Freya's POV
The air always carried the scent of pungent antiseptic, and as I opened my eyes, I found myself surrounded by whiteness.
I was about to sit up when I noticed a sharp pain in my shoulder and neck. Wincing, I instinctively reached for the source of the pain, realizing I was in the middle of a pristine white hospital room.
Rubbing my head, I was haunted by vague memories as if I had seen Kingsley before passing out.
Kingsley, what on earth had I been dreaming about?
My eyes snapped open, and I was greeted by a cacophonous commotion in the hallway. The owner of the voice seemed rather irate, and it appeared that a large crowd had gathered on the ground floor.
"How is my mate? I warn you, if anything goes wrong with her, I won't spare you!"
"Alright, sir, you've repeated that sentence five times now. I've just confirmed with the doctor that there's nothing wrong with the patient, and she'll wake up later." The nurse's voice sounded helpless this time, leaving the other person dumbfounded.
"I don't care about that. You said it would take a few hours, and it's already been ten minutes. Why hasn't she woken up yet? She shouldn't have turned into a vegetable, right? Nurse, do we need to recheck to confirm?"
I listened for a moment but didn't hear the nurse's response. It seemed the nurse was also irritated by the noisy person.
"I'm awake!" I blurted out.
The next moment, Kingsley burst into the room.
It all happened so quickly that I could hardly believe it. I stared in disbelief, then quietly pinched my calf, feeling the immediate pain that confirmed this was all too real.
A whirlwind of thoughts swirled in my mind, leaving me no time to dwell on them as the pain inflicted by the man before me rushed back like a tidal wave.
"I can't believe that you would secretly investigate me like a rat hiding in the dark?" I looked at Kingsley and snorted, twisting my face with a hint of sarcasm.
"What? Freya, I didn't! I showed up here solely for work, and I was the one who was kind enough to take you to the hospital. Even if you don't thank me, what gives you the right to talk to me in that tone?" Kingsley's expression showed surprise; clearly, he didn't expect my first words upon waking up to be like this.
"Ridiculous! It's not because of you that I'm in the hospital. You pretended to be a stranger and danced with me before, and even secretly followed me. Do you really think I'll be as naive as I used to be and just believe your words? I don't want to see you. Get out of here right now!"
In an instant, all the sorrows and grievances from the past welled up in my heart. I impatiently pointed at Kingsley, wanting to vent my pain.
"Sir, it seems this patient and you are not as close as you claim. If you continue to disrupt the peace, I'll have to call security," said the nurse standing nearby, pushing up her glasses and looking at Kingsley with some disdain.
"What the heck, I'm clearly her mate."
"Was!" I couldn't help but argue, sitting up in the hospital bed once more. "You was my mate before, but not anymore."
The once-quiet hospital corridors had attracted a lot of curious onlookers due to our argument. They were gathered near the doorway, eagerly awaiting a spectacle.
Seeing that things were spiraling out of control, I pushed my way through the crowd, trying to get back to my room before Kingsley caught up with me. But things didn't go as planned; Kingsley managed to squeeze in and follow me after I hailed a car.
To completely rid myself of Kingsley, just after I stepped out of the car, I hurried toward my house. Upon reaching the door, I confirmed that Kingsley hadn't followed me. With mixed emotions of joy and disappointment, I entered the house.
As I was about to close the door, a large, strong hand suddenly blocked it.
"Hey, not the warmest welcome for a good person who took you to the hospital, is it?"
Kingsley snickered with a faint smile on his face.
"Please leave. This is my house, and I no longer want anything to do with you. I hope you won't bother me again."
I looked up to meet Kingsley's eyes and briefly saw guilt deep within them.
"Freya, I truly didn't anticipate our reunion happening like this. I know I made mistakes in the past, and I apologize. I'm sorry."
Kingsley looked at me earnestly, and the look in his eyes started to chip away at my resolve. I leaned against the door, trying to resist falling for his tenderness once more.
"I don't want to hear any more of your excuses. I just don't want to see you again."
I closed my eyes and turned my face away silently.
"Freya! I mean it! There's so much I've wanted to tell you for so long. Since you've been gone, I've realized how important you are to me, and how foolish I've been."
Kingsley unconsciously raised his voice, and I had to reopen the door, fearing that we might attract the attention of our neighbors.
"Freya, I'm sorry. Can we start over?"
Kingsley gazed at me affectionately and gently held me in his arms. His scent instantly flooded my senses, triggering memories of our past.
"No! I don't want this!"
I pushed against Kingsley with such force that he was caught off guard and stumbled before regaining his balance.
"Freya, please listen. I haven't accepted your earlier rejection. There's still an unbreakable bond between us!"
Kingsley's words seemed to flip a switch in my body. The spot on my neck that bore a mark from Kingsley grew warm, and I instinctively covered it with my hand. The burning sensation beneath my fingertips confirmed that it was all too real.
The bond between Kingsley and me that had weakened before seemed to be growing stronger once again.