Kael’s POV
After eating those pancakes, Lucian, Jason, and Roman left the home for their respective work. Rafe had taken Raven out to show him around the estate—or whatever adventure he had in mind.
Eira fell asleep while sitting in her usual place. I laid her on the mattress comfortably and pulled the curtains so the sunlight wouldn’t disturb her sleep.
I settled on the sofa and resumed my work, keeping my voice low during meetings and preferring to talk less so it wouldn’t disturb her.
Even while working, my mind couldn’t stop thinking about her. My gaze would often drift to her sleeping form.
The change in her was sudden—eating more than usual, sleeping a lot, and looking tired. My mind wished to think something, but at the same time, I didn’t want to hope for more than I already had. I would wait until Liam returned from his trip and checked her.
More than an hour passed, but Rafe hadn’t returned with Raven yet. I looked toward Eira.
She had curled her body into a ball and seemed awake now. But it felt like she was in some kind of discomfort. I stood up quickly and went to her.
Sitting next to her, I asked, "Eira, are you alright?"
She didn’t respond. I touched her arm and asked again, "I know you’re awake. Tell me what happened."
She finally moved, and I helped her sit up. She didn’t look at me, just shook her head. "Nothing."
Her lashes were moist.
"You had a bad dream?" I asked, trying to read her face.
She kept her gaze lowered and shook her head again. Her hands went to her stomach.
"Stomach pain?" I asked.
She shook her head. "I’m just not feeling good... it’s nothing..."
I hummed. "Then you should eat something. It’ll make you feel better."
She quickly raised her gaze and looked at me, her eyes hopeful, but then looked away. "I... I’m not hungry..."
She was lying. She was hungry again and too embarrassed to ask for anything to eat.
"I know you’re not hungry, but my mom used to say when you’re not feeling well, food is the best medicine," I said. "Anyways, it’s lunchtime and Jason already prepared food before leaving. Let’s go to the dining table. I’m hungry as well."
I don’t remember talking this much, or with so much softness, to anyone—not even to my brothers, even though I cared for them. Those bastards wouldn’t understand soft words anyway.
Eira was different. With her, a side of me wanted to come out that I didn’t even know existed inside me.
I stood up and offered her my hand. She quietly accepted it, and we went to the dining table. Settling her in a chair, I headed to the kitchen. "Wait here."
I reheated some food that Jason had prepared and brought it to her in a dish. "Eat this until I prepare something fresh for you."
I went back to the kitchen and glanced at her. She had already started eating like she was starving. I decided to cook something for her. As her mate, I should be doing it often.
I remembered what she liked, so I prepared pasta for her. By the time I brought it out, she had already finished her previous food.
"Try this," I told her and sat in my chair. I decided to give her company while eating so she wouldn’t feel it was unusual to eat again.
"I hope you like it," I said and started eating as well.
She was quiet until now, like a little mouse eating silently, hiding from the world. I wanted to tell her it was alright even if she ate a hundred times a day—but then her attempt to show she wasn’t hungry would fail.
It wouldn’t harm me to act ignorant and keep feeding her by making any excuse possible.
I didn’t look at her, not wanting her to feel watched, and focused on my own meal. The pasta was indeed tasty.
But then I heard a soft sound of sobbing. I looked at her. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she chewed her bite.
It startled me. "What happened? Is it spicy? You didn’t like it? You don’t need to eat if you—"
She shook her head, and more tears spilled from her eyes.
Though taken aback, I asked, "What happened then?"
She swallowed the food and looked at me with her teary eyes. Not just sleepy, hungry, and tired—but emotional as well.
"You can tell me," I said in a coaxing voice and wiped her tears with my fingers.
"I don’t know why I’m so hungry." Her voice mixed with sobs. "No matter how much I eat... I get hungry again... I don’t know what’s wrong with me... my stomach..." She started crying again.
I let out a deep sigh. So it was just about hunger and nothing else that could be worrisome.
"It’s a good sign that you’re getting hungry often," I told her.
Her teary eyes looked at me in surprise.
I explained the best way I could at the moment. "That means your body is healing, and the healing process needs more energy. That’s why you’re feeling hungry often. It’s nothing bad."
"Healing?" she mumbled.
I hummed. "Didn’t you say you want to get better?" I asked, referring to our spat that night when she was angry at me for not letting Raven be with her.
She nodded lightly.
"Then eat more and don’t hesitate when you’re hungry," I said and offered her some tissue papers. "We have enough food at home to eat a hundred times a day, and still it won’t finish."
She nodded lightly as she wiped her tears, still sobbing softly.
She must be confused at this sudden change in her as well, so that was normal.
"And you should know, your mate is the richest Alpha, so there won’t be any lack of anything for you," I said, not sure how she would react.
Not responding, she continued to eat. After a while of silence, I asked, "Have you never felt such hunger before?"
She shook her head, chewing the big bite in her mouth.
"Never?" I asked again. "Maybe you’re not remembering?"
She looked at me with a confused and questioning gaze.
"We are werewolves, so at least a few times in our lives we face such healing periods," I said, not letting her know what exactly I was trying to ask.
She shook her head once more. "This is the first time."
I simply hummed, not insisting on it anymore. And it didn’t look like she was lying or forgetting. Also, the way she was embarrassed about it clearly showed she was experiencing it for the first time.
"Liam is out of the city. Once he returns, we’ll have him check on you," I informed.
She nodded. If it were before, she wouldn’t have cared. But now, for Raven’s sake, she was willing to change and get better. Her own son was her medicine.
She finished her food.
I put the small notepad and pen in front of her.
She looked at it and then to me.
"Whatever you feel like to eat, just write on it if you don’t get the time to tell us," I explained, "I will make sure you get it quickly as possible."
I knew she would be hesitant to ask what she wanted and only eat what we give her. It was the way to know what she wished to eat.
She accepted it and then looked around the overly silent drawing room.
I understood. "Raven is with Rafe—just somewhere around the estate. Fluffy has gone with them as well."
She hummed and stood up from her chair.
"You might like to take a walk outside. It’ll make you feel better," I suggested.
She nodded lightly and walked toward the window exit leading to the garden and side house.
I followed her quietly and stood at the door, watching her as she walked on the lawn with slow steps, lost in her own world.
I couldn’t help but stare at her, my heart at peace. What must she be thinking?
Under the mild sunlight, she shone beautifully, her hair like soft silk moving along with the gentle breeze. My heart skipped beats as if I was falling for her all over again.
My wolf purred inside, taking in this peaceful sight and the assurance that our mate was with us.
Lucian had returned home and came to stand next to me.
"Something happened?" he asked, as he followed my gaze toward Eira.
"Nothing as such," I replied. "Just taken aback by why she’s been so hungry all the time."
"Did you say anything?" he asked.
I shook my head. "Not until we confirm it with Liam."
"I think we should stack all kind of food in home," Lucian said. "She might like to eat anything, anytime. bunch of healthy instant snacks."
"I have already instructed. You can add anymore in it."
"Will ask Jason as well."
I hummed and asked, "Jason?"
"He’s following through with our people to get updates on Asher," he responded.
"And?"
"He seems impatient. Might not wait a day more, let alone two."
"Let him come to us on his own. I’ll meet him then," I instructed.
"We’ve already kept the doors open to welcome him," Lucian added.
I hummed, my eyes still following her. Asher wasn’t Raven’s biological father—that meant Eira had nothing to do with him. When she said she didn’t know any such person when Roman asked her back then, she wasn’t lying.
That was good. I didn’t have to be considerate of her while dealing with Asher.