I smiled at him. “Let’s go.”
He nodded as we both climbed out. We left the windows rolled down since the day was beautiful. Liam’s territory was secured, so I wasn’t worried anyone would try to take the Jeep.
I joined Nathan, taking his hand, our fingers intertwined.
We made our way toward the door when he spoke cautiously and softly, “If you need to cry, do it. Don’t hold it in; that will make it worse.”
All I did was nod, already choking up and not daring to say a word as the tears threatened. I had to be strong in front of Liam’s pack.
We walked into the hospital, where nurses rushed by, hollering and clenching clipboards to their chests. It was chaos in here, but we skillfully dodged them to reach the front desk. The nurse behind the desk worked away at a computer, typing fast, before noticing us and asking politely, “May I help you?”
I looked at her, smiling nicely. “We’re here to see Remos Miller. I’m his granddaughter, Alpha Dahlia.”
Her eyes widened as she sputtered, going through a stack of paperwork beside her. “Oh! Yes, my apologies. Alpha, his room number is 213. Here is the paperwork the doctor asked me to hand to you when you got here. Alpha Liam is awaiting your arrival.”
She pointed to an elevator to the right of us. “Go and head on up. He knows you’re here.”
I thanked her and grabbed the paperwork, moving toward the elevator.
Nathan squeezed my hand again; it comforted me as we walked into the elevator and pressed the second-floor button.
The closer we got, the more worried I became. What state would he be in?
CHAPTER 5
DAHLIA
THE ELEVATOR DINGED, signaling we’d made our stop. The doors opened as we walked out into the empty hallway, in search of room 213.
Grandpa’s room was located at the end of the hall. I hesitated at the door. I wasn’t ready to face whatever was waiting for me inside. I was scared, terrified of what my grandfather’s condition would be. My body tensed as every bad situation raced through my mind, giving me even more anxiety. I know I should be thinking positively, but there was a thin line between my anxiety and my positivity.
Nathan immediately noticed, squeezing my hand tighter. He twirled me around, straight into a tight hug. It comforted me, I wasn’t having the anxiety anymore, but my body didn’t relax. I couldn’t explain what I was feeling.
Nathan must’ve known, but he didn’t press me on the matter. He just held me until I was ready to let go.
“Thank you. You don’t know how much it means to me to have you here,” I told him, stepping away, as I looked up at him.
He smiled at me, leaning down to kiss the top of my nose. “I got you, Dahlia. Let’s go inside. We shouldn’t keep them waiting.”
I nodded, turning around to grip the handle firmly. I took a deep breath before grabbing the knob and walking inside.
In the large open hospital room, my eyes immediately landed on my grandfather. He was bandaged neatly on his neck and both wrists. He’d been connected to all sorts of machines, and the beeping they created must have lulled him to sleep. He peacefully rested, letting nothing bother him. With how much he had endured the last few days, he needed it.
Liam sat in the chair beside his bed, glancing up at us when we entered the room. I could tell he didn’t sleep much, his eyes showed so many emotions it made my head spin. He had dark bags under his eyes. He shot up, coming over to me and wrapping me in a hug. His embrace was warm. “When he was awake, he asked about you. All he talked about was how he couldn’t afford to stress you out. That he’d do anything to see you happy.”
I hugged him back, letting out a sigh of relief. “Thank you for sitting with him while I was away. I’m much better now, so you go and get some rest. Nathan and I will sit with him while you’re away.” We broke the hug, as he eyed Nathan, and then me, going back and forth a couple of times. I knew he wanted to ask, hell he could smell Nathan on me, but he kept it to himself. He smiled as he made his way out, closing the door gently behind him.
A few minutes after Liam had been gone, Nathan took my hand, leading me to the empty chair Liam had left behind. “What was that about?”
Taking the seat, I replied, my eyes never leaving my grandfather’s still body, “He wanted to ask about you and me. He knew I smelled different, but he didn’t want to make a scene. Don’t worry; Liam’s like a father to me. I tell him almost everything.”
He rubbed my shoulders, trying to help me to relax. “I don’t mind you telling him about us. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay with all of this. I know there’s a lot going on right now, so whenever you’re ready to announce it, I’ll be here.”
I tilted my head back to look up at him, I smiled as he bent down and kissed me gently. “I’m heading to go get some coffee. Do you want some? I’ll also ask a nurse to bring in an extra chair,” he asked, heading to the door.
I nodded. “Yes, I would love some. Thank you.”
He smiled as he headed out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Grandpa looked rugged and worn out. The wrinkles on his face had multiplied. It broke my heart. We had to find Grandma, and soon. I didn’t know how much longer he could go on, let alone myself.
I took his hand, gently holding it as the tears started to form. “It’ll be okay, Pop-pop. We’ll find her. I won’t stop or rest until we do.”
I felt his hand twitch in mine, perking me up. But he still wouldn’t open his eyes. My tears fell as a knock came from the door. “Alpha, it’s Doctor Reynolds, may I come in?”
I removed my hand from Grandpa’s, quickly wiping my eyes and answering, “Yes.”
Dr. Reynolds came in, gently opening and closing the door behind him. He was a tall man; a white coat loosely fit over his broad shoulders while his black slacks hugged his legs nicely. The blue shirt he wore was ironed and neatly tucked in. Walking over, he held out a hand.
I took it as he smiled. “Good morning, Dr. How is my grandfather?”
He waved a hand to me, motioning for us to move our conversa- tion outside. “I would rather not speak of his condition in his pres- ence. For your benefit and his.”
I nodded, getting up from my chair and bracing myself for the worst.
We stood outside the room, closing the door behind us. Dr. Reynolds looked down at his clipboard for a moment, just as Nathan made his way from the elevator and over to us.
“Here.” He handed me the coffee, looking between the doctor and me. “What’s going on?”
“Welcome back, Nathan. It’s good to see you again. The Alpha and I are about to discuss the Elder’s condition.” Dr. Reynolds spoke with a small friendly smile, but it quickly disappeared as he gathered his thoughts.
Nathan raised his eyebrows, stepping closer to me and wrapping a steady arm around my waist for comfort. I welcomed it, leaning into him.
He took a breath before beginning. “Well, once we got him here, we immediately had to give him a liter of blood. He lost a lot. He’s lucky to be alive right now. Since his mate is gone, his body is shut- ting down. We had to put him into a medically-induced coma to slow the process. The only way we can hope for his recovery is finding his mate. His vitals are fine, but his organs are shutting down. I’m sorry. I would also suggest keeping him here until his mate is found, so we can keep an eye on him.”
I didn’t have a response. My heart dropped. This just made it even more important to Grandma.
“Here, let’s find a seat,” Nathan whispered, taking me to a little sitting area down the hall.
As we walked, I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. I was numb. When we sat, all I did was look down at the coffee in my hands. I stirred the coffee, staring off into its magical swirl while trying to process everything.
Nathan sat beside me, sighing. He took my coffee from me, setting it on the coffee table in front of us before using his free hand to reach over and tilt my head up, placing his index finger under my chin to look into his emer
ald eyes. Something about them calmed my racing heart.
“You won’t do this alone. I’m here, and I always will be.” He kissed my cheek before continuing, “Drink your damn coffee before it gets cold, put on a brave face, and let’s return to your grandfather’s side.” His words encouraged me.
I shook my head, grabbed my coffee and stirred it once more before downing it. It burnt my tongue, but I didn’t care. Nathan did the same before standing and holding out a hand for me to take.
Back in room 213, they had brought in a second chair for Nathan. We sat down, silence between us.
I took his hand, my gaze never leaving Grandpa.
I MUST’VE FALLEN asleep because Nathan gently shook me. “Dahlia, Liam is here to relieve us. Come on, wake up.”
I stirred awake, stretching my body and taking a deep breath. Today had been emotionally taxing, and my body knew what I needed. Liam entered the room. The look on his face was of sadness, but his body looked refreshed.
Joining us, he spoke softly, “I am truly sorry about your grandfa- ther. I will be sure to keep in contact with you and will lend my assistance when you need it.”
I smiled at him, standing up to hug him. “Thank you for all you do. My pack, my grandfather, and I appreciate all the help we can get. I will keep you updated on any new information we receive.”
He hugged me back before pulling away. Staring between Nathan and me, Liam smirked deviously. Turning to Nathan, he held out a hand for my Beta. “You better take care of her, kid. If you hurt her, you’ll deal with me.”
Nathan laughed nervously, taking his hand. “Don’t worry about that. She’s in good hands.”
We said goodbye, leaving the hospital and thanking the staff as we went. Back in the Jeep, we buckled up as Nathan started the engine. It roared to life.
He turned to me for a second. “What are your plans now? We can go back to my place, or we can head back to the pack.”
“Let’s head to the pack. We’ve got to buckle down and figure out all this shit. I can’t be stalling anymore.” I shrugged, pulling out my phone and sending the Gamma a text as we backed out of the parking space and started down the road.
Eric, we’re on our way back. Should be there within the next forty minutes. Have the high-ranked wolves, and the warriors who had the patrols while I was absent, gather. We’re having a meeting. I want everyone to participate.
Yes, Alpha. Have a safe trip home. See you soon.
I reached down and placed my phone back into my purse before leaning my elbow against the window and putting my head in my palm. Nathan reached his free hand over to mine, gently holding it as he drove.
I breathed slowly. “We’re having a meeting when we return, so be prepared for information overload. I want all of our meetings recorded and written in paper, so we have copies of everything in case anyone is confused down the line.”
He nodded. “I’ll get onto that before the meeting, don’t worry. We will find your grandmother before any harm comes to her; I promise.”
I smiled. My Beta and Gamma were the best—they were perfect for their jobs.
WE PULLED UP to the house, where an Omega waited to take the car. I mentioned to him that my bags were in the back so that he could take them to my room after the Jeep was parked.
Nathan and I stood side by side as we walked up the stairs and into the house. Inside, the Gamma and my warriors waited.
They looked at me in anticipation, waiting for news of how Grandpa was doing. I filled them in on what the doctor had said, as they quietly listened. My explanation gave Nathan enough time to gather the recorder and the laptop from my room, so we could get this meeting started.
I stood in the kitchen in front of the table. “I will inform the Elders of this meeting when we are done. But for now, I want reports of the last few days. Anything you found, anything suspicious. Don’t you dare leave anything out, or you will be receiving additional assignments on top of your busy routines. Everyone understand?”
I looked at their faces. They didn’t object, just nodded and waited for me to continue.
Glancing at Eric, I tilted my head, raising an eyebrow. “Gamma, tell me what you found first.”
He nodded, raking his mind over what to say. Clearing his throat, he pulled out the map of the territory before beginning. “My patrols, both mornings, were on the north end of the territory. It was fine the first morning, but the second morning…” He pointed to a spot on the map, before turning and motioning for Olivia to join him. She held something in her hands. “We’ve found something that might interest you.”
Olivia handed me a box with a letter on top.
I took it, as Eric continued, “I felt you would want to be the first one to open the box, Alpha. But whatever is inside has a wretched smell.” He wrinkled his nose at the thought of the contents. All my warriors did.
I didn’t get the same reaction, thanks to not being fully shifted yet. I prayed to the Gods that they’d bless me with my wolf sooner, rather than later.
I opened the letter first, inspecting what was written.
Alpha, greetings, though I don’t think you remember me from our recent meeting. I’ve got a gift for you in this box. I hope you enjoy it. I’ve got one request: hand yourself over, and you can protect your pack, and your grandmother will be spared. You have one week.
You better come alone. XOXO
P.S. - There’s an abandoned warehouse outside of town, we’ll meet there—just you and me.
My blood was boiling now. I clenched my jaw as I dropped the letter and ripped the box open. Inside was a severed finger. The nail polish, the scent, and the dried blood made my head spin.
It was my grandmother’s.
IN LIGHT OF our recent package, Nathan and Eric left me alone to decipher what this whole thing meant. I had so many questions that I knew would only be answered at this meeting with the kidnapper.
Why did the Gods feel the need to throw everything bad under the sun at me? Especially with everything I was already going through, I couldn’t catch a break.
I had dismissed the others, questioning my choice of being alone with my thoughts. I had too much time on my hands, too many things could go wrong with this situation. We had to play it smart.
I got worried more and more about Grandma. Just this small amount of time being with the enemy was detrimental. Who knew what he was doing to her right now? My body shook with anger just thinking about it.
Setting the box back onto the table, I got up to freshen up just as my cell phone began to ring. I dug through my purse on the counter, following the sound of the ringtone until my hand closed around it
The ID read Nathan. Swiping the screen, I answered, “Hey, is everything okay?”
His laughter filled my ear. “Everything is fine. Meet me outside. I’ve got a surprise for you. And hurry up, time’s ticking.”
I rolled my eyes, mumbling under my breath, as I ignored what- ever he just said. “All right, I’ll be right out.”
Rushing to my room, I moved through my wardrobe, looking for something nice to wear. I grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a sweat- shirt, going to the bathroom to freshen up on my make-up before dressing into my comfy outfit.
Slipping my feet into a pair of boots, I checked my hair one last time, fluffing it a little before dashing out of the room, snatching my purse from the counter, and heading toward the door.
Outside, I locked the house, putting my phone into one pocket and my keys into the other, just as Nathan’s Jeep pulled up. Nathan hopped out, a smile on his face as he checked me out and held the door for me.
“Alpha.” He bowed his head, motioning for me to climb in. I nodded, getting in and buckling myself up.
Nathan rounded the front of the Jeep, climbing into the driver’s side before shifting gears and pulling away from the curb. “You look nice.” He sent a lustful glance in my direction then returned his focus to the road ahead.
I blushed, smiling lightly. “Thank you. So
, what’s on the agenda tonight?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “I can’t tell you that. But we’ll be there shortly, so relax.”
I scowled, shaking my head. “All right.”
It was no longer than ten minutes when we turned off the main town road, down a dirt path, and straight into the forest. The sun began to set, perfect for an afternoon outing. I was curious as to what Nathan had planned.
I rolled the window down, and the smell of campfire filled the air. As we drove through the forest, I stared into the tree line, noticing several animals dart through the wooded area. Coats of gray, brown, red and white blurred by.
I then realized what was happening. The bonfire came into view, dozens of wolves and people were gathered around. The aroma of BBQ made my stomach growl.
This was my pack, gathered together for a BBQ.
I turned my attention to Nathan as he parked the Jeep, my eyes beginning to tear up. “What is going on?”
He smiled, taking my hand. “The pack wanted to officially cele- brate the arrival of our Alpha. This is the first time they’ve had one. They wanted to get to know you better before things get too crazy.”
I wiped my face, as he removed his hand from mine before climbing out. At my door, he held out a hand for me. I set my purse down on the floor of the vehicle before getting out myself.
Closing the door behind me, he locked the vehicle, leading me toward the large group of wolves and humans combined. Everyone stopped what they were doing to bow their heads and say congratulations as we passed by.
Taking our seats at the front of the group, the Elders joined us. “Good evening, Alpha. Beta.” The Elders nodded one by one, taking their seats on either side of us.
I tore my gaze from the Elders, to stare out at every member of my pack. This was my first time meeting everyone fully; the Alpha ceremony hadn’t given me much time to sit down and visit with everyone.
Excitement radiated off everyone as they patiently waited for us to start. Nathan remained standing beside me, as everyone quieted down. “Good evening, Miller Pack. Are you guys ready to fully meet your Alpha?”
Rise of the Alpha (The Rise Series Book 1) Page 7
