Royal Academy: The Red Wolf Clan

Chapter 13

Reed's POV

I stand just at the door watching Rosalie sit quietly at Orion's bedside watching him sleep. The doctor said he would sleep for a while but something told me that nothing about this kid was sticking to "normal" protocols. The scent of a forest rain and caramel fills my nostrils as I feel my tense muscles instantly relax. Warm arms wrap themselves around my waist and I drape an arm around Seraphina's shoulders. She rests her head on my chest as we both look into the room.

"You're worried about her. Why?" Seraphina pulls away a bit to look up at me with an amused look on her face.

"I know very well that my very capable daughter won't let this rogue hooligan mess with her head" Seraphina chuckles softly as she rests her head back on my chest.

"That is nothing but the truth. Rosa is very capable of making reasonable decisions on her own. If Orion turns out to be someone special....." her words trail off when I growl low in my chest. She turns to me with a c****d eyebrow and arms folded across her chest.

"Reed, she's turning eighteen this year. You cannot deny it. She will find a mate" Seraphina says while continuing to look at me.

"Of course I get that! But not that kid... anybody but that kid!" I say while pointing to the room.

"You know saying it like that would just make the goddess more determined to do exactly that. If she hasn't decided to already "

Seraphina and I both turn to see Luca and Eliza walking up the hall towards us. Eliza is smiling knowingly at me while Luca's smug smile just makes me want to punch him in the face!

"Maybe he's Gigi's mate!" I say in irritation and Seraphina smacks me behind the head before stepping forward to envelope Eliza in a warm embrace.

"I very much doubt he's meant for Gigi. Her mate needs stones of impenetrable meteorite to deal with the hell she's going to rain down on him" Luca says causing Eliza to throw him a sideways glance. He chuckles and raises both hands in defense before turning to peep into the room.

"I'd say that my goddaughter seems quite smitten. I've never seen her pay that much attention to the twins, or any boy for that matter...Hey!" Luca shouts out as I punch him in the shoulder.

"I don't need you making any under handed comments here bro! That kid is basically a rogue! My daughter cannot be fated to a rogue!" I bellow and everyone goes silent while their eyes focus behind me. I realize I may have spoken a bit too loudly when I turn to see Rosalie standing at the door looking ready to break my jaw. She got that look from her mother and my hand instinctively reaches up to shield my face as she takes a step towards me.

"Why not?" she asks me softly and I'm a bit taken aback by her question.

"Why not what?" I ask and when she c***s an eyebrow at me I have to check myself as my daughter takes on an aura only her mother successfully projected that causes me to think twice before I speak again.

"Why would it matter if he's my fated mate? What makes you think he's a rogue? Do you know why he no longer lives with his family? Do you know what made him stay away from his pack? Who are you to judge him?!" Rosalie's eyes suddenly flash with a tint of red and I hear a collective gasp beside me.

"Rosa!" Seraphina's voice breaks the air of tension as Rosalie seems to come out of some rage fueled daze. She blinks rapidly and looks back at me slightly confused as she takes in everyone around her.

"Ummm, what just happened?" she asks as Seraphina walks up to her and cups her face with both hands. Seraphina looks over to me and I nod as she guides her down the hall. Rosalie briefly glances back to us before going with her mother out the door of the hospital.

"Did Rosalie's wolf just present itself early?" Eliza asks and my head jerks towards Orion again in the room beside us.

"That kid is bad news. I've never seen her that way, ever. I want him gone. I don't like this" I clench my hands at my sides as Luca walks up beside me and claps my back.

"We will deal with this together Reed. Let's not do anything drastic here. Your actions will affect your relationship with Rosalie going forward. You need to think it through." Eliza says behind us and I sigh heavily.

I pull out the invitation for the memorial that Seraphina presented to Orion earlier and show it to Luca and Eliza. Luca takes the envelope from me and reads the contents before looking up at me with a confused look on his face.

"He sent us one as well. Stefan found it weird because it the first time alpha Salazar has invited us to anything. My father never liked him or his methods of running his pack. Liam and Caleb said his future successor Sebastian is everything his father moulded him to be, a pain in the ass" Luca hands the envelope back to me and I tuck it into my pants pocket just as the machines in the room begin beeping of erratically.

We all rush into the room as Orion's body begins seizing and flailing about on the bed. Luca presses the emergency call button above the bed on the wall while we try to hold Orion's body down on the bed.

The medical staff rush in as Orion's hands and legs begin to shake vigorously. The nurses take positions beside us as the doctor pulls out a wand like light to flash into Orion's eyes. A sudden burning sensation below my hands has me suddenly letting go. I look up to see that everyone did exactly as I did and was now looking on in awe as the gown on his body literally burns off his skin and flames begin to flicker at the surface.

"Uhhh doc, do we get water?" Luca asks but Orion's eyes suddenly open, revealing glowing eyes like we saw before.

Babe, you better get back here with another bottle of blue stuff. This kid is on fire right now!!

The door to the room slams open and I turn to see Seraphina and a horror struck Rosalie looking in our direction. I step to the side as I see Rosalie approach us and I look down at her as she pleads with me with her eyes. I look up and Seraphina nods to me before I take a deep breath and step aside.

Rosalie walks towards the bed as the medical staff back up some more. Luca and Eliza flank Rosalie as Seraphina and I step up behind her. We form a barrier between her and the medical staff behind us as she moves closer to Orion.

"Orion" Rosalie says softly as she reaches a hand towards his burning body.

"Rosie be careful, please" I plead and she turns to give me a knowing smile before turning back to Orion. I feel Seraphina clasp my hand tightly and I tighten my grip as we watch our daughter.

As Rosalie's hand moves closer to Orion's shaking body, I hold my breath as it moves ever so close to the flames. She suddenly grasps one of his hands and we all wait for her to cry out in pain. She looks up at us and smiles encouragingly as I hear Seraphina let out a breath beside me.

Orion's body suddenly stills as Rosalie moves closer, placing her other hand on his arm as well. The flames on his skin seemed to be dying down when suddenly the flames grow larger and more intense.

"Rosalie! Move!" I shout but as the words leave my mouth, the flames raise up and off Orion's body and begin to encircle him and Rosalie. The flames flicker between hues of red and orange until the colors break apart and the orange flame take the shape of a bird while the red flames took the shape of a wolf. The bird and wolf encircle each other a few times before the bird slams itself into Orion and the wolf does the same with Rosalie.

Rosalie looks down at her hands and then turns to us. I hear Seraphina gasp beside me and I feel my jaw hit the floor. Our daughter looked back at us, eyes the most amazing shade of red. She gasps out loud and then pulls at the sleeve of her shirt to reveal a black wolf tattoo across her upper arm. She looks at us and I'm at a loss for words.

Orion suddenly gasps for breath in the bed and I find myself walking up to throw my jacket over the kid who always seems to be naked around my daughter. I growl as I throw the jacket on him and he look up at me and then takes in everyone else in the room. His gaze lands on Rosalie and he sits up in the bed, his mouth hanging open.

"You look different" he says and I roll my eyes before tapping him on the shoulder.

"No s**t Sherlock. You did that to her!" I say as I feel Gareth begin to stir.

"Reed"

"Dad!"

Rosalie and Seraphina call out to me at once and I shake my head to clear Gareth's reasonable offerings of skinning this kid alive. I walk over to place a comforting hand on Rosalie's shoulder while giving her my best 'dad's not going to kill your friend' smile. The doctor clears his throat behind us and he and the nurses move about the room to put a new gown on Orion and reattach his IV lines.

"Does he need those again?" Rosalie asks, her voice having traces of worry in it. I grunt in annoyance and Seraphina pokes me in the ribs.

"I feel fine actually" Orion says and I growl earning me another jab from Seraphina.

"I'd actually just like to run a few tests to make sure you're all good as you say. We'll run back a few scans since you were originally unconscious" the doctor bows before leaving the room with the nurses.

Orion's gaze moves around the room before landing on Rosalie again who god forbid began to blush! What the hell was happening here?!

"Alright kid, enough oggling my daughter. You're going to tell us exactly what you are and what your hocus pocus just did to Rosalie or so help me god, I will..." I stop short when I get mind linked by bmy beta Dane.

"Son of a b***h!" I growl just as the door to the room opens and in walks Dane with Salazar freaking Kade right behind him.