The pups?

The pups?
Bella woke up in a bed that she didn’t recognise. She was lying on her side and there was something sticking to her back and something tight over her stomach. A constant beeping and thumping irritated her.

She forced her eyes open and looked straight at Graham that doubled over in a chair next to her bed. His head rested on the edge of the bed in what looked like an uncomfortable position. Bella smiled at the look of him. He looked peaceful as he slept, even though his beard looked dishevelled and his hair stood on its end.

Graham’s one arm encircled Bella’s leg and his other hand was holding hers. As she smiled, she couldn’t help but to reach out and brush her fingers through his hair, trying to tidy it up. She had missed him.

As her hand ran through his hair, he jerked and sat up, looking at her.

“Thank the goddess,” he mumbled, and bent over her and gave her a kiss that made every inch of her body tingle.

There was a desperation in the kiss that Bella had a hard time understanding at first. Then it came back to her, Devon, the chase, the pain in her back. Graham broke off the kiss and cupped her face with his hands.

“The pups?” she whispered. He smiled at her.

“They are fine. They didn’t like the shock of you getting hurt. But once you started feeling better, they grew stronger,” he told her and nodded towards her belly.

There was a belt strapped around her, connected to wires. They were connected to a monitor and Bella smiled as she understood that the soft thumping she had heard were their heartbeats.

“Betty?” she asked.

“Ellie, love, why are you always asking about others? You got hurt,” Graham grumbled.

“Well, I know how I am, and how the pups are. Now how is Betty?” she asked again. Graham shook his head and gave her a light kiss.

“She is in the next room recovering. She will have a nice scar over her chest, but she single handily killed the rogues gamma. If I didn’t have Logan, she would get the position of gamma,” he told her. Bella nodded.

“She can be my gamma,” she smiled.

“Sweetheart, isn’t Mickey your gamma?” Graham asked.

“Have you met him? I love him, but he doesn’t have a chance in a fight. No, Mickey is my stylist and advisor on everything and nothing. He’s the one that will keep me honest. Lotte is my beta, and that leaves the gamma. Betty will fit nicely,” she explained.

“Ellie, are you starting your own pack?” Graham smiled.

“No, I just like to have my own people. Sometimes we need two teams,” she said.

“Fine, you can have your own team,” he told her, kissing her.

“Will I have scars as well?” Bella asked. She thought that if Betty would have a scar, surely the wounds on her back would leave scars.

“No, the doctor says it will heal without leaving scars. You are almost healed. The claws made clean cuts,” Graham said, stroking her hair.

“Oh”

“Why are you sounding disappointed, Ellie?” Graham asked with a frown.

“Well, scars might have made me look more bad ass,” she confessed. Graham just stared at her and then shook his head.

“You are bad ass enough, love,” he told her and kissed her again.

“Wait, the wounds have almost healed? How long have I been out?” she asked.

“Almost two days. You had us really worried,” Graham answered, and Bella could hear the pain in his voice.

“I’m sorry, love,” she said, placing her hand on his cheek. Graham leaned into it.

“You look exhausted. Haven’t you been sleeping?” she then asked.

“How could I sleep when I didn’t know if you would wake up?” he said.

“Then come on and join me on this bed. I promise to stay awake so you can sleep,” Bella said. Gently moving backwards to make room for him.

“No, Ellie. I’m fine. There are too many wires that I could mess up. You rest and I’ll rest when you can come back home,” he told him.

“What are all these things?” she asked, looking at the wires.

“I don’t know, but I’m assuming they are important,” he said.

Bella frowned and mind linked Doc and asked him to come by when he had the time. It didn’t even take a minute for the doctor to knock and step into the room.

“Luna, you are awake. I’m happy to see that,” the doctor said.

“Thanks to you, I presume. Thank you for saving all three of us,” Bella smiled.

“No thanks needed, Luna. How are you feeling?” he asked as he started reading the monitors.

“Fine, stiff, but no pain,” she told him.

“Good, good,” the doctor said, placing a hand on her forehead while looking at Graham. Bella looked at her mate and saw him watch the doctor like a hawk. She could feel him holding back a growl.

‘Gray, relax, love,’ she mind linked him and took his hand in hers. She could see him relax a bit.

“No fever. This is very good, luna,” Doc said.

“I’m glad to hear that. When can I go home?” she asked.

“Wanting to leave us so soon?” he smiled at her. “I would say that you can go home tomorrow if you keep improving at this rate,” he said.

“Not today?” she asked.

“No, luna. We want to keep an eye on you a while longer,” he said.

“What are all these wires? Do I need all of them?” she then asked, accepting that he wouldn’t let her go home.

“Most of them can come off now that you are awake. Would you like me to remove them?” Doc asked.

“Yes, please,” she nodded.

Doc started working to remove the connections to Bella’s body. As he worked, he watched Graham, and Graham watched him. Something had happened between the two, Bella thought. She would have to get to the bottom of that.

“Would you like me to leave the monitor for the pups’ heartbeat?” Doc asked.

“No, thank you. If I get worried, I will call for someone. They sound healthy,” Bella said.

“They are two strong pups. You have nothing to worry about,” the doctor confirmed.

“Then you can take it off,” Bella smiled.

When he was finished, he excused himself and told them to let him or a nurse know if they needed something.

“Comme on up,” Bella said, patting the bed next to her.

“Ellie, I don’t know,” Graham hesitated.

“Gray, get your butt up in this bed now. It will do both of us good. I miss feeling your arms around me,” she said. Graham sighed and surrendered.

 He carefully sat down on the edge of the bed and laid down, trying to leave as much space between them as possible in the narrow bed.

“Okay, spill it,” Bella sighed.

“What?” Graham asked.

“Gray, you are almost falling out of the bed to avoid touching me. Something is up, what is it?” she asked.

“I don’t want to hurt you. You aren’t fully healed yet,” he confessed. Bella smiled at him.

“That’s sweet of you. But we can’t have you fall out of bed. Let’s do like this. I will scoot to the end of this side. You can lie down and then I’ll find a position that won’t hurt. Okay?” she asked.

He nodded and once he was on his back, safely on top of the bed, Bella smiled and dove in to lay half on top of him, her head on his chest and one of her legs across his, the way she always went to sleep.

“Ellie,” Graham protested.

“It doesn’t hurt, Gray. It feels amazing,” she told him, snuggling into him and enjoying his scent enveloping her.

“It does,” he sighed and nuzzled her hair. Bella felt him carefully wrap his arms around her.

“Is everyone else okay?” Bella asked after a while.

“Yes, they have been worried about you. Most of the time, at least one of our family members has been keeping me company, watching over you. But Lotte was driving me insane with her fussing, so I sent her away and told them to leave us alone for a while,” he said.

“Have you been grumpy and snapped at people?” she asked.

“You make me sound like a five-year-old, Ellie,” Graham objected. She smiled at him.

“If the shoe fits. I get it, Gray, on not upset with you. I just need to know so I know how many bridges I need to mend,” she told him.

“Most of them have been understanding. I don’t think they have taken offence,” he told her, running his fingers through her hair. Bella felt like purring.

“Except Doc,” she said. It wasn’t a question.

“He kept asking me to leave the room whenever he examined you. I agreed patiently the first times. Then I told him that wouldn’t happen anymore,” Graham told her. Bella lifted her head and looked at him.

“Fine,” he said, gently pushing her head back down.

“Bastian and Logan made me the first times, then I might have told him that if he kept trying to keep us apart, I would rip him limb from limb until not even the best doctor could piece him together,” Graham confessed.

“Gray!”

“No, Ellie, he was coming between me and my injured mate. I held out as long as I could,” he said.

“Gray, I don’t know if you know this, but you are an intimidating man. I often forget it myself, as you are more like a cuddly teddy bear to me.”

“Hey,” he interrupted her.

“Well, you are. But you intimidate others. Doc was just trying to focus on his work rather than being worried about you,” she explained to him.

“I still didn’t like it,” he muttered.

“I know,” she smiled and kissed his chest over his heart.

“But after you have apologised to him, things will be better,” she added.

“Ellie, I won’t…” Graham started.

“Gray, he saved my life and the lives of our pups. He will be delivering our pups. I’m not having you intimidating him so that he can’t work,” she told him.

“Fine, I’ll apologise,” Graham sighed.

“Thank you. Now go to sleep. I’ll stay awake for you,” she said.

“I love you, Ellie,” Graham said. Bella could hear all the unspoken feelings behind the words.

“I love you too, Gray,” she said. She could feel him relaxing and falling asleep. She smiled and enjoyed being in his arms again.

A while later, there was a soft knock on the door, and it opened enough to let her father stick his head inside. Bella smiled at him and motioned him to come closer. He smiled back at her, but she could see that he looked tired and had a haunted look to him.