Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 20 – The Recovery

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.“– William Faulkner

Halima–Two Months Later

I stand on the mechanical medical scale in my patient room, watching the beam tilt and lean to get an exact measure of my weight. Dr. Nava slid the calibration bars from left to right until the beam stills. I weighed just above 120 pounds, which was one hell of an improvement from my ghastly 97 pounds two months earlier. I should celebrate, but I was not out of the woods yet. I was still slightly underweight by werewolf standards. However, Dr. Nava says that my physical recovery was going better than she had expected. Because of my werewolf DNA, I’ll recover a lot faster than the average human.

A smile crept across my face; a sense of accomplishment rushed over me. I was thrilled with my weight gain; it meant I was getting better! When I look in the mirror nowadays, I was not as skinny as I used to be. The indentations of my bones were disappearing, and I was gaining more body fat, which means I didn’t have to wear hoodies or baggy clothes to keep me warm. That’s tortuous considering we’re in the middle of summer. The wound on the back of my head healed two weeks ago and Jackie had been helping me with my hair growth journey to make up for lost length.

Because of my rapid improvement, Dr. Nava wanted to remove the feeding tube. Dr. Jones, my nutritionist, was also on board with the decision. I must admit, I was nervous about getting off the tube. I’ve grown used to the dumb thing, and I was worried the effort would be all for nothing. What if I still couldn’t swallow? What if I end up vomiting my food again?

Regardless of my internal protests, it was removed. And it felt so gross.

I’ve also been seeing my psychiatrist and psychotherapist. It hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows. My nightmares about Zircon Moon have been plaguing me every night to the point I wake up in a cold sweat, thinking I was back in that dingy cell. The angry faces of my family and pack members were extremely vivid, but sometimes the nightmares cast their faces in an ominous shadow so I wouldn’t know who was sneering at me or hitting me.

The worst nightmares were Neron and his father beating me to death. They call me names, damn me to hell, and pummel me with their fists and feet repeatedly. I couldn’t go back to sleep after that. My mind, when asleep, often slips into the black trenches, picking what memory to torment me with. A full night’s sleep was a luxury. It was only after my nightmares with that one guard who raped me surfaced that I was prompted to have sessions with Mayra twice a week as opposed to once a week.

Dr. Khan had diagnosed me with Post–Traumatic Stress Disorder alongside depression. The diagnosis came to no surprise, for I was a walking trauma tank. I was still debating whether to go on medication, but I was glad I have the option to choose.

Besides that, I’ve grown closer with some members of Garnet Moon. I was proud to call Jackie one of my closest friends, but Artemis will always be my number one. I haven’t seen Dwayne much since he was often accompanying his father to other pack territories for Beta business, but I was glad to have a friend like him

around.

Anthony and I were also good friends, and I finally had the chance to meet his mate, Alesia. Tall, Latina with luscious long auburn hair, olive–brown eyes, a fierce warrior–she had all the makings to be a wonderful Luna. I’ve seen her train and fight with the warriors and Deltas, and I must say, I wouldn’t want to have her as my

Huviin 20 – The Tenusmy

oppement. She could lay five men down on their backs without breaking a sweat while I wanch in complete awe. I aspire to be like her one day.

were much closer now, she was like a big sister to me. She introduced me to the world of fashionable clothes and makeup. My vanity table, now, had many makeup palettes and other cosmetics she recommended me to try out. As for

try it. This would be the first food

fridge. Judging by the sweat rolling down her shoulders, she’d just come

Omega Cleo replied nonchalantly, removing the core. “What do you

“I was looking for

I replied with my confidence deflating faster than a popped balloon. “Dr. Nava gave me the green light to attempt

pretty well.” She walked over and gave me a side

Go take a shower!”

dazzling smile, logging back out to the front yard to continue training. Not long after, Lyra came in, her

Alpha Nikolai treats me kindly too, acting as my missing father figure. His hugs were as warm as embers in a fireplace and his compassion never failed to make

smile. “Did you

on. ber cheeks. And Cleo shoots a very knowing look. It didn’t

24

Chapter 20–The Recovery

glass of fresh orange juice. I gulped, gazing at my food with a thin–lined smile, unsure of how to proceed. Picking up the piece of toast, I look for the best corner for my first bite. The older women eye me carefully,

feel like a

any adverse

strawberry exploded in my mouth, with the nutty avocado flavor accompanying it. The chia seeds were a pleasant touch, adding a nice crunch.

toiled and tumbled for a moment before settling down. I sat, expecting the usual wave of nausea to hit me, but it didn’t. I drank a bit of the orange juice, soothing

like a normal person again! Cleo clapped for me and Lyra

ear, rubbing soothing circles on my back. “This is ant amazing accomplishment! But we still have to follow your nutrition

good

replied with a smile. Cleo was an older woman, arising from Italy. She usually ties her blond hair in a ponytail and her pale green

out of my mouth like a wild garden hose, sending me into a coughing fit. Immediately, Lyra patted my back to calm me down. “T–The ceremony?”

“Since Anthony is mated with Alesia, we thought it’d be good to have the ceremony where not only

icy chill swam down my spine, and a dull ache encompassed the scar on my back. I knew for a

terrified.

admit sadly. “I

on my back again, moving toward my shoulder where my scar