by Cheree Alsop
Her fingers shook. She linked them together in her lap to still them.
It killed Alex to see his friend in such bad shape. The steady beeping of the monitor near Trent’s head gave only minimal reassurance. Alex wished the moonlight that fell across the bed would work faster.
“He’s going to be okay,” he told Jordan, hoping the words were true. “Trent’s strong. He has to be to put up with me.”
She nodded with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Alex.”
“How is Siale doing?” she asked after a couple of minutes of silence had passed.
Alex shook his head. “Not well. I need to get back to her.” He gave Jordan what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Will you let me know when Trent is up?”
She nodded. “I will. Thank you, Alex.”
He made his way back up to Siale’s room. He was grateful to see Meredith there.
“Is Trent going to be okay?” he asked her. He eased into the chair. She took a step forward to help him, but he shook his head. “I’m fine.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it,” she replied, giving him a motherly smile. She leaned against the counter. “Trent lost a lot of blood. Terith donated for a transfusion. If he can pull through tonight, I think he’ll be okay. It’s been touch and go.” She looked at Siale. She didn’t have to say anything. Alex knew what she was thinking. As bad as Trent was, Siale was worse.
“Drogan will pay for this.”
“There will always be people who want to kill werewolves,” Meredith said quietly.
Alex looked up at her. “Not like this. Drogan used animals to hunt us like we’re animals. He sent them into our home. Students are hurt and,” he swallowed, “Dead. Nobody should have that kind of hatred for another person. He will pay.”
The surge of energy from his anger left him drained. He bent with his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. He could feel the tiny pulses of his blood against the bandages. There would be more scars to add to his tattered body. He felt like they were holding him together. He knew it wouldn’t take much to fall completely apart.
“I’ll have a cot brought in,” Meredith said, her voice gentle.
“I can sleep on the chair,” he replied without looking up at her.
Her hand touched his shoulder. “Alex.” When he finally glanced up, he could see the hint of steel in her gaze again. “I am your mother, and I say you will sleep in the cot. You’re trying to get better yourself.”
He nodded, forcing back a small smile. As much as he hated being told what to do, it was nice to have a mother who cared.
When she left, he moved the chair next to Siale’s bed. It ate at him to watch her lying there, so still and withdrawn as though her soul had already left. He brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers just to remind himself what it felt like to touch her. Her skin was cool, but not cold. He sat back, hoping beyond hope never to feel cold skin beneath his fingers again.
He loved her. Sitting there next to the bed, uncertain of whether she would awaken again or not, he realized how very much that was true. He couldn’t breathe without thinking about her, couldn’t see the color gray without picturing her eyes. Her laughter was the best sound he had ever heard, and the sight of her hurt and unconscious was enough to send him after Drogan with nothing but his bare hands, except that he was afraid to be away from her side in case she awoke.
Chapter Ten
Footsteps were heard up and down the hallway all day as the staff cared for the students who had been injured. A familiar voice awoke Alex from a dazed sleep. He sat up at the sound of the door opening.
“Hello, Alex.”
“Hi, Dr. Benjamin.”
The human doctor gave a small smile. “We have to stop meeting like this.”
Alex nodded, but couldn’t muster a smile back. He turned his attention to Siale. Dr. Benjamin crossed to the bed. He checked her bandages and recorded her vitals on the chart he held.
“Do you know the hardest thing about treating werewolves?” the doctor said after his pen had stopped scratching across the paper.
“What?” Alex asked.
The doctor gave him a straight look. “They often survive wounds that would kill a human.” He nodded at Siale. “That type of a trauma would be fatal for someone like me. But for her?” He lifted his shoulders a tiny bit. “We won’t know until tomorrow. It’s the waiting that the hardest.”
Alex nodded in agreement. “How’s Trent?”
“Rushton?” At Alex’s answering nod, Dr. Benjamin said, “As good as can be expected. They gave him blood right away, and his vitals, though lower than I like, are at least promising. I think he’s going to pull through.”
Relief flooded Alex. He didn’t know if he could handle losing two pack mates right then.
At his expression, the doctor gave a wry smile. “Sometimes caring is the toughest part. As much as I try to avoid you werewolves, I keep finding myself getting caught up in saving you. Do you know why?” At Alex’s questioning look, Dr. Benjamin gave a true smile. “Because I really do care.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” Alex said, holding out a hand.
“I got here as soon as I could. I wish it had been sooner.” He shook Alex’s hand. “We’ll do what we can to save her.”
“Thank you.”
Dr. Benjamin turned to leave, then paused. “How about you?”
“What about me?”
“Your chart says you were cut up pretty good.”
“I have a chart?” Alex asked, more surprised that the doctor had cared to go through it.
Dr. Benjamin crossed to him. “It’s a thick one, believe me.” He didn’t wait for Alex’s permission to pull back the werewolf’s gown so that his shoulder was exposed. Alex kept from showing the pain as the doctor prodded and poked. He bit back an exclamation when the doctor peeled back the bandages in one area and investigated with his gloves.
“You have a good medical team here,” the doctor finally noted. He pressed the bandages back into place and tossed his gloves in the garbage can.
Relieved that the man was finished with his examination, Alex sat back gingerly in the chair. “I’m still here because of them.”
Dr. Benjamin patted him on his good shoulder. “Hang in there, Alex. We’ll do what we can to help your friends pull through.”
“I’m going to propose to her.”
Dr. Benjamin paused with his hand on the doorknob. “What was that?” he asked, glancing back.
“I’m going to propose to Siale. I decided that today, sitting here wondering if she’ll ever wake up.” Alex sat up straighter even though it hurt to do so. “I want her to know she’ll never be alone. She’s my soulmate.”
“She’s your one,” Dr. Benjamin said with understanding in his voice.
Alex nodded. “My only one. I almost lost her before. It would kill me to lose her now.”
Dr. Benjamin gave him a warm smile. “I’m glad you found your one.”
“Bring her back to me,” Alex said; pleading crept into his voice.
Dr. Benjamin gave a firm nod. “I will. I promise.”
“Where is she?”
Alex stood up at the sound of Red’s voice. Two seconds later, Siale’s father burst into the room.
“My little girl,” he exclaimed. The man dropped to his knees beside the bed. He looked up at the doctor. “How is she?”
Dr. Benjamin’s tone became purely professional. “She has experienced severe trauma to her stomach. My colleagues tended to her wounds and gave her a blood transfusion. Time is now our ally.”
“Is there anything else you can do?” Red pleaded.
It broke Alex’s heart to watch Siale’s father beg the doctor to save his daughter.
Dr. Benjamin shook his head. “We’ve done everything we can,” he said, his tone gentle. “Siale has survived life-threatening wounds before. She’s very strong; I feel like she’s going to pull through.”
Red turned his attention back to h
is daughter. Dr. Benjamin took it as a dismissal. He nodded at Alex and left the room to check on the other patients.
“She fought hard,” Alex said quietly.
Red looked up. His eyes, colored green and blue, softened at the sight of Alex. “Were you here?” he asked.
Alex nodded. He lowered his gaze. “I tried to save her, but I found her after she had already been attacked. She stabbed the cur with a knife.”
Red’s lips lifted in the smallest smile. “She’s always been feisty.” His smile faded when he looked at his daughter.
Siale’s face was as pale as the pillow case. Alex wanted to touch her cheek to make sure that she was still warm, but he didn’t dare in her father’s presence. Lyra brought in another chair and the two sat in silence, watching Siale and hoping beyond hope for her to open her eyes again.
Alex awoke with a start and found Mr. Andrews standing in front of him.
“Sorry, son,” Red said with an apologetic expression. “I asked if you wanted me to grab something from the lunchroom. Jaze stopped in and said it was open to the parents.”
“I’m okay,” Alex told him, touched by his concern. “Take your time. I’ll watch over her.”
“Thank you,” Siale’s father replied.
Mr. Andrews crossed to the door.
“Uh, sir?” Alex asked. When Red turned, he said, “If you hear about Trent, he’s a friend of mine who got hurt. I need to know he’s going to pull through. The not knowing is killing me.”
Mr. Andrews nodded with an understanding smile. “I’ll find out how your friend is doing.”
As soon as his footsteps disappeared down the hall, Alex was at Siale’s side. Her breathing was so shallow it scared him. He touched her arm, brushing her skin with the backs of his fingers as gently as a breath.
To his surprise, Siale stirred. “Alex?” she asked. Her eyes partially opened, but didn’t focus on him.
“I’m here, Siale,” he replied. He wanted to touch her, to reassure her, but didn’t know what to do to keep from causing her more pain.
She shook her head. “It’s not right. Something’s not right.” Panic touched her voice and she began to claw at her stomach, trying to pull off the bandages beneath her hospital gown. “Alex, they’ve got me! They won’t let go!”
Afraid that she was going to hurt herself further, Alex grabbed her hands. “You’re safe,” he tried to reassure her. “Nobody has you.”
“Yes, they do!” she replied. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “The bodies. They won’t let go. They’re pulling me down!”
Nausea rushed over Alex at the memory. “You mean the body pit?”
“Yes,” Siale said, her voice barely a whisper of fear. She grabbed his arm, her grip weak. “They won’t let go. Hold me, Alex. Keep me from them.”
Alex climbed on her bed and had her in his arms in a heartbeat. The moonlight from the window fell on his shoulders and back; he felt the soothing effects of the healing light. Alex held Siale to him the way he had in the body pit. “I’ve got you, Siale. I won’t let you go,” he promised.
She nodded, pressing her face against his chest as if she couldn’t stand the sight of the memories washing over her. “They keep holding on, Alex. What do I do?” Her hands shook as she clutched his arms.
Alex was afraid all of the movement had reopened her wounds. He held her close, remembering again the feeling of bodies beneath him, the stench clogging his nose and mouth, clinging to the memory. Her mother had been one of the bodies. He hadn’t found that out until later, and knew the horrors of the long hours they had spent there together had scarred Siale even deeper than himself.
“I can feel them looking at me, Alex,” Siale sobbed. “I’m supposed to be one of them. They want me to be one of them.”
“No,” Alex replied, his voice strong and filled with possessiveness. He put his forehead against hers. “They can’t have you. You’re my Siale. I’ll keep you safe.”
“You promise?” she asked, her voice feeble.
“I promise,” he replied.
She let out a shuddering breath and fell quiet, her body shivering with weakness. He didn’t know if she slept or if she was too weak to talk any longer. He couldn’t let her slip away to join the dead they had fought so hard to survive. His eyes burned at the thought of losing his love. He couldn’t say goodbye. He wouldn’t.
Thoughts of the body pit reminded him of what had helped her to pull through. She had asked him to talk, to do anything to distract her from the horror of their situation.
“When we’re out of the Academy, you know what we’ll do?” He paused, then forced a smile when he said, “We’ll go to college in a world where we won’t have to hide what we are. We’ll make it safe for the younger ones like William. He won’t have to grow up in fear.” He felt Siale’s shivering calm. He swallowed past the knot in his throat and continued, “We’ll be able to be whatever we want, doctors, scientists. Maybe I can finally find something I’m good at.” He could picture the smile she would have given him at the statement and hear her telling him that he was selling himself short.
Alex talked until his throat was so dry he couldn’t swallow, but he didn’t dare leave her alone. He rested his head back against the window and listened to the sound of her breathing. The steady rush soothed his thoughts. As long as she breathed, she fought to survive.
“Alex?”
He opened his eyes and found Red in the doorway. He realized his situation wasn’t ideal for Siale’s father. “She woke up,” he said, wondering if he should get up. “She was afraid...”
Alex moved to ease Siale down to rest on the bed, but Red shook his head. “You should stay there. She looks a bit better. I think she needs you.” He touched her forehead. “She’s not as pale as she was before.”
Alex looked at Siale, hoping her father’s words were true.
Red gave him a small smile. “Thank you for taking care of her.” He held out a cup of water. “You looked like you could use a drink, so I brought one back for you.”
Alex shifted Siale carefully so that he wouldn’t jostle her and reached for the cup. “Thank you very much.”
“Healing takes a lot out of you,” Siale’s father said, sitting back down in his chair. “Take it easy so you don’t get sick.”
Alex nodded, forcing himself to sip at the water instead of gulping it down like he wanted to.
“I asked Jaze about your friend Trent,” Mr. Andrews said.
“How is he?” Alex asked anxiously.
Red smiled. “He’s awake and talking. Jaze said someone named Jordan wouldn’t leave his side. He said she pretty much pulled the boy through with her strength of will.”
Alex smiled back, tension easing from his shoulders. “Good,” he replied. “That’s really good. Good for him.”
Silence settled between them.
Red eventually ran a hand through his brown hair. He let out a small sigh. “It’s all regrets.”
“What is?” Alex asked after a moment of silence.
Red shook his head. “It’s so easy to regret simple decisions, like letting Siale come here, or leaving Siale and her mother and going to work the night the General stole them away. I always wonder what would have happened if I had stayed home that night.” He waved his hand to indicate Siale’s condition. “What if I never let her come here? She might not be in this bed.”
“She’d be safe,” Alex replied quietly. He was the one who had begged Siale to come to the Academy. So much had happened that he blamed himself for. He felt like he couldn’t take anything else at the moment and still stay sane.
“It’s easy to regret,” Red continued, his voice understanding, “But eventually we have to realize that there will be consequences to whatever actions we take. Life happens. Siale wanted to be here, to be with you.” He gave Alex a small smile. “Every time we spoke on the phone or she sent me letters, you’re all she talked about. I couldn’t have kept her away from you.”
Alex asked t
he question swirling through his head. “What if she’s safer without me?”
“Sometimes safer isn’t always the right choice.” At Alex’s uncertain expression, Siale’s father gave an understanding smile. “I see it in your face, son. You carry the weight of all of this, but you’re just a boy.” Red sat back. “Why do you think I invited you and your friends to our place for the summer?”
Caught off guard by the change of topic, Alex said, “I’m not sure.”
Red smiled at him. “So you can be a teenager. After what I’ve seen on the news and heard from Jaze, you guys need a chance to just be kids, to make stupid mistakes, to stay up so late that you watch the sunrise the next morning. I saw it when you first came to the warehouse. You’re too young to carry so much weight on your back. You’re going to snap before you’ve had a chance to even live.”
Alex was quiet before he asked, “Are you sure you still want us there?”
Red replied in a wry tone, “What? You think the fact that having Extremists out to kill you no matter where you are might deter your welcome in my werewolf safe haven?”
“Yes,” Alex replied.
Red picked up the blanket at the end of Siale’s bed and set it around both of them. “I’m willing to take the risk. If Drogan finds you, he finds you, but we’ll be ready. At least you won’t be here in a school full of kids.”
The silence that settled over them was comfortable. Alex could feel Siale’s heartbeat strengthening. The scent of blood lessened as the night faded into dawn. Red leaned one elbow against the counter and fell asleep with his head at what looked like a very uncomfortable angle. Healing and everything else Alex had gone through had taken a lot out of him. He leaned his head back and let himself sleep knowing that he would awaken if Siale needed him for anything.
Chapter Eleven
“Rough night?”
A smile touched Alex’s lips before he even opened his eyes to see Siale watching him. Though she still looked pale, the brightness of fever had left her eyes and she gave a smile that was so welcome he wanted to cry. Forcing himself to keep his machismo intact, Alex returned her smile.
