Split in Time Ch. 04

He felt anger rise up in him but he quickly stamped it down, it was not anyone's fault that she had gone without meals, all he could do was make sure that she was well fed now. "Thought as much, when we were treating your arm we stripped you down to get you out of your dirty clothes, your ribs stand out."

She sipped her cider again before breaking off another piece from the loaf, he was breaking off a piece, again and they raced to see who would get to the cheese first. She smiled when he let her win; she smeared the cheese on her bread and slowly continued to eat.

"So... what can you do?" He asked as an icebreaker.

She paused halfway to putting some more food in her mouth. "I can do a lot of things but you would have to unchain me for me to do them." She said softly trying not to anger him.

He growled gently, he was not going to unchain her until he had thoroughly sated his body with hers and even then, he might change his mind and keep her there.

"So in other words I don't have any skills that can be done while chained up." She finished quickly hoping he wouldn't make a scene.

He ate for several moments to keep control of his temper. "We have a few skilled people. You could learn to knit or sew or..."

"So is that all I am going to be?" She asked cutting into his sentence, "a caged brood mare giving birth to your children and mending your things." She added quietly but everyone had paused, Were always had better hearing than humans.

Everyone turned to see how Ghan was going to react. Gabby glared at her daughter but no one interfered, as it was not their place to get involved in an argument between the Alpha and his mate.

"Finish your dinner before it gets cold." He told her gently deciding to put this off until they had the relative privacy of their room; he began to finish his meal breaking off bits of bread to scoop up the juices.

She finished eating quickly, keeping her eyes on her plate and trying not to think about what would happen when they were alone in his room and he let his temper go.

Maddie walked over. "Desert?" she asked gently as she didn't want to aggravate the situation.

Ghan nodded. "Take away."

Maddie nodded and left, returning a few moments later with containers.

Taking the containers from Maddie and picking up the coil of chain he stood and glanced at Keira, waiting for her to stand. Keira felt nervous, she didn't want to go back to the room and have an argument with him. However, she stood and followed him back into their room, as she simply had no choice in the matter. He quickly chained her up then sat at the table to have a look at desert. She sat almost on the very edge of her seat, ready to try to put distance between them if he got angry, and waited. He gestured for her to eat the apple pie and cream, his favourite. She refused, too nervous to eat anything further.

"You didn't answer my question." She stated.

Putting his spoon down, he took a deep calming breath. "I didn't want to yell at you in front of everyone. But since you have brought it up again let me tell you that is not what I expect of you. The whole reason I've chained you up is that I don't want to let you go until I have bound you to me in every way." He told her trying to keep a rein on his anger that flared at the mere thought of her leaving him.

He dug into the apple pie and cream. "Eat." He told her as he wanted her to put on some weight and the rich desert would help.

Anger quickly flashed through her at the order, and she refused on principle. He growled put down his spoon and stood, he stepped around the table and grabbed her holding her injured arm near the wound, she gritted her teeth and kept the cry of pain from passing her lips as his grip on her arm was sending searing pain up her arm.

Pulling her to her feet, he didn't see the grimace of pain and fear pass across her face as he pulled her to his body. "You need more meat on your body, you need to eat." He told her firmly.

"Is that an order?" She responded feeling her anger flare.

"Keira..." he said softening a little, "I am not the enemy; I am trying to keep you safe and get you healthy." He released an arm; keeping a firm grip on the other as he raised his free hand and gently stroked her face. She quivered a little as he was doing what her father did before kissing her mother, she didn't want Ghan to kiss her; she wanted him to leave her alone. Carefully he caught her chin and tilted her face up as his lips descended on hers. She tried to jerk away from his kiss but both the grip on her chin and her arm tightened. He growled gently and captured her mouth with his, the hand that was holding her chin quickly moved and fisted into her hair, tilting her head further back so that he could explore her luscious lips.

She tried to fight him as she felt herself melting beneath his kiss but he didn't let up, his tongue slid sensually between her lips and into her mouth, tasting her thoroughly. He broke the kiss and panted as he tried to control his mad need, he leaned in to kiss her again, already addicted to her taste he needed more, she was similar yet different to the other incarnations he had managed to come across.

"You're hurting me." She told him before his lips captured hers again; she knew if she let him kiss her again she was going to respond, regardless of her resolve to never get involved. There was something primal within her that wanted him, wanted his domination but at the same time, it wanted to fight him, to make him earn her.

He frowned and looked to his hand suddenly realising he was holding the arm that had been shot, quickly he released his grip. "I... I'm... sorry." He said gently.

She ignored his apology and pulled away, her arm was throbbing painfully but her heart was still beating erratically, her nipples tingled and she felt herself moisten a little in a way that was unfamiliar and scary.

"Keira I..." he started to say as he watched her pull away. "Let me look." He said taking a step forward.

Taking a further step away she made sure she was just out of reach, not letting him touch her, afraid that if he did she would start responding. "Just leave me alone," she told him before she raced into the bathroom and slammed the door.

She panted as she rested against the door, knowing that if he wanted to he could easily over power her to get in here. Her arm had been throbbing for the last couple of days, now it felt as if it was burning. She heard Ghan leave the room, giving her space. She listened for several moments before she opened the bathroom door and glanced around the room to make sure he wasn't there. Cautiously she left the bathroom and checked behind the bed just in case he was still in the room but hiding.

Kicking off her shoes, she slid her pants off and carefully removed her jumper, leaving her in a tank top and underwear. She slid into the bed and under the thick covers, before she could start to relax. All she wanted was the oblivion of sleep, and tired out by recent events she soon feel asleep.

*

Ghan paced outside, the bite of the winter air helping to cool his temper as well as his body, although she hadn't responded had set his body on fire. Crystal was suddenly sitting on a branch next to him. He glared at her for a moment, as she knew how much he hated it when she was suddenly beside him, before he resumed his pacing.

"You know..." she begun to say, "you have to tread lightly with her."

He growled in response, he did not need to be coached in how to get his mate by her, he had loved and lost her before, he knew they were meant for each other and that eventually she would realise that.

She glared at him, her eyes shifted black for a brief moment, "Ghan... I am really getting tired of telling you to stop growling at me... I've proven before that I can kick your arse, but I don't because I can't lead a pack." She said hopping down from the branch. "You really need to cool down... that's the third time you've growled at me in three days. In all our time together as friends, before you met Keira, you growled at me once... once in two thousand years. You didn't growl at me when you met her other incarnations, what makes her set you off?" She crossed her arms and waited.

"You don't understand..."

She snorted, "I've been around Were enough to know what happens when they find their mate and I've seen you go through it with two of them." She told him confidently. "But what you have to understand is that Keira was a very independent person growing up, she had no choice but to be so. She's also human, even though she was raised Were she is human, she doesn't have your instincts. She doesn't know that you are her perfect mate; humans don't know that by simply smelling someone. They move slowly, getting to know someone... to fall in love. She will fight your claim and if you continue to bull your way through her through her defences, force yourself on her... she will hate you and you will lose her."

He finally stopped pacing. "Okay what do I do then?" He was thinking seriously, the last dozen times he had found her she had been Were and he found it ironic that half the time she had been a White Tiger, the other a Snow Leopard and here she was again with a White Tiger and Snow Leopard as her parents. Since she had been Were she hadn't fought the mating draw and on one occasion she had jumped him, he had no experience here, she had never before been human.

Crystal raised her eyebrows, "Slow down... stop being an arse, stop forcing yourself on her, and let the girl get to know you." She told him, keeping it simple for now. Later she would help him get Keira but for the moment he just needed to get the girl to stop being afraid of him.

"Where do I start?" He asked.

"You already kind of did but then you had to ruin it... control your temper, take her from your room, let her eat in the mess, take her out for walks." She listed. "Teach her chess... something you can do together which doesn't involve touching." She added, thinking that it would be a perfect way for them to get to know each other by seeing how each other tackled a problem. They may not be a true pack with a true Alpha but Ghan was their leader, and Keira as his mate would have to know how he thought in order to help him.

He nodded, "Anything else?"

She shook her head. "Not for the moment but I'll keep you up to date if I think of anything."

He nodded and sighed. "Time to go and apologise," gripping her shoulder for a moment, he silently thanked his closest friend before walking off. His time away from Keira had lasted an hour by the time he got back to their room but that hour had been important, he had cooled down and had a plan for getting Keira to trust him. He frowned when he noticed sweat beads on her brow, she shouldn't be sweating like that, walking forward he pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. He cursed as he felt the almost scalding touch of her skin, she was burning up. Turning back to the door he opened it and looked for the people he had on the door, "go and get Blast or Maddie", he told one of them.

Only when Mike had run to get a healer did he return to Keira. He tore the blankets off and unwrapped her arm, it was red and hot to touch, he suddenly felt guilt and pain, he hadn't been taking good enough care of her, maybe he wasn't ready or cut out for new a mate if he couldn't even keep an eye on a known injury.

Blast ran in and put his bag down, "What's wrong?" he asked quickly as he opened his bag and spread out his tools.

"Her arm's infected, she's fevered." Ghan told him quickly.

Blast nodded, he quickly removed the stitches and flushed the wound but there wasn't any pus, which meant they had caught it early. He stuck two pads to the wound, to keep it from getting dirt or more germs in, and then loaded a syringe with antibiotics. He injected her then wrapped her arm leaving the wound open until the infection was dealt with.

"There is nothing more I can do Ghan, keep her fluids up and try to keep her warm." Blast told him, wishing he was a more multi skilled healer to help Keira, but his healing power was more for mental injuries and psychosis than physical. Although he knew how to patch someone up and keep them healthy that wasn't what he had been specifically trained for. "I'll be back in the morning," he removed a thermometer from his bag and gave it to Ghan. "Check her temperature as often as you want, if it goes above 104 get me then put her in a tub of cold water to bring her temperature down."

Ghan nodded and took the thermometer.

Blast left knowing there was nothing he could do but wait. Ghan paced as he watched her for long moments before he nudged her over and rested beside her. He hugged her to his body and watched her for a moment before pulling the blankets up.

*

Keira groaned and tried to jerk her head away from the cold thing against her lips. Ghan held her still as he slid some ice chips into her mouth. She moaned and tried to push him away as everything felt painful to her body but she simply didn't have the energy. He put the ice chips own down and squeezed out a cloth, gently running it over her skin to cool her down. He stuck the thermometer under her tongue and left it there for thirty seconds before he pulled it out and read it carefully, 101. She was safe for now, he thought to himself.

He put it down and picked up the cloth, he dipped it back into the water and rubbed it against her face and chest. Maddie walked in with some broth for Keira, putting the ceramic dish near the heater to keep it warm.

"Do you need anything else?" She asked wishing that Blast would include her in Keira's treatment as she was a trainee healer herself. Although like Blast she wouldn't be able to do much as Blast's skills were in a different area than hers, however she had learnt everything he could teach her and had a well-read copy of Grey's Anatomy.

"Fill the bath with water, cold water." He asked not even glancing at Maddie.

Maddie nodded and went to fill the tub, when she was done she returned to the bedroom. "I'll get the guys to organise several buckets of ice." She said before she left.

He nodded, his eyes not leaving Keira. He gently kissed her temple before he grabbed the broth and coaxed her to take some, she licked her lips as he dribbled a little into her mouth and he offered her more.

**

Keira woke slowly a day later; Ghan was drifting in a chair near her. His eyes snapped open and he was on his feet as he heard her move. She tried to get up but he was suddenly at her side and was trying to push her back to the bed.

"I need to pee." She told him.

He helped her up and supported her into the bathroom, she felt so weak that she could only hold on to him as he tugged her underwear down and sat her on the toilet, before stepping to one side to try and give her privacy.

"Finished," she said only a little self-consciously.

Standing her up, he helped her back into her underwear. Seeing that she was almost worn out he scooped her up and carried her back to bed. He tucked her in and grabbed the broth Maddie had brought in. She ate every bite he offered her and as soon as the food stopped coming she fell asleep.

Putting the bowl away he stood back and watched her, she had eaten, that was a good thing and her temperature was finally back to normal, feeling the sleepless night he crawled into bed beside her and fell asleep.

**

Keira's eyes snapped open the moment she felt someone prod her sore arm, she tried to pull it free but a hand gripped her wrist holding her still.

"Keira calm down Blast is re-stitching your arm." Ghan told her and she stopped fighting knowing Blast needed her to be still while he worked.

Blast finished re-stitching the wound and bound it tightly; the infection had finally cleared up two days after it had been noticed. "Ghan you have to check this daily, she might not survive another infection." He told him firmly.

Ghan nodded, he would check it even if he had to cuff her to the bed to do so, Blast left, seeing that his warning had the desired effect. Ghan joined her on the bed; he rolled onto his side to watch her. "Keira... I'm sorry that I hurt your arm and I am sorry that I didn't take very good care of you. I didn't mean to." He told her gently as he slid an arm around her and pulled her to his body, just wanting to hold her. She tensed wondering what he was playing at now.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He told her gently, he waited for her to relax but she refused to. He sighed his disappointment, Crystal was right he had to take this slowly; he let her go and got off the bed.

"Do you play chess?" He asked, following Crystal's advice about getting to know each other.

She shook her head wondering if this was a trick. He smiled and walked over to a chest and pulled out a very old travel-worn box, he sat it on the table and opened it taking out two smaller boxes; he flipped the open box over to show the checker pattern. He opened the smaller boxes and started to put the hand carved pieces in place.

When the game was arranged he glanced up to notice she was sitting up and watching him but it was obvious that she was too weak to walk over on her own. "Now would you like me to help you over here or do you want me to bring it to you?" He asked and let her think, not rushing her.

She considered his question, she was comfortable and warm in the bed but having the table between them while they played meant that there would be something between other than a blanket. "Table." She said as she threw back the covers. Ghan was before her in moments sliding another pair of thick socks onto her already sock clad feet. It was then that she noticed Ghan had put her in long cotton pants sometime during her fever to help keep her warm. He wrapped the already warm blanket around her and supported her to the chair.

"You can be white, now these are the pieces..." He sat for hours telling her about the game of chess. She listened and only asked questions when she didn't understand him. Only when he was confident that she basically knew the rules of the game and what the pieces could do did they begin to play. He didn't expect too much as she had just woken from a fever and several times he had to remind her that no the knight can't go in a straight line that was the rook, but it was a start and that was all he wanted.

She was cautious with her moves, as she had never played chess before. He was patient with her as she took her time with each move, and he was very generous with his moves giving her every chance to explore the game. His experience won out in the end however, and she frowned as she lost, wondering what she had done wrong.

"Chess is about patience Keira, about when to be cautious and when to be bold, even to the point of sacrificing one piece for the victory."

She thought for a moment. "Again?"

He smiled and nodded, together they reset the pieces.

Maddie walked in with dinner, she smiled when she watched them playing chess. Placing their dinner on the free side of the table she left them to their game.

Keira lost again and sighed, she was sure she was doing something wrong here. "You are just beginning Keira, and I have been playing this game almost since the first game was ever invented, you'll get better." He stood and smiled; he walked over to a bookshelf and grabbed a book from the shelf. Walking back to her he held the book out offering it to her. "It's a book on chess."

She smiled as she took the book, placing it in her lap before she went back to carefully packing each piece back into its little spot in the smaller boxes. The pieces looked ancient and hand carved, as although all pieces that were meant to look alike did they were also slightly different. He watched as she put the pieces carefully away, it took him a moment before he remembered why those chess pieces were so important to him, she had given them to him the last time they were together five hundred years ago, they would spend hours playing by candle light.