23

~Vaela

For a blissful, quiet moment, I'm not in pain, wrapped in a blanket of warmth.

And then it's brutally disrupted.

"Vaela….Come on Vae, wake up."

There are hands on my shoulders, shaking me frantically. Gasping, I sit up, spitting water out from my mouth, eyes flying open.

"What's going on?" I choke out, clutching my throat.

Hale is next to me, silver eyes wider than I've ever seen as he searches my face, hands clutching the edge of the bath tightly. He seems to click that I'm okay, his shoulders deflating.

He rests his head against the edge of the tub. "You're alive. Thank fuck."

"What happened?" I question, rubbing the blurriness from my eyes.

Memories cautiously approach me. I was sick, on the verge of death, and now I'm sitting in a tepid bath, staring back at a horrified Pureblood.

"You fell asleep in the tub. Your head was slipping under the water." He sounds breathless. Reaching behind me, I touch my wet hair, realising that he is right, I could have died had he not returned.

I blink, gazing at him. "You're back…"

"I just got back. Are you okay?" I'm so relieved he's returned, I could pass out. And now, I feel exactly as I did when he came to my home that day when I left the cave, and returned me back here. The assault of pain has diminished, leaving me weak and trembling.

"I feel okay now. I didn't before." I wince, remembering how excruciating that pain got. I was on the verge of wishing death upon myself.

Hale seems equally relieved, allowing him the softest laugh. "Mortals can't breathe under water, okay? No more sleeping in the tub."

"In my defence, I was very unwell," I mumble. The bath was meant to warm me, not potentially kill me.

"I'm here now, okay? And I'm not leaving again," he assures me.

Looking down, I run my hands through the water, before realising that most of my bubbles have simmered away, leaving gaps that expose my nakedness.

My legs immediately shoot up so I can hug them, covering my most exposed areas. "Oh..oh no, I'm naked."

"It's okay, I'm not looking." That may be true, but I see the purely male gleam to his eye. He's tempted.

"I need a towel," I say, nodding to the one draped over the counter.

He doesn't hesitate. "Of course."

I watch him unfold the towel and hold it out expectantly, as if I'm going to stand and reveal my bare body to him so he can't wrap me up. Absolutely not.

"Turn around," I demand, still clutching my knees to my chest.

He shakes his head. "I'm not going to do that."

It's clear he doesn't want me to fall, but I would rather that and split my head open then let him get an eye full of my bare body. Maybe that's dramatic, but I don't want him seeing me naked in this context.

"Then close your eyes," I grit out, the water starting to turn cold.

"Alright…" he sighs, obliging me.

Bracing my hands against the side of the tub, I start pulling myself up, ignoring my trembling muscles. Each time my body is overwhelmed with pain, my energy depletes, leaving me a shell of my usual self.

I make it to standing position, although my knees quiver warily, and I stumble back a bit, water slouching around my knees.

Hale grabs my arms, steadying me.

"Don't look!" I admonish, making to cover myself, but Hale's grip is too tight.

He sighs irritably, tilting his head upward. "I'm trying to help you."

Eventually he releases me, and I shakily wrap the towel around myself, tucking it into itself. Once I'm sufficiently covered, I rest my hand on Hale's shoulder for leverage, not minding the wet spot it leaves.

"I'm still so weak," I drawl, swaying uneasily.

Hale sighs through his nose. "Here."

With a quiet yelp, I'm swept up into his arms, and carried to my bedroom. He gently sets me down onto my bed, before stepping back. It doesn't appear like he's about to leave my room, though.

"Do I need to dress you?" He raises a brow, gaze tracing down to my bare legs, which hang off the edge of the bed.

"Absolutely not." I grumble, bracing myself up on my elbows. It dawns on me, however, that I'll be left to sit here all night if I don't get help. "Can you get me some clothes?"

I batter my eyelashes coyly, nodding toward the dresser.

He goes to stand over by it. "Point me to the right drawer."

"Panties are in that one." I point to the left drawer, watching him open it, rifling around. My eyes narrow. His magic may have supplied a great deal of my new belongings, but seeing him choosing my underwear is a new level of bizarre.

"Why not go without?" He muses, glancing over his shoulder at me, devious smile tilting at his lips.

"Hale!" I snap.

"White ones it is."

He plucks out a pair he finds satisfactory, balls them up and tosses them at me. I reach out and grab the lace, wondering if there's anything solid I can send flying at his face in my close vicinity.

"You're not funny," I mumble, spreading the underwear out.

"Do you need-"

"No, I can get them on myself. Turn around," I order.

Thankfully he obeys with no protest, turning his back to me. With my eyes trained on his back, I slip my panties on, careful to ensure he doesn't turn for a peek.

"Okay, now I should have a white top in that drawer?" I exclaim.

He picks through it. "No sleeves?"

"Mmhm."

He tosses it at me again, and I twist my finger. "Turn around."

I peel the towel back again, and quickly pull the shirt over my head. But before I have the chance to pull the towel back over myself, Hale turns, assuming I'm finished.

"Hey, way too early!" I scold, pressing my legs together.

He goes silent, and something dark and devilish flares in his eyes as they sweep over me. Anymore words of protest are lost in my throat, seeing the look of pure torture come across his perfect features.

I know what he sees. My damp torso has my shirt sticking close to my skin, revealing the obvious curve of my breasts and outline of my nipples. And my panties are on full display, until I snap out of my trance, tugging the towel back over me.

"You're breath-taking," Hale murmurs distractedly.

"You shouldn't be looking," I say breathlessly. Neither of us need that kind of temptation right now, when we are meant to be carrying on as normal.

I can see the physical tension in Hale's body as he lifts an arm to sweep a hand through my hair. "Pants?"

"Left middle."

We are both silent as he busies himself in one of the drawers. All I can do is stare at his back, willing my own sinful thoughts away. It would be so easy to call him back here, to slip off the clothes I just put on and let him have me however he wants.

He turns, approaching with a pair of black leggings. "These?"

"Uh huh."

He hands them to me, turning around quickly.

This time, he waits patiently, as I struggle to pull the leggings over my damp thighs with my weak, trembling arms. Eventually, I collapse back onto the bed, exhausted and frustrated.

"I may actually need help with these," I mutter shamelessly.

Hale turns, quirking his brow at my pants half-way up my legs, while I lay back hopelessly. He knows better than to appear amused as he comes to stand between my thighs, because I may be tired, but I have enough energy to kick him if need be.

He reaches down, grabbing the waistband of my pants before hoisting them up. I feel so foolish, so useless, relying on a Pureblood to dress me.

"Lift your hips." His quiet order has me shivering.

"Yes sir," I murmur, lifting up enough for him tug the pants up over my hips,

Something changes in his eyes, and he stiffens. "Don't."

"What?" I whisper.

"Don't make me think what I'm thinking," he says tensely.

He doesn't have to say what he's thinking for me to know. His fingers linger around my hips, tempted to take a firm hold of my waist. Would I let him? Would I wrap my legs around his waist and hold him close to me?

Instead, I shift, causing him to back away. "I'm just teasing."

"Oh I know," he breathes.

I clutch the duvet to keep myself steady as I sit up. "I think about you too, Hale. But I shouldn't. Not when I have a mate to find, and considering how sick I am, I can't wait much longer."

He dips his head. "I understand."

Taking a deep breath, I hoist myself up into a standing position. I waver, but manage to keep myself from falling back down onto the bed.

"At least I can stand now," I note.

Hale frowns. "I'm sorry I left you. I should have never-"

"No, I can't be your liability forever," I remind him. Just because I'm stuck here, doesn't mean he has to be...Although now it's becoming increasingly more obvious that the key to my wellbeing may not be coming from that pond.

Hale faces me. "You're not. Do you know how much I like having you here?"

I try to laugh, to clear any uncomfortable silence, not wanting to confront the heaviness of Hale's admission. "I just gave you the fright of your life."

"Only because I care about you. Your life matters to me, that's why I panicked," he admits.

I sigh slowly. "It's not the pond, is it?"

"Keeping you from getting sick?"

I nod.

"It could be me," he muses, visibly contemplating that possibility. If it truly is him, it means I'm not locked here, in this cave, I'm just locked to him, which may be arguably worse.

"Why you?" I ask uneasily, sitting back down, my energy depleted.

"Because my magic created it." He rubs the back of his neck as my eyes raise to his, riddled with confusion...I figured that pond was forged into the mountain as a result of Hale's presence, not from his direct cause.

"What? You never told me that."

He shrugs. "I didn't think it mattered."

"Why would you make a mortality pool?" I question. If Hale has the talent, or the power to create something as influential as that, then why choose mortality?

He looks uncomfortable, turning away to busy himself with rearranging something on the dresser. "A form of immortal suicide, I guess."

"You wanted to use it?" I'm bewildered. It's the last thing I expected to come from his mouth, but it makes the most sense. He's always come off as sad to me, plagued with a life he never wanted.

He waves his hand dismissively. "This was over two centuries ago, mind you. I was very broody."

I approach, grabbing his shoulder to turn him to look at me. "Hale…You were going to turn mortal so you could end your life?"

"I was a coward. I know now that I have an obligation to people. This world functions because of my part in an intricate web. The other Purebloods need me." He doesn't sound sorry for himself, but I surely do. What a terrible revelation.

"And you just left the pool out there?"

"It took me a long time to master magic like that. I'm proud of what I created. Or was…" His brows crease. He doesn't have to say why he no longer takes pride in it.

"You should be. It's incredible that you're capable of that." I didn't even know Purebloods were capable of such feats.

I don't think they are. I think this accomplishment belongs to him only.

Hale frowns, looking bewildered that I would even say that. "It nearly killed you."

"So that's why you took me in? Guilt?"

Hale steps back, exhaling slowly. Were someone to tell me a few months ago that a Sin was capable of feeling guilt or remorse, I would have laughed and told them their sources are flawed.

"Partially." He shrugs. "And I thought you were very pretty."

I roll my eyes. "Stop, you're teasing me."

"Maybe a little. You are pretty though." His voice drops a tone, but I refuse to acknowledge it. Whether he thinks I'm pretty or not doesn't matter, although admittedly, my heart does flutter as a result.

"Come on, you need to wave me a hot dinner. I've been living off cold soup." I hold my arm out to him so he can grab it, letting me lean on him for leverage.

He smiles down at me. "Anything for you, Vaela."