Chapter 7
1172 Words
“Aye, wake up! It wasn’t that long of a drive.” Jani nudged Erica as her eyes fluttered open, a groan escaping her lips.
“Erica, come on,” Amanda’s voice was gentle but insistent. “We’re at my house. You can sleep in my bed.”
Erica’s head pounded with a fierce ache, like something was squeezing her skull from the inside. “I’m coming, just relax…” she mumbled, struggling to pull herself out of the car.
“What’s wrong, love?” A cooler, softer voice asked. It was Rita, Amanda’s mother, pressing a hand to Erica’s forehead.
“I don’t feel good. My head... it hurts a lot,” Erica admitted weakly.
Before she could protest, Jani scooped her up in one swift motion, carrying her in his arms. “You look like you’re about to keel over. You get car sickness or something?”
“No,” Erica mumbled, resting her hand on his chest, “just bad headaches sometimes… you can put me down.”
Jani shook his head firmly. “Yeah, right. Then I’d have Phil breathing down my neck. Amanda, where am I taking this pup?”
“I’m not a pup! I’m 20!” Erica squirmed in his hold, but her protests were weak, her body too exhausted to fight.
Jani chuckled as Amanda led the way. “Still got some fight left in you, huh?” He gave her a mischievous smile as he laid her gently onto Amanda’s bed. “I hate you, Jani,” Erica muttered before slipping back into unconsciousness, the pain ebbing as sleep overtook her.
---
Outside the room, Rita closed the door softly behind her, concern etched on her face. “Has she always had those headaches?” Jani asked with concern in his voice.
Rita shook her head. “Not always… they started after Elowen went missing. I don’t think Phil knows about them. She’s hidden it well, but today’s the worst I’ve seen.”
Jani frowned. “Could it be related to her shift issues?”
Rita sighed. “It might be. Ever since that day, nothing’s been the same for her. They were at Hellfur when the Alpha sent out the command. Did anyone question her?”
“No,” Amanda replied quickly. “Jani got us out of there as soon as the alert came in. Plus, her dad upset her before we left, so she was already on edge.”
Rita crossed her arms, worry deepening in her eyes. “It’s not just about protecting her. Phil’s smothering her. And if these headaches are connected to her wolf...”
Amanda’s expression darkened. “Please don’t tell Dr. Phil, Jani.”
Jani scratched his beard thoughtfully. “I won’t say a word. But it’s not looking good.”
A mischievous glint sparked in his eyes suddenly. “Rita, got any of those empanadas? I’ll need a few if I’m going to keep Phil off my back.”
Rita raised an eyebrow, amused. “Empanadas? Those are for special occasions.”
Amanda rolled her eyes. “He’s crazy, Mom. We’ll need to make more if we’re giving them away.”
“We have to do what we can for Erica,” Rita said with a soft chuckle, heading toward the kitchen.
Amanda turned to Jani, her light gray eyes narrowing. “He doesn’t get any of the beef ones.”
Jani chuckled. “Deal.”
---
Meanwhile, at the pack hospital, the atmosphere was tense. Philander stood over his patients, sweat beading on his forehead as the urgency of the situation mounted. Three pack members had been attacked by rogues, and their wounds weren’t healing as expected.
The first patient, an older man, had a deep gash down his leg. The nurses had tried stitching the wound, but the sutures kept melting away. It made no sense. Philander’s voice rose above the din of the bustling triage room.
“Get me the surgical staples!” he ordered. “And where’s that bloodwork I requested?”
“Doctor, I don’t think staples will work,” a nurse said, her voice trembling. “His skin’s too fragile. It’ll tear through.”
“We don’t have time to argue. Bring the staples, now!” Philander snapped, moving toward the sink to scrub his hands. “How’s the female victim?”
Another doctor looked up from the second patient. “She’s got severe internal injuries, but her vital organs are healing. The problem is, nothing we do is closing the wound.”
Philander clenched his fists, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. The third patient, a young boy who hadn’t even shifted yet, was restrained in the corner. Though his injuries were healing faster than the others, he was hysterical, screaming in panic.
Philander had never seen anything like it before. Three wolves, dark brown with glowing red eyes, had attacked in broad daylight. The town center park had been full of people when the rogues appeared from nowhere. Despite the presence of guards, the damage had been significant.
As the nurse handed him the surgical staples, Philander tried to apply them to the patient’s wound, but the metal sizzled, burning the skin instead of closing the gash.
“Damn it!” Philander cursed. “We’re putting them all into medically induced comas until we get answers. Where is that bloodwork?!”
Just then, the doors to the triage room burst open. Alpha Aeseni Wayne entered, his commanding presence silencing the chaos. He stood nearly 6’7, his broad shoulders and sharp eyes cutting an imposing figure. Armando and Jani flanked him, their expressions serious.
“Dr. Hood,” Aeseni said in his low, authoritative voice. “I need a word with you.”
Philander removed his gloves, nodding at his staff to continue working, then followed the Alpha out of the room. They walked down the hallway into a small office, where Aeseni took a seat across from him.
“The guards say three rogues attacked in the park, but those injuries… they’re not from any normal rogue attack. What are we dealing with here?”
Philander rubbed his temples, the exhaustion evident in his voice. “I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s almost like there’s some sort of dark magic at play. I’m waiting on the bloodwork to confirm if there’s any poison involved.”
Aeseni’s jaw tightened. “Let me know the moment you have results. In the meantime, I’m increasing security. We can’t afford more surprises.”
As he stood to leave, the Alpha hesitated. “Phil... how’s Erica?”
Philander’s face hardened. “She’ll be fine. She just doesn’t understand that everything I do is for her protection.”
Aeseni’s gaze softened. “She understands more than you think. Don’t underestimate her.”
Philander watched as the Alpha left, his mind filled with uncertainty. With a heavy sigh, he returned to the triage room, the weight of both his professional duties and his personal worries pressing down on him.
- Writer
