"Woah," Her eyes widened, "So, that's what happened! Wait, is he always like that? Sending people away when he's with my best friend? Are you sure he ain't doing something bad to her? Beating her or something?"

"Oh, he's definitely beating her, alright." Eline smiled. At the look of horror on Sandra's face, she quickly added, "Just not the way you're thinking. Not with his hands, alright."

Sandra, always the naughty one, caught up quickly. Her eyes widened instantly, "Oh...my...! That's what you should have told me from the beginning."

"As I said before, follow the command first and ask questions later."

"Now, I fully understand." Sandra chuckled aloud, "Oh, Mena, that wild dog. In the forest out in the open? I never knew she had it in her."

"We are part-animals, Sandra. We love the wild and we are most at home in the woods. That is why going for a run by taking the form of our other half is most enjoyable and important to a changeling." Eline snorted, amused, "Even if she never had it in her before, it'll surely become her now because she's a changeling's mate."

Sandra was now grinning, "Mena, that naughty rat. I can't wait for her to come back tonight. I'll give her an earful."

"My guess is that she's not coming back home tonight." Eline deadpanned.

"Oh, Mena, that nasty cat."

Eline watched the grinning lady in front of her and decided that she likes Sandra. The human female is just as cheerful and stubborn as Ismena.

She had her misgivings when Alphose told her that she might be his mate, and her heart had ached when he'd asked her for the favor to take Sandra in too. She still has her misgivings about the woman being his mate because she does not have his scent at all, but her heart no longer ached about it.

Alphose might be the Alpha leader of their clan, but he was her best friend since they were very young. She will be happy to see him mated, knowing fully well how he'd hungered all his life for his mate. His hopes are up, he believes that Sandra is his mate. But what if she's not? It will kill Eline to see him get hurt.

But if Sandra's not his mate, why does his cougar react so much to the human female?

That was baffling.

So, like him, she is trying to hope too.

"Did you even hear what I said? What are you thinking about so hard?" Sandra's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, it's nothing. What did you say?" She asked instead.

Sandra rolled her eyes, but she continued, "I said that I can't wait to see the man that claimed my best friend as his. He might be your leader and everything, but I still have to warn him not to hurt my best friend or mess with her heart. I will tell him face to face when we meet."

For the first time, Eline laughed out loud.

"What's funny?" Sandra narrowed her eyes at the cougar sentinel.

"You won't be able to say those words to him, my dear human friend." Eline stated matter-of-factly, "Your legs will shake in fear when you stand before him. And if he gives you his full attention, you will either pee in your panties or you will faint."

Sandra waved her away, "Honey, you underestimate me too much. I've got balls, lady. I've got more balls than Mena does. If she can be fucking him, trust me, I can stand in his presence and have a one-on-one conversation with him."

Eline couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing again.

CHAPTER 22. THE CONCERN OF THE COUNCIL.

Ismena noticed that his breathing was still uneven and his eyes were still closed. Physically, he does not look like there's anything wrong, but something felt wrong to her.

"Are you alright?" She asked, concerned.

He did not say anything for a few seconds, which intensified what she felt. She rose from the cushions of his arm and looked at him carefully.

"Is it the poisoned wounds?" Her eyes went to his pant-covered leg.

"Yes," he admitted, "The two bullet wounds are trying to heal themselves, but they are deep, infected wounds which makes it hard." A pause, "With every attempt at skin rejuvenation, it hurts. Badly."

"Oh, my God. Does it mean it's not gonna heal?" The realization that he was in pain filled her with sadness.