Lycell quipped, “You should see the bear, father.”
Wilder rushed down the stairs with Adrienne wrapped in a blanket just as the doorbell rang. Lycell standing at the door, and Drayton standing behind him, opened the door.
“I brought an ambulance. From your description she needs to be in the hospital,” the doctor said. He took a look at her lying in Wilder’s arms. He placed a finger at her neck. “She should be there now, she has a low pulse. Wilder placed her on the gurney and the attendants wheeled her out with Lycell following.
“You stay here Lycell. You are too upset. I won’t let anything happen to her. You know that.” Lycell looked at Wilder. “I need you here in case Ramsey returns with his pack.”
“Which one of you is the father?”
“I am,” Lycell said walking to the door to exit.
“Are you married to her? Are you at least the fiancé?” The doctor questioned.
“I’m the fiancé,” Drayton said with the doctor looking to him in wonder.
“Then you need to go to the hospital too. You will have to fill out the forms and if there is a choice between saving the babies or Adrienne, then you have to make the choice.”
“I can’t do this,” Drayton said shaking his head. He looked to Lycell, and Lycell sunk into a chair defeated with his hands covering his eyes. Tears began to pool and they dropped on his hand.
“Where is my doctor?” Wilder inquired.
“I called him because he left orders that I’m to call him if I receive any calls from this number. So I did, and he’ll be there when she arrives. “You need to get to the hospital soon,” he said turning to Drayton.
Drayton ran to the Mercedes, leapt in the driver’s seat, hit a button and the powerful Mercedes took off.
***
As Drayton rushed out of the car heading for to the emergency entrance, the valet hopped in. He ran behind the gurney carrying Adrienne. Nearby was Dr. Wells and a nurse. He looked at Drayton. “If she is going to live, I need to take the babies. I’m not sure they will make it because they are small, but that is to be expected since they are werewolves. If I don’t perform the cesarean now, she will die.”
“Do what you need to do Dr. Wells,” Drayton said.
“Does Lycell understand that the pups and the woman can die?” Drayton didn’t answer. His mind was on Lycell. He knew why Wilder wanted him to stay and it was a good thing he did because if anything happens to Adrienne and his pups, Lycell could slaughter the staff without thinking. “He understands, Dr. Wells. You’re the doctor, do whatever you can to save them,” Drayton said and then he sat in the waiting area. He pulled his phone out and text Wilder.
She’s OK. Get here as soon as possible.
Don’t bring Lycell!
Chapter 10
Wilder hurried out of his Dodge truck and left it parked in the front of the emergency room exit with the keys in the ignition. He found Drayton sitting with his hands to his face staring at the operating room door. Before Wilder could sit and ask Drayton questions, Dr. Wells headed in their direction with a glum tired look on his face. Drayton stood near Wilder, waiting for the bad news.
Dr. Wells put his hand to his chin, “The pups are fine for now, but I don’t know about Adrienne. She’s in so much pain. It took a lot to carry all those pups. They look healthy.”
“I want to know about Adrienne!” Wilder shouted at the doctor. Drayton grabbed his arm and Wilder gained control. “Is she going to live?”
“I don’t know. We have her sedated. If she has family call them.”
“We are her family, I have twins waiting for their mother to come home,” Wilder said holding back tears.
“How many pups did she give birth to?” Drayton asked what Wilder failed to ask.
“She had six, all male pups,” Dr. Wells said.
Drayton looked at him and said, “Will she be able to have any more children?”
“I can’t answer that, but I don’t see why she can’t.” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t advise it,” Dr. Wells said looking in Drayton’s tense eyes.
A loud noise in the hallway leading to the waiting area caused them to turn and notice Lycell bounding on the tile floors. “I waited as long as I could and when you didn’t answer your phone,” he said glancing at Wilder and Drayton, “I decided to come here to find out about...”
“Your pups are OK. You have six healthy male pups,” Dr. Wells said.
“I knew she could do it. I love that human.” Wilder and Drayton blinked, and their eyes shifted to Lycell. “Now let’s go to her room and celebrate,” Lycell said looking to Wilder who wore a worried glance. His face and eyes blank as if in shock. Then Lycell’s glance fell on Drayton. He grabbed him by the shoulders. Drayton looked at his hand. “What is it? What aren’t you telling me? I have a right to know. I have as much right as any of you. Now tell me!”
Wilder now calm and steady answered Lycell’s angry anxious rage. “She may not make it. She could die from this,” Wilder said concealing his pain.
“She’s not going to die. I know her, she’s tough and stubborn,” Lycell said sinking into the leather sofa. He closed his eyes and held his rolled fist under his chin. Then he jumped to his feet as if he had a plan to keep her alive. But he didn’t have a plan, “I want to see Adrienne.”
“She’s in the urgent care unit. I have to get back to her,” Dr. Wells said.
Lycell stepped in front of Wilder and said, “I want a specialist to see her.”
“Dr. Wells is a specialists and the best in his field. He has a team of doctors working with him. We can’t risk others knowing who we are,” Wilder said holding Lycell by the arm, inhibiting his movement.
“I don’t give a damn about who knows about us.”
“If you call in a doctor from outside, you could jeopardize the safety of your children and mine,” Wilder said releasing Lycell’s shoulder. “We could lose everything, and then we would be just animals in the forest, hunted by humans. Do you want that for us, for Adrienne?” Drayton said trying to calm Lycell.
Lycell glanced around the room, “I need to see my sons.” He tucked his hands in his jeans, wandered down the bright lit hall, turning to the right he stood facing the window of the nursery. He lowered his head and felt his cheek. A tear fell when he saw his tiny pups in an incubator. He swiped the tear with his hand, wondering where it came from.
***
“I have to speak to you Drayton. We have to settle this matter with Ramsey,” Wilder said inhaling a large breath. Drayton waited. “You will have to mate with Mena.”
“I don’t love her,” Drayton said his eyes blazing red as he paced with his hands tucked in his pockets. Then he turned and faced Wilder, eyebrow lifted mouth set in a rigid line.
“This is not about love. It’s about keeping the werewolves from war,” Wilder said to Drayton. We’re not strong enough to take on the Alaskan and Oregon pack.
“Why am I the one to be sacrificed?”
“You call that a sacrifice? You’ve seen her, she’s a beautiful werefemale.”
“But she can’t have pups. I want a family like you and Lycell. Why don’t you mate with her?” He questioned.
“I’m Adrienne’s true mate, I’ve claimed her, and you haven’t. If you don’t do this then we will have a war. And with the senator’s son dead, we have more than we can handle. You will have to stay there for a time, but you can come back after everything is taken care of.”
“What about the wedding? Adrienne was looking forward to a large wedding,” Drayton said hitting his fist on the back of a chair. His frustration over Adrienne’s uncertain health, and marriage to Mena changed him. Now he couldn’t recognized himself anymore.
“She can’t marry anyone now. She would need time to recuperate if she survives.” Wilder’s voice weak, begging Drayton to consider his proposal.”
Drayton made a loud sigh, shook his head and said, “When do you want me to leave?”
“As soon as
possible. I can have the plane ready to fly out to Alaska within an hour.”
“So soon? I thought I could at least wait until Adrienne was out of danger.”
“You have to leave now. The sooner you get there and out of this area, and mate with Mena, the better it is for you and us. I have to call on someone to lead the investigation of the senator’s son. Hopefully in another direction,” Wilder said.
“I have to see Adrienne. That’s the only way I’m going.”
“I’ll talk to the doctor and make arrangements for you to see her,” Wilder said.
“Make it happen.” Everyone wanted Wilder to make things happen and he was good at that. But he couldn’t fix Adrienne who is the love of his life, his future, and the Samsa brother’s future.
Wilder devoted his life to keeping the peace among packs, stopping combats, and making peace between the many werewolves’ nation. His youth spent wandering from state to state, suppressing brutal and barbaric practices of the male werewolves against the werefemales in their pack.
One winter Wilder was visiting a pack when a fever hit in Washington State and the werefemales began to die out. The ones who survived were sterile, no longer able to have pups. The male werewolves began slaughtering them.
Wilder did everything possible to prevent the werewolves and Alpha wolves from killing each other and the females. He discovered that not all the females were impotent. So he brought in his doctor, and Dr. Wells and his team were paid handsomely by Wilder to keep their secrets.
Wilder devised a bold plan where the males would all mate with the one female who was fertile, and the other females would nurture and protect the pups as if they were their own. Then other werewolves who needed to replenish their packs, could mate with her if she agreed, and most times she did approve for the good of their packs.
Realizing the success of his plan, he thought that if he found a mate, he would institute the same strategy where the lone female would be the mother to all the pups in his small pack.
The werefemales were stronger than any humans and they produced for the packs and made them heathy again. But he fell in love with a human and clearly what he thought would be a good idea, now jeopardizes his own family, and the life of the woman he and his brother’s love and cherish.
***
Drayton boarded the Samsa’s private jet waiting for him at their local airfield. It would take three hours to arrive in Juneau, Alaska and then fly on to Kake. Ramsey’s village was only accessible by air or boat. It was nothing but wilderness and it was great for werewolves who wanted to live their lives without seeing a human, but Drayton had been brought up in a home and spoiled by his parents. He was the son and brother of the most feared wolves in all of the Americas.
The only law in Kaka, Alaska was Samsa’s law.
Drayton took a nap and when he woke the plane was landing. “Mr. Samsa, fasten your seatbelt,” the steward said. He did as he was asked and buckled the seat belt and stared out of the window. The serene beauty of lakes and rivers and snowcapped mountains brought back memories of his father when he was a pup.
Drayton felt the bump of the wheels hitting the tarmac. He unbuckled his seatbelt after the light came on, stood, and the steward handed him his leather satchel as he walked from the plane.
A jeep parked at an angle with the motor running, and its driver waiting patiently for him near the door. Ramsey’s pack knew he was coming and there would be no surprises. Drayton nodded politely to the driver who was not a werewolf. “I’m Robert, I’m one of the doctors in the compound, sir. I came to help and never left. I love this land,” he said respectfully. Drayton’s mind lay far away in the bed with Adrienne. He wondered if she was OK, did she survive. For a brief moment he was glad he wasn’t there to see her suffering.
If something happened to Adrienne, Wilder would blame Lycell and their family would be torn apart, forever. And Lycell would never forgive himself.
“Just call me Drayton. There’s no need for formalities.” They didn’t talk the hundred miles into the interior. They neared the Ramsey’s compound, a rough log fence extending for miles, protecting the log cabins inside it. The fence built from strong old Pine trees. Everything rustic and wild like Ramsey’s Alaskan pack.
As they drove to the gate, Drayton spotted guards along the gate. One nodded his head and the door opened and quickly closed behind the jeep. The car came to a stop in front of a large stone house, then both men exited the car. In the doorway to the larger house, Ramsey stood draped in all manner of animal skins to protect him from the bitter cold. Normally he wouldn’t need the fur, his natural fur would prevent him from feeling the cold, but he took his human form to pretend he was civilized. But Drayton knew better. Ramsey wore unfinished leather trousers and a fur poncho and fur cap.
“Come in,” Ramsey said without a smile. “I thought Wilder would be here, but you will do.”
Drayton walked in scanning the room and dropped his satchel from his hand. It made a loud thud on the wood floors. He sat in a chair without being asked, across from Ramsey, in front of a roaring fire in a large stone chimney.
“You probably thought we were uncivilized here in the wilderness. We like to live comfortable like you Samsas, we just don’t have the money you have,” Ramsey said sitting up straight then leaning to warm his hands by the fire. Drayton noticed that his age was showing. He appeared to need the warm fire, and his hair, completely gray. But his body contradicted his outer appearance. His arms and legs muscular and strong. His teeth sharp and bold.
“Is that what I came here for, to discuss your living conditions?” Drayton said. He wasn’t pleased about the arrangement and the forced marriage to Mena, and he didn’t mind letting her father know his displeasure.
“I forgot how arrogant you Samsas are,” Ramsey said peering keenly at Drayton.
“It’s not that we are arrogant, it’s that we don’t like to be forced into anything,” Drayton said.
“Then that makes two of us. Your brother has been imposing his rules on my pack and before him, your father.” Ramsey’s light eyes glowed casting a disapproving glance in Drayton’s direction.
“I didn’t come all this way to discuss your disapproval of my family. I came here to mate with your daughter. Does she know I’m the one who will claim her?”
“She has no wants. She is my daughter.”
“I’d like to see her now, and I don’t want to spend my time in this god forsaken place if I don’t have to. Did Wilder inform you that she will return to my ranch with me immediately after the ceremony?”
Ramsey stood. “You can’t take her back!”
“I will be her mate and she will go with me.” Ramsey stood eye to eye with Drayton. “Then the agreement is broken and I’m leaving,” Drayton said picking up his bag.
After a quick careful thought, Ramsey said, “Very well, I’ll have someone show you to her cabin.” Ramsey didn’t like compromise. But he was smart enough to wait until he was sure that the Samsa brothers were weak. He called for the young doctor who had driven Drayton to the compound. Once in the room, Robert held out his hand and said, “This way.”
Drayton thought that Ramsey gave in easily. This was not in his nature and Drayton didn’t trust him.
***
Robert led Drayton to Mena’s cabin. He turned, stopped, glanced at Drayton, and then held out his hand. Drayton looked at his hand and Robert quickly placed his arms down to his side. “I’m the private physician to Ramsey’s daughter Mena.”
“I’m here to mate with Mena,” Drayton said his voice dry without emotions.
“I know. I know about you Samsas. A powerful family. I thought it would be the lone wererwolf, Wilder, that’s what Mena calls him, or your brother Lycell, the heated one, coming to mate with Mena.”
“They have mated with someone else,” Drayton said to Robert.
“Yes, Mena discussed it with me.” Drayton’s brow furrowed, he didn’t understand why Mena would speak werewolve’s busin
ess with a human, but he dismissed the thought. After all he is her doctor. But one more thing bothered him. Why would a human find interest in the lives of werewolves? Robert’s job was to administer health care to all the wolves in the pack. Not just one female. “Wilder’s mate dismissed Mena,” Robert said opening the door to Mena’s cabin.
They walked in and Mena sat near the open fire. She stood when she felt Drayton enter the room. Drayton walked closer to her. Silence moved between them. Then Robert broke the uneasy moment. “Let me get you something to drink.” And he left. Drayton thought it odd that this human would treat him as if it was his cabin, when all the doctors had private cabins away from the pack.
Robert returned carrying a bottle of Scotch whiskey. “I don’t drink,” Drayton said. “I mean I don’t drink away from my ranch. We werewolves need a cool head at all times. Sometimes the liquor will go to our brains and we do stupid and horrible things. We can never let our guard down.”
“I hope you don’t mind if I indulge. We humans do foolish things with or without alcohol, but we gain courage with it.” He poured himself a drink. “Please sit down,” Robert said to Drayton. Robert wandered over to Mena, who looked on in fear. Her large blue eyes wavering between Drayton and Robert.
Drayton sat in a roughhewn leather chair. Mena and Robert sat across from him on a brown leather sofa. “Mena explained about Adrienne, and how you and your brothers love her.”
“What does that have to do with me marrying Mena? It’s my duty, and I’m doing my duty,” Drayton said placing his hand to his chin stroking a new beard.
“But you don’t love me. And I don’t love you,” Mena said placing her hand on Robert’s hand.
Insatiable Box Set: Books 1-4 Page 16