A RANDOMLY CONFUSING CONVERSATION

23 FEBRUARY, TUESDAY, CONTINUED

"Alpha Princess." Delta Oran immediately straightened at my entrance. He had been fidgeting with the IV drip.

"Whatcha doing?" I asked presently. Since it was not everyday I saw someone struggling with a plastic bag on a metal stand.

"Ah." Delta Oran looked somewhat abashed, "I'm trying to switch out to a new bag."

I nodded and waited.

"Ah." Delta Oran said again, and he went back to fidgeting with the bag hanging over Bell's bed. I noticed the new bag sitting on the side dresser. Delta Oran took another moment before freeing the first bag. Something snapped, I'm not sure what, but the flat bag was out of the connector.

"I... ah, haven't done this myself for a while." Delta Oran admitted as he switched the bags. He had better luck attaching the new bag, at least he didn't look like a total noob at it.

And I had the impression that Delta Oran was one of the top healers in the Lorent Pack!

"Ah..." Delta Oran said yet again, as if to explain his fumble, "Usually the nurses would handle this."

Um, yeah, I knew that...

"Ah..." Delta Oran said.

I was beginning to realize Delta Oran ah-ed a lot when he was feeling uncomfortable. Was it because I was around?

"Is there anything you need, Alpha Princess?" Delta Oran asked.

I just wanted to see Bell! I shook my head, "Not really. I just wanted to check on Bell."

"Ah." Delta Oran said, he paused as if trying to figure out the real reason for my presence. What? I can't see my own mate in my own tower?

"I can't?" I asked, but it was more of Boo rising. Boo wasn't taking Delta Oran's intrusion in her territory very well. Yeah, I'm blaming Boo for this one.

Delta Oran immediately lowered his head, "Of course, if Alpha Princess pleases, who would dare to stop her?"

I paused at that. I could think of several people off the top of my head, but I didn't think Delta Oran was really asking me.

Finally, Delta Oran seemed to have figured out something, the crease between his brows cleared, "Ah, should I leave to give you a moment with the young alpha?"

Which was an even weirder question because why would I need him to leave for me to look at Bell? I tilted my head to the side, not understanding the Lorent Delta at all.

Delta Oran's crease line between his brow reappeared, "Am I mistaken about something, Alpha Princess?"

How would I know? I didn't even have any idea what was going on behind that single crease on your forehead!

I wordlessly shook my head. It was late, I really was too tired to untangle lorent codes, "I'm not good at reading between the lines delta. Please speak directly."

"Apologies." Delta Oran bowed again, "Then I will take my leave."

Wait what? "I didn't ask you to go!"

Delta Oran looked completely nonplussed now.

I shook my head again. The worst thing about talking to a Lorent wolf, was that not only were they unable to say anything straight to you face, they were always reading between the lines and filling in the blanks of what you didn't say.

"I'm really only here to take a look at Bell." I tried again, "You don't have to leave."

"Please rest assured, Alpha Princess." Delta Oran assured me, "I understand."

"You do?" I asked, almost hopeful.

"Yes, I will be discrete." Delta Oran promised.

OMO! Discrete about what?

"My lips are sealed." Delta Oran nodded another bow and opened the door to leave. WTH?

I slammed the door shut trapping him in. Honestly, I had no idea why I did that. It was just instinct. And Boo - yes, let's just put this one on Boo too, since it was my hair that slammed the door. I hadn't moved from my spot. I guess I just felt like if I let him take a single step out the door, he would think he was right about whatever he had thought, and since I had no idea what he was thinking, I couldn't let him get away with that? Like I said, I had no idea what I was doing.

Delta Oran looked like he seriously wanted to freak out now. This could be partially because my hair had let loose like dragon ball x10. It had to reach the door from where I was standing after all.

Oh dear, bad Sam. I've just scared the nice delta. What should I do?

I immediately tried to retract the flare up. I even used my puppy dog charm - you know, just to help his wolf chill a bit, "Urm... if you don't mind, Delta Oran, can you stay?"

"Ah..." Delta Oran looked completely confused again.

Great. Now he was going to think I was bipolar.

Okay, new plan. I'm just going over to Bell's bed and look at his sleeping face. One look. And then I'll leave. I had the feeling with Delta Oran, the misunderstandings were just going to stack, so the less I interact with him, the better. Yes, I was just going to look and run, and then pretend none of this ever happened. It's not like I had any of my betas around to draw me a gameplan.

I moved over to Bell's bed. Delta Oran looked like he'd rather be anywhere else, but he didn't try to leave again. He didn't even move from his spot by the door. It looked like he wanted to run and pretend none of this ever happened too. Hahaha. WTH. If Savy ever found out about how I had inadvertently traumatized a poor visiting alpha, she'd have a good cackle at my expense... that's right, Savy... I stopped in front of Bell's bed to look out of the window. Savy... I hope she came home soon.

I looked back at Bell. He looked like he was still in his shirt, but he was tucked in properly, laid on his back, his sling outside the blanket, and a piece of foam slotted under his slinged arm for extra support. Bell's other hand had the IV drip inserted into it. Ouch. I remembered how that felt to have an IV drip in my own hand. I reached out my hand to his, but retracted it before I touched him. In this way, I inspected the set up as if I knew anything about it. Well, it looked like Delta Oran had done everything possible to make Bell comfortable.There was even a humidifier next to him. Yeah, water fueled Bell's healing, I knew. And right now, he needed all the water he could get.

This was the extent of Bell's power. Unlike all the other wolf powers, the power of a healer wasn't determined by the type of healing ability, or even the strength of the wolf. Every heal had a cost, and this was a healer's greatest limitation. For Bell though, and I supposed for the healers with Lorent bloodline, their cost of healing was dirt cheap. Or should I say it was water cheap? Hahaha. Dehydration was probably one of the cheapest cost to healing. As long as they had a supply of water, a Lorent wolf could heal. I guess Bell's power wasn't just that he was a particularly powerful Lorent, but that he could exercise his heal power almost as if it were unlimited. Almost. Without Ki next to him, there was no one to lend the extra heal support for his own body to keep the water balance balance. So... theoretically, if Bell and Ki were out on a rainy full moon night, they would be invincible.

So the fact that Bell came back without an arm... was it because Ki was not with him? Bell was thirsty? Or was the Tyger's curse not possible to heal at all? And if that's the case, would the old healer at Night Forest be able to heal Bell?

"Do you think Bell could be healed, Delta?" I asked. I just wanted a healer's opinion, but Delta Oran's cold sweat did not escape my notice.

"Ah, Alpha Princess... I am only a lowly delta." Delta Oran said without answering my question, "Forgive this delta if I've offended you."

See what I mean? There he goes - completely reading between the lines again and coming up with goddess knows what.

"Please just answer my question." I was losing patience with the jittery lorent delta.

"It is only my opinion, Alpha Princess, and I pray to the goddess that I'm wrong," Delta Oran answered, "But I cannot see how it is possible to heal what is not there."

"What is not there?" I asked.

"As Alpha Princess knows, the Young Alpha's wolf is maimed. Although we have successfully grown out his physical arm, his wolf remains without his right foreleg." Delta Oran explained, "This alone is most perplexing and I'm afraid none of the healers were able to come up with a plausible explanation for this."

I nodded. Yeah. Actually, it was crazy that they managed to regrow an entire arm within a few hours.

Delta Oran stood quietly, respectfully giving me silence to think. His poor wolf wide alert. Why? Did he think I would throw him in the dungeons and have him whipped? OMO was that it? He thought I was finding fault with him, an excuse to whip him for what Alpha James did to Ki? Was that it? Or was I just being a Lorent and reading too much into it now? I shook my head to clear it.

Lorents are so messed up.

But I had more things to worry about - my mate was lying completely knocked out, his arm in a sling. Ki was also shut down - and would probably remain this way for a while. And Savy was somewhere out there, with River no less. It's not that I didn't trust River as a person. He was a good guy, I knew from quite early on, he was the kind of guy who would go out of his way to protect a girl and all, but River's luck was jinxed to the max. This was funny when he was with Keanu. I mean, hahahaha... the two of them were like the most interesting humans I've ever met.

But he was with Savy now!

Okay, I need to stop worrying or I'll become like Mum. I'm sure Mum was worrying enough for all of us. And Dad and Beta Lucas were on the case. Savy would be home any time now.

Just at that moment, there was a sound of something breaking outside. A door, a tree? Could it be Savy? My wolf reached out to sense for her and Dad, but no... they still felt far away - but I guess at least I could still sense them. They were going to be alright. Meanwhile, Delta Oran had rushed to the window.

"Please stay back Alpha Princess." Delta Oran called back.

"Why? What's happening?" I asked.

"The fight dogs are revolting." Delta Oran leaned against the side of the curtains and pulled out a gun.

Okay, now this, I had to see with my own eyes.