by Kitt Rose
“What happened?” Joshua asked in a soft voice, turning the truck back the way he'd been coming from.
“I don't know. We were taking a walk, talking, and Dad heard something. Or maybe he saw something. He said the wind was wrong to smell it, but there was something in the wheat.” My voice rose higher. “It was coming closer. A wolf. It was a dark wolf. Protean, based on the size. Bigger than Dad. He told me to run and tried to hold it off. I heard fighting. I couldn't help. There was nothing I could do but run. Oh God, is he going to be okay?”
Joshua took out an old flip phone, at least a decade out of style, and passed it to me. “Call Ash.”
“I don't know his number,” I said.
Joshua rattled it off to me. As the line rang, he said, “Tell Ash what happened, and to meet us at the hospital.”
“He's still a wolf. We can take him to the hospital like this?” I asked, surprised.
“This hospital, yes.”
Ash's irritated voice filled the line just when I was about to hang up. “Stefan.”
“Ash,” I sobbed, my tears coming fast and fresh all over again.
“Libby,” he said, voice full of alarm. “What's wrong? Why are you calling from Clayton's phone?”
“I was out with Dad and a Protean attacked us. Joshua found me, he's taking Dad to a hospital.”
I took a breath, but before I could ask him to come, he was talking.
“I'll meet you there. Don't worry, sweetheart,” he said, then hung up.
If I'd had nails, or clean blood-free hands, I would have chewed them as we drove to the hospital. It was Homeplace's hospital, where Justice and I had been born. Where I'd gone to get my tonsils out at five. But instead of going into the main entrance, Joshua drove around to the back, down an alley lined with dumpsters.
At the far end of the lane was a nondescript door. It was flanked by a pair of parking spots. Joshua pulled into one and hopped out of the cab. Before he could open my door, the grey metal door to the hospital opened, and two people in hospital scrubs came out with a stretcher.
“Alpha, what do you have for us?” the older of the two asked. He looked about my dad's age, with thick dark hair and a severe five-o'clock shadow.
“Attack. Don't know much more. Patient is Aaron Dahl.”
“And the girl?” the second, younger man asked, eying me.
“His daughter.”
The older man grabbed my father carefully, lifting him half out of my lap. His eyes met mine. “Can you slide him to me?”
Nodding, I scooted in the seat as gently as possible. When I was near the door, the weight was suddenly gone, and he laid my father on the stretcher. I jumped out, my legs buckling under me. I braced to eat pavement, but powerful arms hooked under my arms, lifting me back to standing.
The younger man had me. He smiled. “You okay?”
I shook my head. I was far from okay.
“Come with me. We'll get your knee cleaned up and find you something clean to wear while you wait. You got Mr. Dahl, Keith? I'll take—”
“Libby,” I said. “Asher Stefan's mate.”
Adding that had been instinctual, a knee jerk reaction, but it felt right.
Both men stiffened, glancing at Joshua. Maybe for confirmation. He nodded to them, his face carefully blank.
“Well then,” the younger said, his voice changing subtly. “Come with me, ma'am. We'll get you taken care of. Do you need to call Mr. Stefan?”
Joshua took one end of the stretcher and Keith took the other. The hospital person who had me urged me with a hand on my back to follow behind.
“No. I'm here.” Ash's voice, out of breath, came from behind me and the hands supporting me disappeared.
My knees started to buckle again, but Ash was there, scooping me up. One arm under my knees, the other behind my back. He cradled me close to his chest, his arms steel around me. There, safe in his embrace, I watched my father being wheeled away, unmoving on the stretcher. A weird buzzing filled my head and tears started to course down my cheeks again.
I tilted my head back to watch the drop ceiling as Ash carried me down a hospital hallway, no different from any other hospital I had been in. Only, perhaps it was quieter, with fewer people moving through the hall. A wheel on the stretcher in front of me squeaked, almost in time with my heartbeat. I couldn't help but think that I had just gotten my dad back, and now…
“Hey.” Ash's voice was whisper soft, his steps brisk as he carried me after the stretcher. “It's okay, sweetheart. Remember what I told you. Proteans are strong. Resilient. How were his wounds?”
“Biggest issue is going to be his gut. Whoever attacked him went for the belly,” Joshua said, walking in front of us. “I think the aim was to disable though, not kill.”
I ripped my gaze from the florescent lights overhead and focused on Joshua, who was still pushing the stretcher. My father was so still I shivered. Ash gathered me a little closer.
“Why do you think that?” I asked in a broken voice.
“Because he's not dead,” he said, harshly. “I think they were after you.”
Ash's footsteps halted abruptly, and he nearly stumbled. “Joshua,” he murmured. “Thank you for finding her.”
“Don't thank me. I was on my way to your house, or I never would have found her. It was fate, or a happy accident. But don't worry about your old man, Liberty. Aaron's a stubborn old goat. He'll pull through.”
God, I hoped he was right.
My father disappeared behind a double door, Joshua going with him. Ash did not follow. Instead, he carried me into an exam room on the opposite wall. After setting me carefully on the table, he went back to close and lock the door behind him. He pressed his head against the door, shoulders heaving.
“Ash?” I asked quietly.
He spun at the sound of my voice, and I was startled by the sight of tears. Ash crossed the room in three long strides, his hands coming down on either side of my face. And then his mouth was on mine. The salt of his tears hit my lips and I licked them away. He groaned, plunging his tongue into my mouth, his kiss turning into something desperate. Releasing my face, he grabbed my thighs.
Agony flashed through me and I yelped, breaking away from his kiss.
“Fuck, I'm sorry,” Ash said, crouching to look at my swollen knee.
“It's okay. You didn't know. I fell when I was trying to run.”
He leaned closer. “I can see that. I want to go get you some ice, but I can't leave you.”
“Ash, we're in a hospital. I'm sure I'll be fine.”
Ash shook his head, his pale hair flying. “No, you don't understand. I can't leave you. The Protean side of me won't let me. Hell, I'm having a hard time staying in this form right now. Every single damned instinct is telling me to shift into the biggest, baddest form I know, to keep you safe. Because,” he paused, gulping air, “someone tried to kill you.”
He spun, took three steps back to the door, and sunk his fist into the wall next to it. I jumped as he repeated the motion, pummeling the wall beside the door until his shoulders were heaving.
I should have been scared, but I wasn't. Instead, I was sort of amused. Sort of turned on. But mostly, I felt cherished.
“Are you done now?” I asked.
A dark laugh sounded, and he nodded.
“Good. I'm in a bit of pain here, covered in blood, and I really want to know how my dad's doing. So, pull your shit together, mate, and make it happen.”
Ash spun, his eyebrows rising as a small, barely-there smile curved his mouth. “As you command, mate,” he said, humor in his voice. “But, I'm not leaving you alone.”
And with that, he stuck his head into the hall and yelled Joshua's name.
22
Ash
Four hours had passed since the phone call that had nearly stopped my heart. Terrified didn't begin to cover what I'd felt when I learned that someone had tried and very nearly succeeded, in killing my mate.
I owed Joshua and Aaron
a life debt for saving her.
My Libby, who was more stubborn than I remembered, or could possibly imagine. She refused to leave the hospital. Even after her knee had required seven stitches, and painful debriding. We had waited for two hours for word about her father before she would agree to a shower and change of clothing. She hadn't wanted to miss any updates.
Her legs had been so weak that I'd needed to help her into and out of the small hospital shower. She'd come out looking a bit like a drowned rat, and the ill-fitting scrubs did not help the matter. Everything in me wanted to scoop her up and run. To find someplace at the edge of the world where no one could find us. Somewhere she would finally be safe. The urge to hide wasn't logical but seeing her so shaken… Her fear triggered every protective instinct I had.
Now we were waiting. Pete and Tabby Dahl had shown up with Johnny an hour ago, and Johnny was wearing a path in the carpet while we waited for word.
Libby had hugged her grandparents, and her uncle, then promptly curled up in my lap, shivering. I wouldn't complain about the elbow that kept finding its way into my gut. Her desire to be close to me was worth a little discomfort, but I hated that it had come at such a cost.
Johnny suddenly exploded into motion, jumping to his feet. “I can't wait anymore, I'm going to find out what's going on.”
Libby glanced up sharply, her eyes haunted and dull. Johnny charged down the hall to the nurses' station. Once he got there, he threw his arms on the desk and leaned in, posture aggressive.
“Maybe you should go get him before he does something he'll regret later,” she whispered.
Pete stiffened.
Libby went on. “Remember the time Justice had to have stitches?”
Shit. I'd almost forgotten about that, I thought, remembering. Johnny had nearly punched out a doctor for refusing to give him information because he wasn't immediate family.
“Perhaps I should take him home?” Pete suggested.
“Maybe you should take him back to where we were attacked, see if you can smell the Protean who attacked us,” Libby said.
My muscles seized. Fuck! How could I be so stupid?
“By Oceanus, how stupid can I be?” Joshua, who had been quiet up until now, stood. “I will go, see what I can find. I'll take Johnny with me.”
He strode to Johnny, and grabbed him, pulling him out the door amid loud protests.
I relaxed a hair once they were gone. With a little bit of luck, Aaron would have managed to get in a few good hits of his own, drawing blood. Blood would tell them exactly who the Protean was. And once I knew who the fucker was, he was as good as dead.
Libby's hand on my chest at the base of my throat startled me. I looked down at her. She was all big dark eyes and pale skin.
In a soft voice, she said, “You're growling, or something.”
That was when I became aware of the low rumbling in my chest. That wasn't a growl, that was something I'd picked up from the dragon form.
“Didn't realize I could do it in this form,” I said, making a conscious effort to stop.
“What is it?” she asked, hesitance in her voice.
“It's what pissed off dragons do.”
Her eyes widened. “Dragons?”
“Yes. I told you I spent some time with other Marked. In China, the Proteans shift into dragons. Joshua sent me to them after I finished my time in California. I told you about that, didn't I?”
Libby blinked up at me sleepily. “Maybe? I don't remember. I'm so tired, Ash.”
“You need sleep,” I said gently.
Her eyes went wide, then narrowed, lips dipping down in a frown. “I'm not leaving.”
“Sweetheart, you had stitches.” When her stubborn expression didn't change, I pressed harder. “You could have died. You went through something terrifying, and you're worrying about your dad. You need to rest.”
She was going to argue, I could see that. Before she could, a doctor in fresh scrubs walked tiredly into the room.
I sprung to my feet, tightening my arms around Libby. She slapped at my arms until I put her down. But I kept an arm tight around her waist, just in case, and walked with her to where the doctor stood.
She twisted her hands around and around, leaning heavily into my side.
The doctor, Rob Youngling, nodded to me. “Mr. Stefan. I'm told this is your mate.”
My eyebrows rose. “Yes, Liberty Dahl.”
“Johnston,” Libby mumbled.
I faltered at that, shocked for a moment. How'd I forget she'd been married? “Libby is Aaron's daughter,” I said when I recovered from my brief shock.
Rob turned back to Libby. “I'm Dr. Youngling. Your father made it through surgery well, and we were able to force his change back to human, which further helped to heal the superficial wounds. Our biggest concern now is infection. He sustained serious trauma to his abdomen. We had to remove a section of his large intestine to repair a particularly severe tear. That type of injury provides a greater risk of infection, especially for our kind.”
“Why 'especially for' your kind?” Libby asked.
Dr. Youngling shifted uncomfortably, and his gaze darted to me.
I sighed. “Proteans heal fast, unlike humans. When you need to clean out a wound, set a broken bone, anything like that, you are fighting that speed.”
The doctor nodded and took up the narrative. “Yes, exactly. We had to clean out the foreign matter, and—”
Libby held up a hand to stop him. “I get it. I just want to know, is he going to be okay, Doctor?”
“I am afraid that I can't answer that yet, but it looks good. We are going to keep him in ICU overnight. If he makes it through the night, I don't see why he wouldn't recover.”
“Thank God,” Libby said on an exhale, her body sagging.
“Then we should go home so you can get some rest,” I said immediately.
“No. I'm not leaving. What happens if Dad gets worse overnight? I wasn't there when Justice died. I wasn't there when Mom died. I need to be here in case,” she said in a tired but determined voice.
“Rob, might you have a bed, a cot, anything for Libby? She desperately needs the rest and is too damned stubborn to go home.”
“I'm not sure… I mean, hospital policy…” he stammered.
The doctor obviously didn't want to tell me, his next Alpha, no. It made me a bit of a bastard, but I took advantage. A little amorality didn't concern me much. Besides, I would use my position to help anyone in my pack, especially my mate.
“You are telling me that every room in our side of the hospital is being used?” I said in a reasonable voice.
“Well, um, no. Not exactly.”
“So, there is a room you could let us use for a few hours, at least.” I didn't make this a question, but a gentle demand. The doctor didn't respond immediately, and I held his gaze, letting the Alpha rise to the surface undiluted.
Rob flinched. “Of course. For a few hours. I don't see the harm. But you'll have to give it up if we need it.”
“Obviously,” I said. “Thank you, Rob.”
He nodded, then gestured to the nurses' station. “I'll let them know what's happening, and someone will show you to a room you can rest in.”
Youngling started to turn, but Libby grabbed his arm and smiled up at him, one of her amazing smiles that turned her pretty face into something breathtakingly beautiful. “Thank you, Doctor. For taking such good care of my dad, and for letting me stay close to him.”
The doctor flushed, blinking down at her.
My Libby had charmed him. Just like that. Pride filled me, temporarily pushing aside the worry. She would be a wonderful Alpha's mate for the Pack.
Youngling nodded, tugging at the V-neck on his scrubs. “It's what I do, ma'am.”
“My mom was a nurse here for years. I know how hard your job is and thank you for choosing to do it.”
“Is your mother still practicing?” he asked, lingering.
“No, she passed away. Cancer. Sev
en years ago, now.”
The doctor tipped his head in sympathy. “I'm sorry for your loss.”
Then an awkward silence descended until I cleared my throat. “Would you mind checking on that bed?”
He jumped, gave me a grateful smile, and hurried away. A few minutes later, a young nurse showed them to an empty room. She promised to come get them if there was any word, then left.
I turned down the lights and pulled back the thin blanket. Libby climbed into the bed, the covers up to her chin. She looked so fragile at that moment. So human.
I could have lost her so easily, and that terrified me.
There was a recliner in the corner, and I moved to sit in it.
Libby bolted back upright in bed.
I stopped, turning toward her. “What's wrong?”
The sheet was twisted between her hands. “Would you hold me?” she whispered.
Libby may not have been able to tell me that she loved me yet, but she was coming to depend on me and it pleased me. I smiled, nodding silently, and toed off my boots. I emptied my pockets onto the table beside the bed, then slid in next to her, pulling her into my arms.
“Anything for you, sweetheart,” I whispered.
Warm breath puffed against my neck as she tucked her face against my skin. Her body, soft against mine, slowly began to relax. The strong and steady beat of her heart and the sigh of her breathing were the only sounds for a long time. I tangled a hand in her hair, slipping my other hand into her scrub bottoms to cup her hip.
Libby sighed, the sound soft contentment. “I could have lost my dad today.”
“You could have died today.” I gave voice to my greatest fear. “You scared me so much. Until this is done, until we have whoever is responsible, I don't want you out of my sight.”
She scoffed. “I'm scared too, but that's just not reasonable, Ash. You can't watch me all the time.”
“Wanna bet?”
Libby didn't respond, and gradually her breathing deepened, letting me know she was asleep. She cuddled closer, climbing half on top of me in her sleep.
I smiled and let my eyes drift closed.