The silence was thick on the other side of the phone. The nurse pulled me forward, and I grunted. “What’s wrong? What’s happening?” Rowan sounded slightly panicked.The nurse snickered. “I moved Amy forward so I could clean up her back and then wrap her chest.”“Wrap her chest?” He sounded confused. “Why are you wrapping her chest?”I dropped my head but the nurse just smirked. “When we cut away her top so we could get to her ribs. We also had to cut away her bra. So for her privacy, this was the solution.” There was a soft intake on the other side of the phone. But then she kept going. “Also because someone called the clinic and yelled at the doctor. He didn’t want to chance anything to be misconstrued. The doctor was clearly afraid of whoever called.” The nurse wiggled her eyebrows at me at the silence on the other end. She nodded to the phone with her lips. I shook my head but I couldn’t stop the smile. She winked. “I’m wrapping her chest so he can come in here and properly wrap he
There was silence on the line. Then she sighed. “Fine, but you netter be heading here tonight.”“I am, I promise.” I sighed. “What’s wrong?” Like a light switch, her anger was gone, and it was replaced by her worry.“I have to call the King.” I felt the pit in my stomach open.“Oh, sweetie.” I could feel her amusement through the phone, but she kept it in check. “It will be fine. You act like you are walking to your execution.”I rubbed my eyes and pinched my nose. “Because I am. Do you not remember the other night?”“I do, and I think you are going to be perfectly fine.” She sighed. “I love you. Make the call. Go see Vince. Wrap up your work and then come home.”“Will do.” I sighed. “Love you.” Then I hung up the phone. I looked at my call log and grimaced. I saw Rick’s name and jumped at the chance. I dialed him.“Hey…is everything okay?” He sounded worried, but also out of breath. “Yeah…are you okay?”“Yeah.” He blew out a breath. “Got an alert. Someone is hacking into the system
His next slice was deeper, and the pain was back. This time, I didn’t hold back. I drew in a breath and screamed. I screamed the pain out; I screamed my anger out. I swore to the goddess, to my father, to my mother. I swore to my ancestors. I swore so much the nurse giggled. The tears fell. I don’t know why these tears mattered…but they did. But there was no way I could hold them in. And it wasn’t the pain that was causing them. I don’t know if it was just release. Or a purging of all the bullshit I have had to endure these last few years. But somehow, all of my rage was bleeding out with these tears. The pure anger I had cooped up for my dad, for Rowan. For myself.Everything poured out of me, and by the time Luke pulled away, I was cracked open, bleeding but focused. I knew everything I had to do. “We’re done.”I furrowed my brows. “My ribs?”Luke laughed. “Already in place. Stitches too. We just have to wrap your chest and you should be ready to head home.” He turned to the nurs
I woke to see Luke standing over me, and I screamed. I pushed back, surprising both of us. He dropped the scalpel that was in his hands, and the nurse goddess forgive her dropped the tray she was carrying. “Whoa there.” Luke raised his hands a little more. “You passed out from the pain.”I settled against the bed. Wrong life. My hand drifted to my flat stomach. There is no pup here. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. “Sorry.” I shook my head to clear it, but pain exploded behind my eyes and I dry heaved. “No apologies needed. You have been through a lot.” He turned and grabbed a new scalpel, then he stepped up to my bedside. The nurse rushed back in with a new tray and the old one was left on the ground.“Don’t you need to grab all of that?”The nurse nodded. “I’ll grab it after.” She dropped the tray on the bedside table. “We have great healing, but werewolf or not, the royal doctor taught us to keep our sterile field.” Luke put the scalpel down on the tray, next to eve
Instantly I was back on the table, having this man cut my pup out of me. I growled so viciously that Rick paled. “Are you okay?” His words were soft, and panicked. I stared at the doctor, who froze. Luke raised his hands in surrender. “Hey, I know I’m new, but I’m just here to help.” Nix scoffed. Eat him.Megan laughed. But she shook her head. He’s innocent. Even back then, it was Brandon that alpha commanded him to hurt us. I don’t care, he killed our pup. Nix snapped. But he allowed us to hold him in the last seconds. I called back to her, and I watched as she settled. Fine, but just this time. Nix stalked off into the trees and Megan followed. I’ll watch over her. Send a call when we can heal you. I turned my attention back to Luke. I felt my chest tighten as I remembered him covered in our blood. But I shook from the pain. “It’s fine.” I whispered to Rick, and he laid me down on the table. “What happened?” Luke got to work checking me over. “Rogue attack?”I scoffed. Rick
I tilted my head and pretended I didn’t hear his low words. I turned to Rick. “Let’s go.” Vince opened his mouth, but I raised my hand. “Are you refusing to allow me to see the pack doctor?”Vince looked me over, and I could tell he was considering it. “I just want to make sure you are okay.”I glared at him. “I’m sure. You can either allow us to pass. Or you can speak to the king about refusing to allow me to pass.” I waited for a second before I leaned in. “Or I will just command you to move.” My eyes met his, and I could see the burning hatred in his eyes. We stared at each other for a few seconds before Brandon laughed.He stepped closer. “Do you think you can command my father? Look at you. You can’t even heal. I was able to beat you into the ground, and you didn’t even fight back. You are weak. Weaker than we thought, obviously.”I smiled. “Step back.” “Or what?” Brandon snarled and raised another hand. Vince watched, probably interested to see how this was going to pan out. “G