A Wolf's Claim

CHAPTER 22

*Tex*

I haven't spoken to my dad in two days, and he hasn't reached out to me either. I'm afraid he's already assumed I'm against him, which I haven't really decided. I've been staying at a local motel, just off the highway. I thought I could search through the forest, find something that would lead me in Stella's direction, but I was mistaken. I haven't found jack s**t!

A small part of me is starting to regret leaving my dad without saying anything, but then again, he threatened to kill me if I did. I don't know what I'm doing, all I know is I can't support The Silbermen. Killing those people didn't feel right. I can't explain it, but I won't try and deny the fact that I disliked it. I needed to find Stella before dad did, otherwise she'd be just as dead as the rest of the werewolves he's after.

It was ten in the morning, and I was packing up a backpack to hike through the forest again, until my phone started ringing. I looked at the number and felt my forehead crease together. Why is the hospital calling me? I gulped, answering the phone call that I was dreading.

"Hello?" I said in a choked voice.

"Hi, is this Tex Allegra?" The woman asked.

"Yes." I responded.

"This is Alexis from Sky View hospital," She started, "You're listed as an emergency contact for Stella Rivers. She arrived early this morning, unconscious, but is stable now."

"Stella?!" I shrieked, dropping the backpack and grabbing my keys.

I went out the door before hanging up with the nurse. I climbed in my truck and peeled out of the parking lot. f**k! What the hell happened? Did dad already get to her? Or was dad right all along... did they try to sacrifice her somehow?

My mind was flooding with different possibilities while I was speeding down the road. They said she's stable, so that's good. That means she isn't on the brink of death. Either outcome would have left her there... so why is she in the hospital?

After about thirty minutes, I pulled into the hospital parking lot. I found a spot pretty close to the entrance. Surprisingly enough, usually it's a b***h to find a spot at all! I sprinted through the main doors and up to the receptionist, where she eyed me suspiciously.

"I'm here to see Stella Rivers." I said, out of breath.

"I'll need to see your ID." The nurse said, holding out her manicured hand.

I groaned, but pulled out my wallet and gave her the card. She handed it back a few minutes later, along with a name tag to stick on my shirt that said 'visitor'. I stuck the tag to my shirt and sprinted to the elevator, taking it to the fourth floor. I sprinted down several more halls, until finally I stood outside of her room. Room 419.

"Excuse me?" I heard a man ask from a couple feet away, "Are you Tex?"

"Yeah..." I said, staring at the man wearing a white lab coat over blue scrubs.

"I'm Dr. Hannigan, Stella's doctor." He said, holding his hand out for me to shake.

"What happened to her?" I asked, shaking his hand.

"I think it was a mental episode," Dr. Hannigan whispered, "She appears to be doing a little better now, but when she was first brought in she was inconsolable. I had to sedate her."

"Thanks, doctor." I murmured, looking back at her room.

I opened the door and walked inside, finding Stella sleeping peacefully in the hospital bed. I didn't want to wake her, so instead I sat in the chair across from her. It didn't take long for her to wake, and when she did her eyes went wide with fear. The way she looked at me, tore me apart, she was afraid of me.

"I'm not going to hurt you." I softly whispered.

"Why are you here?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Because apparently I'm your emergency contact." I responded, desperately fighting the urge to smirk with satisfaction.

"I forgot to change that." She grumbled, folding her arms across her chest.

"What happened?" I asked, receiving a glare from her beautiful dark blue eyes.

"It doesn't matter." She grunted, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Did he do something to you?" I asked, already prepared to kill the asshole if he did.

"No." She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Then what happened, Stella?" I asked again, except this time I was a little more stern.

"I don't want to talk about it, Tex." She grunted, turning her face in the opposite direction of me.

"Okay... can you tell me how you ended up here, at least?" I retorted, somewhat annoyed with her childish response.

"A broken heart," She whispered.

I felt my eyebrows furrow in confusion. If he didn't hurt her, then why the hell is she saying she has a broken heart? I feel like I'm missing something here. I can feel myself growing impatient and irate, but I know that's not going to help her. I took a deep breath and nodded, accepting her response for now.

"Let's get you back home, where you'll be more comfortable," I suggested, watching her contemplate the offer.

"Yeah..." She softly mutters, lost somewhere in her mind.

I talked to Dr. Hannigan and he signs her release forms, allowing her to leave the hospital. There was nothing wrong with the tests he did, so there was no real reason to keep her there, other than sanity purposes. I know Stella isn't going to hurt herself, but I couldn't promise she wouldn't hurt someone else.

I knew she was angry with someone, I could tell, only because I'd seen her angry before. I may not know her well, but I do know when she's pissed, and boy is she! Maybe after she settles down a little, she'll be willing to talk to me about it. I know I attacked her and her... mate, but I plan on apologizing for that.

I helped Stella into the passenger seat of my truck, shutting her door, and getting in the driver's seat. I started the truck and left the hospital, getting on the main road that would lead us back to her place. She leaned her head against the glass window of her door, blankly watching the world pass her by. Wincing from her visible pain, I desperately want to know why she's hurting so badly.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened, or leave me wonderin' why you're such a mess?" I asked, my southern draw slipping out.

"It's a long story." She quietly muttered, her voice a tiny squeak, like that of a mouse.

"I've got plenty of time." I shrugged, briefly stealing a glance.

"Why do you care? Last time I saw you, there was a crossbow strapped to your chest with silver bullets, ready to kill my... mate." She growled, but when her lips fell on the last word, she bit back tears.

"It's a long story." I shrugged, concealing the smirk I so badly wanted to show off.

"Fair point." Stella nodded with amusement, at least she was smiling, kind of.

"Things can change quickly sometimes." I commented, seeing her nod out of the corner of my eye.

"Yes, they can." She agreed, but her face was twisted with agony and fury.

We pulled up in front of her apartment, where we both remained seated in the truck. I wasn't ready for her to leave yet. I wanted to make sure she was going to be okay. I could tell she was falling apart and needed a friend. I wanted to be that for her, just a friend. Stella was all alone and I didn't want her to feel that way. She had me.