Chapter 151

[Ella’s POV]

I really thought that I would feel better after having rested. Good God was I wrong...

I felt undoubtedly weaker and more fatigued than ever.

Every time I tried lifting my head off the pillow, I was smacked with a wave of dizziness and pure exhaustion. The room felt like it was spinning out of control and all I could do was shut my eyes and brace myself.

My body temperature continuously fluctuated and struggled with balancing between extreme coldness and heat. My bones felt as though they were filled with lead, weighing me down with each labored breath I’d take in.

I assumed it was all because I had shifted and this was my body’s response to undergoing such a traumatic experience. I wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed since Liam and Arthur were over here, talking with my mom.

When I wasn’t asleep, my mind wandered around the last twenty-four hours. It all seemed like a blur and I was trying to remember what had actually happened.

I recalled meeting Bonnie’s parents and spending a little of the afternoon with them outside. Everything had been going so well...And then I had to, unfortunately, run into Arthur’s mother. Cecilia Winslow looked like the kind of woman that was not meant to be trifled with. Her harsh sneer was burned into my memory. The anger I felt toward her for the way she treated Liam was insurmountable. The more I thought about it, it was no surprise that I ended up shifting.

However, I knew that the real reason behind my shift was because of the horrible fight between Arthur and Liam.

It was one thing to see the two of them compete on the ice but to watch them take damaging punches and swings at one another...It left me sick to my stomach.

I wish my sudden shifting had been the last mind-boggling ordeal of the day but no. Hearing about my father and the fact that I apparently originated from some long-forgotten pack that was no longer around.

The foundation of my whole life had been uplifted and torn in half. Nothing made sense anymore.

What am I supposed to do now?

Suddenly, the idea of sinking back into my bed and disappearing from the world didn’t sound so bad.

Both my throat and mouth were dry. Dizziness or not, I needed to try and stay hydrated. Carefully, I rolled toward the side of my bed and slowly pushed myself to sit up. I sucked in a deep breath and anticipated for the room to begin swirling around.

Much to my pleasant surprise, it didn’t. However, the second I tried to stand up, all of the nerves in my muscles coiled and clenched, making me stumble back onto the mattress. The extreme soreness that bled throughout my body was like nothing I had dealt with before.

“Holy shit,” I cursed under my breath.

“Stop moving,” a deep voice spoke out.

The air caught in my lungs as I turned my head to see Arthur sitting in the corner of my bedroom with a textbook propped up in his lap. His expression was stern and unwavering. I found myself easing back into the bed amongst my pillows and blankets.

My voice came out strained. “W-What the hell are you doing here?”

Arthur let out a long breath and closed his book. “I came by a few hours ago.”

My eyes grew wide in disbelief. A few hours?!

“I spoke to your mother and told her that it would be best to have someone stay here with you. She had to leave for work just a little while ago so...Here I am.”

My brows drew together in obvious confusion. I was still having a hard time wrapping my mind around seeing the softer side of Arthur.

His features became pinched with regret. “Liam...He sent me here to watch over you,” he said softly.

“Oh.”

I knew he deserved a better response than that, but to be completely honest, I was in shock. It was hard to believe that Liam would allow, much less, suggest Arthur’s presence at a time like this.

Arthur must have sensed my slight discomfort and instantly got up from his spot with his book. “Perhaps, you’d feel better if Liam were here,” he muttered.

I hadn’t missed the subtle tones of sadness in his voice. It caused my insides to twist with guilt and shame. Right as Arthur tried walking past my bed, I reached out and snagged his hand. I felt his grip tighten as he turned to glance down at me.

A mere touch from his hand made all of the tremors and random shaking stop.

“No,” I said. “I want you to stay.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

My God, what a loaded question. There were many things that I was still massively uncertain of. But there was no mistaking the warm, unyielding connection that I felt when my wolf first laid eyes on Arthur. As wild as the thought was...He was my mate. Just as much as Liam was.

I couldn’t fathom the idea of pushing him away.

“Yes,” I clarified.

I gently pulled Arthur down so that he was sitting on the corner of the bed. It was strange—having him within my bubble of personal space. But I knew I could get used to it in time.

“I want to be honest with you,” I started. “There’s a part of me that is still having a lot of doubts about all of this.”

“You mean with me?” he commented.

I nodded my head. “Your actions in the past have me exceedingly conflicted.”

Arthur nodded his head and released a deep sigh. The pad of his thumb brushed small circles over the top of my hand as he spoke. “Ella, I know that there is a lot I need to make up for. And I have every intention of putting the effort and time into proving to you that I am serious about this. Plus, you have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to get a chance to speak to you in private about all of it.”

A small smile crept its way over my mouth. “So, how long have you known about this shared mating bond?”

“Since the night where you and Liam met me under the bridge.”

My mouth fell open. That static shock...I kept telling myself that it was nothing special. But all that time it turned out to be something remarkably more.

“At that very moment, I knew you were mine,” Arthur said. “Ever since then, I've been trying to find ways to get closer to you. In the beginning, I didn’t believe that Liam was your mate. I thought it was just him trying to be spiteful in some way until I basically threw myself into my research and discovered the possibility of a double bond.”

Arthur reached his hand out to brush my hair back from my face. “I know what you’re going through right now,” he said. “Everyone who’s a natural-born werewolf has gone through it when going through their first shift. What you need to do is trust your body. Let it cycle through all the aches and pains.”

Another, familiar spark of warmth floods through me. I knew Arthur and I had quite a bit to work through with each other. Based on my instincts, I knew that I wanted to trust him.

“Okay,” I hummed.

“When this is all over, I promise I’m going to find everything I can on the Moon Wolf Pack for you,” he said gently.

The corners of my mouth lifted into a hopeful smile. For the time being, my doubts and worries scattered to the back of my mind.