Page 28 of The Hidden Guardian
“I’m sorry. I …” I stop. Wait, what am I sorry for? Menstruating? Letting another man lick me? Being a liability once again. The words in my own language fail me.
He shakes his head, pulling away, as he runs his hands over his face. He turns ashen.
My face is sticky with blood that isn’t mine, and my leg has blood that is mine. I immediately slip into the bathroom to freshen up. A knock at the door sounds as I’m looking around for toilet paper, or maybe something to fashion a pad out of.
Renall growls, and a woman’s voice returns the growl. The door creaks open as I sit on the edge of the tub, rummaging through the shelf above it.
“I brought you some tampons,” Onai whispers outside the curtain.
“You guys have tampons here?” I gasp, ripping the curtain back.
“We’re not total savages …” she teases. “Previous company excluded, despite the earlier mess. We’ve found that tampons are the only thing that doesn’t throw the wolves into a frenzy. They have to get close to smell it on you. Trust me.”
Trust her? I realize then that she is in a similar state to mine. That, and she seems to be the only one beside Renall attempting to help me. “Not like an entire amphitheater full of unmated males, diving toward the only unmated female.”
“No,” she snickers. “Definitely not like that; although, it is nice that a lot of the eyes are not solely on me anymore.”
“Glad my virginity is of service to you.” I snort. “Gods, it’s so embarrassing they can smell that through my blood.”
She giggles as she hands me a green and blue box.
“How do you even get name brand tampons anyway?”
“We make supply runs every now and again for things we can’t make or grow. Tampons are always on my list. I’ll be sure to ask for more on the next supply run. There should be one coming up soon.”
A sigh leaves my body as I slip to the floor. “I just feel like the learning curve here is so high, I’m going to get eaten alive before I grasp it all.”
Onai sits beside me considering this. “I’ve seen a few Guardians find us from the outside, following the heartcall of the mating bond and they always learn. Although, none of them have gone this long without mating, but it will come with time.”
“It seems like time is something we don’t seem to have enough of.” It comes out as a whisper.
She nods, seemingly understanding my insinuation. “Then enjoy what time you do have and leave it up to the Goddess.”
My Mother used to tell us stories of a Moon Goddess, Mother Nature, and the Sun God. I never really listened. We were already outsiders in the town, and add weird beliefs into the mix, and I was headed for years of torment and bullying. So outside of the cabin and after Mother died, I seemingly forgot about all that God and Goddess talk. Although some things are hard to forget, like swearing.
Renall grunts from somewhere in the room, breaking us from our conversation. Onai rises and slips behind the curtain. I take care of my needs before following suit.
Renall is sitting down, cleaning a wound in his shoulder. It’s dripping blood all down the back of the couch.
“You’re hurt?” I state like a question, but of course he was hurt. I watched as the scarred wolf bit into his front leg. Now, in his human form the bite remains, and I’d forgotten. The swirling tornado of my own feelings in my gut overpowering my sixth sense.
He growls. Onai translates, “He says this is nothing.”
Renall growls again, looking at me up and down.
Onai tells me as she drips something from a bottle onto his open wound, “He wants to know if you’re okay.”
“Okay.” I nod, giving him the thumbs up. “I’m embarrassed, scarred for life on menstruating in public, but I’m physically okay.”
As Onai translates, Renall tries to get up. Onai growls back and pushes him down onto the couch. “No rokay.” Renall’s trying to rise again.
“Oh, shut up, you’re okay, you stubborn wolf,” Onai states in English before pushing him back down, and then growls at him because Renall growls something back.
I smirk at their playful tone, it feels familial. It feels like me and Colton. My heart pangs at the memories that are still so fresh. Tears burn the back of my eyelids.
Renall growls lightly at Onai.
“He says you’re thinking again.”
