Chapter 4

Emma sat in the lobby with a cup of cold coffee in her hand. It had been several hours since they took her mate back for surgery. She hated not knowing what was going on, and she was exhausted. She tried to stifle a yawn. Her eyes drooped, and she fought to keep them open. Losing the ability to fight sleep much longer, she tucked her feet under her and leaned her head against the wall. She set the coffee on the table next to her and let her eyes drift closed. She didn't know how long she had been sleeping, but suddenly awakened to the sound of someone calling her name. She cracked her eyes open and tried to rub the sleep from them.

Quincy was there, holding a blanket and pillow. “Here, let me show you how to lay that chair out into a cot. While I do that, I can fill you in on my conversation with Alpha Liu.” Emma nodded and stood up for him to pull the chair away from the wall. He quickly maneuvered the chair into a cot and waited for her to sit so he could cover her with the blanket. "I spoke to Alpha Liu, and he said his men would be here in a few hours. He is sending them in a private jet. They will land at the airport and be picked up by another group of his men already in the United States. They will come here and meet with us to discuss the next steps. Do you want to be part of that discussion?"

Emma shook her head no, "I don't think I can handle another thing today. I will leave this up to you. Having his men here to help is the best anyone could ask for. They are smart and dangerous. This is what they do every day. This time, though, I will be the assassin. If I didn't need to be with Daryl right now, I would go with them." Quincy looked at her like she was crazy. "One day, you will have to tell me how you managed to have one of the most dangerous men in the world indebted to you. The fact that you even know Alpha Liu well enough to say call him and they will come is unbelievable to me. Now, hearing you talk about assassinating people, makes me wonder if I know you as well as I think I do."

Emma laughed, "Listen, Beta, you don't know everything about me. I had a very different life before I met your Alpha a few years ago. Maybe one day I will tell you that story. For now, I just want to sleep." She dismissed him and relaxed into the pillow. Quincy took a seat next to her cot and closed his eyes. He would wait here with her for news about Daryl. It would take the warriors Alpha Liu sent at least 4 hours to get there, so he might as well take advantage of the opportunity to get some sleep.

Someone clearing their throat loudly made Emma stir from her fitful sleep on the hospital cot. Dr. Nash and Dr. Adams stood nearby, waiting patiently. Emma looked around the lobby and found they were alone except for Quincy, sleeping in the chair to her left. She called his name, "Quincy." He didn't respond immediately, and she knew he must be more tired than he had looked. Usually, he was very alert. She tried again, "Quincy. Wake up. Daryl is out of surgery." Quincy opened his brown eyes and looked from her to the doctors. "Well, how did it go?"

Dr. Nash spoke, "Well, he is healing quicker than a human, but his injuries were much more severe than we initially thought. It is more than even our werewolf systems can take. It will take him a while to recover. How long and to what extent he will recover, we cannot say." Quincy looked at them suspiciously. Emma looked worried, "What exactly do you mean by that? How bad were his injuries?" Dr. Adams looked back and forth between the Luna and Beta, "He had bleeding on his brain, so we had to drain it to relieve the pressure. A broken rib punctured his right lung. He had internal bleeding from multiple places, and his ankle was broken. Not to forget the burns. Amazingly, he is alive after the debris's weight on him. I don't know how the baby managed to come out of it unharmed, other than inhaling some dust and smoke; she's fine. We have wondered if she didn't have a spell placed on her to protect her. I know it sounds crazy, but what if whoever did this didn't want to hurt her?"

Emma looked at the Beta and wondered if this was a clue. It also made her wonder if anyone involved wasn't connected to Ava and her family. Otherwise, it didn't make sense for them to protect the pup. Filing that bit of information away, she searched for more information. "I want the pack witch to check the child before she is released. She should be able to tell if a spell was placed on the child." Dr. Adams nodded, "Of course, Luna. I will have her come right away." Emma nodded, "Good. Now, when will Daryl wake up?" Dr. Nash tsked, "Right now, he is sedated. It will depend on how quickly his body heals and if there are any complications. Unfortunately, we don't have a solid timeframe for you. You can see him now if you like. We will leave you to attend to Ivan, but Carla or one of the other nurses should be able to help you with anything you need."

Emma inclined her head to the two doctors, "Thank you for working to take care of my mate. I know you must be tired. I pray everything goes well with Ivan. He is a good man. If you need me, I will be with the Alpha." She took her blanket and pillow and went to check on her mate. Quincy followed closely behind her. She entered the room quietly and watched Daryl sleeping with tubes and devices attached to him. She slipped into the bed beside him, careful not to mess anything up. Before she closed her eyes, she saw Quincy standing at the door. "Get a cot and lie down. You can stay at the door or bring it in here if you like." As she drifted off to sleep, she heard the soft sounds of Quincy moving a cot and trying to get comfortable.

The sun filled the room, and Emma sighed. It just wasn't possible to get any real sleep in the hospital. Something was constantly waking you up. She gently left the bed and found that someone had brought her a bag of things. She took it to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She quickly washed and dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. She twisted her hair into a bun and pinned it into place. She dabbed a little concealer under her eyes to hide the discoloration from lack of sleep. Then she added lip gloss and pulled on her socks and tennis shoes. She tossed her dirty clothes into the bag before putting on some deodorant and brushing her teeth.

When she left the bathroom, she found Quincy sitting in a chair that had been moved next to the bed. He had a bag on the floor next to his feet. He looked up at her, "Do you mind if I use the bathroom to get dressed, or should I find an empty room to shower?" Emma waved her hand at the door, "It's fine. Go ahead and get ready. I'm sure our guests will be here any minute. I will find some coffee and be back to sit with Daryl.

She left the room and went in search of the cafeteria. There weren't many people who stayed in their little hospital. With their werewolf healing, they usually didn't need much intervention, but they kept the kitchen stocked and staffed for the doctors, patients, and families. There was comfort in having a decent meal when you needed it most. She poured a cup of coffee and added sugar and vanilla creamer. Then she filled a to-go box with bacon, tortillas, eggs, and salsa. She grabbed a water bottle, tucked it under her arm, and took it back to the room with her. She set the food on the bedside table and sipped her coffee. At first, she didn't notice how bad it tasted, but halfway through her cup, she felt her stomach rolling. "Ugh, I think the creamer was bad or something," she told herself as she set the cup on the table. She had wanted a breakfast taco, but now the idea of eating it made her nauseated.

Quincy came out of the bathroom with his dark hair dripping water. "I brought you breakfast," she said as she motioned to the food on the table. "I didn't know if you drank coffee, so I just brought water." Quincy smiled at her, "Thanks, are you going to join me?" he asked her as he scooped salsa, eggs, and bacon onto his tortilla. Emma grimaced, "No, I can't stomach any food right now." They whispered as they sat with Daryl. The nurses came in and out of the room, taking his vitals and hanging IV bags. Emma watched her mate and wondered what she would tell the pack. She couldn't wait very long. They would start questioning if they didn't see him after a while. She linked her assistant, "Have all of the hospital staff in the conference room in 30 minutes. I also want Ava's, Leo's, and Ivan's families to be present at the meeting. No one else should be at this meeting. I also want you to schedule a pack meeting tomorrow at 5 pm. Mandatory for everyone." "Yes, Luna,' came Veronica's reply. She sat back in the chair and closed her eyes, hoping for a few more minutes' rest, when the border guards notified her and Quincy that visitors were waiting for them.