I swallowed my saliva, still meeting Lyon's gaze, not knowing the best reply to give him. Was I allowed two best friends? I didn't think so. It was true that I was still angry with Jeremy for his annoying behavior some minutes ago, but even I wasn't that cruel to do that to him. He would go bonkers if he heard that I had taken an additional best friend, scared to be sidelined to the third wheel. No, there was some other way to pay him back, not this. This looked to be so extreme.
"Eh..uh..I'm sorry. I can't have more than one best friend. But you can be my friend." I replied, trying to put as much conviction and pity as possible, so as not to sound rude and ungrateful to my savior.
But he looked amused.
Shouldn't he be annoyed? I thought, not breaking my gaze away from his handsome face.
"Thought as much." I heard him mutter, and scoffed.
He had been kidding. He had been playing with me. He had wanted to know if I had actually meant to disown my best friend over that one incident. He had wanted to know what sort of friend I was.
Damn him for acting so clever. I thought, shifting my gaze away from him, hoping that he won't relay this small event to Jeremy. I didn't want that bone head to think that I had forgiven him easily.
"You seriously didn't think that I was considering being your best friend, were you?" he asked, and I gave him glare, but that only seemed to tickle his fancy because in the next minute, he was laughing outrightly, unashamedly.
"What is cracking your ribs this morning, Lyon?" Nick asked, stepping into the room. He was carrying a tray containing a plate of pancakes in a heap, and three cups of tea, I think, and the medicine bag was slung on his right shoulder. The delicious smell of the pancakes and the freshly brewed tea wafted into my nostrils and I salivated, unconsciously making a tap sound with my mouth, my eyes fixed on the tray, remotely counting the seconds until when I was served.
But Lyon's chuckle brought me out of my reverie.
"Are you that hungry?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.
That fish head. Did he take pleasure in making fun of others? I thought, unable to cover my embarrassment which had displayed itself affrontly by metamorphosing as a hot blush on my cheeks.
"Don't tease her, Lyon. mind you, I'm on her side." Nick stated, causing Lyon's smile to freeze up, and my own smile to break forth like the sun at dawn.
Now, that's what I am talking about. I thought, giving Nick a wink, to his surprise.
I almost brought out my tongue to scorn Lyon but for decency.
"Here, let's eat." Nick said, breaking the silence, immediately after seeing that the point had been cut across.
Forgetting that I had sprained my ankle, I immediately tried getting up to take one pancake from the plate, but the pain that assailed my body nerves reminded me of the reason why I was at the doctor's place this morning. It was the wound, not the pancake.
"Olivera, you shouldn't be in a haste. I have not treated you yet. And don't worry, the pancakes are enough to go round." he said. I could tell that he was holding in a laughter, by the twitching of his lips and the funny look in his eyes. Lyon was trying to do the same too, but wasn't entirely successful in that area. His deep dimple was already betraying him, but I didn't call him on that, because I knew if I was him,I would have laughed a long time ago.
I sighed, fairly embarrassed at my love for food, especially pancakes.
Good, it was just the three of us here. I thought, watching Nick approach me with the medicine bag. It was time for treatment.
***
A knock sounded on the door, and I stirred in my half awake state.
After Nick had treated me, dabbing my feet with a sweet smelling mixture, I had been allowed then to partake in the sumptuous dish with them. Lyon had left afterwards, citing the work he had to cover for the day, Nick had retired back to his medicine room, and I had decided to rest.
So, who was knocking on the door? Jeremy?
Good, it was about time, he visited after all.
The knock came again, and I opened my eyes, darting between the door leading to the passageway and the front door. Nick had not come. I wasn't hearing his footsteps either. He must be so engrossed in whatever he was doing. I thought, sitting up on the long couch. Tasting my wounded foot on the ground, I smiled as I noticed that the pain was dissipating, it was almost not there. The mixture Nick had used on it must be very potent. I concluded, standing up slowly as I heard the knock for the third time.
When I finally opened the door and beheld the person standing behind it, I suddenly wished that I had stayed back at the sofa, and had pretended to be asleep.
For the person standing behind the door wasn't Jeremy, but my taskmistress, Rose.
"So, this is where you have been hiding eh?" She asked, pushing me back roughly, whilst making a silly entry into the house. She shut the door behind her, and I shivered, wondering where Nick was. I couldn't face this hulk of a woman. She looked scary.
"What are you doing here, instead of working with the other girls? Do you think being the latest Alpha's slut would deprive you of that?" she asked, and I shook my head.
"I…had…an injury." I stuttered, wincing in pain as she dragged my hair so tightly that my scalp burned.
"What injury? A lame fall? Do you think that you are still in your pack?" she asked, still gripping my hair tight, and when I placed my hand on hers, I don't know, perhaps to tell her to lighten her grip as i was already feeling faint; but she pushed me roughly, and I landed, luckily, on the long sofa which I had stupidly abadoned to open the door for her.
"Rose, what do you think that you are doing in my house?" Nick's loud voice boomed across the room.
Perhaps, at another time I would have been scared of that fearful loud voice, but now, at this moment, it brought relief to my dampened soul.