strawberry Ice Cream
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Louise
I had been in a wheelchair once before this, and that was with Mum, who I trusted with my life. But with Joseph behind the controls, it was strange. Did I trust him enough? His hand brushed my shoulder, and I tensed. It sent the butterflies off in an explosion through my chest. At this rate, it was more a case of—did I trust myself?
Get yourself together! I scolded myself as we turned the corner to a waiting elevator.
“Red suits you,” Joseph said as we entered the elevator. “It brings out this little hint of yellow in the centre of your brown eyes.”
Biting my bottom lip, I held back a smile. Was he flirting with me? Did he honestly pay that much attention to me? Once the doors closed, I could see my reflection on the metallic surface, and my smile vanished. I had lost more weight. My face was too thin. A tiny yellowing hole stood out in the bend of my left arm from the blood test Doc Anderson had done earlier. My eyes were almost too big. I’m a complete mess!
Yet there was Joseph, smiling pleasantly back at me. Why?
“Thanks,” I managed to say as I turned away from the reflection.
The elevator doors flew open with a ding to reveal a long, speckled grey corridor. Murals of a vibrant forest had been painted on either side of the walls in intricate detail. I could almost smell the forest breeze in the air. The corridor was alive with rushing doctors, chatting nurses, and a few passing patients. Each patient was here for a reason, but Doc Anderson had told me wolves rarely get sick. And no werewolf in medical history had cancer or anything like it. At least, not something their wolf couldn’t remove. Our wolf was our savour… when we reached eighteen.
Until then, my body was classically human, more so than the others in my pack. I realised I was far from emotionally ready for this. Was this the right thing to do?
As Joseph wheeled me out of the elevator, a pretty red-haired pregnant woman hurried past, towing two young children behind her. They matched each other, reminding me of those old nesting dolls I had seen in an antique shop. I didn’t know her but knew she was a werewolf from a different pack.
That dark cloud of sorrow finally caught up with me, sucking out my breath. I shivered. That’s never going to be me! A tear burned in the corner of my eyes. Stop it, Louise! This is not the time or the place for such emotions. I willed back the tears and pushed the sorrow away. The last thing I needed was for Joseph to see that side of me right now.
We stopped beside a large oval window that revealed an enormous open playground surrounded by real trees. It looked like someone had cut the park from a home renovation magazine and pasted it here. Inside, children climbed through a wooden playhouse, rocked on see-saws, bounced on animal cut-out rides, and skipped down a hopscotch court. Parents and young couples stood at a small coffee truck across the other side. Its wheels had been removed, making it a permanent fixture in the park. “Coffee Beans” was printed across the side, with the image of ground coffee falling from the ‘o’. A few teens hovered around the shaded seats and chatted amongst themselves.
I glanced around, taking everything in, hoping to find someone like me so I didn’t stand out. There was no one like me … no one my age in a wheelchair, covered in bruises. I shivered again and hugged myself, trying to hide the bruises.
“Louise, are you okay?” Joseph came around to the front. He knelt before me so he was at eye level with me. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain? Do you need me to do anything?”
“No...” Shaking my head, I caught the pity in his eyes and turned away. “I’m fine.”
Even if what Joseph had said was true - mate, who would ever accept me as their mate…? Especially an Alpha like him … even a jerky Alpha like him. I hugged myself tighter. I wanted to return to my room and forget about this. Maybe I shouldn’t be here …
“Here,” Joseph removed his jacket as he stood. He walked behind me and draped it over my shoulders. “This should help.”
I clung to the jacket, flooded by the scent of cinnamon, sugar and denim. What happened to that salty ocean breeze? “Thanks …” I glanced up at him with a small smile. “I mean it…”
“You’re more than welcome…” He placed his hand on my shoulder. On instinct, I tensed, and he removed it. “I don’t know about you …” He continued to wheel me down the corridor towards the open archway entrance. “I could go for an ice cream…. What do you think?”
I nodded. “I could go for –”
“Strawberry…”
“Err…” I peered up at him again. “How did you know?”
He smirked at me in a way that would usually make me angry, but now, it made him cute. My chest fluttered. “You mentioned it the other night during a game of blackjack…”
“I did?” I rubbed my forehead. “I don’t remember that.”
He laughed. “How could you not? We were talking about colours and flavours, which led to strawberry ice cream.”
“Wow,” this time, I laughed. My stitches protested, so I stopped and adjusted myself in the seat. It appeared that Joseph and I talked more than I had realised. Did I feel that comfortable around him now? “I don’t remember that…”
“You also told me how you like comedies and paranormal shows,” he added with a smile. “And that your taste in music depended on your mood.”
I told him all that! I massaged my temples as we continued down a tiled footpath towards the coffee truck line. What else did I tell him? And what about him? His favourite colour was blue. He loved action movies and was really into rock music.
Wow, we spoke a lot! I giggled.
“I like your laugh, Louise…” He whispered quietly.
Grinning, I pulled the jacket around me tighter and fought off the butterflies. The stubborn smile refused to leave my face.
We moved up a few extra steps and drew closer. The perspective of strawberry ice cream started to brighten my mood. He was beginning to brighten my mood.
A cuddling couple were lined up in front of us—a man and his mate. I could tell they were mates by the marks on both of their necks. They stood arm in arm. I sighed at the closeness and the way they worked together. She was tall and slender with surprisingly broad shoulders, not quite portioned with the rest of her. He was solid, a little muscular, with a day-old growth of stubble on his chin.
I glanced up at Joseph behind me to realise… he had at least two days’ worth of stubble on his chin. Why had I not noticed that before?
Joseph caught me looking. That adorable little dimple framed his thin lips again, crinkling his eyes. “What is it, Louise?” He was almost boasting that he had caught me.
A rush of heat filled my body, making my stomach clench. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean… it’s just…”
“Just what?” He raised a quizzical eyebrow at me.
I fumbled with my words. Why is this so difficult? Just turn around and say – Hey Joseph, is it true … did you really mean it … am I your mate? Or am I just a pity project? I inwardly huffed. I couldn’t do that… but I wanted to. The way my heart was racing, I was starting to believe – Raine and Jo were onto something. I like him! I shot him another coy glance. I think I want to be his mate! I wish I knew for sure!
He chuckled. It vibrated up through his chest and against the back of the chair. I was checking him out, and he knew it. Was that good or bad? Could he read my mind? No, he can’t! Like Mum, only those in my bloodline had been trained to read my mind. But even she can’t read everything. Was he laughing because it was all a joke? I sucked in a worried breath and pushed the thoughts away. Focus!
Soon, the couple had left the line, and it was our turn. The scent of sugar and spice was making my mouth water. A young man in his twenties stuck his round head out from between the shutters and window that made up the counter. His curly brown hair bounced as his darker brown eyes fell on me.
“What will you have today?” He flashed a dazzling smile. “We have a deal on cookies… two for the price of one. Or we have a basic selection of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice creams.”
Behind me, Joseph growled from deep within his chest. The young cashier stood back from the counter and hesitated for a moment. He knew fully and suddenly and with terrified surprise that the man behind me was of Alpha blood—it radiated in waves.
“Address me, not Louise,” Joseph ordered with an Alpha tone. “That’s an order!”
“Yes, Alpha,” the cashier agreed.
Why was Joseph so protective of me? Was it because of my situation or because he honestly cared about me? Am I his Mate?
Trembling, the poor cashier returned to the counter. “So, how can I help you today?”
Joseph stepped in before I had a chance to reply. “Two strawberry ice creams...” he glanced down at me with a smirk. “And I’m paying.”
“Eight dollars,” the cashier quoted.
Joseph handed over the money without another word.
“You know, you have to let me pay for something one day!” I huffed as I crossed my arms. “I can fend for myself.”
“Oh, I know you can,” smirking, Joseph leaned closer and whispered in my ear, “and do you know ... I am Alpha. If it were up to me, which it is, you would never need to pay for anything again.”
“You’re not Alpha yet,” I replied as he stood back.
He chuckled in amusement. Chills vibrated my spine and inner thighs. It was a sensation I had never known, and I instantly enjoyed it. It made all the tiny hair on the back of my neck tingle. Maybe this jerk-in-training ... this rude ... gorgeous alpha-to-be…” I sighed inwardly. Maybe he isn’t as bad as I first thought. Maybe it is time to speak to him and see what happens…
His hand landed on my shoulder, and his fingers caressed the skin. It felt right and made my decision for me. It was time! Once we have our ice creams, I will ask Joseph! I sat straight in the seat, feeling a strange wave of strength wash over me. I’m doing it!
- Writer
