Chapter 13

Claudia's POV

Someone slipped into my room late at night and I was too scared to move. That was until I smelled the faint scent of ebony and cedar. Why had Isaac come to me at this time? I had no idea what he wanted to do and I had to continue to pretend to sleep. He sat slowly on the edge of my bed without making a single noise.

Then he brushed away my long hair that was covering my face, uncovered the bandages that Neil placed, and applied the medicine again. I could feel his gentle movements, which even made my cheeks tickle a little. But I resisted, because I was really curious about what Isaac was trying to do. But when he finished dressing the wound, there was only a long silence. After a while, he started touching my face, and I could feel from his movements that Isaac seemed to be reluctant to leave.

After Isaac left, my face was burning like a fire where he had touched it. I went to look in the mirror and in it my face began to flush unusually. Slowly, my body began to heat up as well. Was this abnormal heat because of Isaac's touch earlier? And did he sneak over at midnight just to change my medicine? What did the intimate touch just now mean when it was clear that he was only using me as a tool? I couldn't get an answer even after thinking about it for half a day. Finally, I could only fall asleep with a fever.

The heat still didn't go away from my body when I got up the next day. Maybe it was a fever. I covered my forehead. Fever was a regular occurrence for me, so I still went to the kitchen with my fevered brain.

I placed the baked bread on a plate, the crispy edges bumping against the plate with a delightful sound. Just as I was slicing fresh berries, a man threw the buttered bread at my head.

"Hey, slave! You could have avoided this. Where's your wolf?" The boy exaggerated to his companions, "Oh! I forgot. You don't have a wolf at all." His words made his friends burst into laughter.

I didn't want to mess with these assholes, I just wanted to finish my work and get out of here. But these assholes obviously didn't want to give me that chance. Seeing my lack of response, they directly gathered around me and surrounded me.

"You should live with humans. Those lower races don't have wolves like you." The boy who threw bread at my head said.

"Wait, wait. Humans won't accept you either! You alien, disabled monster!" He pushed me to the ground and stomped on my hand with his foot. His companions laughed as they kicked me around a few times.

"What's all the noise!" Isaac looked like an angel sent by God to save me at this point. The angel grabbed the leading boy by the collar and threw him out of the kitchen. "Don't interrupt my breakfast." Then the boy's companions looked at Isaac's sharp gaze and fled in panic and disarray.

Now that Isaac and I were the only ones left in the kitchen, I was going to thank him. But Isaac looked at me and walked away with his breakfast. Just as I saw his eyes, I also heard his mind at the same time, "I have to go to protect her. I hope she's okay."

Watching his back as he left, my heart warmed up, so he cared about me. I covered my chest, my heart pounding haphazardly. Was this what it felt like to be cared for?

Isaac's POV

A boy threw his breakfast on Claudia's head, and I saw the scene as soon as I walked in the door.

A low growl escaped Caesar's throat. All I could do was to calm him down as best I could while suppressing my own anger, and ask him not to rush out and bite the boy's neck. I told Caesar that if he struck at that moment, it would only cause more trouble for Claudia.

Claudia didn't say a word, which made my heart ache even more. But I understood that this was her way of defending herself. It sounded cruel, but after all those years of living in the wolf pack, Claudia should have gotten used to the insults a long time ago. I thought the boy would stop right there, but his companions and he walked up and surrounded Claudia. Fuck, did they see her as prey?

Physiological instincts set the alarm bells ringing in my head: my mate was in danger! But in what identity would I have to help Claudia without attracting their attention? I simply couldn't help a slave I'd always despised; which would make everyone suspicious.

Just as my thoughts were fighting in my head. The boy pushed Claudia down and stomped her hand under his foot. "He's dead, I'm going to break his hand." The words proclaimed loudly in my head. But then, I needed to find an excuse quickly to let them stop hurting Claudia. I threw the boy out of the kitchen, though I couldn't control Caesar's murderous aura. The boy's friends looked at me and ran away. Their wolves should have tucked their tails in fear.

It was then that Claudia rose from the ground, and she looked at me with a puzzled but grateful look in her eyes. Although I just wanted to hold her in my arms at this point, my sanity made me leave the place immediately, without a moment's hesitation.

Worrying about Claudia kept me from concentrating all day. By late at night I decided to slip into Claudia's basement again and take careful care of her. Claudia was very unstable in her sleep, her face flushed an unnatural red. I reached up and touched her forehead, and the high fever emanating from there startled me. I wanted to go pour some cool water to cool her down, but just as I was leaving the bed, Claudia grabbed my hand.

Claudia's POV

I had a very torturous dream. I was walking in a dungeon full of flames and it was like hell. I kept looking for the exit but got lost inside. Just when I was in a state of great anxiety, a flash of ice came to my face. The torment left me instantly, and I stayed with that coolness. But it was about to leave me. I woke up in a panic and grabbed the object that brought me coolness. It was a long and strong hand, and I immediately realized the owner of the hand.

I was going to let go of Isaac's hand, but instead, Isaac grabbed my hand and held me in his arms in a smooth motion. I didn't know if it was an illusion, but the high fever I was feeling seemed to subside a lot when he held me in his arms.

I leaned into Isaac's chest. He wrapped his arms around my waist and then lowered his head to look at me with compassionate and tender eyes. Isaac's handsome face slowly zoomed in front of my eyes until I could feel his warmth, and his moist breath directly hit my face.

"You're supposed to close your eyes when you kiss." Isaac's magnetic voice vibrated my eardrums.

He spared one hand and rested gently on my eyelids, forcing my eyes to close. The moment our lips touched, I could feel the connection of our souls. Wonderful sensations rushed up to my head and took over my heart. The hot and uncomfortable feelings in my body disappeared all at once, and there was only complete mental relaxation.

Isaac must have felt the same way I did. Once the kiss was over, he still held me and wouldn't let go. "You're not burning up anymore, I'm guessing it's from the rut."

"Rut?" Rut! It occurred to me that, as Isaac's mate, we rarely had physical contact. What I needed most in the rut was the company of my mate, but Isaac and I weren't regular mate, and he had only rejected me for a few days. And I didn't want him to harass me every day. The thought of not being cared for by my mate made my body start to heat up again. And my head became dizzy.