Chapter 43: Chapter 43
The night had barely let him rest. Trevor tossed and turned, his mind returning again to the woman. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face.
By dawn, he gave up on sleep entirely. The castle was quiet and cold that morning. He walked down the cold corridor towards the room where Maria lay. The air inside there was warmer. Alice was already there, sitting by the bedside with a cup of steaming tonic.
He watched his mate, Maria who sat propped against the pillow, her arms folded across her chest.
"Drink this." Alice said softly, holding the cup to her lips. "It would help your memory and strengthen your body."
Maria shook her head in defiance, her eyes drifting to Trevor as he entered. "I’m not drinking that."
Alice tried again. "You need this dear."
"I said no."
Alice looked helplessly at Trevor. He requested that she give him the cup, then dismissed her.
Alice obeyed and headed for the door. When the door closed behind her, he walked towards his mate. He sat at the edge of the bed, leaving a respectful space between them.
"You should take it," he said gently. "It will help you recover faster."
Her voice trembled. "I don’t even know who you are. How do I know it’s not poison?"
Trevor allowed a soft smile to settle on his face. "If I wanted to harm you, Blossom, you’d have been gone since."
She blinked in confusion. "Blossom?"
"You smell like a field of flowers after the rain. Until you remember your name, that’s what I’ll call you."
Something softened in her expression. Her lips curved slightly. That was the first smile he had seen on her face.
"And what do I call you?" She asked.
"Trevor," he replied. Then after a pause, "or if you wish, call me the king of the rogues. Though the title means little here."
"Kings don’t bring people medicine or sit by their beds." she said.
He chuckled. "Peharps I’m not a good king then."
She looked down at the cup in his hands. "You said it would help my memory?"
"Yes. If you rest and take it daily, you may start remembering fragments, but it will take time."
She hesitated before finally taking it from his hand. She sipped slowly, grimacing at the bitterness. He watched in silence, his heart fluttering at the simple act of her trusting him.
When she was done, she handed him the empty cup. "Trevor,"
He faced her. "Yes?"
"Do you think I’ll remember soon?"
"I don’t only think you would, I know you would."
She lowered her gaze a bit. "What if I don’t, what happens then?"
"Then you’ll make new ones." He said softly.
Moments later, her eyes began to flutter. Alice had already mentioned that sleepiness was one of the effects of the tonic, it pulled her to rest.
Trevor watched her gentle face, she looked peaceful in her sleep. He rose quietly, adjusting the blanket around her one more time before leaving. The door clicked softly behind him, but even outside the room, he could still feel her presence. It was like a warmth that followed him through the cold.
A steady rhythmic thud echoed through the walls. Maria stirred at the sound and faintly opened her eyes. The sky was gray and the sun began setting. It was already evening.
For a moment, she lay still, the effect of the sleep still heavy in her eyes.
The sound came again. A louder thud, followed by a short pause, then another one followed. She pushed the blanket off and curiosity stirred in her. She drew closer to the sound and walked out through the corridor.
The castle was quieter than she expected, making her wonder if nobody lived here. She followed the sound until she reached outside.
Trevor stood in the open. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, revealing the smooth stretch of muscle as he lifted an axe and brought it down cleanly, on a log of wood. The sound of splitting wood filled the air again.
Maria stood at a distance, watching silently. There was something oddly calm about him, the way he moved, the calm focus in his eyes. His clothes were plain, boots a bit worn, not at all how she imagined a king.
Her gaze lingered on him longer than she meant it to. Trevor reached for another log, setting it upright. The muscles in his forearm tightened as he raised the axe again.
He looked backwards, and their eyes met. Maria froze, staring at the ground like a child who had wandered where she shouldn’t.
Trevor’s expression softened immediately he sighted her. He let the axe fall to the ground and wiped his hands with a nearby cloth. "You’re awake." He said, with a calm voice.
"I heard the noise." Maria admitted. Her voice still lingered with a bit of confusion from the memory loss. "It sounded like someone was breaking something."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Just firewood. Winter is coming. The land doesn’t give much, so we manage what we have here."
She stepped a little closer, curiosity bright in her eyes. "You’re working?"
"Someone has to."
"But you’re the king."
He looked at her intently, really looked at her. Her tangled hair was now brushed, her pale skin now full of warmth and her eyes had more life than he saw before. She was healing. "A king who doesn’t work wouldn’t survive here. We survive together, or we don’t survive at all."
"But that’s not what I thought kings did."
He gave a soft chuckle. "Neither did I. But I stopped living like other kings long ago."
The evening breeze caught her hair and she brushed it behind her ear. "I see."
Trevor reached for another log. This time he moved slower, almost self-conscious under her gaze. "You shouldn’t be walking around. I’d never forgive myself if you fall sick before dinner."
"I’m fine. I just wanted to know what kind of king chops wood in the evening."
He glanced at her again and the mate bond tugged in his chest. For the first time in years, his land didn’t feel cursed. She was the only light his dying land had in a long while.
"I want to try." She said, interrupting the moment of silence.
"Blossom, this work is really hectic."
"Let me just try." She pressed further.
He handed the axe to her and pointed at the wood on the floor. "You have to strike it with precision."
She nodded her head and lifted the axe. It felt heavy under her hands, and when she struck the wood with it, it left only a tiny dent with the wood still intact.
Trevor held her hand, guiding her as she hit the wood again. This time, it split slightly. "I’m getting better." She said with a smile.
She dropped the axe as her palm began to have a burning sensation. He looked at her, wanting to wrap his arms around her for a hug. "That will be too forward and scare her off, won’t it?" He said to himself. Perhaps, he should start by letting her know they were mates. He wondered if she still remembered the lore of the werewolf world.
"Blossom," He called out, and she turned towards him. "Are you aware that we are mates? Do you feel it too?"
"Mates? What is..." Her voice trailed off as she stared at the trees in the distance where a loud snarl erupted from.
"What’s that noise?" She muttered, moving closer to Trevor. The snarl became even louder and more terrifying. "Are there monsters here?"
Trevor picked up his axe, walking towards the direction of the sound. She followed behind him. "Stay here," He muttered, causing her to halt in her tracks.
She obeyed. As he got closer, the rustle in the bushes increased. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw a creature advancing towards her. She screamed out her lungs. Trevor swung his axe just in time to injure the hand of the beast. Before her eyes, the hand began healing.
"What’s that?" Maria screamed at the top of her voice. She fell to the ground as the beast reached for her a second time. Trevor dashed, holding the creature by the neck. A loud howl escaped his mouth and his bones made cracking noises and before her eyes, Trevor turned into a beast.
He snarled, grabbing the creature which reached for his mate and slammed it into the ground. They engaged in a tussle and some of Trevor’s men appeared, turning into beasts and engaging in a combat with the one who tried to harm her.
Maria ran inside, watching the fight from a corner. The creature they fought with seemed strong and when it couldn’t defend itself against Trevor’s men any longer, it ran back into the bushes.
Trevor transformed back to his man form. She caught a glimpse of his naked scratched body. The wounds began healing, leaving only the dirt on his body. He walked towards her, and could see the look of fear and terror on her face. Didn’t she know she was a werewolf or had she lost memory about that too?