Chapter Eighty-Eight - Willow

When I woke, everything was bright.

A sterile, cold room surrounded me. The chill of a doctor’s operating table was beneath me and sent goosebumps up my body.

I blinked away the sleepiness and tried to push myself up but a warm hand touched my shoulder. Chase stepped over and looked down at me. There were heavy circles beneath each of his eyes. “Where am I?”

“We’re still in the infirmary at the courts. How do you feel?”

I thought about it, pushing back the pain and attempting to gather how I felt. Pain shot to my back when I tried to move. “Don’t try to do too much, Bunny. You’re still healing. He got you good.”

Memories of what happened to me raced in my head. The monster had slashed me twice in the same spot. I remembered Chase carrying me up to the infirmary and then everything went black.

“How long has it been?” I asked.

"Two days.”

I closed my eyes and a tear fell from me. “Did they find Patch?”

He rubbed a soothing circle against my shoulder. “Yes. He was halfway to Mexico but they found him, and brought him back for trial.”

I groaned when I attempted to move. “Don’t. Let me go get the nurse.”

He left me on the table and several minutes later, he walked back in with a she-wolf. She had hurried footsteps and rushed over to me. “I’m so glad you’re awake, Ms. Willow. How is your pain level?”

“One to death?” I asked. “Death.”

She chuckled, and moved an IV I hadn’t realized was in my arm around. “I’m giving you more morphine. It should hit you very soon. Besides the obvious, your back, do you have any more pain?”

“My head.”

“That’s probably from sleeping for two days. We need to get you onto your side so you can drink. Chase, do you want to help me?”

Chase’s strong hand eased me onto my side and pain erupted into my back. I winced and bit back the electricity shooting down my body. Not the good kind.

He stood behind me to help prop me up. “I may have to hold her, she doesn’t seem to have good balance.”

“That’s okay,” she said. “I’m Missy,” she told me. “I’m your day nurse and I’m so happy you're awake. Here is a bit of broth I want you to drink.”

I didn’t want broth. I was sure my stomach had never felt emptier than it did at that moment. I wanted a big, juicy, burger “Can’t I have something else?”

“Let’s start with this and we’ll go from there.”

I sucked the chicken broth into the back of my throat like a champion. “How about a burger?” I asked.

She chuckled. “I’ll go down to the kitchen and see about—“

“No roofies this time,” I suggested.

Missy looked at me confusingly but nodded. “Sure thing. A big burger, roofie free.” She hurried out of the room, and Chase bent down close to my ear.

“What do we know? Did Mrs. Young elaborate on what was happening?”

Chase stroked my shoulders and neck softly. “She had been suspicious for a long while. Patch had been taking some of the rogues and wolves that broke severe laws and experimenting on them. He had some type of elixir and injected them with it. There were around fifteen of those beasts in the tunnels.”

I cringed. Thankfully we’d only encountered two of them.

“What’s going to happen to them?”

“There is no going back from the elixir. She is going to hold a meeting with the other regions about putting them down. It’s no life to have for them.”

I closed my eyes and imagined him injecting me with some elixir. He’d wanted us because we had powers. Did he want an army? Or hybrids? I wasn’t sure which one, and frankly, I wasn’t sure he’d tell us the truth.

“Did my dad go home?” I asked.

“I think he went down to grab something to eat. Mrs. Young says as soon as you’re healed, we’re good to go back home.”

I couldn’t fathom going back home without the feeling of being followed or hunted. “Patch can’t escape can he?” I asked.

Chase put one hand on my shoulder to steady me and walked around to look at me. “Patch is never getting out of prison for this. If they don’t decide to kill him, that is. We’re safe. This is it. You heal and we’re gone to live our lives as normal Alpha and Luna.”

I chuckled. “You mean this isn’t normal? Kicking butt and getting beat up by deranged wolves?”

“Afraid not, Bunny,” Chase said, winking at me.

Someone knocked on the door and I watched Mrs. Young walk into the room. She looked more down to Earth today with jeans and a button-down on. “Missy informed me that you’d woken. I’m so happy to hear that. How is your pain?”

“I can feel the medicine kicking in. It’s better. I’m just starving.”

She smiled down at me. “I want to speak to you about something before I head with Patch to the national courts.”

“What’s that?”

“You were sent here because you were fighting rogues, correct?”

I nodded, feeling this wasn’t the time to toss a punishment on me. I was near death two days before and I still felt it.

“Yes,” I said.

I met her eyes, waiting for my punishment, when she smiled at me. “I’ve spoken with the other members of the court in this region and we’ve agreed to allow female warriors.”

My heart stalled in my chest. I watched her face, praying she didn’t change her mind and yell fooled you at me.

“You’re serious?” I asked.

Mrs. Young stepped over and put her palms on the bed next to me. “You’re an amazing warrior, Willow. You went after that lycan without a second thought. The woman you saved had nothing but amazing things to say about you. Chase, too. He agrees you’re better than half of the wolves on his team. We want you to heal, and train to become the first Warrior Luna in your region.”

I tried to fight back the tears but they rolled down my cheeks. Chase wiped them away and kissed my cheek softly. “You deserve this, Willow.”

Mrs. Young pulled out a folder and put it to the side. “This is the signed documentation allowing female warriors to fight. Inside is also a bravery certificate for you. Because I’ve never met a more brave and confident she-wolf in all my years.”

I laughed and a blubber came out with it. “Thank you.”

She walked over and kissed the top of my head. “You rest up, and when you get back to your pack, I want regular updates on your training with the warriors.” She stepped toward the doorway and stopped. “And you let me know if anyone has a problem with it.”

I smiled as she left the room.

Chase bent down beside me and stroked my cheek. “Are you happy?” he asked.

“I’m stunned. I can’t believe this is happening. It’s all I’ve ever wanted in my entire life.”

“Now you have it,” he said.

The doors to the room opened and Missy rolled a tray with a burger and fries toward me. Chase grabbed the burger and brought it to my mouth.

I took a big, unladylike bite and moaned. “Oh, thank you so much. This is magic.”

Missy walked over, checked my temperature, and moved the bandages around on my back. “Has the medicine kicked in yet?”

“Yeah, I’m starting to feel better. Thank you.”

“I put water on the tray for you. If you need caffeine, have Chase grab you some coffee from downstairs soon. Or a soda. I’m heading to catch up on my paperwork. Call if you need me.”

She left us alone and Chase fed me a fry. “I could get used to this,” I mumbled.

He chuckled. “I’ll feed you whatever you want me to feed you, Bunny.”

“Thank you,” I said over my bite.

He furrowed his brow. “For what?”

“For being you. I never thought about submitting to a man like this, but I truly feel like I could trust you with my life. I appreciate you for taking care of me and loving me when I’ve been a complete pain in the butt.”

He leaned down and placed his forehead against mine. “You are definitely a pain in the butt.”