Chapter 109: Tears and Conditions
Anaria opened her eyes and looked around the place
The top roof was familiar, it took her some time to realize that it was her room and she was in her bed, the blanket was pulled up to her chest.
She blinked. Her head felt heavy as if something was pounding on it and her mouth tasted strange like something sour and bitter.
She turned her head. Her mates were there. All three of them. Standing over her. Watching her.
"What is wrong?" she asked gently cause her voice was weak.
Kenai stepped closer. "You collapsed."
Anaria stared at him "What... How?"
"You collapsed in the hall. In front of us."
She tried to sit up.
"Careful," Kai said. He reached for her shoulder.
Anaria pushed herself up slowly. Her body protested. But she managed. She looked around the room.
" But i was in the hall," she said.
"Yes."
"And now I am in my room."
"Also yes."
She looked at them. "How did I get here?"
"We carried you," Rylan said.
Anaria touched her mouth. The sour taste was still there. "What is this?"
"Medicine," Kenai said. "The healer gave it to you."
She nodded slowly. She looked around again. Something was missing.
"Where is Ana?"
"With the nanny," Kai said. "The white wolf beastwoman, don’t worry she is fine."
Anaria let out a breath. Then she tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed.
Kenai moved immediately. "What are you doing?"
"I am getting up."
"You need rest."
"I feel fine."
Kenai’s jaw tightened. "You just collapsed."
"I have a headache. That is all."
"That is not all."
Anaria looked at him. "Kenai."
"You do not understand," he said. His voice was sharp now. "You do not understand what it was like. Watching you fall. Not knowing if you were breathing. If something happened to you, what would we do?"
Anaria looked down "I did not mean it like that," she said quietly.
"You never do."
She did not answer, her face was bent down then..
The system chimed in her mind.
[Reminder: Task incomplete. Check on the southern settlement.]
Anaria closed her eyes for a moment.
[Also: Take care of your body and rest is necessary.]
She murmured under her breath. "It should kill me."
[That is not a recognized request.]
"What is the use of giving me a task when you know I am not feeling fine?"
[You can bring your mates along. Seize the opportunity.]
Anaria waved her hand. "Get lost."
The system chimed away.
Kai was watching her while all this is going on, He had noticed her expression change and had heard her mumbling. "Is there anything you need?" he asked looking concerned
Anaria looked at him. Her voice was blank "I need to check on the southern settlement. But I cannot because..."
She stopped. She realized she wasn’t talking to the system anymore but to her mates
Kenai heard her and he stepped forward immediately "No, you are not going anymore especially not in this state."
Anaria looked at him with puppy eyes
"I said you are not going anywhere and that’s final."
She stared at him. Then she looked at Kai. Then at Rylan. They were all watching her, waiting for something or a word from her.
She sighed desperately
She thought about the system. She thought about the task. She thought about the settlement. The people there. The ones she had helped before. Were they alright? Were they recovering? Did they need her?
She thought about her body which was heavy and tired plus the headache that would not go away.
She looked at her mates. They were scared. She could see it in their faces.
She did not want to scare them. She did not want to worry them. But she also did not want to fail the task.
She took a breath "I need to go," she said.
"No," Kenai said again.
She looked at him. Her eyes were wet "Please."
" I said No."
She sighed and knew that all this pleading won’t resolve to anything and then she thought of the system advice to seize the opportunity and decides to try out a new method.. Emotional blackmail... she breathed then almost immediately let out a son which turned into crying.
The room went quiet, everyone frozed. This was their first time seeing anaria cry.
Anaria kept crying. She did not try to stop. The tears came and she let them, she literally had no other choice
Her mates stood frozen. They looked at each other. They did not know what to do.
Rylan looked at Kenai "This is your fault."
Kenai stared at him. "My fault?"
"You should not have scolded her."
"I was worried about her."
"You made it worse."
Kai was sitting beside Anaria. His hand was on her shoulder. He looked up at them "Both of you stop."
They did not hear him. They kept talking. Their voices rose.
Anaria cried harder.
Kai stood up "I said Enough!"
The room went silent. Rylan and Kenai stared at him.
Kai’s voice was firm. "Stop acting like children. Listen to what she wants first."
No one spoke. Anaria’s crying slowed. She wiped her face with her sleeve. Her shoulders were still shaking, finally it actually worked.
Kai sat back down beside her, he waited for her to speak
Rylan took a breath. He stepped closer "Anaria."
She looked up at him.
"What do you want?"
She was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke. Her voice was small "I know you will not let me go."
Rylan did not answer.
"I understand. You are worried. I know that."
She looked at all three of them.
"But I need to see it. The southern settlement. I need to know they are alright. That is all I want. Just to check."
Rylan looked at Kenai. Then at Kai. Then back at Anaria.
He understood "Fine," he said.
Kenai opened his mouth. "Rylan.."
"But on one condition, We will follow you," Rylan said. "All three of us and It is only to check. Nothing else. You are not allowed to do anything."
He was still speaking when Anaria threw her arms around him. She hugged him tight. Then she kissed him.
Kenai’s face changed. He looked away.
Kai shrugged immediately and murmured to himself "Why does he gets it when I was with you emotionally"
Anaria noticed. She looked back at Kai. She leaned over and kissed him too.
Then she looked up at Kenai.
He was waiting.
She smiled "You will get yours when we get there."