Quit being a wise ass, Janice.

~Alexander~

It's been a little more than twenty four hours since Alexander's mother had a stroke and the woman is still unconscious. They had been able to see her all through yesterday. Watching her lay there with a dialysis machine, potions infused into her drip and a tube attached to her mouth felt like a dream. Even now as he comes out of one of the hospital bathrooms, showered and in new clothes, it still feels like a dream. A terrible nightmare that he would wake up from at any moment.

Daisy had been calling him for most of last night and this morning. He doesn't know how she got his third personal number but he couldn't bring himself to answer her. He just found himself staring at the caller ID all twenty seven times she called him. He knows avoiding her is not the right thing to do but he really doesn't want to tell her his mother is in critical condition. That would involve accepting that such a strong woman isn't indestructible after all.

Alexander jolts, pulling out his second phone when it rings. Checking the caller ID, he heaves a sigh of relief when he sees it's his secretary, Cassandra and not his mate. Swiftly picking up the call, he starts exiting the bathroom area. "Talk to me."

"Mr. Delacroix is not happy you won't be able to make it for his daughter's birthday," she says.

Alexander sighs. Just as he suspected. The old man is the one person after him that has the highest shares in the company. The human is always gifting Alexander with expensive tea brands for vitality and subtly suggesting that he marry the man's daughter, Clarisse. Two months prior to this birthday, Alexander had already gotten an invitation. He had planned to honour it to maintain a good business relationship. Hell, he already has a gift for the girl but now he can't go for obvious reasons. "Tell him it's a family emergency."

"I did," Cassandra deadpans, sounding mildly annoyed herself.

Gritting his teeth, he grips his phone as he climbs down the stairs leading to the second floor. "Tell him to go fuck himself," he says, ignoring the side eye a nurse gives him as he passes her for cussing.

"I'll send him a heartfelt gift and tell him you'll make it up to him as soon as you're off your leave. Got it, sir."

Is it him or does she sound mildly amused? "How's the branch opening going?" He asks, aware that his flight to Bulgaria next week is cancelled.

"Well. I'll fly in your place to close off loose ends and commission the opening."

"The project with Marques?" It was difficult to get that pompous French tech tycoon to sit for a single meeting.

"I've sent Carlos. You know that old man likes his humour."

Alexander can't imagine why. The guy's dad jokes are just predictable and annoying. "The charity-"

"I've got it all covered, Alexander," Cassandra says, dropping the formalities. "Focus on your mother. I'll fax you whatever you need to sign and keep you in on the loop."

Alexander sighs, rubbing his head when he feels slightly dizzy. It's in times like these he really appreciates his secretary's competence. "Thank you, Cass."

"Yeah, whatever," she hums, sounding dismissive.

"No, really, I mean it."

"Eh. You'll pay me double anyway and give me a very long leave."

Alexander chuckles. He can hear the smile in her voice at the suggestion. "I could pay you triple even but the leave..." He trails off, teasing.

She scoffs. "Let your mother recover first. I'll fight you for that leave if I have to."

He smiles when the line goes off, rounding a corner to the waiting room outside his mother's VIP room. He finds a familiar ginger biting her nails. "Aunt Mel."

The woman turns. "Baby," she says softly and walks over to hug him.

With a sigh, Alexander hugs her back and allows her to rub his back.

"I came as soon as I heard," she mutters into his shoulder.

"Which is late," Kathy grumbles, leaning on the wall by another hallway. She was the first out of all he threathened to arrive yesterday night. She must be coming back from the laboratory after doing her compatibility test.

Scoffing, Mel lets go of her nephew to face her sister. "Hey, I was half way through the Bahamas already! At least I'm here. Where's that bat shit crazy four eyed monster anyway?"

Alexander frowns. "Aunt Janice still isn't here?" He looks at Tremaine who's quietly sitting on a bench. The woman just shrugs.

"Nope," Kathy answers. Not a word from the bitch other than constant posts from China.

Alexander scoffs, pulling out his phone to dial the woman's number. The fuck is she looking for in China?

"What the fuck is she doing in China?" Mel huffs, voicing out his thoughts.

Kathy scoffs. "How the hell am I supposed to know?"

"She's not picking up," Alexander pulls the phone away from his ear as soon as the dial tone goes off for the third time without an answer. Opening up their personal chat, he starts typing.

'Aunt Janice, I swear to God if you don't pick up your phone, I'll post all your drunk videos on social media.'

"I swear to God, I'll strangle her when I see her."

I'm way ahead of you, Aunt Maine.

Reading through the text again he sends it. He rolls his eyes when his phone starts ringing in less than a minute. Picking up the call, he puts it on speaker.

"Calm your tits, boy," she yells over some loud booming music. "You don't have to go that far. What's with the disturbances?" From how the noise has died down, she must have moved from wherever she was.

"Disturbances?" Is she being serious right now? "My mother is in the hospital!"

"Is she dead?" She asks, sounding completely unbothered.

"Quit being a wise ass, Janice," Tremaine pipes up. "It's serious. She could die."

There's a long pause. "Shit," she lets out, finally taking them seriously. They can hear some shuffling and the music again for some time. There's some muffled voices before she speaks. "Which hospital?"

"Plexi Med-" Tremaine pauses, whipping out her phone. "I'll just text you the address."

They all hear Janice's phone ding. "Got it."

"Get on the first flight you can-" before Tremaine can finish, the brunette is already bursting out from a storage closet to her right.

Everyone jolts in shock.

"I'm here," she pants, holding three suitcases with her. She's clad in a short orange dress, her glasses askew as she approaches them.

Alexander can tell she just hurriedly wore that from the sunglasses still on her head.

"What the-" Kathy stutters, holding her chest. "Portal?"

They all got their answer when Janice grins.

Alexander shakes his head. Great. Black magic. Just what they need to add to their problems.

"You're still with that good for nothing witch boyfriend of yours?" Kathy stares at the brunette in utter disbelief.

Alexander can understand why. He doesn't know the full story because his aunts' refuse to talk about it at length and mostly because he's not interested in finding out about his aunt's failed love life. All he knows is that Janice was in a lot of trouble and almost died because of that bastard. He remembers his mother mobilizing his aunts, seeking the help of their pack seer and soldiers. Whatever it was, it was serious back then. Yet, here the woman is, making the same mistake all over again.

Oh his mother is going to be so pissed when she finds out.

"Of course. How do you think I got to China?" The brunette wiggles her brows, having the audacity to smile while saying that.

"Called it!" Mel yells, turning to Kathy with her palm out. "Pay up."

They bet on it?

Blinking, Kathy places a hand on her chest. "Rina's in the hospital, Mel."

"Yes and you're perfectly fine so you can give me my money," the ginger deadpans, unaffected by the woman's dramatics.

Tremaine rolls her eyes and goes back to ignoring everyone.

Alexander shakes his head. He can't say he's surprised. "Have you gotten tested, Aunt Mel?" He asks, refocusing their attention on the matter at hand.

The ginger shakes her head, grabbing Kathy's arm so she doesn't make a run for it. "Not yet."

"Go with Janice," he says.

Janice frowns. "Tested for what?"

Mel sighs. "I'll explain on the way to the lab." Letting go of Kathy's arm, she narrows her eyes and points two fingers at her eyes and then Kathy's eyes before she leaves with Janice.

What is she, five?

"I can't believe she'd get sick like this," Kathy sighs, glancing at the room Sabrina is in. "I want to say serves her right for feigning sickness so often but I can't even bring myself to make jokes."

Tremaine glares at her. "You just did."

"Well, I'm not laughing about it, am I?" She defends. "Can we see her?"

Alexander nods. "Visiting hours start by 7:30am."

Kathy points to the wall clock opposite. "It's 7:40am."

"Oh." He blinks at the clock, his headache increasing.

Kathy eyes her nephew. "When was the last time you slept, kid?"

"He hasn't slept since he came in two nights ago. The fool's trying to breakdown too. Running around like a supercomputer on auto mode." Tremaine crosses her arms, staring him down when he gives her a look.

"You need sleep, darling." Kathy rubs his back. Going to sit at an adjacent bench, she taps her lap. "Come now."

Glancing at something glistening on her fingers, his headache all but disappears. "I'm fine."

They all look at his mother's room door when it slides open. A frantic butler rushes out with wide eyes.

It's almost comical how Tremaine and Kathy shoot off their chair to crowd the butler.

"Robert, what's wrong?" Tremaine asks.

"Is she dead?" Kathy gasps.

Alexander's heart jumps into his throat while Tremaine smacks Kathy upside the head.

The man shakes his head and lets out a happy laugh. "She's awake!"