Chapter 13

Vedant's POV

I watch as Chiara’s eyes go wide at my demand. She stands, looking ready to bolt. She glances between me and the door before hugging her clothes more tightly to her body.

Her voice is steady, but I can see the fear in her eyes. “How could you ask that of me?”

I stiffen as I realize what she has assumed. I know I hadn’t been kind, but I would never even dream of forcing myself on her.

I roll my eyes, trying to seem dismissive, but it’s a struggle to keep the anger out of my voice. “I only asked so that I could help you apply the salve the doctor left.”

She stares at me for a second, like she’s trying to figure something out. I’m tempted to say something, but before I can her eyes narrow with anger. “I am perfectly capable of applying the salve myself, our great future Alpha needn’t stoop so low.”

Did she just mock me? I can’t help the growl that escapes my throat at the clear condescension in her voice. I had stayed by her side in the hospital until she awoke, and now she was mocking me.

I shake my head at the insanity of the woman before me. I am trying to be helpful, and she acts like I’m the bad guy here.

I grit my teeth as I decide that I am going to help her whether she likes it or not. I take a step forward. “Let me help you.”

She takes a step back, looking around the room as if searching for something to throw. “No!”

I take another step forward. “Chiara…”

She takes another step back.

I am getting ready to press the issue, when a sharp knock on the door snaps me out of it. I quickly stride across the room and pull it open, finding myself surprisingly annoyed to see Alice standing there, a worried look on her face.

She cranes her neck to get a better view into the room. She sounds worried. “What’s going on in there? It sounded like you and Chiara were arguing about something. Is everything okay?”

I open my mouth to assure Alice that everything is under control, when Chiara stalks forward peering around me at Alice in the doorway. I watch the way her posture changes when she takes Alice in. Something else happened in the forest that they’re not telling me I’m sure of it.

Chiara sets her shoulders, and I notice the slight jut of her chin as she speaks. “I need both of you to leave. I need to apply the salve the doctor gave me, and it is nearly impossible with you two in my way.”

I had only been trying to help. I do my best to control my anger, but I feel it start to surge throughout my veins as I wonder how a person could be so ungrateful.

“Impossible? I offered to help you, how would that make it impossible to apply the salve? I don’t have to be here, but I am and you don’t even appreciate it!”

Chiara’s mouth falls open, shocked and I take the opportunity to continue. “I’ve only tried to help since the moment you’ve woken up and all you’ve done is argue. It’s like you have no feelings at all. No wonder no one wants to train with you.”

She scoffs, “No one wants to train with me because I have no feelings? Yeah, I’m sure that’s the reason. Oh wait… who was it that threw his weight around and ordered the entire school to isolate me? Oh right, that was you.”

I look down at the bottle of medicine in my hand and then back at Chiara. I can’t take her mocking me any longer.

“You know what, you’re right. You can apply this yourself,” I say throwing the bottle of medicine down on the bed. I stride across the room without another glance, pushing past Alice and slamming the door behind me.

I turn the corner and then lean against a wall, catching my breath as I think back to my suspicions that Chiara and Iris might be the same person. I must have been wrong. Iris is everything Chiara is not, kind, empathetic, grateful.

A mean-spirited person like Chiara couldn’t even fake Iris’s kindness. It radiated from her every message.

I hear footsteps behind me, and I look up to see Alice approaching. “Vedant, I’m glad I caught you. Simon mentioned earlier that he had something important to discuss with you. He said that it can’t wait.”

I look back in the direction of Chiara’s room. We had been fighting, but it feels wrong to leave her alone here. She had seemed so uncomfortable when Alice was at the door.

Alice looks at me and nods, “I’ll tell the doctor to take good care of her while your gone.”

I look in Alice’s eyes searching. I only see sincerity after a beat I nod and head off to meet Simon.

Chiara's POV

I stand gaping at the door where Vedant had slammed it.

Vedant, the man who had vowed to torture me for the rest of my life, the man who had done his best to fulfill that vow was now concerned with helping me apply my medicine.

What the hell was that? Could it be that he...

I shake my head. Vedant hadn’t been able to help me with anything in a long time, and he sure wouldn’t help me now. He stopped being the kind of person who could help me when he became the kind of person who would send his mate to the punishment room.

I can only rely on myself.

I head over to where Vedant had thrown the salve on the bed and pick it up, and then begin the painful process of undressing. Each limb takes tremendous effort to lift, but I do it carefully. When it comes time to lift both arms above my head, I nearly cry out, but I bite my tongue.

I am perfectly capable of applying this medicine myself. I have been on my own for a long time. I may seem weak, but I know how strong I can be when I need to. I will prove to myself that I can do this.

Stripping down to half-naked in a strange place like this leaves me feeling exposed. Especially since the scars from the past years are still there on my back—can’t even use my healing to make them fade. I must look pathetic and I don't wanna anyone see me like this.

I’m just glad Vedant isn’t here. The last thing I want is him seeing me like this.

But I also regret it a little. I shouldn’t have argued with him like that, he had already had me disciplined for speaking back to him once. Who’s to say he wouldn’t do it again.

Just as I was worried about this, I am startled by the sound of the door swinging open.