Devil's Three-way

Chapter 7

As much as I would love to say this is going to be the best, most special night of my life… The Rennie factor stepped in folks!

I gulped and turned red, blushing in what I am sure was a full body assault! “Um… Um…” I suddenly couldn’t feel my hands, my legs slipped, unknotting me from around Kyle. His grip tightened but it was too late. Just like that we both toppled! Crashing hard against the cold tile floor. Landing, my body pitched forward, and I smashed into the corner of the shower! I blinked a few times and let out a breath I wasn’t aware I was holding. “Ahh, f**k!” I instantly grabbed my head. I could feel tears but tried to act tough. “Ow! Ow! Ow! Dammit! Its burning!” I said through clenched teeth trying to scramble up to check on Kyle. He was already sitting up and grabbing a towel.

“s**t! s**t!” He shoved it at me, his eyes glazed over. Oh god! Did he hit his head? Is he going blind? Why was he shoving wash clothes at me? That’s kinda weird. My mouth dropped. Just gaping open like I was going to say something, but I didn’t know what to say. Things were a little fuzzy up in there, I think my hamster fell off his wheel for a second.

     His eyes became clear blue again, “Your bleeding baby, pretty bad!” He slid closer to me, “It’s going to be okay; the pack doctor is coming!”

“Kyle, what are you on about? Did you hit your head?” I batted his hands away, what was he on about? That is when I saw it, a different shade of red engulfing the dis-shoveled hair in my face. My head was bleeding, but it didn’t really hurt. Mostly it burned.

 Kyle placed the towel against my head. Probably where its burning, I thought to myself. I couldn’t feel it though, all I felt was a burning and it was starting to thump. “Calm down, head cuts bleed a lot..Du..” My vision blurred; I couldn’t finish my word. The world felt like it was falling around me, maybe tilting. My eyes felt heavy, but I could feel something firm but squishy under my head. Everything went dark..

I tried to open my eyes but all I could see was the ceiling. I could smell sandalwood, it was so inviting. I felt safe, wrapped tightly in a cozy cocoon. My eyes felt heavy again, but I could hear Kyle.

“In here! I’m laying her..” It went black again, like a void swallowing me.

 Kyle-

When Rennie passed out in my lap, I held the towel trying to get the bleeding to stop until the pack doctor came. It shouldn’t be but a few minutes, I thought to myself. Where is the doctor? She should be here by now! Fenrir growled in my head. I wasn’t sure exactly what happened, I had Rennie in my arms, her legs wrapped around me. I was taking her to ‘our bed’ she said, and I couldn’t not take her. I wanted her so much, her soft skin against me. In my arms, the way I felt. The way she made me feel. I’ve waited so long and I let her get hurt! How could I be so stupid! Why couldn’t I have been more careful!

     I moved the towel from her head and tried to peer at the gash. It looked deep, there was still blood trickling from it! My heart sank, but I knew being on the cold tile floor wasn’t helping. Shifting her head against me with the towel bandage in place against my chest, I lifted her into my arms. Stepping out of the bathroom, I heard the door open. “In here! I’m laying her on the bed! Hurry! She’s unconscious!” I yelled.

I looked down at her, her body seemed almost lifeless. Her beautiful curly hair laid matted with blood. Laying her on the bed gently I grabbed a blanket and tossed it over her nakedness before hearing the door open. I could see a small blood trail on the carpet, a drop here, a drop there.

     I didn’t even look up to Joe, “We fell getting out of the bathtub, she hit her head on the corner of the shower!”

“Was she awake after she hit her head?” Joe asked pushing me out of his way.

I growled slightly but moved. “Is she going to be okay?” My wolf whimpered in my head. I could see him checking her pulse and breathing, he lifted her eye lids and huffed slightly.

“Hopefully.” He carefully removed the towel from her head, “Ouch, that’s a pretty serious gash son. Did you land on top of her?”

My eyes deadpanned on Joe, “No.” I grumbled.

“Well, its pretty deep. She’s going to need stitches.” Joe opened his bag pulling out different types or torture tools. Then he pulled out gauges and saline. Before touching her head to much, he checked her blood pressure with the cuff he’d pulled out with his instruments. “Hm..” He lifted the towel again, “Well, you might as well put some pants on, this is going to take me a few minutes.”

     “What?” I just stared at Joe, our pack doctor. “Is she going to be alright?”

“She’d be better if you put on some pants and let me do my job.” He didn’t look at me, just kept working. “Strong pulse, decent blood pressure. A few stitches an ice pack and rest. Now pants.”

“But she’s going to be okay.” I needed clarification. I felt like my heart was laying on the bed, slowly drifting away. It actually hurt to drag my eyes away from her, like I was never going to see her again. I walked over to the dresser and grabbed a pair of pj pants. Hands still on the waist band, I was already beside the bed. I took her hand in mine and rubbed small circles with my thumb. “I’m right here baby.”

“So, this is going to be our new Luna?” Joe spoke as he cleaned the gash and prepped it for stitching.

“If she’ll still have me.” I sighed and watched with weary eyes. Rennie had no idea how much she truly meant to me. I knew she was my mate, but I don’t even know if I knew until her eyes closed and I couldn’t get her to open them again just how much she truly meant to me. I want her to wake up so much, my wolf kept whimpering in my head, pacing. Open your eyes, Kitten. Please open your eyes for me. I squeezed her hand lightly and laid it against my forehead.

     Finally, I heard Joe sigh, “Why don’t you go clean up, maybe wash the blood off your hands. She’s not going anywhere. Just needs to rest. I’d give her about half an hour and her eyes are going to pop open.” Joe place his hand on my shoulder, “Your going to terrify her if she wakes up and your covered in blood.”

     I didn’t know if Joe was trying to just get rid of me or give me hope. I didn’t want to take my eyes off her, what if she woke up and I wasn’t there. I let my head fall, I noticed the blood on my chest and on my hands. Maybe I should clean up after all, I looked to the bathroom door. “I’ll only be a minute.”

     When I reached the door, I looked back one more time. I couldn’t see her from this angle, it made my stomach wrench. I stepped in front of the sink and into the mirror. I looked like I’d been in a tussle. Blood was up my chest, on my hands, and on my face. I must have touched my face at some point, I thought. I turned around to walk to the shower, but I hit a slick patch on the tile floor. Landing on my ass, I got a good view of where Rennie had hit her head. I felt ashamed. Not because she got hurt, but I lost my grip on her after we hit the floor. I should have protected her better. The shower tiles were cracked.

     Moving my hand to the floor to get up, I slid again. I looked over and noticed a bottle of bubble bath sitting on the ledge. It was on its side and the cap was ajar. I grabbed the bottle and threw it with a growl. f*****g bubble bath. Finally managing to get up, I turned on the shower and stripped. I ducked under the water and washed away Rennie’s blood as quickly as I could. I stepped out of the shower grabbing a towel, wrapping it around me as I went back out to the bedroom.

      Joe had already finished stitching Rennie. It looked like it was going to be a pretty large bump. I could hear her groan softly and I rushed to the bed side. I took her hand in mine and just sat there. I looked at her left hand, the ring I’d place on her finger earlier glistened. I thumbed it, watching it twinkle. Her hand seemed so small in mine. Her fingers so beautiful even without paint or a salon manicure. She was perfect, she always had been.

     “When she wakes up, she needs to stay mostly on bed rest. No strenuous activities,” He gave me a knowing look, “Put ice on it to keep the swelling down.” He put his hand on my shoulder, “She woke up and asked it you were okay before she closed her eyes again. She’s going to be fine, but she might have a scar for a while. Keep her wound dry." Without another word, Joe left.

I walked around to the other side of the bed and crawled up beside her, careful not to disturb her. “My beautiful mate.” I wanted to hold her and kiss her pain away. I wanted her to wake up and look at me with those illuminating green eyes. I took her hand in mine and pressed my lips to it. “f**k that bubble bath.”

She still had blood on her face and in her hair, but she wasn’t as pale as when I brought her to the bed. I couldn’t get the feel of her limp body out of my mind. It made me shiver; I could hear my wolf whimpering inside me.

“Is she going to be okay?” It was my beta, Shawn through mind link. 

“The doctor said she will, but she needs rest right now.” I cut off the mind link. Right now, I didn’t care about the outside world or even my pack really. My only focus was Rennie, even if she wasn’t awake for me, I’d still be right here.

Sitting, waiting for Rennie to move, make a sound, anything really. I couldn’t help but think how things have changed since finding out she was my mate.

     At first, I didn’t want a mate. I’d heard stories of other pack leaders using them to get what they wanted from other packs. Ransoming them, even killing them to show their dominance.  I knew I couldn’t put Rennie through anything like that and hoped for the best instead. She’s always been so clumsy and eager to trust. Not that she had many friends, honestly it was best that way. We only had a few wolves in our school, the humans just didn’t get us. Not that they knew about us. I had to beg my parents to let me attend public school for Rennie when she started her ninth year.

     By sophomore year my wolf made it clear, Rennie was my mate. At first, I tried avoiding her, the longest three months of my life! I couldn’t get her out of my head, she just sat there in my subconscious gnawing away at me. It probably didn’t help that I was her normal ride to and from school. The day Shawn picked her up to bring her, I told him I had Alpha things to deal with. I lost all control. It was a fight I knew I couldn’t win. I felt like every male in the school gravitated towards her, but she didn’t notice. I was so stupid those first few months! That day I made it clear to Shawn, I would be picking her up and taking her home, everyday again.

     Her sweet scent would linger in the cab of my truck after dropping her off. I found myself just sitting and revealing in it. My mouth would water, and visions would pop into my head, I had such a dirty mind. Letting her go home to her parents every night was like pulling teeth. I hated having to leave her, I knew she would be safe. But it still bothered me to leave her.

     I thought I lost her for a while, she just wasn’t the same Rennie for a few months. That’s when I got the plan to make her see me by making her jealous with Keira. I guess that kinda backfired looking back. I didn’t know Keira was tormenting her. If I had, I’d have put a stop to it!

     Still, when Keira asked me to be her boyfriend.. I was kinda shocked. I hadn’t really noticed her before, and I just really wanted Rennie’s attention. So, I took advantage and said sure. I wasn’t even excited. I’d only let her hold my hand in front of Ren, when she was gone; I didn’t need her contact. And that’s how it went off and on for a while.

I did catch Keira this last time we ‘dated,’ naïvely I thought it was a one and only time thing. I was walking down the hall to meet up at Ren’s locker. I rounded the corner hearing, “You know he doesn’t want you, he’s with me. You need to just go the f**k away. No one would want you, you’re not even pretty.” I could feel the spit spatter from where I was standing. It was horrible! Rennie just turned, closed her locker and walked away. I gave Rennie the biggest hug I could that day, without making it awkward when I met her at the truck. I’ve made sure to tell her how beautiful she is every day since. I love watching her curly red locks floating on the breeze. How her smile lights me up on the inside! Her button nose wiggling right before she sneezes! But I needed her to know how beautiful she was on the inside too. I made it a point to tell her at least three things every morning before school that made her beautiful from then on. I don’t know if she noticed much, she really isn’t a morning person. Still I wanted her to be confident knowing she was amazing as the person she was.

     When I finally caught up to Keira, I told her what I’d seen her do and say. I told her there would never be an us. She reached for my hand, but I pulled it away. “What do you see in her?” Her voice full of anger and hurt. I said the only thing I’d been thinking since the incident, “She is everything you are not.” Then I walked away. I thought that would made it clear, I guess not for her human brain. I guess I’d really muddled things up at that point. Still I was too focused on Ren to see anything else going on around me.

I reopened my mind link to Shawn, “Tell me everything you know about Ren and Keira.”

“I don’t really know much, Alpha. Just what I have seen or heard around school.” He replied.

“And what did you see Beta?” My tone was strained, why didn’t he tell me?

I felt the hesitation before his thoughts came through, “Mostly Keira taunts Ren. Pushes her, trips her, makes jokes at her expense.”

Growling I yelled through our link, “How could you not tell me! You knew she was my mate! You kept this from me?” For the first time in our friendship, I felt betrayed.

“Don’t cut me off yet man, I talked to Ren about it. She asked me to leave it alone. I followed the orders of my future Luna. She specifically asked me not to tell you.” I could hear sadness in his words, but I felt the guilt radiating into me. I cut our link; I was shocked. Ren didn’t want me to know… 

I relaxed on the bed beside my tile stricken mate, Nudge her! Wake her up! I need to see her eyes! Fenrir roared through my head. He was becoming more impatient than me. But I couldn't, I wouldn't wake her up. She needed to rest, the doctor had said as much. Finally giving up, I went into the bathroom to clean up some of the mess we'd accidently made. It took a bit of water and scrubbing but I finally got the stupid slick bubble bath off the floor. I gathered up the towels I'd flung trying to get everything taken care of. 

I slipped out the door and down to the utility room placing the towels in the washer with the pods. I could run back and forth taking care of laundry while Rennie rested. I could sit on the bed beside her while everything ran it's cycle. No big deal, I could be patient. 

My thoughts kept coming back to Rennie and Keira, why didn't she want me to know? Did she believe the things that Keira had said to her. The day in the hall when I caught her, I wanted to rip her head off. It's part of the reason I'd waited to confront her. I knew Fenrir would come to the surface, I could feel him pacing after the incident. He didn't calm himself until Rennie was in our arms.