Chapter 69: Chapter 69

The morning of the second day after Avril got wounded, Dakar left his room having his hair down and very unruly. It didn't look like he had had much rest at all. Camper and the girls were hanging around more often after he requested they stayed closed to Avril. The girls cleaned their friend and changed her wears, while Camper acted like a kind gentleman and read her stories she loved from her room. He thought it was ridiculous to disturb Avril in her unconscious state with such noise. But then, he realized he would have done that for her when they were still back at the island.

Stepping into the large, smooth floored hallway outside his room, he looked to the direction of Avril's room and heard little chuckles. It was from the girls and he thought they must be greeting her good morning and reporting what that girl, Nana had done which was silly. But he heard a voice that was all too familiar. It was so dim, cracked and weak. But he had heard it so before. With a mighty speed, he sprinted from his door to Avril's door and pushed it open without even knocking. There she was, sitting up in the bed with a glass of water in her hand. Her face was completely healed, but there were half healed wounds on her arms and chest. She looked so pale and lean, that Dakar felt she had just returned from the land of the dead.

He stood still that way, looking as if he couldn't believe she was the one. The four girls were surrounding her on the bed. And when Dakar entered the room, they chuckled, looked at each other then stood up.

“We'll be back later, Fiorella. Love you,” the one with the fleshy body said and leaned over. She kissed Avril's head and Avril chuckled.

“Bye, Nana. Bye girls,” she waved slightly and they waved back and ran out of the room. Even Verona was acting way too girlie that morning. Avril stared at Dakar as the girls left the room. He moved closer, and closer, and closer until he was standing right in front of the foot of the bed.

“Good morning, Prince Dakar,” Avril greeted and smiled sweetly. He exhaled and next thing, he found himself hugging her so tightly.

“Oh my God. I thought I'd lose you,” he cried as he pinned her head to his shoulder. Avril patted his back with that huge grin on her face.

“I'm fine, Dakar. I'm fine,” she reassured and he unlocked from the hug.

“Are you sure? Do you feel lightheaded? What about your vision, can you see clearly?”

A thought struck his mind and he froze.

“Are you...are you seeing too clearly? Can you hear things loudly? What about that pin there in the curtain, can you sight it?” he questioned worriedly and pointed at a small thumbtack casually pinned to the curtains by Camper.

Avril gave a short laugh at that.

“No, Dakar. I can't see too clearly or hear anything unusual or see too far. I'm perfectly fine, Dakar. And still human,” she declared and he exhaled calmly.

“Thank God,” he muttered and held her hand.

“I'm so glad you are awake. I doubt I would be able to look in the mirror if anything worse had happened to you,” Dakar stated.

“Well, it's nice to see you again. Even know you seem a lot warmer and nicer now. Is it because I underwent a near death experience?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

Avril laughed again but her throat was dry already. She coughed and he quickly took the glass from her hand and raised it to her lips. She took the water in slow sips until she almost emptied the bottle.

“You were quite thirsty,” he mused as he dropped the glass.

“So dehydrated despite all these care. Verona said I was out for two days.”

“Those two days felt like two years for me. I would come by your bedside and see you just laying there motionless. I would regret over and over again why I let you participate in that contest.”

Avril scratched her head and exhaled.

“I don't regret it though. It was fun and I learnt a lot of things. Might as well do it again,” she stated and Dakar flicked her forehead with his middle finger.

“Those head injuries sure got to your brain, didn't they?” he teased and she chuckled and rubbed that spot.

“I'm hungry, Dakar. Find me something to eat,” she whined and he raised a brow.

“I thought those are empty plates?” Dakar asked as he gestured towards two empty ceramic bowls on the bedside table with his thumb.

“That was soup, Dakar. Soup. They gave me soup. And it wasn't even chicken soup. It was some leafy, tasteless something that Verona said was supposed to help my mechanism synchronize with the medicine and quick recovery serum I've been introduced to.”

“Yes, babe. The doctors said that should be the first meal you take when you wake up.”

“Okay, I've taken it. Now can I take something else?”

“Do you want my Creamed Mushroom and Brie Chicken soup?”

“I don't know what that is but sounds tasty. Yeah, I want it,” Avril chirped and clapped like a five year old.

“I don't want you to take any heavy food yet, so I'll make just that one for you. In the afternoon, I could give you some more solid food.”

“All right. Get to it already. I'm so hungry I could eat you up.”

Dakar chuckled darkly and got on his feet.

“I am not surprised at that statement,” he said as he receding back to the door.

“And you should definitely comb that hair of yours. You look like a horse that got slapped by a terrible wind.”

Dakar laughed and walked out the door. Immediately, Avril held her chest and began to take deep breaths. She had been holding them in for so long since he stepped into the room. There was something different about him. About them. And it seemed like her heart was trying so hard to match her chaotic mind. It was beating super fast, and she didn't want him to notice it so she had to do something else to calm herself or divert her attention. And when Dakar called her ‘babe’ earlier, jeez it set fire to her body.

“God, what is happening to me?” she whispered and palmed her face. It was almost like the time she first started to feel something for him. Those crazy butterflies in her belly. She had lied about that unruly hair. It looked so hot on him, that she felt jealous of the pillow that caused that.

The door opened and Camper peeked through it.

“Hey, pretty,” he said and she smiled at him.

“Good morning, Camps!” she chirped and he stepped inside.

“Is it me or you look way more beautiful now that you're awake?” he asked as he strolled towards the bed. Avril laughed.

“Knowing who you are, Camper, I'm pretty sure you're the only one seeing that.”

Camper chuckled and sat beside her on the bed.

“I'm glad to see you're awake.”

“I'm glad I can see you clearly. Verona said there was a probability I could turn.”

“That's a nasty fear that almost got all of us paralyzed. Because you were in a terribly, deathly state and undergoing the turning at that point could lead to the In-between Death,” Camper states.

“What's the In-between Death? Avril inquired.

“When one is turning but doesn't have any strength left in the human body to continue. He or she is neither werewolf yet or human any longer. Death at that point is inevitable. That's the In-between Death,” Camper explained and Avril gulped.

“That is terrible. Goodness. Thank you, Lord that didn't happen to me,” Avril directed at God. No wonder all her friends and even Dakar were so happy to see her awake and well.

“Your friend Nana...guess what?”

Avril rolled her eyes at him. He was smiling so bright and the tint in his eyes.

“It's obvious. She's agreed to whatever you wanted from her,” Avril said and he laughed.

“Smart girl. No wonder Prince Dakar chose you. Haha. Yep, I'm taking her out this weekend. So excited. Whoa!”

“What is it you want with her?”

“You know, just some little fun. Maybe have the kind of thing you and Dakar have.”

Avril furrowed her brows. Did she and Dakar really have anything worth copying?

“Come closer, Camper,” Avril whispered and gestured with her hand for him to lean over. He did and she brought her face to his ear.

“If you ever...I mean ever try to make Nana fall in love with you. And she does. And you break her heart. I swear when I'm done with you, the only thing you would be able to do with a woman is to talk to her,” she warned terribly and he shuddered. He darted his face to look at her and she was frowning and glaring at him. He felt like he was looking at the female version of Dakar.

“I...I don't know if I...” he stuttered, not even knowing the words he was pronouncing.

The door opened that instance and Nana walked in wearing a black dress that clung to her body.

“Camper, the Prince asked that you meet him in the kitchen,” she announced and he glanced her up and down.

“See you later, Fiorella,” he winked at her and got up. Nana entered the room and held the door open for him. He walked past her after giving her a ‘hi’ look.

Nana closed the door after him and walked to the bed.

“Seems you've got that one hooked,” Avril stated and she laughed.

“Please, don't mind Camper. He's just a womanizer.”

“And you still want to go out with him?”

“It's just for fun, babe. It's high time I get a little bit of air under my wings.”

“The way I look at it, you both are going to end up real serious about each other.”

Nana looked at Avril with amusement then burst into a long laughter.

“Oh please. I could never. Even if I wanted to, the thought of never having my own seedlings would not let me. I can't go that far with anyone, ever,” Nana expelled and heaved a deep sigh. Avril could see a tint of sadness in her eyes. After what Arturo had done to her, she had gotten a very sorry spot hidden in her heart.

“You'll be fine. Trust me. Have all the good time you wanna have with Camper. I have a feeling he's going to make you laugh a lot.”

They spoke about random things for the next twenty minutes until the door opened and Dakar was walking in with a tray.

“Oops, gotta go. Bye babe,” Nana whispered and hurried away after giving a slight head-bow to the Prince.

Dakar walked to the bed and placed the tray on Avril's laps.

“This is smelling so good already,” she giggled and looked at his face. His hair was in a messy bun, but the colour had returned to his face.

“I made mashed potatoes for you, just in case you became more hungrier than I left you earlier,” he said with a laugh and uncovered the bowls of steaming mashed potatoes and a delicious looking soup of caramelized mushroom soaked in creamy cheese sauce with chicken bits.

Dakar scooped out the mashed potatoes into a small ceramic bowl there and poured the soup over the top gently. He handed it to an eagerly waiting Avril with a spoon.

He watched her devour the meal with so much alacrity and got a fulfilment he did not know he needed.

Throughout that day, he didn't let her come out of the room. Her unhealed wounds were attended to by the doctors and re-bandaged. She had all her meals and activities in that room for two days until she would not have it anymore. She blew out all her hot air and Dakar finally let her go downstairs.

“I need to go somewhere,” he told her the evening of the second night after she has woken up.

“Where?”

“Milan. A friend there needs my help.”

Avril looked him over and noticed how he was looking deathly and angered.

“A friend needs your help with what?” she asked.

“Something.”

“I'm coming with you. I have a feeling this something would be entertaining. Before you refuse, you can let the girl's come with me. Besides, Luca Aguero has had a long break already.”

Dakar looked at Avril surprised. How did she guess this had to do with that Luca? Vane had sent him a message that Luca Aguero had burnt down a few of their buildings and worse, kidnapped the three CEOs just because he wanted to talk. And he asked to see Avril during that ‘talk’. Had she overhead his conversation with Vane?

“It's dangerous if you're out there,” he argued about taking her.

“Luca wants me. You might as well use me to kick him dirty too. We'll find out what exactly he wants.”

Dakar stared at Avril who just got her last bandage removed. He was too protective of her to let her go, but he had to get those human people out as soon as possible. So, he exhaled and nodded.

“But you don't do anything! Just stick to my side.”

“I'll think about it,” was Avril's sly reply.