Who is Magpie?
Chapter 52- Routine

She only meant to nap, but when she woke up it was to someone gently untangling her hair, that she had left wrapped in her towel to dry. She willed her eyes to open, and found as she rolled over that she didn’t ache so much now.

A light kiss landed on her brow. “If I didn’t hear about the punching bag I’d think you stayed here all day waiting for me.” She groaned and pulled the blankets over her head. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Jessamine breathed steadily in and out. “It was easier to not think about it when it was my normal. Now I remember things...”

He squeezed her. “I’m here.”

That was enough. All the comfort she wanted on the matter, not wanting to say her pains out loud. Then it was time for dinner.

Jessamine could hear words they meant to be hushed talking about her display earlier. It hadn’t been what she meant to do, and she was disappointed that she had failed her intent. But they weren’t. They talked about how lucky they were to have a strong Alpha and Luna to lead and fight alongside.

And just like that, they weren’t a flock any more.

After dinner, Jessamine told Ezekiel she was going to work out as napping had left her with too much energy to sleep. He was too tired from his long day out to join her and went to bed.

It was another night trying to shift until day break, showering and passing out until Ezekiel would come and wake her, and then the day would begin. Talia and Willow swooped her away after lunch for online shopping. They helped her measure her size and set to work racking up the Alpha’s credit card.

They spent hours going through different companies and brands, styles and fits, filling cart after cart, something she would have never done if left alone. Anytime she gawked at at total Talia would laugh and say something to the affect of she deserved it, or pointed out how it only seemed like a lot because she was starting with nothing. After they had gone through a dozen different website Talia left a few tabs open, and gave her the card, before giving her space to purchase undergarments and sleepwear.

Soon, it was time for dinner, and then she sat with Ezekiel while he caught up on work before returning to training to shift. This became her pattern; trying to shift until dawn, finishing a sweating failure, sleeping until Ezekiel woke her, eating a meal and training with Fiona and her team. Usually someone challenged her, and she took on a maximum of two on in a day. She spent the afternoon with Ezekiel in his office keeping him company until dinner.

At some point during the day Corleone Tran, the only counsel member to stay behind, would pull her aside to talk to her about Wolven society. She often made asides about her family, but Jessamine scarcely remember what they were. She would often react to these comments with thoughtful appreciation and quickly burry them away as useless information.

With the other counsel members gone, everyone left at the pack house mysteriously forgot about having her followed or watched all the time, and with each day of her routine she became predictable. Jessamine’s need for a routine led others into trusting her, leading Corleone into being satisfied enough to return home.

For three more days this was her exact routine, and then on the second night before the full moon Ezekiel was notified that the rogues had been caught and everyone sighed a little lighter. Dinner that night had extra meat and bread, and everyone was excited to welcome brothers and sisters home that had been sent to aid the search. As it had become custom, Ezekiel dished her plate until it matched his own and apparently he was hungry.

Nearly halfway through the play she thought she could burst. “Ezekiel, you’re trying to make me too heavy to kidnap with portions like that.” Jessamine accused.

Bronx laughed but Ezekiel didn’t let him speak. “Eat until you’re full,” he instructed, kissing her temple. “And you could never.”

“Yea, you train there more than you’re in your own room. We should just move your bed down there and then you’ll actually use it,” Bronx teased.

“It’s not that bad,” Jessamine took another silencing bite.

Bronx barked another laugh. “ ‘not that bad’ would be accurate if you got any sleep. Delano said me you’re there from lights out until dawn every night for the last week! And you’re back sparring and working out in the morning. You must really have a penchant for pain…”

“Shut the fuck up Bronx!” Ezekiel snapped at the same time Bronx heard a *slammm* sound.

Like everyone else, he had assumed that Ezekiel had broken his plate. A quick look at the table and Bronx saw that it was his own plate that was broken, with a knife stuck through it into the table, and Jessamine was standing. Her body trembled and she barely looked him in the eyes until she was ready to speak.

“We are not that close,” she muttered on her way out.

Tonight she would go to bed, not because Bronx had called her out, or because she didn’t want to prove she had a ‘penchant for pain’, but because she had eaten too much red meat and her stomach felt like it could bust with the effort.

“Return to your meals.” Ezekiel barked before regarding Bronx. “You know you can be a real fucking ass sometimes.”

“What? Did you know she wasn’t sleeping to train all night?” Bronx demanded.

“Of course I did.”

“Then why? What could she possibly be working so hard on?” The question left little to be desired, and Ezekiel fought to keep everyone from hearing his retort.

Breathing deeply he replied. “She is trying to shift,” but lost his control and growled, “you fucking ass.”

Jessamine heard Ezekiel enter but didn’t turn to look at him.

“Add it to my plate tab. It is unfortunately up to three,” she muttered, trying to make a joke but not having the energy for the delivery.

“I don’t care about the plate. Honestly, when you stood that you had aimed for his nuts and I wouldn’t have blamed you,” Ezekiel remarked, and could feel her surprise. “Yes I knew. You can’t expect to feel such agony, and for me not to notice. I was trying to give you space to tell me yourself, but I don’t care if you can shift. Now that it’s out I can finally say it. It’s not worth you feeling so much pain..”

“But the full moon…”

“We can still go on a run as bipeds, it doesn’t change anything.” Again he tried to insist his point, but she had stopped listening.

A week straight of two to three hours of sleep at a time and now her mate holding her, with a full stomach, she was soon fast asleep. Ezekiel held her, planning on getting up, but it felt like that was what they both needed. They had both been on edge for a different reason all week, and now that it was at an end Ezekiel felt better. Jessamine still felt stressed, knowing she had failed all week and there was just one more day to figure it out.