by Dannika Dark
That made me want to smile.
“You scared the hell out of me, you know that? Thank God you had the good sense to wear your seat belt.”
Seat belt. A nightmarish scene crept into my head, and the only way to escape was to open my eyes.
It was hard to keep them open, but then I saw Denver smiling down at me. Denver had a contagious smile, the kind that made you want to reciprocate. I’d always found a sense of humor in a man insanely attractive, but I’d never met anyone else who could make me smile just from giving me a look.
“Hey, beautiful. You’re awake. Think you can listen to me talk for a little while? Feel free to tell me to shut it. Hold on while I get a chair.”
Metal scraped on the floor, and as he turned around to scoot toward the bed, I wondered why he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He noticed the direction of my gaze.
“Yeah, I know. I was walking outside with William and shifted when I heard the good news. I actually got in my truck and drove naked to pick him up. Thank the fuck he didn’t throw my pants in a tree or you might be getting more than you bargained for. Ahhh, I see a smile.” He leaned in. “Man, they said you were looking good, but bow-chicka-wa-wa.”
This time I made a noise and felt myself laughing.
***
I drifted in and out of consciousness while Denver read me my favorite childhood books. I’m not sure where he got the idea from, but it was soothing and made me think of home. It helped me to remember and pull myself out of this nebulous state of mind I was trapped in. At one point, he suggested reading one of April’s steamy romance novels, but he kept on, and hearing those familiar books helped stitch together the fragments of my life. I still couldn’t remember how I wound up in the hospital.
A doctor and several nurses came in, continuously checking my vitals and asking me to do things. Mom couldn’t stop kissing my cheeks, and Naya painted my toenails, much to the dismay of Wheeler, who grumbled about how peculiar women were in times of crisis.
All the visits began to take their toll, and I must have slept off and on for hours.
When I awoke, the sky outside the windows was no longer painted blue, but an inky black. The lights within the room reflected on the glass. It was a modest room with a television in the cabinet straight ahead, a whiteboard on my right with the name of my nurse, and machines with tubes leading into my arms surrounding my bed.
Denver was asleep in a chair to my left, head back, mouth open, and his right arm hanging over the edge. Someone must have brought him a change of clothes, because he was wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a faded blue Pac-Man shirt. Except he’d written the letter K just after Pac. Same old Denny.
When I lifted my head to see what he was holding, I noticed the straw hat I’d given him balancing on the crook of his finger. I tried to push myself up.
Denver’s eyes flew open and he launched out of his chair, pinning my shoulders against the bed. “Don’t move around.”
“I need to sit up. I’m not comfortable.”
“Let me adjust the bed; it lifts.”
“No, I need to scoot up.”
“All right,” he whispered, curling his arms beneath me. “If it hurts, let me know.” Denver gently lifted me until I was repositioned.
“Better,” I breathed.
While he adjusted the bed, I reached behind my neck to fix my hair that was tugging in the back.
“Lean forward a little,” he said. Denver pulled all my loose hair away and brought it over my shoulder. “They took the bandage off and didn’t do a good job of fixing all that. Looks like a rat’s nest back there. We might have to call an exterminator.”
I smirked. “You could use a comb yourself.”
His brow arched. “That’s the longest sentence you’ve made yet. Want to watch some TV? They had Crocodile Hunter reruns on earlier.”
“No,” I grumbled. “My throat’s dry.”
Just as soon as the words left my mouth, Denver was on the move. He returned with a paper cup and held the back of my head while I took a drink.
“They’re keeping you watered like a flower with all these drips.” He set the cup on a table and pulled the railing down on the left side. “They said you’re a miracle, but I already knew that.”
I reached up and took his hand, curling my weak fingers around his. When his lip trembled, he looked away and pretended to study something on the wall behind me.
“How come you never mated?” I asked.
He smiled ruefully and let go of my hand. “Maybe I’ll save that fun story for another day.”
“That better be a promise,” I said hoarsely.
The door opened and Naya swooped in, holding an oversized purse… with a head poking out. I blinked and peered down at wide, yellow eyes.
“There’s someone here to see you,” she sang.
“You did not bring that furball up here,” Denver complained. “It’s probably carrying a disease.”
“He’s not diseased.” She shot him an icy glare. “Spartacus is part of the family, and he wanted to see Maizy. Animals are therapeutic.”
“You’re deranged.”
Naya looked at him impassively. “And you have more whiskers on your face than Spartacus has on his.”
Denver folded his arms and his nostrils flared. “To be continued.”
I smiled, looking between them. The banter settled me and made it easy to forget my surroundings.
Naya waved a hand and set the purse on the bed by my feet. “Humans have such silly rules. If you really want to follow the rule about no animals, then you better get the entire pack to leave.”
That time I let out a snort.
“Well, someone’s feeling better,” she said. “You look healthier every time I see you. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about a thing. We’re not going to let you consume the vile food they serve downstairs. Izzy went home to make dinner for the pack—something we won’t have to heat up. I think I heard her mention cold pasta salad, and there’s a fridge down the hall.”
Denver closed the drapes. “That probably has piss or blood in containers.”
Naya unzipped her purse and Spartacus poked a scrawny leg out, sniffing his surroundings. I wasn’t sure what the protocol was, but when you’re dealing with Shifters, anything goes.
“I thought he would cheer you up. I never liked how cold and drab hospitals are. Humans don’t seem to understand that medicine isn’t everything. Say hi to Maizy,” she said, stroking his back.
I had to admit, I got a little nervous when he walked toward me. Naya made sure the cat didn’t walk on me, and when he reached my face and completed his sniff test, he said, “Meow?”
“If the doctor walks in, he’s going to toss the cat in tomorrow’s meat loaf,” Denver remarked. “You’re a bag of nuts.”
After petting Sparty on the head, I lifted my gaze to Naya. “How do I look?”
Her face went catatonic and she looked at Denver.
He approached the edge of my bed and grinned. “Like a million bucks. Do you want me to ask the doctor if you can eat something now? Are you hungry? I can always run to a deli and grab some sandwiches. That’s healthy, right?”
The charade had to end. “I want a mirror.”
“No,” Naya said calmly. “Rest and a good meal is what you want.”
“Don’t make me scream, because I will.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line, and Spartacus escaped to the floor. Naya fished in her purse and pulled out a large silver compact. “Honey, it looks worse than it really is.”
No one wants to hear those words when they’re in the hospital.
I gasped. It didn’t even look like me. My forehead was swollen and discolored with a cut on the right side that had been stitched up. Dark circles beneath my eyes dulled their usual shine. My upper lip had a deep cut with a stitch or two, but that’s something I’d felt and been prepared for. At least I hadn’t lost any of my teeth, and that seemed like such a superficial thing to be
grateful for.
“Nothing’s broken, thank God,” Naya said. “Everything else on you looks good, except you have some bruising from the seat belt.”
“Seat belt,” I murmured, dropping my hand and letting the mirror fall on my lap. “A car accident?”
They looked at each other again. They must have assumed I remembered everything. Naya worried her lip and set her silver bag on the chair. “Maybe I should get Lexi.”
Wheeler stepped into the room.
Denver walked toward the foot of the bed and anchored his fists on his waist. “Do you know what your woman has been up to?”
Wheeler smirked and took a small stick of jerky from his mouth. “I bet I can guess by the cat climbing up the drapes.”
Spartacus was utilizing every claw to get as close as he could to the ceiling.
“Should I bring the kids up?” Wheeler asked.
“No,” I quickly replied. “I don’t want them to see me. Not like this.” When I realized I was speaking quietly, I wondered if they could hear me.
“The babies are fine where they are. Ivy’s showing them a good time and letting them ride horses.” Naya kissed Wheeler on the mouth and snatched the beef jerky from his hand, tossing it into a plastic container.
“How’s she doing?” he murmured against her lips, his arms encircling her waist.
“See for yourself.”
After Wheeler managed to pry his lips from hers, he strolled to the right side of the bed. While he always had a short beard around his mouth, it looked as though he hadn’t shaved in a day or so. Whiskers were going rogue all over his face and jaw, but it suited him in a pleasant way. My eyes drifted to the tattoos on his arms and I admired the images.
I briefly smiled when he lifted my chin with the crook of his finger.
“That all the dimple you got for me?” He bent down close enough for me to hear his whisper. “Glad to have you back from the land of the lost.”
“That beef jerky is an addiction. I can smell it on your breath.”
He turned his mouth to the side and stood up. “I’m down to one bag a day,” he said jokingly before his expression turned grave. “Damn shame about Thomas.”
Naya grabbed his shirt and yanked him toward the door.
I eased up on my elbows. “What about Thomas?”
Wheeler cursed beneath his breath as Naya went out the door with him.
Denver handed me my water and I knocked it out of his hand.
“What happened? And don’t change the subject.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to upset you. It might make things worse.”
“Lying is worse.”
Austin came into the room, swearing under his breath. “Who brought the damn cat?” He looked at Spartacus briefly before easing up beside me. “Hey, princess. You look better.”
Denver folded his arms and lowered his head. “She wants to know what happened.”
Austin nodded and bent down, his thick arms folded over the railing, his eyes resolute. “You were in a car accident. Do you remember anything?”
“Tell me more.” Maybe hearing him talk about it would jostle a memory.
He watched me for a moment with blue eyes so pale they resembled tinted crystal. They stood out against his dark brown hair and brows, making them the most striking feature about him. “It happened on a long stretch of road near the lake.”
“The lake,” I parroted. “He was going to take me to look at the lake. He had lawn chairs.”
“Your car was in the ditch and hit some trees. Thomas… Thomas was ejected from the car.”
The horror. A cold emptiness embraced me as I realized the world had lost a wonderful person. I’d known him only briefly, but it was tragic. A tear escaped from the corner of my eye, and Austin quickly wiped it away.
“Old cars don’t have air bags,” he said. “But you were a smart girl to have your seat belt on. Some of Prince’s men were tailing you—it’s how you made it here as fast as you did.”
I rubbed my cheek with my left hand. “I remember a deer. I was on the phone and barely had time to see it. Why don’t they run? It just stood there looking at us, and then the car jerked to the right. An explosion of sound… and pain. Then silence. That’s all I can remember. I’m so sorry.”
“What the hell for? It was an accident. We’re up here because we don’t leave our pack behind. I’d rather pull you out of here and call a Relic, but the doctors seem to have a grasp on what they’re doing. I’m still calling a Relic.”
“How’s my mom?”
“Tough as nails. This dug up old memories—bad ones. I was there when they told her about Wes and it was… Well, no woman should have to lose a child. I guess you were out of it when she was in here. Lexi went to find her now that you’re more awake; she’ll be here in a minute.”
“I want to walk.”
Denver belted out a laugh. “There’s no stopping this one.”
Austin brushed his rough hand over my cheek. “You know what? If you want to walk, then I think you can. You’re a Cole, so that means you can do any damn thing you set your mind to. I need to take care of some business tonight, but I’ll be back in the morning, and we’ll walk.”
Austin pressed a featherlight kiss between my eyes and went to the drapes, grabbing ahold of Spartacus. The poor thing clung to the curtain and meowed a complaint. Austin finally got him free and dropped him in Naya’s purse. Spartacus poked his head out just as Austin zipped the bag halfway up and pulled the silver strap over his shoulder.
I couldn’t help but laugh. No matter how bad things were, I had the resilience of my pack to draw from.
I was going to be okay.
Chapter 18
Three weeks later, I’d made a full recovery. The first few days in the hospital were the most concerning since coming out of a coma isn’t something a person does with a snap of the fingers. But after doctors got everything under control, my willpower did the rest. Or maybe it was the home cooking the pack brought to my room and Austin helping me to walk soon after I’d asked him. Denver read to me, only I put in a request for magazines and a newspaper. He lifted me into a chair by the window so we could play cards, and his mere presence boosted my spirits. When everyone else had gone home, back to work, or left the room to get some sleep, Denny was there.
After a week of recovery in the hospital, I was released. The stitches came out seven days later and left only a few scars. When I found out where they had buried Thomas, Naya drove me out to put flowers on his grave. I didn’t really know the guy, but Naya was having a difficult time coping with his unexpected death. She told me some great stories about him before we left, and it felt good to know we hadn’t been his only visitors. Someone had left a chess piece on his grave marker.
My mom took care of me, and for her that meant fussing over the temperature of the house and making me eat nutritious foods like turnips and spinach. Of course I didn’t starve completely. Naya had baked her famous chicken spaghetti, Denver barbecued, and Lexi baked croissants and bread until I thought I would pop.
I leaned on the porch railing and glanced down at my legs. “Do you think I’ve put on weight? My shorts seem a little tight.”
Denver’s cheeks flushed a little when he looked me over. “Do you see me complaining?”
He’d been acting different since the accident. Attentive, his old self, and yet… not. He acted as though he had a secret—a look in his eyes I caught now and again. As if I didn’t have butterflies to begin with around Denver, now I felt as if I were caught in a hurricane full of them every time he gave me that look. My blood would heat, my knees would weaken, and my heart would constrict.
I was certain it was nothing more than the ancient cavewoman in my DNA responding to a male who provided for and protected me. Someone who cared for me when I was at my most vulnerable. Maybe that explained the same feeling Prince triggered.
But no, it wasn’t the same.
I leaned against the porch rail an
d watched the sun dip behind a dark cloud. “Smells like rain.”
He leaned next to me and his elbow brushed against mine. “All I smell is you.”
“And what do I smell like?”
Denver slowly licked his lips. “Let’s take a walk.”
I followed behind him down the steps, and when I reached the bottom one, he put his hands beneath my arms and lifted me into the air. Denver turned to the side and slowly set me down—the friction between our bodies awakening something primal within me. Before he noticed my reaction, I headed toward the tree swing.
“I can’t believe you kept it up all this time,” I said, taking a seat.
Denver slowly pushed me, and the wind blew back my tousled hair.
“Melody was never into it, but the boys used to mess around on it a lot,” he said. “Especially when they figured out how to climb the rope to get into the branches.”
I leaned back, looking at him upside down. The swing didn’t move much, but it swayed enough to make me feel like a feather in the wind.
“Do you miss England?”
“Sometimes,” I admitted. “Why do you keep looking at your watch?” I sat up straight and skidded to a stop. “And why are you even wearing a watch?”
“Maybe I’m trying to style it up.”
I smirked. “With a tank top?”
Which, by the way, looked scrumptious on him. I couldn’t understand why women always hit on the bad boys in our pack, which was almost everyone. Shifter women often had a specific taste in men that confounded me.
Denver walked around the swing and gripped the ropes, his biceps tightening. “How’s your head?”
“Empty.”
“Sounds about right.”
“Yours?” I asked.
“Thinking about laser tag and nachos tomorrow.”
“Sounds about right.”
A cloud floated overhead and crossed the property like a giant shadow on the run. I couldn’t see much through the tree branches, but the blue sky was beginning to vanish.
Denver held out his hand. “Come with me? I didn’t have the swing in mind.”