45. Fen Has A Really Bad Day
CHAPTER 45
Fen Has A Really Bad Day
Hawke Stormblood
I wake to the taste of honey on my tongue. Ambrosia . My eyes flutter open to find Ares kneeling beside me, an empty flask in his hand.
"Welcome back, brother." His gruff voice is tinged with relief.
I sit up slowly, taking stock of my body. The pain is already fading, replaced by a tingling warmth that spreads to my fingertips. Melinda's face swims into focus, her eyes wide with worry. She's kneeling beside me, her hands hovering uncertainly over my chest.
My heart clenches at the sight of her, a mixture of relief and guilt washing through me like a flash flood. The fear etched across her delicate features makes me ache to pull her close, to reassure her that I'm okay. But there's something else too–a fierce pride in her strength, in the way she's holding herself together despite the terror she must have felt.
"Hawke." The fear in her tone hurts worse than being bitten by Fen. "You're awake. I thought... I felt you through the bond, but you weren't responding and–"
I reach out, cupping her cheek gently. "I'm alright." I glance around the arena. "Wraith? Is he–"
“He's fine," Melinda assures me quickly. "Ares got him ambrosia first."
Relief settles through me. I brush away a tear with my thumb from her cheek. "I’m good. I promise. It takes more than Fen having a bad day to keep me down."
Melinda lets out a shaky laugh, leaning into my touch. Her relief flood into me, warm and soothing. "Don't joke. That was more than a bad day." She's trying to scold me, but there's no heat in her words. "You were so still. I've never been so scared."
I pull her closer, pressing my forehead to hers. "I’ll be good as new in just a bit, I promise."
She pulls back slightly, her eyes roaming over my body. "The bite marks," she gasps, her fingers tracing the air above my shoulder where Fen's teeth had torn into my flesh. "They're... healing."
I glance down, watching as the angry red wounds knit themselves closed. The skin pinks, then fades to its normal hue, leaving no trace of the injury.
"It's the ambrosia," I explain, flexing my shoulder experimentally. There's no pain, not even a twinge. "Speeds up our healing time."
Melinda's eyes are wide with wonder. "That's... incredible." Her expression quickly shifts, a flash of anger sparking in their depths. "But it doesn't change the fact that you put yourself in danger. You jumped between me and a raging wolf the size of a pick-up truck, Hawke!"
I take her hands in mine, squeezing gently. "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat," I tell her firmly. "You're my mate, Melinda. My soon-to-be wife. Protecting you isn't just instinct, it's my greatest honor."
Her expression softens, a mix of exasperation and love.
I chuckle, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her lips. "I'll do my best to be more careful," I promise. As I pull back, I catch sight of Fen, huddled against the far wall with an old gray blanket wrapped around his shoulders.
Melinda follows my gaze. "Go to him," she urges softly. "He needs you."
I press a quick kiss to her forehead before standing. My legs are steady as I cross the arena, the ambrosia working its magick with every step.
Fen doesn't look up as I approach, his eyes fixed on the ground. I settle beside him on the wall, close enough that our shoulders almost touch.
"How are you feeling?"
Fen lets out a bitter laugh. "Like I nearly killed my brothers and terrified your mate. So, not great."
I wait, giving him space to continue.
"I'm sorry, Hawke," he says finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "I lost control. I... I think you need to lock me up. I'm a danger to everyone here."
A knot forms in my throat as I remember the fear, the self-loathing, the desperate desire to protect others from myself before Melinda restored my soul. "No, Fen. That's not the answer. I've been where you are, believing isolation was the only way to keep others safe. But it's a prison of fear, not a solution. It will only make the darkness stronger."
He looks up at me, his eyes cloudy with self-loathing and desperate hope. "How can you say that? You saw what I did. I could've hurt Melinda. I hurt Wraith and you."
I lean in, gripping his shoulder. "You are my brother. We’re going to get you through this." I reach into my pocket and pull out a small flask of ambrosia. "But you do need to be drinking this more regularly. I know you’ve been slipping your share to Boaz, thinking you could make do."
He eyes the flask warily. "He needed it more."
"Obviously not as much as you did.”
He takes the flask with a shaky hand. "I don't deserve your faith in me."
I clasp his shoulder, squeezing gently. "You do. And not just mine. Look around, Fen. Everyone is here for you. You’re not alone in this."
A flicker of hope crosses his face.
"Now drink up. We've got a wedding and a coronation to prepare for, and I need my best men at full strength."