I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 28

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Welcome

I had half expected to find some kind of invitation under my door, or tucked into my breakfast tray when I awoke the next morning, but found nothing of the sort. It was a foolish thought, his duties as alpha don't cease to be just because I'm beginning to like him.

But I couldn't help but feel that something should be different today. I had kissed him– multiple times, at that. Was that not exactly what he had been trying so hard to gain over these past months, my acceptance? Only the increased need to be around him, courtesy of the mate bond, served as proof that it had happened at all, and that it wasn't some kind of stress-induced hallucination. Unforgiving, indeed.

Oh, well. I had places to be as well.

Ash was awake when I entered the infirmary. Never had I been happier to see those grey eyes in my life, all other problems gone from my life for the time being.

Ash was alive, and breathing– and recovering, however slow-going that may be for our kind. I blinked back the tears that had begun to well up.

I rushed to his side where he was propped up on pillows, looking rather uncomfortale. I couldn't keep myself from throwing my arms around him in relief. "I was so worried about you."

He winced, and I immediately retracted my arms, "Sorry."

Ash gave me a small, pained smile, but I couldn't tell if it was from his wounds, or from the words he spoke next, "You didn't tell me you were claimed by the alpha."

I looked down guiltily, "Would it have changed anything?"

"Yes."

I looked back into his eyes, so similar to my own, "There was nothing you could have done to change the situation, regardless of who it was."

He attempted a shrug, but hissed in pain instead. "Maybe not," his voice had taken on a strange tone.

It was silent in the room for a moment, save for the mechanical whirring of the machines beside us. I waited patiently, knowing he would speak what was on his mind when he was ready, and not a second sooner. Pressing him had caused the majority of our disagreements growing up.

After many, long minutes, my patience was rewarded. "What were you thinking, Rose?"

My spine stiffened in indignation. "I was thinking," I stressed, "that your life was on the line."

"You nearly got yourself killed."

I huffed a laugh, "I could say the same to you."

"Well, it's not like I did it on purpose," he insisted, " unlike you."

My smile fell. "Ash, what happened?" I couldn't keep the question from slipping from my lips. "That shifter, he–"

A frown creased his forehead as he interrupted me, "Shifter?"

I shrugged, looking down at the infirmary bed he was propped up on. "Um, yeah," I twisted the fabric of my dress between my fingers awkwardly, "that's what they call themselves, I guess."

He shot me a strange look, but I found myself unable to meet his gaze remembering the way Lily had regarded me the day before. "He stopped by my room this morning," he told me quietly.

I didn't have to ask who the 'he' was. Gianluca. My blush was almost automatic at the mention of him and the memories of his lips against mine. "He– he did?"