“Yes.” I finished up the last stitch. “I am healing a patient right now.” This did not matter to Axel, who inched closer to me and peered down at the injured alpha on the bed.
“Not anymore,” Axel said, motioning towards the wound that was now closed. I ignored him, in favour of putting salve around the wound.
“All done,” I told the soldier. He did not dare respond. That was to be expected, with the General looming over him. “No training for at least a fortnight. You need to stay the night here. From tomorrow on, come see us once a day so we can check on the wound.” I gave him the instructions firmly. The soldier nodded. I turned towards Axel.
He just stood there, staring at me. I let out an audible sigh.
“Did you need anything, my lord?” I asked. I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Healing suits you,” he said. General Axel did not seem the type to come visit former prisoners to make small talk. Was the purpose of his visit to question me? To make sure I was not causing trouble?
I wished he would have chosen a better time. I did not know what to do with the situation. He was standing quite close to me, in the middle of the infirmary, while my gloves were covered in blood.
“Thank you?” I replied. Axel looked over at Inge. The older omega was not focused on anything but the exchange between the two of us. I assumed the rest of the healers were much the same. I could not see them because they were behind me, but I felt the stares.
“Furs,” he said. I furrowed my brow.
“What?” I asked. He did not explain. He just took the fur that was wrapped around his shoulders, and moved behind me to wrap the furs around me instead. I was gobsmacked. My cheeks heated up when I realised the man was handing me gifts in the middle of the infirmary. I heard whispers coming from several corners of the room. How did Axel expect me to respond to this?
“Stay warm,” he said. And the strange man walked off. His face had remained impassive. He said very few words. It was the same Axel I had met before. But this time, he gave me furs. I stood there, shocked, as the General disappeared out of the outside entrance.
“By the gods!” Inge said. His eyes opened wide. My face must have mirrored his. “Get back to work, everybody. Nothing to see here.” As Inge said this, he grabbed me by the hand and pulled me towards our living quarters.
I stumbled along as best I could with my short legs. Inge closed the door behind us. I hoped no one tried to eavesdrop on us, pressing their ears against the door.
“What was that?” Inge asked. I shrugged my shoulders. We just stood there, in the living quarters, facing each other. I had no answer to give him.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, why was ‘Axel the emotionless’ in our infirmary, handing you furs?” If he was still trying to whisper, he was failing at it.
“He might be concerned that as a Southerner, I will get cold,” I said. It was a terrible excuse, as there were more than enough blankets to keep me warm.
“Don’t be ridiculous, alphas don’t give furs to omegas they aren’t courting. It would give the omega the wrong idea.” Inge came close to me and buried his nose in Axel's furs. When he came up again, he gagged. “He scented this!”
That piqued my interest. I could tell his scent surrounded me. The shock of it all had made me put it out of my mind for a bit, but I felt my face get hot when I realised the implications. This was most definitely a courting gift.
“Oh no,” Inge said. He touched my cheek, and pinched the flesh. I let out a yelp. “Look at you! You’re blushing!” he exclaimed. He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me a bit, as if I had committed a grave offence. He clearly gave up on whispering. “You’re interested!”
I frowned at him. I wanted to deny it. I really did. I let out a sigh.
“He locked you up in a tower not too long ago, in case you forgot?” Inge said. I was fully aware of that. I could not defend my attraction to the brutish alpha either. He had zero decorum and barely enough respect for others to speak to them using full sentences.
“What does this all mean, Inge?” I asked. With his hands on my shoulders, he looked at me with a grave expression.
“It means you have terrible taste in alphas.”
Thirty-six nights after meeting the General
I noticed his scent even before entering his study. It seeped through the wooden doors, warming me up on the inside. It was the first time I visited his part of the castle. The General’s wing. It was grander than the infirmary, or the central tower, with intricate carvings in the stone walls and fur rugs deterring the cold on the floors. Still, it was depressingly grey, and my hands felt like icicles. I wondered who else resided in these luxurious chambers. I could only identify his scent, but that was to be expected. In a room full of werewolves, General Axel would be the only one that captured my interest.
Two alpha guards were posted at the doors. I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say. The guards stared at me. We stood in silence. I toyed with my collar. I was still wearing a healer's tunic. When summoned by the General, I felt it would be inappropriate to wash up first.
Upon rising that morning, Alain greeted me in the infirmary, letting me know that General Axel would like to see me in his study after my work was done. Luckily, he was subtle, and did not announce it to all the werewolves there. I hadquickly come to realise that rumours were already following me around wherever I went.
That was one of the reasons I hoped the guards might have known General Axel was expecting me, and would let me in of their own accord. I had no such luck. I gathered the courage to speak to them. I felt like a child in their presence. They were almost as tall as the doors. I looked up to address them, the way I had to look up at the General. I straightened my back.
“The General is expecting me,” I said in the clearest voice I could muster. One of the guards looked at the other. The tallest of them entered the study. Through the gap in the door, I could see bookcases and fur boots. The guard spoke in a hushed voice. When he returned, the doors opened fully. I bit my lower lip. A nervous habit, and I certainly was nervous. My feet led me into the room when my brain was not fully there yet.