Olivera paced tro and fro the kitchen, biting occasionally at her thumb fingernail. For the umpteenth time, she cussed at her lack of a wolf. She knew that Nick had told her to wait in the kitchen because he had thought that she might eavesdrop on his conversation with whomever he had and was still discussing with.
Only If he knew that I am wolfless. She thought.
It was futile sending her away, she couldn't even hear them if she wanted to.
What was taking him so long? She wondered, coming to a halt at the kitchen door.
She considered opening it, and tiptoeing to the sitting room.
No no. She muttered. Nick wouldn't be happy if she does that. He wouldn't be pleased with her disobedience, and she couldn't afford annoying someone who had been so good to her.
But she knew that she was the object of discussion.
She was sure of it.
Was it the the man from earlier?
No, she didn't think so. Nick had sounded pleasant while greeting him at first. The person was someone else.
She was contemplating on whether to open the door or not, when suddenly the kitchen door was pushed open. Instantly, she moved back reflexively, thinking that they had come to carry her away.
But it was just Nick.
"Why are you shivering? Are you cold?" Nick asked, trying to sound cheerful, as he noticed Olivera wrapping herself in her arms, while sticking to the wall.
"No, I'm not. I had thought you were someone else." She replied, letting her arms fall down to her thighs.
"Oh...I see. I think you should take your bath and put on one of these clothes, so that you wouldn't have to waste much time in the changing house which I believe is present in the fields." Nick advised, before leaving her to herself, and walking to his room.
Olivera bit her lips as she wondered what had dampened his mood. She had watched him try to put on a false cheer. She felt guilty as she concluded that whatever it was had a connection with her. She decided to ask him later. But for now, she would follow his advice to take her bath here.
*
The dress fitted her properly. Olivera smiled, as she checked out herself in the mirror. She was in one of four rooms in the house. This one seemed to have been a nursery. She wondered if Nick had ever had a child. Probably he did; or else, what was the essence of a nursery?
A knock sounded on the door.
Swivelling around, she stepped around the big wooden cot, walked up to the door, and ooened it in a second.
"You look beautiful in the dress." Nick complimented as Olivera opened the door.
A short sad smile appeared on his face as he watched her try to restrain the smile which was threatening to stretch out her lips. Her cheeks were also tainted red. She was blushing.
"Thank you." She muttered, keeping her fingers crossed, whilst staring up at him.
"You're welcome dear. Let's wait in the sitting room. I don't know what is taking his time." He said, murmuring the last part.
Olivera nodded, and followed him out of the room, aware of the longing in his eyes as he had threw a sharp glimpse at the cot in the room.
Did he lose a baby?
She kept thinking as they walked to the sitting room.
She dropped into one of the sofa, after him.
There was silence.
"Who had come earlier?" She asked, tentatively, not wanting to upset him.
"Roland. The Beta of the Pack." He replied, sighing deployment before resting his head at the apex of the sofa.
"Did he come for me?" She asked, twirling a lone strand of her dress around her index finger.
"Not really. He had come to make a report. It seemed that Seth had told the Alpha about you. And now, our Alpha is interested in you. He will be coming for you tomorrow." Nick replied calmly, bringing down his head fast enough to see Olivera shaking like a winter leaf on the sofa.
"Olivera, what is the matter?" He asked, rushing up to her, holding her by the shoulders.
"Calm down, Olivera. Take a deep breath." He chanted, cussing the next minute when he noticed her eyes rolling in, causing her whites to show.
She was having a seizure!
Without wasting time, he laid her gently on the sofa, before rushing into the medicine room.
Quickly, he picked up a concotion, and rushed out to meet her, hoping that it would work.
He hadn't treated a wolf plagued by seizures in his entire pratice. This was new.
And what could have caused it?
Of course, he kenw that hearing of the Alpha being interested in her had made her upset, obviously, but seizures? That was a long shot.
He breathed out in relief as he watched her regain herself after some minutes of administering the medicine.
"You gave me quite a shock there." He said, as he helped her sit up on the sofa.
"I'm sorry." Olivera replied, biting her lips. She could feel the tears waiting for a go ahead order to roll down. The Alpha was coming for her tomorrow; just when she had thought that she might be able to survive here.
"Do you have theses seizures frequently?" Nick asked her, touching her forehead by the back of his palm. She was burning up. He had to give her some herbs to take back to the cell, incase it got worse.
"Not really. It happens now when I'm really upset." She replied, face down, knowing the next question that the doctor would ask her.
"Isn't your wolf supposed to stop that?" She heard him ask, and sighed.
"I don't have a wolf. I'm wolfless." She replied, clasping her hands so tightly that it hurt.
What would he do now?