The Bewitched Mate

Chapter 04

Chapter 04

Anna´s POV:

Jason walked into my bedroom with Eliza in his arms. “Shh, I think she’s fallen asleep. I’ll put her to bed and I want you to stay with her, Anna,” he mind linked me. He laid her gently on the bed.

“Jason, what happened? What did they do to Liz?”

She smelled like a combination of fear, with a hint of garbage and sewer. Something terrible must have happened. Jason wasn’t the kind of Alpha who would leave everyone in and locked up unless something was actually going on.

“There was a rogue. From what I’ve seen and heard, he was about to rape her. I think she’s just scared, Anna. That’s why I want you to stay with her. I will have Gamma Tim patrol the hallway just to be safe, but I think it was a lone rogue who saw her as a lust object. Ben, James, Jack and Tom are scouring territory for any sign of more of those disgusting things. As soon as I know more, I’ll be back, okay?”

The fear came over me. Wrong time, wrong place. Thank Goddess, Jason felt something was wrong and was able to intervene in time!

The sight of my dear friend, beautiful and innocent, yet damaged, met my eyes. After nodding to Jason, I heard the door close gently. As I let out a deep sigh, I contemplated on how to be of help to my friend. I sat on the bed next to Eliza and just be with her. Being with her and being there for her was all I could do.

After an hour, there was a soft knock on the door.

“Anna, it’s me. Can I come in?” Jason was so thoughtful to Eliza, so understanding and respectful to her.

“Yes, come in, Liz is still sleeping,” Jason stepped into the room and closed the door softly again. He walked over towards us and sat at my side on the foot front.

“How is she? Did she say or do anything?” he asked me softly, looking at Liz with a concerned look.

“She hasn’t opened her eyes yet. Now and then I feel her shiver and hear her gasp,” I whispered back.

Jason let out a deep sigh. “She still smells like fear and that filthy rogue,”

“I know, but what can I do? Do you want something? Can I do something for you?” I noticed Jason wasn’t sure what to do. “I’ll try to wake her up and convince her to take a bath. Maybe we can get something to eat together? Can you order some?”

“Yeah, sure. What do you want? Shall I bring some pizza? Do you know what she likes?” I laughed, my brother and pizzas. After all these years in college, I’d almost forgotten that you can always wake up Jason for a good pizza.

“Yeah, that sounds good, I’d like a pizza Hawaii and Liz...”

At the same time, Eliza said, “That’s not pizza and I like a pizza with salami and extra cheese,” Jason and I looked directly at Eliza. She had woken up and sounded almost like her own self again.

“Oh Liz, you’re awake!” I was so happy to see her awake I expressed my enthusiasm. Her eyes widened, as I startled her for a moment, but she quickly recovered.

“Calm down, sis. Let her wake up. Pizza with salami and extra cheese! Do you want anything else? You name it and I’ll get it for you.” Jason would do anything to put her at ease again.

“Everything, like a cup of ice cream and perhaps another delicious cocktail as a nightcap?” She asked in a sweet, soft voice.

“I don’t know about that cocktail yet, but you can get that ice cream in as many flavors as you want. Give me an hour and I’ll be back.” And with that, Jason got up and walked out the door. Before the door closed, he poked his head around the corner for a moment.

“Do you want Gamma Tim to stay here in the hallway to keep an eye out, or are you okay?”

I looked at Liz to see what she wanted. She shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe Tim can stay a little longer until you get back? Bring him a pizza too and he can eat it at home when you get back.”

Jason nodded and closed the door.

I turned to Liz again. “Okay, I’m going to fill a bath for you with a nice bath bomb and then you can soak in it for a while,”

“That sounds great, but my clothes are in the other room.”

“You can borrow my clothes. Sorry to say it, but you stink, so hush-hush into that bathroom and I’ll run the tub. I stay here in the room and Gamma Tim is in the hallway. Nothing can happen to you. We got you covered, Liz!”

She thought for a moment and then got off the bed and headed for the bathroom. I followed her and ran the bath. When I turned around to inform her about the filled tub, I noticed her chest and asked if she was feeling okay.

My gasp startled Liz and looked at me with fear in her eyes. I didn’t know what words to use. Her chest had the imprint of a hand. Her gaze followed my finger and when she saw what shocked me, tears welled up in her eyes.

“Shh, come here, it’ll be fine. It seems bad now, but it will heal. You probably won’t see any more of it tonight.”

We wolves heal much faster than humans, but since we both had yet to turn eighteen to get our wolf, it took just a little longer.

“Rinse yourself off, choose a bath bomb, and enjoy yourself. In three quarters of an hour, we will have something to eat. I’m sure you’ll feel a lot better after that!”

She wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand and nodded in agreement. She came out of the shower and the moment I stepped out of the bathroom, she stepped into the bath.

“Thank you, Ann., I really appreciate your care. I just need some time.”

I smiled, “Of course we’ll take care of you. You’re my best friend! Take all the time you need and I’ll always be there for you. Enjoy your bath and I’ll be back for you in forty-five minutes.”

She smiled and nodded. I closed the door and let out a sigh. It will be all right.

After three quarters of an hour, I knocked gently on the door.

“Eliza, Jason just mind linked me. He’s ten minutes out from the pack house. Are you coming out? I’ve got some clothes here for you.” The door opened, and she carefully looked through the gap that opened. I held up the clothes and she opened the door a little further. She had wrapped herself in a bath towel. Her hair was rolled in a towel.

“Here are the clothes. I’ll get the hair dryer for you,”

She started getting dressed as I put the hair dryer on the sink.

“Here,” I gave her the hairdryer. “Do you need anything else?”

“No thanks. Anna?”

I turned to look at her.

“I know you want to talk, but I can’t.”

“Oh, honey, you don’t have to talk about it. You can talk about it, but you don’t have to.”

“I really appreciate that!”

She turned and started blow drying her hair. That was all she wanted to say about it, and I wouldn’t push her any further. I can only hope she realizes we are always there for her when she needs it.

After fifteen minutes, Eliza came out of the bathroom. She had put on the clothes I had packed for her and her hair was in a messy bun.

“There you are. Was it a nice bath? Jason is waiting for us downstairs. We can eat there without pack members bothering us.”

She nodded and walked past me. A smell passed by, which made me nauseous.

“Which bath bomb did you use? I don’t recognize the smell.”

She laughed, “Sure, you have so many. It was a purple and pink ball with a flower in it. It said it could be used for fatigue, or stress, something with Jasmine?”

I smiled back, that it was a lush bath bomb and I was sure the bomb wasn’t supposed to smell like that.

“Oh really? I couldn’t have guessed that. I’ll have to try that one too. Shall we go?”

Eliza nodded and together we walked out the door downstairs.