Chapter 4

Hayley POV

The next morning, a nurse arrives just after breakfast and hands me two clear plastic bags. They stink. She raises the first one and holds it out for me to take.

"Your hoodie and runners from the scene of the accident, Ethan dropped them off last night, along with your keys and phone which were still in the pocket. And he drove your car back here from the park rather than leave it there overnight." She holds up the other bag, "These ... are the mucky, wet shorts and top you came in. I've brought you these to put on instead, so you have something dry to wear home." I wrinkle my nose before reluctantly taking them. I hope I don't smell as bad as that.

"Oh god, yuck," I say as I look at the wet dirty clothes through the plastic.

"Yep." She responds, obviously keen to get rid of the offending items before she hands me some green scrubs.

"Thanks for these. Wait, he drove my car here!? I was just going to get a taxi home." I stare at her in shock.

"Perks of living in a small town, honey. I don't think he minded helping out the gorgeous young lady who saved the life of his Al... best friend. It's the least he could do."

A beep draws my attention to one of the bags, the dry one, and I fish my phone out of the bag. As I thought, I just have one message, and it's from my boss Greg. That sad fact perfectly sums up the state of my social life since arriving here. There is laying low, and then there is becoming a complete hermit which is what I have accomplished.

Greg heard what happened and wants me to stay home tomorrow, which is fine by me. That news of my hospital stay has reached him in record time doesn't surprise me, I grew up in a small town just like Grey Ridge and I know that everyone has probably been talking about what happened. Living in a place where everyone knows everyone can be good and bad, but the strong sense of community that you just can't get in a big city is what I've missed.

I change into the scrubs the nurse brought me and throw on my hoodie and runners, keen to get home quickly for a long soak in a warm bubble bath and a decent sleep. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and grimace, my lank hair badly needs a wash and I have dark circles under my eyes. I tuck my bag of wet running gear under my arm, tempted to just throw them in the bin instead of dealing with the smell in my car, but my runners are in there and money is tight. I stop at the nurse's station to sign some forms and head downstairs to the reception area. I step out the front doors and laugh to myself as I spot my little red hatchback parked in the first parking spot, as close to the front door as it is possible to get.

How on earth did he manage that?

I thought I'd be wandering up and down the aisles of cars like an idiot, pressing my key fob until I spotted some flashing lights. Given how exhausted I feel, I'm touched by the sweet gesture. After throwing my stuff onto the passenger seat, I am lowering myself behind the wheel when the sliding doors of the hospital open and I look over to see Ethan strolling out. His head snaps up immediately as though he sensed me there, and his smile disappears the second he sees me, the color draining from his face.

"Oh, hey Hayley," he calls out awkwardly. He jogs over to me, glancing back over his shoulder a couple of times, a tight smile on his face. It doesn't quite reach his eyes and it looks forced, and his demeanor is anything but relaxed.

"You didn't have to do this Ethan, it was above and beyond," I say gesturing to my car as we stand talking over the car door, "but I appreciate it, thanks."

"No problem at all, we have to look after the new town hero," he jokes, as he glances over his shoulder again, positioning himself close in front of me, blocking my view of the hospital door as I try to peer around him to see what has his attention. He seems jumpy.

"Listen, I have to go, but I'll catch up with you later, okay?" He winks before leaning over to give me a quick peck on the cheek and darting away. That's when I see a stunning, tall woman with long dark hair step outside pushing a man in a wheelchair. Ethan rushes to the woman's side, and slips an arm casually around her shoulder, whispering something in her ear. She looks around frantically before locking eyes with me. Her face lights up in a massive grin even as Ethan takes control of both her and the wheelchair and hurries them away.

Strange.

Cooper POV

Grumpy doesn't even begin to describe my mood when my sister insists that I get pushed out of the hospital in a wheelchair. It's humiliating. As a shifter, I have enhanced healing powers, so I'm perfectly capable of walking. It's only been 24 hours since the accident and the only injuries I have left are some bruising on my side and chest and the incision from my surgery. I have general aches and pains where my bones have knit back together but that should fade over the next few days.

The gust of fresh air that blows across my face as she wheels me outside towards the car park feels wonderful. I hate being cooped up inside for long, and now that I am outdoors, I start to feel a bit more positive. I am alive. I have a mate who I am going to spend the rest of my days making happy, even if she doesn't know it yet.

My Luna.

As a human, she probably knows nothing about shifters. Ethan was right, if I had run to her and started talking about mates, declaring my undying love and devotion to her, she would have thought I was insane. She will feel a connection with me but if I scare her out of her wits, that won't matter. I need to be clever and take things slowly.

"This way guys. Come on, quick, quick, quick," Ethan says as he reappears beside us at the front of the single-story red-brick hospital, looking flushed and slightly guilty. He steers the wheelchair in the opposite direction and starts to push me along as fast as he can. I hear him whisper something to Leila, but my head is still pounding, and I can't concentrate enough to pick up what it was. Ethan opens the door to the SUV parked at the end of the path and all but tosses me into the passenger seat.

"You'd make a terrible nurse; do you know that?" I grumble, trying to re-arrange myself in the seat to find a position that doesn't hurt my side too much.

"What's going on Ethan?" I ask, picking up on Ethan's slightly raised heartbeat as he slides into the driver's seat beside me. He's nervous and my wolf is starting to get restless again. I can tell he is hiding something from me, so I glare at him, releasing a little of my Alpha power to get him to fess up. Leila hops into the backseat but before she closes the door, a breeze blows in and that amazing smell hits my nose again.

My mate.

Ethan is already driving by the time I spin to face him and take another sniff.

"Ethan, where is she? Why is her scent all over you again?" I grit out, clenching my hands into fists.

"She's here, that's why we have to go before you do something daft," he says. "I just kissed her goodbye, that's all. I'm sorry but I couldn't resist, she's hot dude. I must admit, I was kind of hoping she wasn't yours." He winks at me and laughs, moving as far away from me in his seat as possible as I punch him hard in the shoulder.

"Ethan, what is wrong with you? Do you have a death wish?" Leila exclaims and smacks him on the back of the head, before sitting back into her seat laughing at his antics.

"Stop fucking touching my mate!" I shout at him. He winces and rubs his arm, but he is still smirking as he seems to find great entertainment in my situation. I ignore him and stare out the window, trying to get a glimpse of her but I can't see anyone. My heart sinks as Ethan tears out of the car park and drives me away from my mate. Again.