42. That's Just Great
“Anything new?” Shane asks the nurse as soon as we step into the pack hospital.
It was a bit more active today than it was the night before, so I felt a little uncomfortable when people kept looking at me, more than likely wondering why I was with Shane at all. His phone starts ringing and after checking it, with a small scowl, he silences it and looks back to the young lady.
“It’s progressed further.” The lady behind the counter stated as she handed him a chart.
Shane quickly scans the documents and without another word races down towards the room that Derek was in. I didn’t hesitate to follow in after him. There were a few people already in the room with Dr. Starlite next to Derek’s bed, talking to Gamma Trevor and his wife.
Derek’s mother was already in tears as Trevor held her close to him, concentrating on what the doctor was telling him. Benji was sitting in a chair, holding Derek’s hand. His hair was mussed as if he kept thrusting his hands in it.
When we walked in, all heads turned to us. Benji suddenly stands up and rushes over to me, slamming me with a tight hug.
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! I royally screwed up back there.” He let me go, searching my face.
“It’s alright, it was an honest mistake.” Thinking back on it, I look over to Trevor and had questions on why he had lied for us.
Seeing my look, Benji takes my hand. “We need to talk.”
While the others were discussing Derek’s condition, he steers me out of the room and a little further down the hall, where we were all alone. It was clear he had something to say.
“So, what happened after I left?” He quickly asks.
“He wanted to punish me for being disobedient, but Shane freaking stepped in.” My voice was annoyed, since I actually was with him for doing that.
He frowns. “What did he do?”
“Took my place for the punishment instead.” I grouch out.
His eyebrows snap up at hearing that. “He’s taking your punishment for you? Why are you mad about that?”
“Because he shouldn’t have too! It’s my fault, not his.”
His lips turn a bit thin as he stares at me. I wanted to ask him what that look was for, but before I could he asks,
“What’s the punishment?”
I shrug. “How the hell should I know, he refuses to tell me and Alpha Spencer didn’t even mention it either.”
“Well, that sucks. When is it?”
“Day after tomorrow.” I felt dejected by the whole thing.
After a few heartbeats of silence, I ask, “How’s he doing?”
His entire atmosphere became grey with sorrow.
“Derek’s condition got a lot worse. Dr. Starlite says they need to go out and look for the source of the poison. She’s taking volunteers.”
He gives me a look that told me exactly what he was thinking.
“You’re going.” I state.
He nods his head. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing. Seeing him like that…” He looks away as his eyes became a little misty.
“I have do this. He’s suffering. Radolf is agitated and it’s making me feel anxious. He’s not able to contact Derek’s wolf. I told him it’s because of the poison, but he’s freaking out, making me freak out.”
“Okay, I’ll go with you-”
“No.” He says with conviction.
He sighs, his shoulder’s slumping at the disappointment on my face. He lowers his voice, “Look, Hazel never got the chance to shift into her wolf and I’m going to assume that you haven’t either.”
Oh. Right. About that…
“That’s…true. Actually, I…died…when I was seventeen, so technically I never even acquired my wolf.”
I wince at the choice of my words. It felt strange saying all that, considering that I was standing right here, well and alive, just not in my own flesh.
He frowns a little. “But you see her right? That’s what you mentioned anyways, which is still freaking weird by the way.”
I was nodding my head enthusiastically.
“But you still can’t shift…” He trails off as he thought for a few moments. “What if…what if you can only see her because technically, as you stated, Hazel’s eighteen, but your mind, your soul isn’t? You’re still your seventeen self-when’s your birthday?” he quickly asks.
Oh! Oh…oh shit. I have been so wrapped up in this being reincarnated thing and crazy happenings that I completely forgot all about my eighteenth birthday. What was today again? I think of it for just a split second as my eyes become huge at the realization.
“It’s May 6th.” I squeak.
His eyes widen too. “It’s that close? Okay, well, this will be interesting to say the least, but we’ll figure out where…” He suddenly goes quiet on me.
“What? What’s wrong?” I was beginning to freak out at the way he was behaving.
He swallows hard. “Well, it’s just…” He quickly looks around to make sure we were alone and that no one could overhear us. “You’re the daughter of an Alpha, so your wolf, wouldn’t she be like…”
Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no.
Her size, her scent…my scent will change once I obtain her. There was no way to hide that from everyone. Especially Alpha Spencer, shit, from Shane. What the hell was I going to do?
He sees that I start to hyperventilate and tries to calm me down. “Whoa, hey, it’s alright, we’ll figure this out. May 6th is still two weeks away, give or take.”
He starts to rub my back as I lean forward, placing my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. That was too soon. I wasn’t sure I’ll be ready by then to do what I came back here to do. Two weeks?!
“Want my inhaler?” He deadpans as he shoves his little medicated container in my face.
Seeing it, I suddenly start chuckling. Shoving it away, I stand back up to see him with a small smile.
“I promise, we’ll figure all this out.”
Taking a deep breath, I nod my head. We start to head back to the room as the others start to file out of it. Shane looks around with a slight worried look until he spots us and it turns into one of relief.
“Where did you guys go?” He asks as soon as he reaches us.
“We were just talking, what’s the verdict with the situation?” Benji quickly diverges the conversation.
“Dr. Starlite is taking her two trainees out to the forest tonight, I’ll be going with them.”
“As well as I.” Trevor comes up to us, looking highly worried. “We decided to go into groups of two. Benjamin, you’re with me.” With that he leaves us.
I look over to Benji to see him stiffen. He clears his throat, looking at the two of us. “Well, I guess that settles that.”
“Are you going to be okay?” I ask, seeing how uncomfortable he just became. It was Derek’s father after all. I wasn’t sure how much the guy knew about his son and the relationship between him and Benji, but he seems to take to him. I was curious.
“Yeah, I’m alright with it. It’s just, he’s Derek’s dad and well…” He rubs the back of his head.
“He knows that the two of you are mates.” Shane blurts out.
Benji flinches with the revelation of that. “That…actually explains a lot.”
“Talk for another time though.” Shane grabs my hand and drags me towards the doors.
“Hey, where are you taking me?” I ask in flustered confusion.
“Taking you home where you need to stay and for the love of the moon goddess Hazel, please, please stay inside until we get back.”
I wanted to argue, but the look Benji was giving me was also a look that broke no argument.
Ugh boys.