Lessons in Love

Chapter 52: Where is Rick?

POV: Beta Ben Westlake

I would never be able to sleep in a bed alone again, I mused as I fixed my tie and headed for my kitchen. I tried to mind-link Rick, but he must have been sleeping. I grabbed an apple from the counter and bit into it as I headed out of the suite. I went next door and rang the bell. Rick needed the sleep, I thought, as I rang it two more times. I pulled my keys out of my pocket and let myself in.

I saw his bedroom door was slightly open, and I called out to him. “Rick?” When he didn’t answer, I pushed the door open slowly. The bed was pristinely made. If he wasn’t sleeping here, where the hell was he? I headed out of his suite and up the stairs. I knocked on the door to his office and tried to turn the knob. The door was locked. I knocked again, harder this time, hoping to wake him as I fished out my keys again.

I swung the door open. “Rick, you ready …” my words died on my lips. There was a smell of whiskey filling the room. My father’s whiskey at that. I smelled vomit, too, but everything paled in comparison to the photos strewn across the floor. I knelt to get a better look. I gagged at the sight of John and Crista’s dead bodies. My hand shook as I picked up one of the pieces of paper. It read simply, ‘This is all my fault’.

“Rick?” I yelled loudly. There was no way he would have hurt himself. No way he would have tried to kill himself. I was suddenly very angry. No, I realized as I stood up. Riley was angry. Whatever was pissing her off would have to wait.

“Rick?” I yelled again and felt a throbbing in my chest. It wasn’t Riley. Somehow, I knew the pain wasn’t about her. It felt like … like a packmate dying. “RICK!” I screamed. I followed the smell of whiskey to the bathroom. That door was locked, too. I kicked it as hard as I could, and it flew open. Rick was laying shirtless on the floor, a small amount of blood pooled and drying next to his head. The shower was on, but the water had run cold. There was broken glass everywhere, and the stench of whiskey made me choke.

I dropped to the floor next to him, gently turning his head to examine the wound. It didn’t look too bad, there wasn’t much blood on the floor, I had to believe that was secondary. I leaned in close to his face as I tilted his head back. He wasn’t breathing. My hands started to shake as I checked for a pulse. I couldn’t find it in his neck or wrist. I pressed my ear to his chest and didn’t feel anything. I started CPR. I mind-linked with the doctor to get to the Delta’s office and then focused on Rick.

“Come on,” I grunted, realizing he still wasn’t breathing. “Stay with me.” I begged through the compressions.

“Goddess, please.” I mumbled the sad excuse for a prayer out loud before breathing into his open mouth. I tasted and smelled the whiskey. It made it hard to breathe. My arms felt a little stiff, but I knew I couldn’t stop. I had to keep going. I couldn’t give up on him. He had never given up on me. I said it over and over in my head as the tears started down my cheeks.

The doctor and her team came into the office, and I yelled for them to come to the washroom. One of the medics took over for me, another grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door. I practically stumbled into the office. I scrubbed my hands over my face and through my hair, wiping away the tears as I did. I was in complete shock. I heard a strange noise, like the whine of an electric charge. I peered around the doorframe in time to see them shock him.

My reaction to it was strange. My whole body went rigid, like I had been given a shock. I felt completely numb, and I questioned whether or not I was breathing. I honestly couldn’t tell. The next thing I know, the doctor is rolling Rick on his side so the medics can get a board under him to carry him out of the small space to the gurney. They started rushing off, and I started to follow when I felt a hand on my arm.

“Beta Ben,” Dr. Morris said softly. “You just saved his life.” She gave me a gentle smile before following her people out. I stood there a moment to make sure they was gone before I calmly walked back into the bathroom, dropped to my knees in front of the toilet, and threw up. The bits of apple felt like stones coming back up. I flushed the toilet and rolled off my knees, sitting on the floor with my back against the vanity.

I reached out to Sam through the mind-link. “Sam, I need you in Rick’s office.” I gagged again and pressed a shaking fist over my mouth. “It’s bad.” I whispered.

“I’m on my way.” He said firmly.

I pulled my knees up, resting my elbows on them, and covered my face with my hands. I started to cry. There was no stopping it. The fear and pain of nearly losing my best friend suddenly registered fully, and I wept into my hands. I felt a sharp pain in my side, along my ribs. I flinched from it, like someone had hit me. Not me, I suddenly realized, someone had hit Riley.

“f**k!” I clamored to my feet and ran toward the door.

Sam’s voice was suddenly in my head. “Ben, George is in the high school.”

“Stay there. I’m on my way.” I growled as I ran down the stairs. I skidded to a halt on the second-floor landing as five of our warriors stood at my suite door with a battering ram. “What the hell are you doing?” I demanded.

“Sir, the Alpha demanded we arrest you and your mother for treason.” One of them said. I could see none of them believed in the orders they’d been given, but I also knew they wouldn’t betray their Alpha, no matter how crazy he was.

“We all know that’s a lie.” I said firmly. “He’s at the school right now attacking Ms. Campbell and her students for all I know.”

“What?” Another man questioned angrily. “My daughters are at the school right now.”

“Then let’s deal with that first.” I demanded.

“Sir,” the first warrior said. “We can’t disobey the Alpha’s orders. Those of you with daughters go now to the school, protect your families. Beta Ben, please, come peacefully.” Two of the warriors took off running.

I felt a sharp pain in ribs again. “No,” I said firmly, moving toward the stairs. “And there’s no one in my suite. Check my parents’ house if you’re looking for the Luna. Check the basement.” I said and ran down the stairs. I ran all the way to the school. Sam wasn’t anywhere to be found. I ran up the steps and threw the door open. I could smell my father, but he wasn’t in the foyer. Sam was in shredded clothing, kneeling over Riley. I smelled blood.

“Where is he?” I demanded. Almost unable to control my need to shift into my wolf. I pulled at my tie, getting ready to shift.