Chapter 25: The Unexpected First Shift
1176 Words
Ryker’s POV
My phone rang not once but twice. I checked only to see that it was Nurse Kara.
I answered on the second ring, “What is it this time?”
Her voice didn't come out clearly, but it was messy with panic. “Alpha, you need to hear this. It’s Eli. Something wrong is happening to him. It seems he's shifting. Though I observed that's not fully, it's on his weak bones. He will soon scream down the hospital. His eyes are no more normal as we speak now, Alpha Ryker; they’re seriously glowing.”
I didn't wait for her to finish her narration; I was already halfway out of the house before he even concluded with the call.
I stormed with urgency into the part reserved as the medical wing. I could feel it in the air, everywhere tensed up because of the recent development.
“Where exactly did you keep him now?” I barked on entering the hospital.
“He's in room three,” Kara whispered, her eyes wide in panic. “But, Alpha, I noticed that he’s not the regular, not the normal hybrid we know.”
“There is no need to panic; I will see everything myself.”
I followed her directions and entered the room.
Eli was right there and curled up on the bed, his whole body shaking without control. I noticed his fingers were almost transformed, almost left with nothing but all clawed. His eyes were pure golden, not much different from mine.
“Lucy..?” I scanned around to get a glimpse of her.
But she wasn't any close, but instead stood in a far corner, arms crossed across her soft chest. Her expression was that of something I couldn't tell.
“Why didn’t you make an effort and inform me of the new development earlier than this?" I asked Kara, totally disappointed.
Kara stammered in defiance. “I...I had no idea what it was on seeing it the first time. I concluded that he was probably reacting to one of the hard meds he had been taking. Then, all of a sudden, the signs I thought I was familiar with changed; his eyes became strange. I had to call you immediately for assistance. I wasn't going to hide it; I really planned on calling you."
“After taking care of him for so long, how can you be just realizing he’s a hybrid?” My voice surprised me as it came out very cold.
“I didn’t plan to disturb you with false alarms when I wasn't sure what it was,” she defended again, but weakly. “I’ve never experienced where a child had to shift, and this time, partially. It was confusing for me to understand."
I gritted my teeth, trying so hard to hold myself. “You don’t try to handle things your own way and delay facts, Kara. Facts you should know today are facts, irrespective of whether you understand what they were or not.”
Lucy didn't try to utter another word. Not even a word. She bent her head and didn’t even glance at me to see my reaction.
I moved with urgency to Eli’s side.
He blinked uncontrollably, trying to keep himself from bursting, and I could see how scared he was. “Why is it that I feel heated up inside me?"
“That's because,” I tried explaining gently, “your inner wolf is finally waking up.”
“I’m not even a wolf to start with, ” he whispered. “Or am I one?”
I glanced at the direction in which Lucy was standing. She finally spoke for the first time I entered, but the only difference was that it wasn't directed at me.
“You should understand this, Eli; you're not weak, but someone special. And I promise you, you will fight this and survive it."
He just nodded slowly, but I knew better that he was even more confused.
When Kara finally took him to run more scans and ascertain what was going on with him and the confirmation of what I had just said, I was then left with Lucy.
“I expected you to at least say thank you,” I said.
She scoffed, less concerned. “For what exactly? For not coming on time but showing up almost after everything had gone south, right?”
“I canceled an important council meeting just so I could be here for the both of you."
“Well, you rushed here for him, not me,” she corrected, still not sparing me a glance.
I took a few steps closer to her. “Lucy… I didn’t plan that I was going to make a fool of you, to just kiss you and pull away how I wanted. My only mistake was thinking for us and not asking you what you really wanted."
She finally decided to meet my gaze, which was such a relief.
“How horrible of you to think a woman who your heir is developing inside would just jump at the offer to kiss you back just because of pregnancy hormones?"
“I wasn’t considerate; my thinking wasn't straight,” I admitted my fault. “I was just confused about how fast everything happened. I am still very much confused.”
“You didn't hesitate in making it very clear,” she replied coldly. “Now, please, I beg you to step back. This is just me doing my best to protect whatever you didn't strip naked off me, keeping myself sane."
My wolf, in protest, howled inside me, pushing me to move closer to her. He wasn't comfortable with her tone, how she sounded, and how she was willing to give up on us.
“You’re unknowingly keeping me far away from you,” I said quietly.
“Yes, that's what I'm doing,” she replied. “Because I can’t afford the luxury of being fooled the second time."
“This fake marriage would be...” I started but couldn't finish, and she quickly cut in.
“Exactly, this is a fake marriage. Let’s do our best and keep it that way, the professional way.”
I stared in confusion at her, but that didn’t even move her.
When Kara finally returned with Eli, he was fast asleep like an infant. Lucy approached his bedside, picked up a blanket, and covered him with it.
I tried my best again to make her see reasons with me. “Lucy, I…”
“Have a good night, Alpha Ryker.”
I didn't feel stabbed just because she had become formal, calling me by the title. What pained me the most was her cold yet distant tone.
I can't blame her as she was doing everything to protect her heart, and to think I was responsible for her reaction even pained me the more.
But I knew one thing for sure: I might lose her forever if nothing was done. And that would entail loving everything I secretly covet.
- Writer
