I slid the socks off my feet, wiggling each toe.

The material was sullied with sludge, which smelled fresh like the woods, but it felt so itchy that it was like being attacked by gnawing termites. A layer of grime coated much of the skin, damp with sweat and mucky with dirt.

An obvious knock resounded throughout the room, but there also seemed to be a quiet greeting that followed close behind. The name, and frankly, the voice itself was lost on me as I focused on throwing the filthy pair of socks into the nearest trash can. They were not only stained, but littered with holes, too. In response, I hummed a gentle welcome.

The familiar figure of Annora stepped into view. Other than the stray wisps of blonde hair poking out from her unusually messy bun and the noticeable puffiness underneath her cerulean eyes, Annora was relatively unharmed. I glanced upwards from my sitting position on the bed to catch her glum gaze, and her small lips quivered at the attention.

A flash of recognition crossed my mind. The memory of her lifeless body being left in a bath of her own blood was pure torment to my then drowsy conscious—but, there was more to that story than what originally met the eye. It was only after being awoken by Johnny, and when I was told the full extent of the instance, that I realized what had really happened. Annora was not at death's door, but she certainly had me fooled.

It had always been misunderstanding, after misunderstanding, after misunderstanding.

Through a flounder, she whined with both glee and guilt. She sniffled loudly, "Miss Luna, oh, I can't seem to find the right words to explain how terribly sorry I am."

"You're sorry? Annora-"

"Oh, Miss Luna, please, believe me when I say that I am so sorry from the very bottom of my heart!" She pattered forward with her hands outstretched, reciting a prayer. "I have thanked the great Goddess of the Moon a thousand times for returning you safely to us! Yet, I am still plagued with nasty nightmares about how badly I have failed the pack, the alpha, and most importantly, you. Even now, I am paranoid at the mere thought of it happening again!"

"Annora-" her pace did not falter as she darted across the room with one lone target in mind, and I shut my mouth as she wrapped her arms around me.

"No, Miss Luna, I do not deserve to bargain with excuses." She pushed the sides of our cheeks together, leaning in as she hugged my body close. In a solemn voice, she continued, "I have been trained all my life to serve you—to protect you. In my gut, I knew that something was wrong, but I wavered, and thought that it was something I could fix. I should have done more. You relied on me, and I failed you."

"You stayed with me." I threw my arms around her. "You never once left my side. You kept me safe by being there. Annora, you did the best that you could think to do in that situation."

"I'll never let it happen ever again."

I patted her bent back, feeling how her grip tightened, and said, "I know you won't."

A moment of comfortable silence blanketed the room as we embraced. And, I strongly hoped that my words had reassured her of not only her physical strength but her inner strength, as well. While I was busy thinking and recollecting, I created a mental note of what she had truly done that night. Annora did not falter, despite what she believes, but rather, she reacted with a powerful solidity. She mind-linked others, including Morpheus, she fought off Lyonechka and Johnny, who are both pretty intimidating, and she never once thought to run away, which would have been my first response. If I could, I would repeat the list over and over, so that she would never question herself ever again.

It was not long until she found something else to fuss over. But, I was thankful that she had quickly regained her rightful confidence.

"What is that?" Annora sniffed the surrounding air with an accompanying twitch of her nose, her snout picking up even the lightest of scents. She smoothed my unruly hair to the side, dodging the top curve of my left ear, and revealed the nearly forgotten injury. "Miss Luna!"

"Oh, about that," I let out a soft chuckle, "I guess I'll have to start sleeping on my right side for the time being?"

Annora gasped at the sight. And, I was grateful that I hadn't yet seen the aftermath. Yet. Her eyes glazed over with a milky hue, the blue dissolving into what resembled a painting of a lake. Mind-linking. It was a pack trait that I often envied, because phone bills can be an annoying cost, however, the sight of Annora glaring holes into the wall assured me that I would not want to be at the end of that conversation. "That animal!" She exclaimed with a burning glare, "Why, I have never seen such a poorly done bandage job!"

There goes Morpheus' patchwork.

In what felt like seconds, Annora had already raced across the room, rummaging through various spots. But, that was not all, as I even watched her escape to the adjoined hallway. After she roamed elsewhere, her whereabouts were unknown, but she came back with full arms that proved to me that she was definitely working on overdrive. It seemed as though she grabbed everything that she could get her hands on—bandages, ointment, saline, you name it.

"What is this?" Annora muttered to herself, picking at the makeshift dressing and silently insulting Morpheus' attempt at designing a temporary covering. That was not his first suggestion. It was his last. Vakerie was trustworthy, but there was no way that I would use Morpheus' blood to heal something regarding my body without a needle and a syringe. The mate bond heals, they say, but my tastebuds aren't quite ready. Will they ever be? It's hard to tell.

I thought back to how Morpheus ripped away at his shirt for me, tearing off various pieces to both mend my wound and wipe my mouth clean of disgust. Grinning cheekily, I joked and snorted, "He was naked by the end of it."

"Miss Luna!" She scolded me with a girlish giggle, unable to avoid my antic. I revelled in the succour that Annora openly gave—the motherly instincts, the childlike friendship, the cheerful sisterhood.

We laughed as she tended to my ear. The process hurt, a lot, but the majority of my body already felt numb. Annora firstly removed the remains of Morpheus' shirt, and then began to sterilize the wound with a pre-made mixture of salt and lukewarm water. It was relaxing as she ran a steady line of liquid over my ear and let it dribble down into a cloth. She lightly dabbed it dry once my ear was rinsed twice. There was a faint sting, but it eventually dissolved into a vague tingle after she smudged both an oil and a cream into the surrounding skin. It was unexpected, kind of, but she soon pulled out a few tools that were hidden beneath the bundle of gauze. Fortunately, I only felt the actual pressure of the suture and the distinctive pattern of stitching. Annora had a gentle touch, so meek that I was almost unaware of her actions, but I knew it was done when I felt her slather a skillfully crafted ointment over it. The mild, unrecognizable scent tickled my nose. And, she finished it off by wrapping a fresh bandage over the ear.

The morrow is when I would visit the pack's healers, but Annora's skills were good enough for me to get through the night.

"It's like-" my fingertips lingered over Annora's work, "-nothing happened in the first place."

"It will heal, but I am afraid to say that it will scar. It appears that-" Annora spit out her name like a curse, "-Kovina did a number on you. I can aid in fevers, coughs, and aches of all kinds, but I can't return what is gone."

My tongue wrapped around the words, shocked, "Honestly, I can barely feel it."

"You won't be saying that when the adrenaline finally wears off." Annora promptly stood up, no longer slouched to nurse my wound. "Now, Miss Luna, I think that a nice, warm bath would be the perfect remedy for right now."

I nodded with a hum, and she smiled in approval. "Oh, good! I was a little worried that you wouldn't have the energy, and it would kill me to have to say no to you. Now, you just wait right here and I'll get everything ready!"

"Okay," I dragged on as Annora ran off to do the bathroom. I kept still until I spotted a white robe from the corner of my eye that piqued my interest. I could hear both the tap running from nearby and the busy rustle of Annora, so I quietly scampered to the chair to claim the robe. My clothes fell to the floor easily. And, I slipped into the fluffy bathrobe. The material cinched to my waist as I fastened the belt, looping the band and tying it into a pretty, but sloppy, bow. The air cooled my knees.

The tap turned off with a final gush of water.

Annora whirled towards me from the bathroom. "Will you need any help?"

"No, I should be good." I internally squirmed at the offer, not quite used to having a personal 'maid', but I was appreciative nonetheless. "Thank you, though."

"Call out to me if you need anything," she said.

I smiled in response, and watched as she left the room with a supporting click to the door. It was such a light noise. A tender thrum rumbled throughout my chest. I still felt on edge, and I wasn't sure how to deal with it. Shaking my head, I continued to the bathroom and inhaled the creamy scent of citrus.

Yeah, I visibly cringed as I dropped the white bathrobe to the floor and frowned at the filth stains, this is definitely needed.

I whispered a repulsed 'yuck' to the welcoming bath, and eased my legs into its warmth. The lemon infused water enveloped my form like a steam, sinking into my pores and exfoliating my skin. My legs and arms cried out with fresh cuts, but the floating orange slices consoled my worries.

The shampoo was resting on a wooden dish, just off to the side of the tub and planted on a stool. It had been compacted into a rather conventional bar. The bits of fruit living within the shampoo itself matched the theme of the bath—uplifting. As I was about to dunk my head under the water, a sudden pain reminded me of the reason why a bath seemed to be the better option. I groaned at the idea of wasting Annora's time, ruining the bandage, and having to do it all over again.

My mind shifted as I felt a droplet of cold water land on my forehead. I tilted my head back to find Morpheus standing above me, his hair soaked. "Morpheus!" I squealed. My first thought was to cover my body, but both the elements of the bath and the dense layer of dirt had already done it for me.

A flicker of awareness pinched at his cheeks. The action was fluent, natural. I glowed under his gaze. "Oh," he blushed, "I apologize."

I let out a hesitant breath as I submerged my body deeper into the bath. The shampoo bar had been melting from the nervous heat of my hand and had slowly formed a frothy, aromatic foam. With a wide gaze, I thought aloud, "Can you help me?"

He nodded with a visible gulp, removing the slippery bar from my hand and taking it into his own. Our fingers accidentally creeped together, yet a part of me felt that it was purposeful on his side. "I'd do anything for you."

A small grin pulled at my lips, almost flashing him a full smile with big, pearly teeth. I leaned further back to rest against the edge of the tub, but Morpheus moved to cradle my head in his hand. I closed my eyes and felt handfuls of water splash against the roots of my scalp, slightly hitting my forehead and rolling off my shoulders.

His fingers roamed through the tresses of my hair—the thick, knotted strands unfolding at his touch. The shampoo broke through the dirt as he kneaded.

"Morpheus," I murmured.

His actions stilled. "Yes?"

"Do you-" I felt his presence veer over me, "-have a plan? For your aunt? For Áine?"

"No," he answered instantly. "Auntie Áine is fine."

"But-" a shiver thrilled my spine as I felt him trace my jawline, cupping my chin.

"Tell me, my mate, is my aunt truly evil when she had guided you to me?"

💕