“She’s coming to, hey, honey?” A kind voice asked.
I started to panic. It was uncomfortable, painful even. When my fingers made contact with the tubes, I yanked them from my nose and coughed as I pulled them from my mouth. Every breath I inhaled was more painful than the last and tore at my throat. Tears welled in my eyes but I didn’t care. Where was I? How did I end up here? Where’s my dad? Where’s my family? Looking around, I saw the nurse running towards me from across the room. She noticed me pull out the tubes. She grabbed my hands.
“Where’s my mom?” I croaked.
A look I could only identify as pity flashed in her eyes before she grabbed both of my arms. She looked me in the eyes and explained that there had been an accident.
“Okay…” I said and waited for the rest.
“Honey, your parents, and your sister… they all died on impact. You’re the only one who survived.”
I couldn’t hear anything. I-what? They… they died? My mom? My dad? Ava? I was too cold to cry. I couldn’t believe it. This couldn’t be true. How… how could they just be gone?
I reached out, I screamed, I thrashed. Two more nurses were called in and held me down. The first nurse injected something into my arm and I slowly lost control of my body. I went limp and they laid me down slowly on the bed.
“It’ll be alright, it’s going to be okay,” she said soothingly. “It’s going to be okay,” she said again as she looked into my eyes.
“The accident happened on Half Moon pack territory. Alpha Joshua and Luna Rose have taken care of everything. You’ve been out for a couple of weeks and we weren’t sure you were going to ever come too.”
My world crashed around me and I felt like my breath had been stolen from me. I hadn’t had any control of my body as I lay there. Dead? Gone?
The nurses left me and a few hours later when whatever they gave me wore off, she came back again.
“What am I going to do now?” I whispered when I saw her.
“Oh honey, Alpha Joshua has informed us that you are to be cared for as a pack member. Don’t you worry yourself! He has taken care of your medical bills and I’ll let him know you’re finally awake!”
Her eyes glossed over as she mind-linked someone. I hadn’t seen a mind-link since I was a kid and it was almost weird to witness. Her pupils were covered by a white fog. I looked around the room and noticed flowers on my bedside.
When the nurse ended the mind-link, “Who bought me flowers, Nurse?” I asked.
“Oh! The twins. They just turned 14 and her daughter Mavy has been visiting you. I think the two of you will get along.”
As if we conjured her, the door opened and a black-haired girl peered in. “Hey! You’re awake. Thank goodness, I was worried you’d sleep for the rest of the year” She bounced in with a big smile on her face like we had known each other for years. She’s got black hair and gray eyes and dimples poking both sides of her cheeks.
I didn’t have the strength to smile or reply. I look away from her and stare at the wall. I didn’t know what I’d do back then, where I’d go… I was just a kid. The lump in my throat was too hard to swallow.
The girl didn’t say anything more until she left but then she came back. Day after day until I had grown used to her visits.
One day she had brought more flowers and was talking about her day again.
“…. Thanks for the flowers,” I said.
She looked around the room, not knowing who was talking. She turned back to me, “Was that you?!”
I nodded.
“Oh my gosh! So you can talk! I’m glad you like them! I wanted to bring something to brighten your room up. Shane helped pick them out. He’s my brother.” She smiled.
“So mom and dad say you’ll be staying at the packhouse with us! I’m so excited to show you around. You’ll most likely be going to school with us too.”
Mavy and I sat and she talked for the rest of the afternoon where she filled me in on herself. This time, I listened.
She told me she was in the 8th grade and will be going to Trenton High next year. The Half Moon pack had been peaceful and had alliances with most of the surrounding packs.
She told me about the packhouse and how big it is but warned me about her dad’s OCD. “Fair warning, everything has to be perfect 100% of the time. My room is my own but the packhouse doesn’t have a speck of dust.
The other pack members are okay. When we initiate you into the pack, you’ll be able to talk to everyone. Was it hard being a rogue?” She asked.
I thought of my parents and felt sad again. I thought I would cry but nothing came out, “No…”
She stared at me and decided it was better to move on. “Did you like anyone where you came from?”
“No… we stayed to ourselves. I didn’t have time… to think about boys.” I told her.
“Well, I’ve been friends with Trent, he’s my next-door neighbor since we were in diapers. He’s my dad’s Betas son and puberty have treated him well.” She blushed, “He’s just a friend but he’s pretty, like prettier than me.”
“We grew up making mud pies together. He’s obviously just a friend…” she said super fast. I smiled at her and nodded.
I made a note to myself, that Trent is off-limits. She smiled and grabbed my hand, “I know that you’re not in a good place right now but just know that I’ve got your back.” Her words made tears come to my eyes and I smiled and nodded. I felt a little better knowing I’m not completely alone in the world.