Across Enemy Lines

Chapter 7

I woke up in a white room to the beating of a heart monitor. Something warm and heavy was stretched out across my chest. I looked down to find a rather large arm draped across me. I followed it up to shaggy dark brown hair. I ran my fingers through the soft feather like strands. The body stirred slightly so I continued stroking his hair gently. Finally, he lift his head and smiled drowsily.

"Hi." I whispered.

"Hi." He said. We sat in silence. Staring at each other for a while.

"Are you alright?" I began frantically searching his body for injury.

"Hey! Hey! Easy there princess. I'm fine see. Not a scratch." Jared smiled gently at me.

"But I heard it. Your bones break."

"Yea. And bones heal." He stroked my cheek soothingly. I felt something that felt like a gas bubble move around in my stomach and had a sudden urge to urinate.

"Hey, I need to pee." He smiled knowingly.

"Well, let's get you up shall we?" I pulled back the covers and grabbed his hand. I swung my legs over the side of the bed.

"I feel heavy."

"Well, yea… that's going to happen."

"Why? Why would that happen?" I felt uneasy.

"Chloe, have you looked down?"

"No, why would I look-" I looked down and saw a round tummy where my flat one use to be.

I woke up pouring sweat in the hospital bed. I looked down and my stomach was flat once more. I sighed in relief. I looked around and I was alone. The sound of the heart monitor beeping steadily, letting me know I was alive. I pinched my arm just to confirm I was indeed awake before I swung my legs over the side of the bed and removed all of the wires from my chest. The monitor began to sound so I switched it off and left the room.

I wondered down the hall and heard fussing in the surgery theater.

"You've gotta find where he's bleeding from."

"Don't you think I f*****g know that, Carl?"

"I'm just saying, Maggie."

"Just hold his rib back… get the clamp. Don't pull it do hard or you're gonna break it off! More suction… and there. Got it. Carterizer. All right a little more. Thats it. Close him up. I'm gonna go check on Miss Chloe." The smell of burning flesh wafted through the hall as the theater doors swung open and an older woman with graying blonde hair was removing her head dress.

"Oh! Miss Chloe, you're up. You gave us all a scare for a minute." She smiled kindly at me.

"Who's in there, Maggie?" I asked. She looked nervous.

"Let's go lay down Miss Chloe and get you som-"

"Tell me who's in there right now!" I boomed using my alpha voice. She bared her neck.

"It's Mr.Black."

"Is he ok?" My heart began to race.

"Miss-"

"Tell me if he's ok!"

"I don't know! He hemmoraged. He was bleeding into his abdomen. I found and repaired the problem but now we have to just wait and let his wolf do the rest."

"Where's Momma and Daddy?"

"Upstairs."

"I want Jared put in my room for recovery."

"Yes, Miss Chloe. " I turned and made my way up to the main house.

"We are a pack and we decide things as a pack. Now, I know he's Chloe Lynn's mate but he is the enemy's son. We will put it to a vote." I heard my father say.

"Joseph Wood! Like hell you're putting it to a vote! He is Chloe Lynn's mate. The Goddess chose him. He's staying right here."

"Evelyn, this is not a black and white matter. We all remember what Liam did."

"So, what? The sins of the father, are the sins of the son? No Joe. We ain't doin' that." I smiled at my mother's willingness to let go of the past.

"Evelyn, I won you and then that bastard took Mary. He took Mary. After that boy was born he killed Mary."

"Joe, you don't know that. He was your best friend. Do you really think he would kill marry? I don't."

"Oh? You don't think so? Then why ain't we heard from her?" Silence fell over the great hall. I walked in.

"Chloe Lynn! You're awake!" Momma ran up and hugged me close. "You cain't scare your momma like that. I thought I lost you."

"I'm sorry Momma. Daddy, we are not discussing Jared's place here. He is my mate. I have decided to step up and take my place. Jared and I will lead this pack as the next alpha and luna." Whispers echoed through out the hall.

"Oh Chloe Lynn! I'm so proud of-"

"No." Momma turned to Daddy.

"What?"

"I said no. A Black will not rule my pack. Not now. Not ever." My father got up and walked out the back door. My mother frowned at the door then turned to me with a bright smile.

"Don't worry about him. I'm so proud of you Chloe Lynn. I've waited for this day for so long." Momma's eyes misted as she stared lovingly at me.

"You heard what Daddy said."

"Forget what Daddy saids. Our pack will be the best and the strongest with you and Jared leading us. Joe may not see it right now but he will. Plus, I think his mind will change soon enough." She said, winking at me. I was just about to ask her what she meant when Ramona came up and hugged me.

"You're a werewolf? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ramona, why on Earth would I tell you that?" I stared at her.

"Because I'm your best friend? Because we've known each other for a long time. Because you love me?" I sighed.

"Where's Nicholas?"

"With Joey. Oh Nicky just loves him. Can you believe it? Mates. I had no idea that was a thing."

"Wait, what?"

"Mates it's thing. A were wolf thing."

"I know. I'm a werewolf. What do you mean mates? Who's mates?" I started looking around.

"I am. Joey's my mate. He told me yesterday. He was going to bring me to meet his family but then some wolf was dragging a man outside. Then the man turned into a wolf and I fainted. That was embarassing." She giggled.

"Ramona, stop. You're mated to my little brother?" I was shocked.

"Yes! Isn't it great? We are like sisters now! We should go shopping. Sisters go shopping right?"

"Ramona… just hold that thought ok. I need to find Joey."

"Oh he's outside with your dad." She smiled brightly.

"Oh. Ok. Thanks." I turned and walked outside.

"Can you believe she wants to rule this pack with that kid? The nerve of her. She didn't even want to be a part of this pack for years. Now she wants to come in and take over?"

"Dad, she's not trying to take over the pack and we don't know Jared. Maybe we should give him a chance. He might be a good guy." My father snorted.

"A good guy? Anything that comes from Liam Black's nut sack is not good. He's a murderin' asshole like his daddy. Did you see what he did to that poor boy yesterday? Punched clear through him. No. He will not run this pack. Not as long as I'm breathin'." I turned around and went back inside. I avoided the pack and slipped down the hall and up the stairs to my room. I could smell him before I entered. Maggie was finishing setting up his IV drip when I walked in.

"How is he?" I murmured.

"He's stable. I imagine he might wake soon." Maggie smiled sadly and left the room. I went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. I shed my clothes and stood staring at my pale frame in the mirror. I had a few bruises from the scuffle with Liam but nothing serious. On my neck sat Jared's mark. It looked like pearls had been placed in a circle around my collar bone. In beautiful calligraphy was the word: Black. I studied the mark carefully before stepping into the steaming water, letting it run down my back, loosening up my tense muscles. A week ago I would have still been at the office seeing patients.

Why did he have to come to my office? I felt the sting of tears burn my eyes and I just let them fall. Of all the people, in all the world, I got mated with Jared Black. The son of my father's most hated enemy. I turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, drying myself off with a towel. I opened the bathroom door and climbed into bed naked. I just wanted to be close to him. I knew it was probably the mate bond but I just wanted to to feel him.

The mate bond. I hadn't marked him. He would probably heal faster if I marked him. I turned his head to the side and climbed on top of him. I took a deep breath. I extended my canines and leaned down biting carefully into the soft tissue of his neck. I sank my teeth deeply into his neck and tried to push all of my heart into him before retracting my teeth and licking the wound clean. I sat up to admire my handy work and was met with familiar coffee brown eyes.

"You're awake!" I cried.

"f**k yea I'm awake. You f*****g bit me!" He gruffly said.

"I was completing the mate bond… so you'd heal more quickly." I muttered.

"I know, princess. Don't look so hurt. I was only playing with you. Come here. Are you ok?" He pulled me down to his face and kissed me softly.

"I guess. I was worried about you."

"Don't worry about me princess. I've had worse." He smiled. I could feel the tears begin to well up in my eyes again.

"Oh baby… don't cry. Hey, don't cry princess. Look, I'm fine. I'm fine. See." He lift his arms up and wiggled them around causing me to giggle.

"There she is. You know what though? I'm starving." I hadn't noticed that I hadn't eaten either.

"Do you want me to get you something?"

"No. I can get up. Here just let me swing my legs over. See. Im up." He limped his way out of the room pulling his IV drip with him.

"Hey, babe… does this place have an elevator?" I rolled my eyes and walked down the hall. I reached over on the wall and pressed a button.

"Daddy had it put in when Momma was pregnant with Joey. He was afraid she would tumble down the stares."

"Why?"

"Because she was so big."

"Oh." We climbed into the elevator and made our way to the kitchen. I sat Jared down at the little kitchen table and got started making something to eat. Ramona and Joey came in the back door with Nicholas in the middle holding their hands.

"Dr.Wood!" Nicholas came running up to me. I hugged him tightly.

"Hey Nicky! What have you been up to today?" I smiled brightly at the little boy.

"Joey taked me crawfish huntin'! And, and, and I catched a biggun'!" He said excitedly.

"Took. Joey took you crawfish hunting and you CAUGHT a big one." I corrected.

"Yes. Joey TOOK me crawfish huntin' and I CAUGHT a big one." He smiled.

"Very good. So, what did you do with the crawfish once you caught them?"

"Joey said, if we ain't gonna eat it then we let it go." I smiled softly at him.

"That's right. Do you know why?" He shook his head. Jared had gotten up from his seat and limped over to the bar and sat on a stool.

"Because little man, all life has value." Jared said taking a cookie from the dish on the counter and giving it to the child.

"And we should be kind… always." I said ruffling his hair. I looked up at Jared and he was staring at me, like he was in awe.

"I love you, Chloe Lynn." He said. A soft blush heated my cheeks.