by R. E. Butler
Snapping to action, he pulled on his jeans. Satisfied, Michael explained, “She’s alive, okay, but she’s pretty badly hurt. She left the bar and went for a walk with Chris, he said, and she ran out into the street across from the garage and right into the path of one of our tow trucks. Fritz was driving it, doing a late pick up for the police station. Chris shoved her out of the way, but he pushed so hard that he sent her flying into the plate glass window of the garage.”
Jason swallowed hard and shoved his feet into his boots. “She’s going to be okay?”
“Doctors at Mt. Carmel say yes, but she’ll be there a few days. No broken bones, but she hit her head and has been unconscious, plus all the blood loss. Are you ready?”
He followed Michael out and they got into Bo’s pickup truck. “I won’t waste time at stoplights, man,” Bo said with a grim face as he slammed his foot down on the gas and the truck lurched forward.
She’s going to be okay. She’s going to be okay. Doctors know what they’re talking about right? She had to be. She had to be okay. Nothing else mattered.
The normally 30 minute drive to Mt. Carmel Methodist Hospital took Bo less than 15 and Michael led Jason at a dead run into the hospital. His parents were in the lobby and so were Jake and Renee. Renee and his mother had been crying, faces red and blotchy.
“News?” He demanded, trying to tamp the panic that kept surging like a tidal wave.
“She hasn’t woken up yet, son.” His dad said in that all too soothing tone that meant he was worried.
“She will, though. She’s a fighter.” His mom sniffled, and he put his arm around her shoulders to offer comfort, but what he wanted was to be comforted himself.
“I know she is, mom. Can I talk to the doctor?”
Jake said, “Yeah, he was waiting for you to get here.”
“He was?” He followed Jake to the reception desk.
“Jason, you’re her mate. You know as well as I do that it makes you her husband for all intents and purposes. No one will say any differently. Her care is in your hands, the way it was supposed to be.”
With barely a second to think over what Jake had said, her doctor appeared and Jake went back to the waiting room. Shaking hands, the doctor introduced himself as Carl Delray. “She’s in remarkably good shape considering she went through a plate glass window. She’s enough wolf to heal fast. If she’d been completely human the blood loss would have been far too traumatic. Her vitals are good, and there’s nothing keeping her unconscious. I believe it’s her body’s way of helping her heal.”
“So she’s, there’s no serious head injury?”
“No. No one is sure what she hit her head on, there was a bruise but it’s all but faded now. Possibly a piece of furniture within the garage, or the window. With all that glass, it’s remarkable she had no stabbing, serious wounds. The cuts were many, but shallow. She is lucky.”
That was the understatement of the century. “How long before she wakes up?”
“Don’t know. Could be within a few hours, could be a day or two. She’s been through an MRI and a CT Scan. Everything is fine. She’s just not conscious yet.”
He swallowed at the lump again. “Can I see her?”
“Of course, of course, Mr. Gerrick, she’s in 402, up on the fourth floor.” He shook his hand again, but all he could think about was how lucky he felt. He waited until he felt like he could talk to his family again, and then he repeated everything the doctor said.
“Give me like 20 minutes and then you can come up and see her, okay?” He was positive he was going to lose it and he didn’t want to do that with any witnesses.
The room was dark and empty except for the overhead light shining on the monitoring equipment next to the corner bed. As he crossed the room, he let his eyes go up the bed slowly and when he reached her face, he did lose it. Like he expected. Hot tears welled in his eyes and spilled over, and he dropped to his knees next to the bed and took her hand gently in his and cried for the first time in many years. He let himself cry for a short time and then he fought to regain his control and won.
He wiped his eyes with a tissue and blew his nose and then gave an assessing look at his mate. Her face was cut, little red slashes down one side of her face and neck and he saw her arms were cut. It was almost like she had thrown her arms up to protect herself. Smoothing back her hair, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and said quietly, “I’m here, love. Please wake up for me. I need to tell you so much. Please.”
He squeezed her fingers lightly, and straightened, looking down at her. She looked pale, sunken, her hair fanned out on the white pillow and tubes coming out of her hand. He was joined by his family and Jake and Renee, and they all kissed her on the forehead and talked to her like she was right there, and it was all that Jason could do to stop from losing it all over again. This was family. This was what she’d wanted all along. People that she loved to rally around her and support her. He’d made so many mistakes. He was going to spend his life making up for all of them.
“J, come here for a sec.” Michael said, making a motion with his head towards the door. Linus and Fritz were standing in the doorway.
He left her with a last glance and went out into the hallway. Fritz looked like he was going to curl up in a ball and cry but before Jason could say anything, Linus said, “It’s not what you think, Jason. It’s not what anyone thinks.”
Linus had been coming to the front of the store to lock up after working late on a project. He saw movement across the street in the park and stopped to look. Cadence ran out of the park and straight into the path of the truck. He ran to the door, yelling for her, but Chris reached her first and rammed into her with his shoulder and she hit the window with such force it shattered. Linus called the squad immediately and used clean shop towels and his own shirt to try to stop the bleeding for some of the larger gashes.
“Why did she run into the street? I don’t understand.” He cracked his neck in frustration.
“Because Chris was chasing her.” Linus folded his arms and everything about him screamed that he wanted to hurt Chris. He narrowed his eyes at his fourth. “You saw it? They weren’t just…playing chase?”
“She was scared, man, and he was not playing predator, he was being one. It wasn’t Fritz’s fault; Chris chased her into the street.” Linus growled.
Fritz took a deep breath. “She came out of the park so fast, Jason. I hit the brakes and then Chris threw himself at her and she was flying. And then he was gone.”
“Gone?”
Linus answered, “No one’s seen him. He stayed long enough to ask if she was alive and say that they were going for a walk and she ran out into the street. I looked down at her for a minute and then when I looked up he was gone. He’s guilty as fuck. He hurt our alpha.” His voice ended on a growl.
Michael growled followed by Fritz, and then Jason let his wolf growl, too. After settling, he ran his hands through his hair a few times and then said, “We do nothing for now. But I want him found. Get Trick up to date; have him run his plates, cell, whatever. When she wakes up and can tell me what happened, I want him where I can get to him.” Patrick Flannigan, aka Trick, was chief of police, human, and married to a she-wolf from Jason’s pack. He’d gladly step in for anything they needed.
Linus snapped into gear and Fritz followed, but not before apologizing. Jason clapped the young wolf on the back reassuringly. “I don’t hold you responsible, Fritz, and neither will Cadence.” Relief washed over his features and he trotted after Linus who was already on the phone.
“Want me to stick around?” Michael asked.
“No. Thanks, though. I’ll stick it out until she’s awake. Call the insurance company, the number’s on the bulletin board in the break room on a business card, and get some of the guys in to put up a tarp or something to keep the debris out of the waiting room. And bring me some clothes, later.”
“You got it.” Michael turned away and then turned back. Dropping his voice to a whi
sper he said, “I’ve never been so scared in my life. When Linus called, I, well, I’m glad she’s going to be okay. As soon as she’s awake and okay, please don’t waste another second with her.”
“I won’t, brother.”
Jake and Renee came out into the hallway, followed by his parents. His mother and Renee kissed him and asked for phone call updates, which he promised to provide. His father squeezed his shoulder and told him to call if he needed anything, anytime. And then it was just him and Jake. Two alphas.
“I’m sorry this happened, Jason. I truly am. If you need anything, please let me know.”
“Thanks, Jake.”
He looked into the dark room for a moment and then said, “When you find him, I’d appreciate a heads up.”
“I’m not going to do anything until she’s conscious. But I will keep you in the loop.”
Jake could not protect Chris from this situation. If what Linus saw was the truth, if Cadence confirmed it, then Chris had created a scenario in which the alpha of another pack was harmed. That carried serious consequences with it.
He pulled a chair up to her bedside and reached out for the hand that didn’t have tubes and monitors hooked up to it. Rubbing his thumb back and forth absently, he kicked his feet up on the windowsill and waited for the sun to come up.
Sleeping in hospitals was no easy trick, and his six foot plus frame was not meant to be stretched between an uncomfortable chair and a narrow ledge. Not that you could really sleep in a hospital anyway. Too much commotion. Too many strange smells. And every time his eyes shut, someone opened the door to check on her. Not that he minded that part. She was looking much better. What that meant for her waking up, he didn’t know, but he desperately wanted to see her pretty eyes again.
Michael brought a change of clothes for him and showed him pictures of the garage on his cell. Blood pooled on the garage floor like someone had thrown a gallon of red paint around and the glass caught the overhead lights like diamonds. The insurance company cut a check on the spot for a replacement window, and they were closed for the next few days until everything was cleaned up and replaced. At the moment, he could care less about the garage. The only thing that mattered in the universe was lying unconscious on a hospital bed.
In the small bathroom in the room, he cleaned up with a towel and a miniature bottle of body wash, and changed into fresh clothes. Linus and Callie appeared with a white paper sack and a large cup of coffee.
Taking one of the six breakfast bagel sandwiches, Jason stretched his legs and eyed his mate while Callie cried quietly and Michael comforted her. He wished to hell she’d wake up. He’d give his right fang to hear her snarky comebacks and witty barbs.
“You’ll make him pay, won’t you, Jason? For this?” Callie wiped angrily at her eyes. Jason had never seen her so raw and full of rage.
Choosing his words carefully, he said, “He won’t go unpunished.”
“Good.” She smoothed her shirt and sighed. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Yeah, actually. Go to her house and pack two bags for her. A few days’ of clothes, whatever she needs. One of them comes here for when she wakes up, and the other goes to my place. Michael will take you.”
Michael tossed his wrapper in the trash. “Not your place anymore, dude.”
He grinned. “Right. Our place.”
“Hell yeah.” Michael returned his grin, and put his arm around Callie and as Linus left with them, he was alone again, waiting.
At lunchtime, his parents showed up and his mother insisted he go eat lunch in the cafeteria and she stayed with her. By dinnertime, Callie and Michael had returned with her bag and they ate pizza in the room. When night fell and he was alone with her again, he began chanting in a low voice for her to wake up. His beast was angry, to have her so close and injured, and unable to provide comfort, and the unhappy growl that came from his throat made her hand squeeze his.
He stared at her hand in shock. She’d reacted to his wolf! Dialing into his beast, he let him loose enough so that his body scent changed from his regular human scent to the musky, fall woods scent of wolf, and he picked up her hand and pressed her wrist to his throat and growled. His other hand he passed over her face again and again, hoping to draw her forward with his scent and his beast.
She moaned softly and shifted, groaning louder, and he stopped growling and said, “Sweetheart? Cades?”
The sweetest words he’d heard from her to date were, “Ah, fuck! Where am I?”
He laughed and blinked at the tears of happiness that threatened. He didn’t mind if she saw him cry. It would show her how much he valued her. He leaned over her so she didn’t have to sit up and he smiled, “You’re in the hospital. Don’t move too much, you were really hurt. Let me call the doc.”
Using the call button, he rang for the doctor and kissed her on the forehead. “I’m so fucking glad you’re awake.”
“How long, how long was I out for?” Her voice was a low rasp.
“Not quite a day. It’s about 7:30 on Sunday night. You scared the piss out of me, sweet, I won’t lie.”
She blinked several times and looked like she was going to say something, but the door opened and the doctor came in. After about ten minutes of looking her over, he told the nurse to get her on the liquid diet until breakfast, and then to see how she felt.
“She may be able to head home on Tuesday, if someone can stay with her.”
“It’s no problem.”
“Glad you’re back with us, Mrs. Gerrick.” The doctor and nurse left them alone.
Had she caught that? He looked down at her and she was giving him a hard stare and then her eyes went glossy and she started to cry. With some slow movements, he managed to help her sit up so she could cry on his shoulder. She leaned into him heavily, her arms loose at her sides, but she wanted to be held and comforted and finally he could do that for her. He stroked her hair and murmured soft things to her until she settled down and her shaking sobs quieted.
“I’m so sorry, Cades.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“Because I should have been there for you. I wanted to be at the bar anyway, to tell you I was sorry for acting like such a dick when I found out you were going out with him again. I had no right to treat you that way.”
“You did, though, you had every right. I remember now, Jas.” She looked up at him with those bright emerald eyes and he could see that she did know. Hallelujah!
“What do you remember, sweet?” Just to be sure.
“You tackled me, when we were kids and you bit my neck. I always thought the story about the rosebush didn’t make sense but it seemed like all I could think of when I thought of them. And my father was the only one that ever asked about them, except for a girl in college. You made me your mate back then, right?”
“I did.”
Her brow arched delicately, “And why did the doctor call me Mrs. Gerrick?”
“I think you already know the answer to that, you little minx.”
She hummed in her throat and sighed. He helped her to lie back down. “Because mates are for life. Married.”
“Yes.”
Her eyes were closed now, but her lips were smiling. “You can’t think you’re going to get me that easily, Jason Gerrick. I want the whole thing. A nice proposal, the ring, the dress, the vows. All of it.”
Full to bursting, he wanted to shout for joy and run circles around the hospital. “I will give you anything you wish, but we have a lot to talk about first.”
She turned over onto her side slowly and looked at him. “I remembered last night before work, and I wanted to talk to you about it. I wanted you to tell me the truth and then I wanted us to talk, privately. Chris wanted to take me out, but I didn’t want to be with him. I felt sorry for him, I guess, so when he asked for just 15 minutes to talk, I gave in. After a little back and forth, I told him I didn’t want to be with him and he, I don’t know, it was like his whole demeanor changed. He looked reall
y, feral, I guess is the right word. He stalked me, played with me, and then he chased me. I, only remember the headlights, and thinking I wouldn’t get to see you again.”
So Linus was right. Chris had chased her right into danger. He was definitely going to pay for what he’d done.
“Jas, when you marked me, why did you push me away later? Why were things so bad between us for so long?”
He blew out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. "You were so young when I marked you, my father was afraid that your father would turn me into the cops, and he put power into his own suggestion to you that it had been an accident, and that you were to tell your father that you fell into a rose bush. We think that because you were so young and impressionable and enough of you is wolf, that you took his suggestion as truth. In a normal situation, an alpha doesn’t come down on cubs as young as you because the orders can be taken so literally and you never really know how a child will react.
“Jake pointed out that because we were mates then the order would cripple you with the pack if you didn’t figure it out soon enough, so my father made another edict that no one was allowed to tell you that you were alpha either. Unless you asked. But you never did, sweetheart. It was like you thought you didn’t belong with us. And to answer your question, love, I pushed you away because I was afraid to hurt you once I shifted. I did it so well that you thought I hated you. I never did. I swear on my life."
She mused quietly on what he’d said. “At least now I know why I couldn’t ever get you out of my head.”
He kissed her cheek and then settled back in the chair with a sigh, still holding her hand. “It was the same for me, love. And since Michael spilled the beans about you being marked and alpha, we can talk freely now about what happened between us, but we don’t have to do that here. It’s enough for me to be able to tell you this truth. I love you Cadence. I always have.”
“I love you, too, Jas.”
She drifted off to sleep and when she was breathing rhythmically, he got up to phone the people waiting for updates. Come morning, she’d have a crowd in here, and she’d get firsthand experience for what it meant to be pack.