*Danika*
Why does everything feel so dark and ominous? I moved my fingers; one, two, three, four, five. Oh, Gad! I thought I had an accident and had my body crushed because that is the only thing that would have my body aching terribly the way it is right now.
I strived to peel my eyes open and it seemed like it was glued together. However, after some trials, I caught a slip of light and squinted before bravely snapping them open.
“Ouch!” I covered them and took note to cuss hell at Nadia later, for once more trying to blind me. My life was already hell with sight, imagine if I go blind. Dang, that!
“Danika?”
I heard someone who I didn’t miss to be Nadia, purr near me, and gradually lifted my hands off my face to look at why she was saying my name in that fashion as though frightened or something.
“What the heck, Nadia?” I eyed her. Nonetheless, the next minute, she threw her-sorry, they threw themselves at me. Because it appeared I had missed the second looming figure by her side.
“Oh, My. Danika is awake! Danika is awake!” they kept screaming. Why are they saying that? I eventually let my hands fall by my side while appraising them. Ultimately buying the conscience that they were crushing me, they ripped me off and scrutinized me from limb to limb as if expecting a part of me to fall off.
“What is going on?” I opened my mouth to ask and noticed how dried my throat was. I started coughing and with a single glance at me, Nadia took off.
“Danika you have no idea how delighted we are that you are awake. You had us all worried for the last one week since who-”
“Out!”
We both flinched, and when we turned, standing there before us was Theresa, the King, and Paisley. I wanted to tell Alonso not to talk to Mary like that, but she shut me a look and scurried away out of the room, leaving me and them. I sat up from the bed and then as though recovering from the shock of seeing me, Paisley threw herself across the room at me.
I patted her back to let go, still marveling at why everyone was acting this way. Mary said something about last week. The last thing I remember was coming to bed to sleep and shifting off for Alonso, in case he comes to join me as he has for a long time now.
“It’s a good thing that you are finally awake now, Danika. This is great news. You had us all worried to death,” Theresa intoned in a soothing voice unlike her. She looked very happy, further raising my tentacles of worry.
“It’s enough, Paisley. You can’t squash her like that knowing she is just recovering!” Alonso’s voice resonated through the room with something I couldn’t discern perched in his eyes. All the same, I am glad he did, cuz Paisley eventually let go and let me breathe fine.
“I’m still confused with everything. What happened to me? Did I have an accident? Did I fall down the stairs? What?” I looked from one person to the other. They all shared an equal look of surprise. I spread my hand with a dilated eye, seeking answers.
Alonso cleared his throat. “Can I speak to her in private?” He might have asked it calmly, however, the command etched in the words couldn’t be misplaced.
Theresa gave me a stiff smile and with a curt nod at him sashayed out of my room followed by Paisley who twirled on her feet and ran after her. She blew me a kiss at the door, before closing it after her.
He followed after them, my eyebrow rose on my head thinking he was leaving, then he locked the door, did something which I think is placing a barrier, then came back. He gave me a bottle of water and without any reflection, I gulped it down ravenously, and my stomach hurt, feeling like I haven’t had anything for a while.
“What is happening? I need answers, not silence. I feel as if I can eat a mama shark and still be hungry!”
He cocked his brow, his face still bearing an indiscernible outlook. “You don’t recollect anything?” he asked me.
“Would I be asking if I did?” I grumbled, calming my stomach that hurt from the quantity of water I took.
“A lot has happened, Danika. I’m shocked you don’t remember any of it.” He came to sit down beside me and took my hand, then, I remembered something. I was on this land, not looking like one I have been before, then I heard someone calling my name and telling me to come back. I couldn’t find where the voice came from and had been searching until I woke up.
It was him.
“You were the one!” I busted, widening my eyes. “I heard your voice and followed it till I woke up,” I said, none of what he said, mattering to me. I don’t recollect what transpired and even though I have racked my head, none of this makes sense.
“You heard my voice last night?” he mumbled slowly.
I searched his eyes, taking note of how dull they looked. He had a big black bag under his eyes the size of an eye patch. His stubbles have grown, making him look older than his real age. He must have been going through a lot lately. “I can’t tell when I did, but I heard your voice… that is all I know.”
“You are a whisperer, Danika,” he informed me slowly.
A whisperer? I searched my head for where I have heard that before and paused, recollecting I read about it in a book I came across in the library some time ago. I stopped reading it because it was overwhelming, plus I don’t think such powers are still in existence.
“Whisperer?” I eyed him if he was alright. I can’t be a whisperer. Me, Danika? It’s unbelievable.
“You are, Danika. I saw you with my very own eyes and then… then the healer confirmed it. That was why you became unconscious. Some men tried to take you and then…” he faltered, his lips pulsing in a straight line.
I was speechless. So that’s why I’m bedridden? Did I do anything wrong? Did I kill anyone? No! “D-did I hurt someone?” Tears started brimming in my eyes when he took long to respond. I killed someone. How could I? Alfred taught me how to control myself. How could I have let myself commit such an abominable act?
I shoved away from him and coiled on my side. I am such a disgrace. I killed someone. I have turned into a monster like I avoided all these years. I am a good person, not a monster! How can I be a whisperer of all things? I could have been a witch or even a Vampire! Not a whisperer! What happened to being a shapeshifter?! At least I will have a power I can easily tame. Whisperers are demonic! They are savages and feed on death. Pure bloodhounds! I can’t be one.
I felt his hands come about me and knew he was laying with me. “Hey, it’s alright. I blame myself for not believing you when you told me you have transformed. I would have protected you from harm. It’s all my fault.”
“It’s not! I killed someone. I am a bad person. I killed innocent people. I am a monster!” I cried, letting my water works out.
“You are not a monster. You killed vile people. They wanted to hurt you, and you brought them down!” he coaxed as I shook my head vigorously, refusing to accept his logic.
“I killed them! That’s the problem! There are better ways to hurt people than kill them! What have I done?” More tears fell down my face.
With a forceful pull, he had me at my back facing him. His face was creased with uttermost unease as I have never seen it before. His blue eyes shimmered at me, holding my attention, “You are my mate, Danika. I have been very foolish not to protect you and allowed you to become a target to people with evil intentions. I swear on my life I will make things right… But I need you to help me by not calling yourself a monster. All we need to do is to help you learn to control what is inside you, so you don’t have to kill anybody if you don’t want to.”
“I am scared,” I muttered, sniffing off my snort.
His thumb reached out and wiped away my tears. “You don’t have to be, my love. We will take care of this henceforth, okay?” Is this my Alonso or something inside of him talking?
I nodded, recalling I didn’t see someone when they all came in. “What of Alfred?”
His eyes twitched uncomfortably. “He hasn’t returned yet.” My heart fell. What if something wrong has happened to my friend and we don’t know? I didn’t want to spoil this little intimate moment we have so I didn’t prod him further about his brother. I am pleased to have him beside me. When I leave here, I will think of other things bothering me.
“It’s going to be okay,” I whispered and wrapped my hand around his waist, to nuzzle into him, letting his musky scent consume me. This is home, come what may!
…