Fifty two

OLAMIDE

The afternoon sunlight hit my cheeks as I did my possible best to avoid looking in Jason's direction. I felt guilty. Horrible even. Sofiane hadn't mentioned that he had hurt Axel on his way to get to him. Even with the antidote coursing through his veins, Axel was still unconscious and going through what Jason had called a neuropathic pain which was why we were on our way to the home of his pack's doctor.

"The first morning you gain your freedom, you manage to fuck up one of my best Betas, and for what? To dig up your brother's grave? How fucked up is that?" Jason ranted.

"Fucked up," I scoffed. "You have no right telling me what is fucked up and what is not. You are a werewolf, you can intrude on my thoughts, You are capable of murder and I'm pretty sure that is not your first rodeo in that department. The life I am currently trapped in is what is fucked up and since you want to know so bad, I dug up my brother's grave because I had a lingering suspicion that he was bitten by a vampire. Apparently, someone loved my brother so much that they turned him and staged his death."

"And what makes you think so? If it was something I said that night, I suggest you don't take it at face value. I have no idea why my brother was digging into your family history or why vampires propped up in his search. If your brother was attacked by vampires and turned as you claim, how long did it take after his death for you to bury him?"

There he went again. Trying his possible best to dissuade me from figuring it out. He probably had my best interest at heart but nothing could make me doubt that something supernatural related caused my brother's demise.

"I don't have to answer you, Jason. You have no right to my truth."

Jason snickered. "Except I do." He said, making a swift turn to the left side of the road. I could sight a house at the far end. "I am your mate."

"You only throw that term around when you want to have your way. Yes, I accept that I am your mate. There is no disputing that. But you can only have what you give and never have you given me honesty. Why in the world do you think you deserve the truth this time?"

The car stopped suddenly causing me to jerk forward. My spitfire response had pissed Jason off and rightfully so.

"Believe me when I tell you that you are not ready for this world. There are horrific things that would make your senses bleed. It's safer you remain in the dark. You already see my kind as nothing but monsters. Your thoughts about us will be so much worse if you keep wanting to know truths."

"I don't see your kind as monsters," I corrected. "To be frank, I only see you and your brother as monsters. I have seen Axel morph into a beast right in front of me and I still have a positive opinion about him. So it is not about what you are but you can pride yourself in that lie. Don't acknowledge the truth but we both know why you are doing this. You are afraid to open up. The idea of it is all new to you. You don't trust a soul even if that soul happens to be me, your mate."

Jason didn't reply to me but he didn't deny my accusation either. In the chaotic silence that erupted between us, he continued to drive up until we reached the white bungalow with a picket white fence. Upon reaching the building, Jason stepped out of the car, carried Axel into his arms before proceeding to shut the door close. "You coming?" He heaved as he headed for the front door of the said healer.

"Pearl!" Jason practically yelled as he banged the front door. In seconds, the white door flew backward and Pearl propped out like this was routine.

"What happened?" The middle-aged woman inquired as she signaled Jason to come right in. Her questioning gaze traveled my way as Jason stepped inside her house. Her green hazel pupils seemed to dilate. It was like she realized who I was and that made me nervous. I stood my ground while I internally fought a battle of whether I join Jason inside or just return to the car. Before I could however come to a decision, the woman spoke.

"Come right in sugar. I'm family." Her voice was the sweetest thing I have ever heard. How could I have refused it? Once I was inside, she sealed the door shut and ran off to Axel's side. He had been placed on an operating table which was just a wooden slab with streaks of dark red scattered around and cuffs. Pearl rolled up Axel's shirt and gasped at how deep the cut he had sustained was. Pressing on to it, I saw Axel flinch and gulp in pain. Thick dark liquid seeped from the cut as she inspected it and it caused Pearl to look Jason in the eye.

"His wound is not healing. What was he stabbed with?" She asked.

"Silver. I have injected him with some moonshine which should counter the effect but he doesn't seem to be getting better. Did the infection worsen?" There was worry laced in Jason's eyes as he queried Pearl. You could tell he genuinely cared about Axel's wellbeing. If he wasn't such a twisted persona by my books, he was actually not a terrible individual.

"Moonshine is basically devil's mushroom for werewolves. I wouldn't consider making your wolves hyperactive as an antidote but to your question, yes. The infection has spread too far for moonshine to counteract it. I'll have to operate on him and flush the poison out but he'll be fine." Pearl then proceeded to secure Axel's hands and legs in the cuffs implying that something painful and stomach-wrenching was about to begin. Pearl glanced my way and smiled. Again, all I did was melt in front of this stranger. I wasn't sure why but I just felt like I could trust her.

"Honey, you don't have to be here if blood and guts disgust you," Pearl said, her voice thick with motherly love. "You can tour the house while I deal with this nasty case."

The last thing I wanted to see was to watch someone get cut up. I still felt a ton of guilt knowing while I was having my talk with Sofiane, Axel was bleeding at the gates and I had completely forgotten that he existed and honestly, I would do practically anything to avoid being in close proximity with Jason. "Thank you," I told the woman before stepping out of the room. As I made my way to the hallway to do some exploring, I heard Pearl and Jason discussing.

"Is that our beautiful Luna?" Pearl teased, her voice so cherry and loud that you could she wasn't trying to have a discreet conversation. It made me almost chuckle.

"Aunt, can we focus on saving Axel for now?" Jason shot back completely annihilate the mood. He was right about priorities but his response still made me scowl all the way to the living room and I couldn't figure out why.

***

JASON

I was a fool to think Pearl would let things slide that easily. She had a knack for getting on my nerves and it killed knowing I could not escape another soul-crushing interrogation exercise.

"I'm sensing some bad blood between you two then," Pearl teased as she reached into a drawer beside the table and withdrew a black pouch. It contained some of her medicines and tools needed for the job.

There is nothing Aunt." I tried to assure her.

"But you are here nephew and that proves my point."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I scoffed, "I'm here because one of my brothers is in pain and it's all because of me."

"This is not your first rodeo at my clinic child. You don't have to lie. We both know you can't stand looking at the people you love suffer like Axel is suffering right now. So if you are here, I can only guess something bigger than your dislike lies outside."

She was damn good. A former sentinel turned healer. Pearl Crow was a professional when it came to reading people and years after she ripped the title of soldier right after her husband's demise, she still has first-hand knowledge of the art of subtle manipulation. She wanted to me talk and normally I wouldn't budge but something Olamide had said bothered me and cliche as it felt, I needed the advice of an elder.

"She thinks I am secretive and controlling."

Pearl picked up a scalpel and cut around the cut as she listened in on my girl trouble. Axel struggled as she aligned the cut to a perfect circle but Pearl didn't wince until she was done. She then put on a glove and looked at me. "Do you think she is right?"

"Of course not." I was quick to defend myself. "Everything I did was to protect her. She only thinks differently because she is human. She doesn't understand how dangerous this world is. I just want her to understand that I have enemies that would do anything to hurt me even if that means going through her."

Pearl sighed. "When you put it like that, you do sound controlling. She is human Jason. Of course, she doesn't understand how this world works. When a Stanger is whisked to a new country. They learn things are different there. A new language, a new set of values. It takes time to adapt to change and she won't be able to do that or be a capable Luna to the Crow if you keep blinding her perspective. Also, you should really avoid enemy propaganda. We both know that has everything to do with you. You don't have to fear the worst when the best thing that can happen to an Alpha blossom. She is your second half not a working target and both of you might never see eye to eye if you don't create a gray area. Know her world and let her know yours. The good, bad, and the ugly."

It was like Pearl had summarised everything that Olamide had said. Trust. That was the baseline. I hadn't trusted my mate to begin with. I hadn't trusted anyone even those in my closest circles for a long time and truth be told, it felt damaging to leave myself vulnerable.