Two days had past since the event at the frozen lake and the news about how one of The Hound's sites had been destroyed by shifter and then burned to the ground, was a wildfire on the news now.
There was sill no official explanation from The Hound until now, since Archie Williams was still in the hospital and Jasmine Williams was still missing, while Sol Williams refused to make any statements.
Zuri heard the news from inside the bedroom, where she was sitting still for hours just to stare at Chaos's sleeping face.
His chest was tightly bandaged, as occasionally she would see his blood seeped through the fabric.
From what Gael said, she understood that Chaos was not supposed to bleeding like this. He looked more like human. That was the words that echoed in her mind and stuck with her.
He looked like human, because he was bleeding profusely…
Hades had warned her that if Chaos was returned forcefully and if it was not his time to go back to this realm, then there would be consequences for that.
Two things that Zuri learned from that was; he was blind and he was bleeding.
But, the most disturbing fact for Zuri, she was the reason why he laid unconscious on the bed. She stabbed him with her claws. Even now, she was still able to feel his flesh and how his warm blood gushing out of his opened wound.
That was terrifying and Zuri hated herself more every time she thought about it, which happened so often. She would only forget about it when she succumbed into a deep slumber, but then she would have another nightmare in her sleep.
"Blue," Gael called her and she lifted her head to see him. There, he still could see how fear, repulsion and many emotions reflected in her dull hazel eyes.
Zuri was sitting on the sofa, near the bed, hugging her legs and pressed them so close to her chest, while staring at Gael.
Her white hair was disheveled and Gael wanted to tidy her up, like when she was a child, since it didn't look like her at all, but she would flinch every time he came closer.
"Blue, you need to take some rest," Gael said to her, but his eyes would drift to her neck. It was hard to see the mark with her hair covered it, but he knew it was there.
"I have rested enough." Her voice was hoarse and she looked like she kept averting her gaze from him.
Gael sighed. That was what she would say every time they asked her to sleep well and eat more food.
"About Chaos." Gael started and Zuri snapped her head to look at him, her eyes were so cold. "What happened?" He didn't know how to phrase this question, since he was aware that it was her, who had stabbed Chaos. She had clawed his chest opened.
Zuri's shoulder stiffened, she clenched her teeth, but there was no word came out of her lips.
One minutes past.
Two minutes.
Ten minutes.
And finally Gael came to the conclusion that she didn't want to answer that question. She was still so stubborn and he wouldn't get anything if she determined this way.
"You met your mate." This was not a question, but a statement. "Your mark." Gael nodded his head toward her neck and Zuri growled viciously at him.
"Get out from here, or I will stab you as well," she said threateningly, as her claws emerged from the tips of her fingers.
Gael didn't wince at all when he heard that and watched how furious the girl became. "Did he force the mark?" that was the only reason why the mark still looked like a bruise on her skin.
Zuri lost it. She sprang to her feet and stood in front of Gael. "Get out from here." The words came out very harsh, as her whole body was trembling. She fought the urge to shift into her beast and gave in to her instinct to fight Gael right there and then.
However, the man didn't blink to see a danger before his eyes, he just nodded and walked away from her, leaving the girl with her messed up emotions.
Zuri hated it when someone talked about her mark. She hated herself for what had happened or what she had done.
And when Gael closed the door behind him, he could hear Zuri cried so loud. Her cry filled with pain and desperation and sounded like someone who was asking for the help that they wouldn't receive.
======================
It was late at night and Zuri could feel someone entered the room. It was Anne, she brought a blanket and then put it all over her body.
Zuri tried to stay still and didn't make any movement, because she didn't want her to think that she has not slept yet.
Only when the door was closed and she had gone, Zuri opened her eyes and then sat up straight.
It had been a week since Chaos fell unconscious and for him to stay in the same state like this, started to torture her.
Zuri put away the blanket and then walked toward Chaos's bed. She rarely left this room and if none of them sent a meal for her, she wouldn't eat, starving herself.
Probably this was her chopping mechanism to lessen the regret that burdened her heart.
Subsconsciously, Zuri wanted to stay with Chaos, despite every reasons for her to stay away from him, but she couldn't bear it when he was too close.
The distance from bed and the sofa was the safe distance for her.
However, tonight, she came closer and stilled her heart to feel the pulse on his neck, to make sure that he was alive. It was a great deal for her to do so.