Night Fire Or Dream

Diana POV

“Madam,”

I was in a deep sleep when I heard someone’s voice. I didn’t know when I fell asleep thinking about Darren, and now, when someone called me, I forced myself to open my eyes, but everything just hurt. I wanted to rest without disturbance.

"Madam, wake up. It’s time for your meal and medicine.” The voice conversed again. I knew she wouldn’t go because she came for my medicine. That’s why I lost to my inner self and opened my eyes, only to see a woman in her mid-60s.

“I’m glad you woke up,” she smiled at me and helped me to sit on the bed. “Thank you.” Those were the only words left in my mouth.

“You can call me Clara. I’m the caretaker of this place. I took care of you the previous days.” She arranged the duvet for me and offered a bowl of porridge. I hesitated to take it.

“I know you just woke up, and you have many questions running through your brain. I’ll answer them all. First, eat this porridge and have your medicine.” She spoke again, sensing my discomfort, so I said nothing more and held the bowl to eat because my stomach was also craving something to fill its appetite.

Once I finished the porridge, Clara gave me some medicine, and I had it saying nothing. Clara smiled at me and picked up the ointment Marcus left on the table.

I observed her but said nothing. Clara came to me and sat towards my feet. I frowned, but then I clamored when Clara lifted my gown from my feet to my knees.

“What are you doing?” Surprised by her move, I instantly moved my hands and stopped her.

"Madam, I’m just applying this ointment on your knees.” She smiled again. I thought a smile was part of her personality because she smiled at everything.

Clara looked at me and said again. “Madam, please, let me do it.” Her voice contained respect for ages. I drew back my hands. Clara lifted my gown and massaged my legs with the ointment.

I hissed in pain when she massaged the area around my knee.

“It hurts, but you’ll be fine in a week or two. This ointment is best for healing joints and muscles.” She praised the ointment and talked about Marcus, how he made this ointment, and how he had mastered medical skills. The smile didn’t leave her lips even for a second. Her behavior was warm, like nanny Sophie’s. Clara made me remember her and my time in the pack house again. My heart clenched in my rib cage, and I felt the immense pain of losing everything. I had nothing with me and for me anymore. I was alone in this world where no one wanted me. Tears filled my eyes, but before they could fall, Clara exclaimed.

“Madam, if you want to know anything. You can ask me.”

I took a deep breath and absorbed the tears back into my eyes.

“Madam, why don’t you speak?” Clara asked, looking at my face. I felt like she wanted me to speak. Maybe she wanted to hear my story about why I reached this situation. I didn’t want to say anything, but her demeanor was so warm and kind that I couldn’t resist her and said.

“Please don’t call me madam. My name is Diana.” Clara was kind to me, and in this short period of less than an hour, she gave me so much respect that I thought I didn’t deserve it, so I politely forbade her.

“How can I call you by your name? I can’t do this.” She massaged my calf muscles.

“Just call my name. I’d be happy.” I spoke with a smile, putting my hand on hers. She nodded but said nothing.

“What happened to my legs? Why can’t I move them?” I pitied myself because my legs hurt badly. I wanted to die, but here I became disabled, a person who couldn’t even walk properly on her feet.

"When Alpha brought you here, you had already damaged your legs. I think you have hurt them with stones or something like that,” Clara replied. Her voice contained a visible hurt.

"Alpha,” I muttered.

“Alpha Marcus, the man who was here when you woke up. He saved you and healed you with his powers and medical abilities. Because of his powers, you recovered early. Otherwise, you were almost dead when he brought you here.” Clara’s smile faded, and it was the first time. It left her.

“Why did he save me?” I asked. I wanted to know why the moon goddess saved me when I wanted to die, but Clara said nothing.

“Why did he use his powers to save a weakling like me?” I clamored because it hurt me. Why did he save me when my childhood best friend, my mate, rejected me and didn’t even care for me? He left me to die, so why did alpha Marcus save me when we didn’t even know each other, and he didn’t owe me anything? My eyes welled up. The tears got stuck in my throat. I felt difficulty in speaking. Clara tried to calm me.

“Why wouldn’t he save you? He had to do this,” Clara spoke, pulling my gown to my feet.

“But why?” I stuttered. Clara put the duvet back on me and spoke.

“Because he’s kind enough to do this.”

“But why did he waste his powers on me? He shouldn’t have saved me. He should have let me die there because I’d be dead eventually.” I shouted at her. I didn’t know why. She put the ointment back on the table and exclaimed.

"You’re precious to us and should love yourself, too. You shouldn’t disrespect his efforts to save you by talking about death. He saved you because your life was important to someone. You can’t die.”

“Why can I not die when I wanted to?” I shouted again. Clara’s answer didn’t satisfy me.

"Madam, you need to rest. It’s almost midnight.” Clara picked up the utensils, ignoring my question.

"But you didn’t answer my question.” I clamored.

“I have already told you. Alpha would do the same even if there was anyone else in your place. He would also save her, so please now get some sleep. Good night.” I became silent, and Clara strode out of the room, switching the lights off. I fell on the bed again.

‘Yeah, he’d do the same with anyone. Don’t think more. You’re just a nobody who was dying, and he saved you.’ I spoke to myself and closed my eyes, but sleep was nowhere to come.

*********

"Anna, you’ll be alright.” He caressed my hair. Instantly, I opened my eyes, and he was there in front of me.

“R-Ren,” I stuttered. I felt I had lost my voice. Darren was there, and he caressed my hair again, nodding his head. I cried out, grasping him in my hold. I hugged him tightly. I experienced an overwhelming rush of emotions as I touched him.

“Ren, I know you’ll come for me. I know you love me. How can you leave your mate, your childhood friend, all alone? You’re my shining armor. How can you leave me? I know you’ll come. You can’t leave me alone. I know you can’t.” I cried, hugging him close to my heart. Darren caressed my hair and back. Tears continuously flowed down my cheeks and wet his shirt, but I didn’t stop until my tears dried and my heart set at ease. He comforted me with his silence and spoke only when I stopped crying.

“Shush, I’m here for you, but you must be strong.”

I felt relieved in his arms because his arms were my home from the start.

“Anna, you can’t be weak anymore. You need to be strong for yourself and the surrounding people.” I broke the hug and looked into his eyes. He called me Anna after a long time. I was content. He was my Ren because his eyes had love and care for me. His eyes were depicting me.

“I’m your mate, right?” I asked while tears were ready to stream down my cheeks again. I just wanted to be sure. I wanted him to admit that he was mine, and I was his.

He smiled at me and kissed my forehead.

“Yes, you’re. Only you can be my mate, only you.”

I closed my eyes and hid my face in his chest while tears cascaded down my cheeks. I felt all the misery I bore those two years ended today. My Darren was only mine. He belonged to me only.

“Don’t leave me again,” I whispered, snuggling into him, but he broke the hug and said.

“You can’t rely on me anymore. Anna, you need to wake up and get strong. You need to fight for yourself.” I ignored his words and hugged him again.

“Anna, listen to me.” Darren caressed my hair.

“I don’t want to fight or get strong. I only need you.” I poured my heart out, but what he said next broke me.

"If you’re weak, you can’t be with me.” I broke the hug and looked into his eyes. He was severe, and it broke me more.

“Ren.” I shook my head as he tried to remove my grip on him.

“Please, no.” Tears filled my eyes, and the next moment, my vision got blurred.

“Darren,” I shouted to stop him, but the next moment my eyes opened, and I was alone. I instantly looked around the room, but there was no one. My eyes were still wet, but there was no trace of Darren. The door and windows were intact. It confused me. It was my dream, or he was there because I felt him so close to me. I wrapped my arms around myself and cried out. Even in the dreams, he talked about leaving me.