2#02

2

"Enough with the tears. I'll handle this for you."

He softly caressed my head, dried my eyes, and planted a comforting kiss on my cheek before rising to fetch some soothing herbs, mumbling as he went.

"Just look at you—so brave, yet still sensitive to pain and quick to cry. How would you manage without me?"

I gazed vacantly at the crimson burn on my wrist.

Indeed, I had been indulged for seven whole years. How would I cope without him? But, Damien, I no longer desired you or this artificial connection.

That evening, sleep eluded me, perhaps due to my throbbing hand, or maybe because of my sudden epiphany. I writhed restlessly in bed, my skin damp with perspiration, yearning for slumber to claim me. It took ages before I finally drifted off.

As the first light of day appeared, Damien roused me from my sleep.

I groaned, attempting to push him away, but he just laughed softly and leaned in for a kiss.

In an instant, my drowsiness vanished. I nearly struck him but managed to restrain myself.

Fortunately, it was just a brief peck.

"Are you awake now, my drowsy darling?"

I turned away, wiping my mouth in revulsion.

"It's the weekend. Can't you let me sleep in?" I complained, feeling the weight of exhaustion.

Damien looked at me with concern. "Did you realize you had a fever last night? Get up. We're going to see the healer."

I stared at him, wondering if this was just an act of care or if he genuinely worried about me. His face showed concern, but his eyes seemed to look through me.

Though I felt mostly fine, I couldn't argue, so I reluctantly rose.

In the healer's corridor, we unexpectedly encountered Kaia. She appeared to have injured her foot and was struggling to move along the hallway alone. Damien, who had been so gentle moments ago, immediately frowned.

Forgetting my presence, he rushed to Kaia's side, supporting her with worry.

"What happened?"

Kaia smiled at him, glancing past him towards me.

"Just a twisted ankle. What a coincidence... Are you two here for a check-up too?"

Damien's expression froze. He glanced back at me, his eyes shifting. I noticed a hint of guilt, something I had seen before but ignored. Now, it was more apparent, especially in Kaia's presence.

"Yeah, my 'little sister' here had a fever, so I brought her for a check-up."

I wasn't surprised. Why had I expected him to change how he introduced me?

I've grown accustomed to being called "sister" now.

Since Damien decided to keep our bond secret, he introduced me as his friend's younger sister, someone he was simply helping. Everyone believed it, given his closeness to my brother.

Only his closest friends knew the truth.

Kaia nodded. "She's staying at your place, so naturally, you must look after her. You two go ahead, I need to head over there."

She gestured towards the other side of the pack's grounds. Seeing her hobble again, Damien didn't hesitate before lifting her into his arms.

"Let me take you over. Thalia, wait here for me."

Somehow, the moment I saw Kaia, I felt drained of all energy. Perhaps my fever was worsening, or maybe it was the bitter feeling in my gut as I watched him fuss over Kaia more than me.

My legs began to tremble, and I struggled to walk straight, but did it even matter? I leaned against the wall, remaining silent.

Damien hadn't asked for my permission. After those words, he was already carrying Kaia towards the other healer's chambers. I suppose he didn't think my fever was serious, or perhaps he just didn't care as much about me. He never noticed my weakening state.

The truth was, no matter how well Damien acted, when Kaia was around, his true feelings surfaced, betraying the façade.

And Damien was oblivious to it.

I forced a bitter smile, turned, and walked towards the designated healer's quarters to treat fever.

Apparently, it wasn't just in my head. After checking my temperature, I learned my fever had risen to 41.3°C.

The burn had become infected, exacerbated by my emotional stress, leading to a viral infection that required some herbal tea. The healer said I needed an infusion as well.

Out of habit, I reached for my phone to call Damien, but stopped myself before dialing.

Habit was indeed a frightening thing.

I gave a self-mocking smile, put my phone away, grabbed my medication, and headed to the patient's rest area alone.