Chapter 25

Talia's POV 

It suddenly becomes uncomfortable after our brief exchange. 

Him calling me a dud and mistakenly slipping out the fact that Isla was a previous love interest. 

It kind of makes sense that he is so riled up at the realization that I am not her. 

As much as I feel like a fraud, a clone, or even a dud, I'm happy he is not getting what he wanted. 

Granted wishes should be reserved for nicer men. 

Kael realizes he just passed his aggression on me and stands up to leave the room, feeling stupid. 

He a bit, like there are some things he would like to say, or he is contemplating saying. 

I don't know how much more I can hold up if all he has in his bank are derogatory comments. 

I also need him, as much as I hate to admit it, I do. 

His eyes are closed and his head is swinging aimlessly back and forth, it reminds one of rocking a baby to sleep. 

 "I'm sorry." He says, looking in any direction but mine. 

 "That wasn't so hard, was it?" I replied to him. Ready to drag his big ego through all he made me feel by calling me a dud. 

 "What do you expect me to say?" He asks, still avoiding eye contact. 

 "You know I didn't get to choose who I was born in, right?" I ask him, my reasonable side getting the better of me. 

 "Yeah, I was… I was just… I was in pain, and I felt the hurt all over again." He says, more sullenly. 

 "So as the person closest to you now, I bear the brunt?" I asked him. 

 "Could you just take my apology as it came? I'm not willing to do this with you." He sounds more tired than he did when he got back from screaming her name in the bush, thinking she, I, had gone. 

 "I'm sorry." I say for no reason other than I sense the fact that I'm pricking open sores. 

I have nowhere else to go, so I have to be reasonable and kind to my host. 

The fact that he has discovered that I am not the one he thinks he is hosting has decreased my chances of being here for long. 

The painful memory flashes have ceased,it is something to be happy about, but it also means that I don't get to remember anything past my wedding. 

 "You might want to lie down." Kael breaks the silence in the room. I'm still a long way from good health. 

I really cannot describe the look on his face, but it is a perfect blend of pity and hurt. 

 "Do you need anything?" He asks when I still stay still, sitting on the bed with my back bent. 

It aches a lot, but I am too proud to lay down while he is standing and looking over me like a specimen. His absence would help, greatly. 

 "Not from you, no." I said to him, 

Kael stares at me weirdly for a few minutes before parting his lips. 

 "Now, what does that mean?" He asks me, arms akimbo. 

 "I am a burden enough on you. One you didn't ask for. It's worse that you are not hiding your displeasure at housing a dud." I started, "As soon as I feel like I can make it out of that door," I continued, pointing towards the cottage door that leads outside, "I would be out of your hair."

Kael lets out a deep sigh. 

 "I did not mean that, I already said it before." He says, looking a little like he actually does regret it. 

 "Well it really doesn't matter what you say, it's what you feel." I replied to him, already accepting my fate in my head. It's a miracle that he rescued me last night. I really could have died. I know better than to push my luck. 

 "I don't know what to say." Kael replies to me. 

 "You don't have to say anything. It's alright." I said without looking at him and finally taking the offer to rest my weary back. 

I hear his footsteps retreat from the room without saying anything further. 

Kara has been silent in my head all the while. I hope she is okay. 

 "Hey Kara." I called her. 

It's followed by a long suspense, during which I think up every foul thing that could have gone wrong and happened to Kara. 

 "Hi Talia." She says, like she was just hearing me. 

 "How are we holding up?" I asked her. I really can't be annoyed with her, I'm sure I have put her through a whole lot. 

 "Just as well as you are." Kara is being a smarty mouth, and it only happens when she is not too happy. 

 "Seeing that I'm battered and bruised and hardly a worthy sight, you mean we are holding up badly then, yeah?" Tears are welling in my eyes as I talk about myself like I am talking about someone else. Hearing me say all those things actually makes me feel the pain two times more. 

 "Alright, aright." She says resignedly. "I'm certainly not as bad, but I feel weak compared to every other wolf. We haven't switched since forever, I'm afraid I forget what I even look like." 

 "Is that really your problem?" I ask her, smiling. I know Kara too well, and I can properly guess her motives and sense when she is telling half truths. 

 "Well…"She sounds chirpier now, it instantly lifts my mood too. "... I feel some sort of new power coursing through me," She starts

 "You mean 'us'" I cut in, laughing because she hates it when I do. 

 "Whatever." She says, sounding a little sassy. "I really want to see how I look now. I feel better than I ever had, and I'm sure the same goes for my looks." Kara admits. 

 "If what you are saying is true, that means it would probably kill me for us to transform." I ask her, bluntly. 

 "You are such a killjoy. As much as I want to, I'm not pressuring you, you know…take your time…heal…process…while I ro…" Kara has started throwing her pity party, one with only me in it. 

 "What did you say?" I rudely cut in her wrong chain of thoughts. 

 "Nothing worth hearing. Just leave me in that corner of your head, while you talk to every other person." Life has gone out of her tone. 

 "You can't tell me you are jealous." 

 "If you have nothing else to say, I better go back to brooding." Kara breaks my heart whenever she sounds like this. 

 "I'm sorry, Kara."

She does not reply to me. 

Why am I pushing everyone I talk to away? 

I talked to Kara because I was starting to feel bad about Karl, but I did not want to admit it. 

I might have been just a tad little harsh and judgemental about him, but come on! He had it coming, calling me a dud. 

We are stuck in the middle of nowhere as far as I know, and I'm not cool with the person who's hosting me. 

I no longer hear his voice or footsteps in the cottage. It must have been a long night for him. 

 "Kael! Kael!" I call out with my parched throat. I'm screaming, but I can barely hear myself.