Chapter 23: Sutton

 

I sat in a chair instead of the bed as Dr. Callahan examined me the next morning. I was feeling really good actually. After Lucas came in, I had the best non-drug-induced night’s sleep that I’d had in a long time. I was trying not to read into him staying with me the rest of the night. I just wanted to appreciate how much better I felt.

“These really are looking good,” Dr. Callahan commented. “I’m happy to see such a big improvement because I’ll be leaving town today. I’m needed back home.”

“Oh, you don’t live here?” I asked.

“No, my practice is back in Wildmore,” she told me. “That’s where you turned up before he brought you here to Thorncrest.”

“Where Lucas’ family farm is, right?”

“Yes, that’s right,” she said with a smile. “He grew up there.”

“I’d ask for stories but you’re too young to have treated him as a kid,” I said, although I was curious about what he was like growing up.

“Oh, not so young as to not have stitched up or reset a few misadventures,” she said with a wry grin. “He knew how to get into trouble back in the day. Grant it, it was almost always to help someone else get out of trouble. The town looked up to him even back then. It’s probably why we had no trouble with him taking over as Alpha.”

“Yes, I heard he challenged the previous Alpha of the pack,” I replied. “I also heard it was a hard take-over. Brutal, even.”

Dr. Callahan’s expression became serious. “That wasn’t Alpha Lucas’ fault,” she said. “It was a hard time for the pack, I will admit. But whatever Alpha Lucas did, he was repaying in kind. Alpha Morgan, our previous Alpha, was a smart, decisive man. But he was also heartless. He exploited his position. Being Alpha was an advantage, not a responsibility. Because of that, he hurt a lot of his own pack members.”

“Lucas said he killed his parents. If Alpha Morgan was so bad, why didn’t anyone challenge him before? Why did Lucas have to fight so hard?”

“As I said, Alpha Morgan was smart,” Dr. Callahan stated. “He was heartless, but he wasn’t outwardly cruel. Our pack is large. Many never had direct dealings with him. Our nature as lycans breeds loyalty. It’s part of the bond we’re born with. It takes a lot for us to question that. Lucas knew he had to give them a reason to doubt him before he could make the official challenge. That is when he finally decided to take over.”

“Wait, he didn’t want to become Alpha?” I questioned in surprise.

“No, when he first set out, he just wanted to reveal Alpha Morgan’s corruption and his role in his parents’ death,” she explained. “He thought another ranking pack member would or even Alpha Morgan’s brother would take over. But the more he dug, the more he found out how much they were all involved, or at the very least, compliant. He wasn’t going to put his pack in their hands. It took him four years to get the evidence he needed. Much of that time, Alpha Morgan was working against him, causing a lot of collateral damage. His desperation ended up being his downfall.”

“I’m guessing those who helped him investigate Alpha Morgan were encouraging him to take over,” I suspected. “Like Beta Jaden. So, Lucas got the support of the pack in the process of weeding out corruption.”

“Aye, and it’s much deserved,” she confirmed. “He’s done more for the pack in ten years than Alpha Morgan and his father did their entire tenure.”

“So, he’s well-liked?”

“He’s well-respected,” she clarified, lifting my arm to check the wounds on my side. “He’s a serious man. It can make him come across as cold at times. Some people would prefer a more congenial leader. Alpha Morgan was definitely that. He could charm a sheep from its wool.”

“In my experience, charming can often mean manipulative,” I stated. “I’ll take cold honesty over congenial any day.”

The doctor smiled. “Exactly,” she replied. “At the end of the day, Alpha Lucas loves this pack. No one can deny that everything he has done has been for the benefit of the pack. In the end, that’s what is required of an Alpha.”

I nodded. I had often wondered how Alpha Anders got away with some of his behavior. After a couple of years, I realized it was either because the pack didn’t know or, to my dismay, they had the same ideals he did. That’s how Mason kept his status. His cruelty, paired with Alpha Anders smooth tongue, bolstered their reputation. It made them a strong team. Terrifying, but strong.

“What about Beta Jaden?” I asked. “He seems nice.”

“He is the more outgoing of the pair,” Callahan said with a chuckle. “But that’s no surprise once you meet Tarrah.”

“No, I suppose not,” I laughed. “I like her though. She’s outgoing, yes, but kind, too.”

“That she is,” she said. “They’ve been through a similar situation as Lucas. That’s how they became friends. Their father died due to negligence in one of Morgan’s factories. They worked together to bring him down.”

“I see…”

“Okay,” the doctor said as she put the last of her equipment in her bag, “you’re well on your way to recovery, Ms. Langston. I think you and Alpha Lucas can handle it from here. I will say to come see me in a couple of weeks to get that cast removed. If he wouldn’t rather get you established with the pack doctor here first.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” I replied. “You’ve done so much for me. I hope it’s not the last time we see each other.”

She grinned knowingly as she stood. “Oh, I’m sure that won’t be the case,” she said, heading toward the door. “We’ll meet again, even if it’s not as your doctor. Now, you keep taking such good care of yourself, Ms. Langston.”