Flashback

Micah ran into my office. I looked up, “Where’s the fire?”

Micah answered, “Addison called me.”

I was instantly alert, “Why didn’t Ashley call?”

Micah explained, “She’s hurt and it’s bad. Addison said we need to come.”

That meant we needed someone on call then.

I picked up my phone and called my brother in law. Alexander answered on the first ring, “Hey, Cayden.”

I blurted out, “I don't have details, nor can I explain too much to you. I have a source who is hurt. All I know is that it's bad. I genuinely like this source.

Not only do they provide good intel, but I also consider them family. If this source is going to die, I’ll need you to come. I’m not going to let this source die.”

The very idea was abhorrent to me.

Alexander agreed, “Sure. Where am I going?”

I admitted, “I don’t know yet.”

Alexander questioned, “Who is your source?”

I winced answering, “I can’t tell you who my source is even if you come to heal said source.”

Alexander snorted, “Alright, cryptic it is. Call if you need me then. I’ll be on standby. I can be to you in a quick pop. If it’s really bad, we might need my mom. Fair warning, I have eyes. So, I might just figure out who it is without you telling me.”

I kind of hoped he did. I replied, “I’ll let you know.”

Micah said, “Ashley won’t like that.”

I said, “I will NOT let her die.”

I paused then demand, “Tell me you don’t feel the same way.”

Micah sighed, “I do.”

Micah opened a portal outside the human hospital. I linked him, “Why aren’t we at the pack?” He answered, “Because Addison said they brought her here.” That didn’t make sense.

I spotted Trevor McCann in the crowd outside and noted he had blood on his shoes. Micah and I ran inside. My thoughts were running away with possibilities, and I was barely keeping my eyes from blazing. I knew for a fact if that piece of shit forcibly marked Ashley, she wouldn’t have to worry about filing against him for it this time. Because he would be so very dead.

It was clear, based on the direct route Micah was taking that he already had the room. I spotted Hendrick and Mason guarding the door with Dax and Caine. I raised an eyebrow questioning, “What the hell happened?!”

Addison stepped out of the room answering me without looking me in the eyes. “It was a car accident.”

She was lying. Micah linked, “Are they really lying to us right now?”

The clear answer was yes. I warned them all, “Don’t bullshit me. How bad is it?”

Hendrick wiped his eyes answering, “It’s bad, really bad.”

My heart hammered in my chest. I ordered, “Move, Addison.”

She moved aside quickly, and I walked into the room. I blinked several times and nearly took a step back when I laid eyes on Ashley.

She had taken a beating and a half. I was no doctor, but this was clearly not a car accident. Maybe one at the end, but there were clear markings indicating someone’s fingers were around her neck. That alone made it quite clear a car alone wasn’t responsible.

I looked at Micah, but he was pulling up her chart. I scanned both sides of Ashley’s neck and sighed in relief noting she had not been marked. I checked her over and found a bite mark on her hand as if she’d put her hand up to defend herself from being forcibly marked. The whip marks on her back I’d seen were re-opened but a movement on my right caused me not to flip her over and check the rest of her back.

I whirled and took in the room. I demanded, “Avery, Paige, Valentina, Virgil, or Sierra talk. One of you come up with a better lie than a fucking car accident. Or crazy thought, TELL US THE DAMN TRUTH about what happened here. Or so help me God I’m calling a healing Fairy that I am quite close with to heal her.”

They all gave each other panicked glances which told me they knew exactly who I’d call.

I shouted, “WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?! Because I see the wolf bite on her hand. My mate marked me the same way wolves do. Two canine bites, exactly like the one on her hand. I saw Trevor FUCKING McCann outside with blood on his damn shoes. Don’t EVEN say he was in the car with her and also in the accident either.”

I waved my hands frantically, “Ashley would walk over broken glass before getting in a damn car with Trevor McCann.”

Micah linked me, “None of her injuries are life threatening.”

I retorted, “Then why the fuck am I literally itching to call Alexander?”

Micah sighed, “The same reason I am. Ashley feels like family.”

He was right.

He added “Plus, it’s weird.”

I asked, “What is?”

He said, “These injuries SHOULD be life threatening to someone without a wolf. We SHOULD be calling Alexander, and we SHOULD have come her and found Ashley in surgery. Which means we would’ve had to bring in Uncle Bjourn or Uncle Marcus. Hell, one of our cousins even.”

I needed to look at that damn chart.

Avery whispered, “We can’t tell you what happened exactly. Can you just help us?”

I stared at her for several seconds. She winced saying, “There was actually a car accident. Addison wasn’t really lying.”

I glared at her, “A car accident didn’t do all that and I’m used to evasions. I’m sure it hasn’t escaped your notice I’m mated TO A PARTIAL FAIRY! So is Micah. We are practically baptized in spotting evasions.”

Sierra said, “Ashley will probably be pissed we even called you. You can’t call someone to heal her. She’d be so upset.”

I looked at Ashley and pointed, “Does it matter that much to you that she’d be upset?! LOOK at her. I can have her fixed in an hour, tops.”

Micah linked, “Two or three. Even if Haley and Alexander did it to together.”

I replied, “What the hell is in that chart?!”

He said, “I’m telling you she should be in surgery and dying. I feel like the doctors in the family would be flabbergasted right now. Even if she had a wolf Haley and Alexander would take a while to heal this.”

That just pissed me off even more. Cassie was throwing so much calm at me it was crazy. My whole family was.

Hendrick said, “Mase.”

Mason frowned. Addison jumped in, “The doctor said with her healing rate, she’d be fine in a few weeks.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Then it doesn’t make sense that you called us. Why would you? It clearly wasn’t to listen to my advice.”

Addison winced, “We need you to protect her.”

Micah actually looked up from his tablet in surprise. I ground out, “From?”

Addison looked away while she answered. “She’s not safe here like this. We can’t be here all the time…”

I held up my hands interrupting, “HOLD ON. So not only are you lying to my face, but you also now want my help. To protect Ashley from…??”

I trailed off intentionally to let them answer.

Sierra said, “She’s vulnerable here like this and you know it. We may tiptoe around it, but you know deep in your soul she’s not safe in the human hospital.”

I snorted, “Then why is she here?”

Sierra outright didn’t answer me.

Instead, she said, “I know you care for her in a non-romantic sense. We aren’t asking you to take her to your realm or anything. We just need her out of here. You know what Trevor wants from her and he’ll get it like this.”

Micah made her say it, “What do you mean?”

Sierra groaned, “He’ll come in and forcibly mark her.”

I growled.

Caine peeked in to say, “That was an impressive growl for a Hackura.”

I hissed, “I am the COMMANDER of the goddamn Hackura Army. Give me ONE good reason not to have her healed right now.”

Sierra instantly replied, “You’ll lose all the trust you have with her.” FUCK ME!

I wanted to say fuck it and call Alexander, I really did. Thank God Cassie had delivered some Karina cookies to me before I left, or I might have jumped the gun. They always had a way of calming us down. Instead of reaching for my phone, I glared at the group in front of me.

I dismissed them, “Then leave.”

Avery argued, “We can’t leave her…”

I laughed cutting her off. “Oh, but you can. In fact, you will. You want me to protect her and that means NONE of you can know where she is. Because I don’t actually believe your Alpha will protect her. You must not either since you’re here. He can command you to talk so leave.”

Micah jumped in, “Don’t leave the hospital. We don’t need Trevor coming in here while we get things ready.”

Begrudgingly they all left except Paige.

I stared at her. She said, “I’m the one that brought her here, not them.”

I asked, “Why? You are fully aware the pack hospital is where you should’ve taken her.”

She made a face. Micah jumped in, “I’m betting you are the one that convinced them to call us.”

She replied, “Yes, I did.”

I stared at her.

She glanced at Ashley and whispered, “This is where she would say that I’m using your blood to get what I want.”

I replied, “She’d be right.”

Paige winced, “I know. I just don’t care because I will always pick her. I don’t care that this puts you in a tough spot. I don’t care what you find out while you have her, and I don’t care if everyone else has a rough time in the pack while she’s gone.”

I asked, “What does all that mean?”

She replied, “She’s my best friend and unlike the wolves that just left, you and I have something in common.”

I replied, “As we don’t have wolves, we have many things in common.”

She conceded, “That is true. They live by their mentality in packs and that’s normally fine, but I told them they could call you or I would.”

She shivered, “The Alpha stare Addison and Caine have even made me look at the ground, but I wasn’t backing down.”

Then she was an incredibly powerful Witch. She stared at Ashley and whispered, “I’ve never seen her look this bad. Have you?”

I snorted, “You know the answer to that.”

She wiped tears away, “I can’t explain it, but I think they have.”

I asked, “Who?”

She scoffed, “You know who. I know they love her, but it’s like their pack mentality isn’t helping with her entire situation. I mean LOOK at her.”

I replied, “I have been.”

She cringed, “I just don’t understand why they didn’t look horrified like I know I did. Hell, like you did when you came in here. It’s as if they were numb to this and I can’t help but wonder why.”

Yeah, well neither could I. The answer was this happened a lot and they shut Paige out because she’d do what she did today.

I asked, “And what do you think?”

She admitted, “Nothing I like. They close ranks about her, but I know that will be because it’s what she wants. She protects everyone but herself. They made me promise not to get in the car and go kick her brother’s selfish ass.”

I asked, “Why would they do that?”

She answered, “Because Ash still loves him. His ass would be cursed if she didn’t. Just make sure she’s ok. Blame me if you have to have her healed. Ok? She has to be ok.”

I agreed, “If a doctor I bring in says she’s in danger of dying, I’ll bring in a healing Fairy. I won’t blame you though.”

She said, “She can’t lose you guys. You make her…”

She trailed off. I asked, “Make her what?”

She answered, “More her. She’s always happier when she talks or sees you guys. She can’t lose that, or I fear we lose her in a different way.”

That didn’t make sense, but Paige hustled out of the room after that statement.

Micah whispered, “What the fuck is going on?”

I admitted, “I don’t know but I have a theory.”

He asked, “What is it?”

I replied, “That the Lead rior Male or Female can take punishments for their people. She’s taking theirs and it can’t be above board, or they’d just tell us that.”

Micah snorted, “Beating your Female Lead rior is asinine.”

I questioned, “Do you get the impression Alpha Davis is smart?”

He conceded, “No, but if he’s getting away with something like that he is. To a degree Eric doesn’t even expect.” True.

My phone buzzed and I knew it was Cassie calling. I answered, “Hello, my beautiful wife.”

She replied, “Hey, where are you?”

I didn’t answer her. Instead, I asked, “By chance are you with Zane or Brody?”

Cassie asked, “My cousins?”

I chuckled, “You know that’s exactly who I mean.”

She replied, “I see Brody. Do you want me to go get him?”

Brody was Marcus’ son and a damn good doctor, like his dad. I said, “Yeah, I need him.”

She asked, “Are you ok?”

I snorted, “No, but you knew that. I love you for asking even when you know the answer.”

She asked, “What’s going on?”

I answered, “Ashley is seriously hurt.”

Cassie was quiet, “I can call Alexander.”

I knew I sounded bitter when I replied, “I already called him. Ashley isn’t dying so they don’t want him to come.”

Cassie asked, “Why do you care what they want? And who is they?”

I didn’t know why I cared what they wanted but I was at peace about my decision. I said, “Because I want her trust me and the ‘they’ I am referring to is her friends.”

She sighed, “Fine. What do they want then?”

I answered, “For us to protect her from being forcibly marked in this condition.”

Cassie snarled, “My dad would KILL whoever did that! So would EJ and Alexander! None of them would stand for that! Why won’t she let our family help?”

I admitted, “I don’t know. But I do know this isn’t currently her choice. She’s very unconscious right now and didn’t know we were called in.”

Cassie questioned, “So, what’s the plan?”

My head was pounding because I wanted to say I’m going to bring in Alexander or Haley. The words wouldn’t come out though. Finally, I answered, “We are getting her out of here. I need Brody to come to us. I’ll call Uncle Bjourn and clear it. Brody can at least monitor her and tell us if we need a healing Fairy. He might be able to handle this though.”

My headache went away instantly.

I heard the phone shuffle as Cassie sent me her love in the bond. Brody spoke to me, “So, I have a new patient, do I?”

I grimaced as I looked at Ashley. She could be healed in hours. My head hurt again, and I rubbed my temple.

I answered, “Yes. Where do you want me to take her?”

Brody thought about it then said, “Take her to South Dakota. My dad and I have a safe house set up to treat patients. Only our people know about it so it’s private. No one will find her, and we don’t have to falsify any records. Micah has the coordinates. I’ll meet you there. What’s the rundown?”

I looked at Micah because he had the chart, not me. He answered, “Four broken ribs. Her spleen was scheduled to be removed but they are calling that an error because it’s healed. Bite marks on her hands and ribs. She’s unconscious and had several bleeds on her brain but they also think that’s an error because it healed.”

Holy shit!

He wasn’t done though. “She has a concussion, a dislocated ankle, knee, and shoulder. Her check and jawbone are fractured. Her elbow was listed as ‘crushed’ but that also somewhat healed and is now listed as a distal humerus fracture. That injury is why the human hospital staff bought the car crash story.”

Brody snorted, “I think you misspoke. Did you say human hospital?”

I answered, “He did.”

Brody hummed, “Are those all her injuries?”

I tried to reign my anger in since my whole family was now concerned.

Micah said, “That’s all they’ve checked. I’ve got my dad on her discharge, forging the AMA signatures.”

Brody instructed, “Turn the machines in the room off before you start taking things off her. It will set off alarms if the sound isn’t off.”

Micah assured him, “I know Brody. We’ll see you soon.”

I hung up and felt like my heart and brain were at war with each other. The pounding in my head only seemed to settle when I landed on Brody making the final call. Micah was working on the logistics and getting Ashley ready to portal out of here.

I called Uncle Bjourn. He answered, “Cayden.”

I explained without pleasantries, “I need Brody for an undetermined period of time.”

He made a tisking sound, “Why?”

I answered, “To monitor Ashley until she’s recovered.”

Uncle Bjourn immediately asked, “What happened to Ashley?”

I looked her up and down unsure of how to answer that. Eventually I asked him, “Do you want the story I got, or what I suspect happened?”

Uncle Bjourn snorted, “Both.”

I replied, “I was told she was in a car accident.”

Uncle Bjourn asked, “I’m assuming the injuries don’t line up with that.”

I snorted, “Not all of them. I think there was a car accident, but unless that car was a wolf too it’s not the whole story.”

Why wasn’t I telling him Paige basically confirmed that? I wasn’t even remotely sure.

Uncle Bjourn said, “You have said she is quite skilled at fighting.”

I replied, “I think she’s in the real Undergrounds, but we don’t have that information confirmed. I think she had a fight tonight then got jumped by Trevor fucking McCann and his friends. I believe he tried to forcibly mark her. At some point she was whipped, which makes me believe Black Path is punishing members with whippings for non-treasonous acts.”

Micah jumped in, “As their Lead rior, Ashley can take a punishment and she would too.”

Uncle Bjourn was silent for several beats. I couldn’t blame him either. This was a shit show. I wondered if he had a headache like I did.

Finally, he said, “My patience for this situation is quickly drawing to an end. We protect people. At a certain point, it’s not going to matter if she won’t tell you what’s going on. I’ll have you bring her here to me. After what happened to Haley….”

He trailed off and I winced, feeling guilty.

I told him, “I just don’t get it because Ashley CAN fight back. She clearly did at some point. The bruising on her knuckles tells me that. I think Trevor tried to forcibly mark her after a fight and the whipping. Maybe he caused the car accident chasing her down.”

She had to have been heading for Paige if Paige was the one who found her and brought her here.

Which meant she was protecting pack members like Addison, Dax, Caine, Sierra, Hendrick, and Mason. Alpha Davis Edward couldn’t technically touch Paige as a non-pack member. The others he could and there was clearly a lot of silence going around that pack. Which meant Eric was right and a lot of shady shit was going on.

Uncle Bjourn said, “I will give this a little more time for you to resolve this how you like, just know I’m running low on patience. If she won’t answer your questions, then I am GOING to have you bring her here. I’ll speak to her myself. I can’t let this girl die.”

I looked at Ashley. I told him, “I had no intention of letting her die. I had Alexander on standby. If she was dying, I wouldn’t give a shit what they wanted. I’d bring him in.”

Uncle Bjourn sighed, “Alright. If anything like this happens again, you’ll be bringing her here. I think I’m making a massive mistake not having you just do it now. Time will tell.”

I heard him take a drink and then the sound of him chewing. “Thank god I swiped some cookies from Haley’s house.”

Those cookies were the givers of our sanity. He hung up.

I called Alexander knowing this wouldn’t be fun. He answered, “Where am I popping to?”

I answered, “Nowhere. My source is injured, but not dying.”

Alexander snorted, “I thought you liked this source.”

I winced because he had a point.

I admitted, “I do. If it was my call, you’d be here.”

Alexander reasoned, “I mean, I could just show up.”

I thought about it, but somehow I knew that would cause more problems in the future. God my head was pounding. I had to admit Ashley might die if she met Alexander like this. The second I decided not to bring him in my headache vanished. Gosh that was weird.

I told him, “If this happens again, you’ll be meeting me and Uncle Bjourn in the Hackura realm to heal said source.”

Alexander snorted, “Then Uncle Bjourn is not happy about this either.”

I rubbed my temples, “I haven’t been happy about this since I met my source. Sometimes I’d swear to you, I’m making a huge mistake. Other times, I’d tell you building trust will pay off. I don’t know. I don’t even know what my instincts say with this situation anymore.”

Alexander sighed, “Been there. Do you need me to conjure you a Karina cookie? She just put out fresh ones.”

I sighed in relief, “God, yes.”

He conjured several and I handed some to Micah, instantly feeling better about everything. Alexander added, “Call me if you change your mind and I’ll come.”

Micah nodded to me. We were making the right call. I told Alexander, “Thanks man. I’ll talk to you later.”

A human doctor entered the room, “I do believe it is a bad idea to remove her from the hospital,”

he said. I nodded, not blaming him for his opinion. He had no idea that she’d heal easily nor why. I smoothed an understanding smile to my face, “Thank you. We do appreciate your assistance and advice. However, we aren’t local to the area and we would like to take my sister home to recover with family. We have a reputable hospital nearby and she will be well looked after there.”

I knew that the reassurances would help ease some concern.

Micah handed the paperwork to the doctor who looked it all over. He crossed some T’s and dotted some I’s before signing the last page on the clipboard. He looked at us, “I do still think that it would be best for her to remain here, but respect your choice based on her getting care in another accredited medical facility. Please ensure that she does get that care.”

I nodded and waited for the Doctor to leave.

When he had, I closed the door behind him. We disconnected the wires connecting Ashley to the machines and I lifted her gently into my arms. Micah opened a portal, and we met Brody on the other side.

Micah handed him a cookie that he snarfed down. I laid Ashley down on the bed and Brody scanned her, making several faces. I asked, “Do you need us to leave for a full body inspection?”

He replied, “The scan is fine.”

Not normally, but if he felt that way I wasn’t going to argue. He said, “Well, a healing would be the fastest way for her to heal, but I can handle this.”

That was that then.