Across Enemy Lines

Chapter 10

Maribel brought me clothes that I quickly changed into. I pulled my hair back and got to work assessing the wounded. Due to the quick powers of healing that werewolves possess, many of the injured were already beginning to heal. The down side was that if someone had a broken bone and it healed wrong, it had to be rebroken to be set correctly.

The afternoon was filled with the shrill screams of men having their bones rebroken and set. Jared was leading those that were able in dragging the dead to the center of the yard so they could be burned, our way of sending them back to the Goddess. By the time I had seen the last warrior the sun was setting over the trees. I walked into the pack house and saw people holding those who had lost their loved ones. The echos of women and children wailing at the loss of their mate and fathers followed me up the stairs to my room. Exhaustion had long since set in and I was running on fumes. As. I entered my room, Jared lifted his head and rushed over to me to wrap me in the warmth of his arms. I felt numb and I was stilled covered in the blood of the rogues.

"Chloe, are you alright?" He lifted my chin. I gave him a dazed looked. I could feel his worry through the bond but I didn't have the energy to assure and comfort him. He sighed and lifted me in his arms and carried me into the bathroom, sitting me down on the counter. After turning the shower on, he began stripped his crud covered clothing off before turning to me. He gently began undressing me. When we were completely naked he picked me up and carried me into the shower with him.

The water running off of me was dark rust color, the smell a decaying metallic odor. Jared rinsed as much of the muck out of my hair and off my body as he could before massaging shampoo into my scalp. He was half way through rinsing my hair before he spoke.

"When we get out of here, you need to eat. Then we will go check on your dad."

"I'm not hungry."

"Princess, you gotta eat. It's not just you right now." I gazed up at him. His handsome face looked like it had aged ten years. I looked down as he rubbed conditioner through my dark locks. I grabbed the sponge on the spigot and squeezed some soap on it and began washing myself, then turning around and washing Jared. The wound on his back was no longer open but it was still bruised and red. I rinsed myself off and got out, wrapping a towel around myself. I walked in to my bedroom and sat down on the bed.

How had this happened? What were they here for?

"Chloe Lynn?" My mother's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"You're daddy wants to see you. Get on down to the hospital."

"I'll be there in just a minute, ok?"

"Alright... Are you alright?"

"No. Not really."

"Well, get on down here." The link went quiet about the time Jared walked out of the shower.

"Momma wants us down at the hospital."

"Us? Or you?" He was drying his hair and walking towards the closet.

"Jared, I can't do this alone." I felt the tears pooling in my eyes.

"I know, Princess. I just don't want to piss your daddy off more than I already have. Especially, with him in the state he's in now." He came out completely dressed carrying yoga pants and a t-shirt.

"Please, just go with me." He bent down and started putting my pants on. I stood up and he pulled them up before pulling my shirt over my head.

"Alright then,but if he gets upset I'm telling him it was your fault." He gave me a weak smile.

We walked down the stairs and all was silent. We went down to the hospital wing and saw my mother and brother sitting in the chairs that lined the hall way. Joey stood up and walked toward us, wrapping me in a hug.

"He was touch and go there for a minute but he's alright for now. That wolf tore a hole in his aorta or something. Maggie sewed it back up but he's gonna have to stay here a while." Joey wiped his nose. I looked up and saw that his face was red and his eyes were swollen.

"Oh, Chloe Lynn…" Momma hugged me tight.

"Is he awake?"

"He was but he dozed off a couple of hours ago. He wanted to see you but I told him you was takin' care of the pack." She smiled sadly at me. "How are you holding up Ms.Evelyn?" Jared asked. My mother sighed as tears streaked her face.

"I'm a tough old bird, I reckon I'll be alright." I glanced at Jared and he nodded knowingly. I rubbed Momma's arm before heading into my father's room.

My father looked so fragile as the sound of the heart monitor beeped steadily. His face was pale and his eyes were closed. Had it not been for the soft snoring I would have thought he had died. I sat down on the bed next to him and brushed his dark brown hair back away from his face.

"Oh, Daddy…" Tears cascaded down my cheeks in soft zig zag patterns. Thoughts of being in the hospital as a child came rushing back to me. I had broken my arm when i fell out of an apple tree in the groves before I got my wolf. Daddy never left my side.

"Why are there so many songs about rainbows

And what's on the other side?

Rainbows are visions, but only illusions

And rainbows have nothing to hide

So we've been told, and some choose to believe it

I know they're wrong; wait and see

Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection

The lovers, the dreamers, and me" I sang softly.

"I use to sing that to you when you was little." I looked up and my eyes met my father's electric green eyes, a soft smile on his face.

"Come'mere little one. It's alright. Shhhhh…" I climbed up in bed with my father, gently laying my head on his large chest.

"Daddy, I was so scared. I haven't ever been so scared." I cried quietly.

"I know. I know. But it's done and over now. Ain't no point in worryin' with it." He twirled my dark hair around his fingers.

"Daddy, why were they here?" I sat up and looked at him.

"I don't know, Chloe Lynn. I've been wonderin' that myself. One minute I'm sitting out by a tree, the next I'm gettin' throwed across the yard. I knew them rogues was gettin' ballsier, but I didn't think they'd attack the pack." He scratched his head.

"They didn't act like they were trying to find something?"

"Chloe Lynn you seen 'em! It was like they was out for blood or somethin'. They sure as hell got it. That's for sure. They was one thing they wasn't countin' on though."

"What's that?"

"You. Hell I wasn't countin' on you neither. I ain't never seen nothin' like it. You ripped that man's balls off. Then you tore out his heart… just like a woman… grabbin' a man by the balls before you rip his heart out." Daddy giggle and I gently slapped his arm.

"I didn't know what else to do, so I just grabbed what I could."

"But his balls? Damn. That's cold hearted." Daddy shook his head and shivered like someone had just poured a bucket of ice on him.

"In all seriousness though Chloe Lynn, you looked different. I can't explain how but you just looked different. You seemed bigger… scarier."

"Probably hormones." I shrugged.

"At any rate, I'm sorry it didn't seem like I was as excited as Momma was about the baby. I'm happy about it. The daddy I don't care for but I'm happy to be gettin' a grand baby." He smiled.

"Daddy, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, little one. Ask me what ever you want."

"What happened between you and Liam Black?"