Chapter 26: Midnight Call

“Maya!”

“Olivia!”

Their names echoed in the distance, barely loud enough to rouse Olivia from her sleep. She groaned, her hand instinctively covering her face. ~What’s going on?~ She squinted, her eyes adjusting to the enveloping darkness.

Beside her, Maya’s warmth was comforting, despite her foot lodged in Olivia’s rib. Clearly, Maya wasn’t accustomed to sharing her bed. Olivia was sure she’d be nursing bruises by week’s end…

Why was she awake?

Had she imagined the voice?

“~Ladies~.”

“WHAT?”

Maya’s voice, loud and sudden, made Olivia jump, her fingers clutching the sheets.

Maya grumbled, sitting up abruptly, her head thudding against the wooden headboard.

“What do you want, Mason?”

Olivia propped herself up, turning to face the unexpected visitor. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the room’s darkness.

Slowly, his silhouette came into focus.

He was tall, his long black hair falling over his eyes. His face was marred with dark spots, his shirt stained. Olivia’s nose twitched. Was that blood?

Maya seemed to notice at the same time, leaping to her feet. “Mason, what the fuck happened?”

He grimaced. “Some jerks ambushed us during patrol.”

Olivia swung her legs over the bed, her feet touching the cold floor. Another attack? Hadn’t Alex mentioned something about patrols recently?

Certain things she’d heard about werewolves were proving true. Why did packs live so close if they couldn’t tolerate each other?

“Jason told me to fetch her,” he said, pointing at Olivia.

“Are you a nurse or something?”

She cleared her throat. “Yes, I am.”

“Some of the guys are pretty banged up.”

“Come on, Liv,” Maya said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet.

Maya’s hand was warm and slightly damp—was she anxious? What did banged up mean? Olivia had seen a lot in the ER, but she’d never seen ~Maya~ panic.

Even in tense situations—often of her own making—Maya remained cool and composed.

But now? Her pupils were dilated, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Had this happened before?

Olivia let Maya lead her through the pack house, nearly tripping several times, sleep still clinging to her.

The heightened emotions were palpable, everyone else seeming far more alert than she was.

They descended the stairs quickly, their footsteps echoing on each step.

As they reached the living room, Olivia gasped. Five pack members lay on the floor, their bodies marred with wounds: slashes, claw marks, gashes, and bruises.

~What happened?~

Maya, seemingly unaware of Olivia’s shock, continued to pull her forward. Olivia nearly stumbled on the last step but managed to steady herself on the railing. ~Okay.~

This was like…an animal attack. She’d dealt with that before.

But in the hospital, it was routine. She didn’t think twice. Now, these people were relying on her because they had ~no one else~.

She was their only hope. What would they have done if she hadn’t been here?

She swallowed hard, her throat tight. It was okay. Her job was stressful; she could handle this. ~Don’t overthink it, Olivia.~

She took a deep breath and moved towards the nearest person. After a quick assessment of his injuries, she turned to Maya.

“I need all the first aid supplies you have. Towels. Bowls of water. Anything else you think might help.”

“Got it.”

It was time to get to work.

Olivia focused, pushing aside the nature of the injuries and the wave of dread washing over her.

Maya helped as they cleaned and dressed each wound.

No one was critically injured. A few sprains, a few stitches—thankfully she had packed an emergency kit—but most of it was manageable.

They’d need to rest and stay still, but everyone would recover. It was disturbing to see the damage wolves could inflict on each other. Did this happen often? Did they frequently have to fight or kill?

“Doing this for a living is unbelievable,” Maya commented, dabbing at the sweat on her forehead.

“It’s not so bad,” she replied, grinning. “I get to assist people.”

“Did you always want to do this or…”

~Or was it because she was transformed into a werewolf?~ She did feel, for a time, that aiding people helped her balance out the fact that she was a beast.

It was as if it compensated for her monstrous nature. “My mother was a nurse.”

“She’s retired now?”

“No, she passed away. When I was young.” She saw Maya wince. “~No,~ it’s okay. It was a long time ago, don’t fret.”

Olivia forced a smile and turned her attention back to her patient.

She secured the final bandage and then beamed at the man.

“All set.”

“Thank you.”

She had just met more pack members than ever before, but she hadn’t had the opportunity to converse with them or learn their names. Perhaps another time. At least they were getting acquainted with her, right?

“I’m relieved no one was seriously hurt.”

There was a limit to what she could do, particularly without the resources of a hospital. She never imagined she’d be without them.

“Yeah,” Mason agreed, rubbing his neck. “That’s only 'cause Alex took the brunt of it.”

“~Mason,~” Jason warned, his eyes wide.

~Alex~? But he—come to think of it, she hadn’t seen him.

She had been so engrossed in treating the injuries that she hadn’t paused to consider it. Why wouldn’t he be here? His pack was injured. She had completely overlooked him. Was he injured?

“What do you mean?”

Jason sighed, tilting his head back. “Alex was with us.”

“Is he injured?”

“He’s—he prefers everyone else to be safe.”

Olivia’s gaze hardened as she approached Jason. “That’s not what I asked.”

“Olivia—”

“Where is he?”

Jason glanced at her, then at Maya. Unfortunately for him, she snorted. “Nope, you’re on your own.”

“Jason…”

“He’s in his room.” He groaned. “Don’t tell him I told you.”

But she didn’t hear his last sentence as she sprinted towards the stairs, a bag of supplies in her grasp, and ascended two steps at a time. Last time, he’d been dirty, but not injured.

She wasn’t naive enough to believe that everyone would eagerly inform her of what happened, but they could have told her he was injured. Did he think she wouldn’t assist him?

They’d had their share of disagreements. He could be a real jerk.

But they’d agreed to start afresh. Why was he avoiding her?

Upon reaching his bedroom, she pounded on the door with all her might, watching it shudder under the force.

She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot, waiting for him to open the door. But he didn’t.

Time passed and there was silence; not a sound.

She stepped back, checking to her left and right, making sure she had the right room. Yes. This was Alexander’s room. Jason said he was inside.

He ~was~ avoiding her.

“~Alexander,~” she yelled.

~Fine~, if he wanted to act like a stubborn child, she could play that game too. She grabbed the handle and flung the door open, expecting to find him on his bed. But she didn’t. The room was vacant. ~What…~

She entered, her eyes scanning the room for him, but he was nowhere to be found. As she finally exhaled the breath she’d been holding, she noticed a faint sound in the background. ~Water~?

She quickly turned her head towards the bathroom door, spotting the steam leaking from underneath.

Perhaps he couldn’t hear her over the shower?

It seemed unlikely given his superior hearing, but she could give him the benefit of the doubt. She strode towards the bathroom door and knocked.

“Alexander? It’s Olivia.”

But just like before, ~nothing~ but pure silence responded.

A sense of foreboding twisted in her gut. She was already ~here~. He wouldn’t go to such lengths to ignore her now, would he?

That would be senseless. Her hand started to shake as she gripped the cool, metallic door handle.

~He was okay~. They wouldn’t have left him alone if he wasn’t. They cared about him.

Sure, Maya teased him constantly but she cared. A sharp pain, like a blade cutting through her heart with each beat, made her wince. Why did she care so much?

She pushed her thoughts aside as she opened the door, poking her head in. Steam billowed out of the room, gradually clearing to reveal him. ~On the floor~.

His back was marred with deep cuts, blood pooling beneath him as he lay motionless. She fell to her knees on the hard tiles, a sharp pain shooting up her legs.

She held his broad shoulders, carefully turning him to see his face. His skin was smeared with blood and, as she feared, his eyes were shut.

She gently cupped his cheek, shaking him lightly as if that would rouse him.

“~Alexander?~”

His lips parted but his eyes remained closed. This wasn’t good. She pressed her forearm against his forehead.

He was damp from the steam, but he wasn’t feverish. Maybe he was just exhausted?

She mustered her strength to prop him up against the bathtub, freeing her hands.

Olivia ran her hands over his chest, her fingers stained with his blood, but she didn’t feel any wounds. It was just his back.

Perhaps his legs…

“EEK!”

Her cheeks flamed as she quickly covered her eyes. ~Naked~. He was ~completely~ naked.

In her shock and hurry, she hadn’t noticed his bare backside but now, as she tried to check his injuries, the ~swinging~ thing between his legs was impossible to ignore.

She bit her lip, sitting back on the floor. ~Okay, Olivia. You’ve seen a naked man before~. In fact, her job involved seeing a lot of nudity.

She always handled it professionally. This should be no different, right?

She risked a glance, only to find ~it~ still in view. ~NOPE!~ She quickly covered her eyes again. What was she, a teenager?

She’d seen a penis before. ~Damn it~. Olivia dropped her hand, deliberately raising her gaze as she scanned the bathroom for ~something~.

A green towel on the counter was her salvation.

She grabbed it and draped it over his lower body. ~That should do for now~.

Looking down, she noticed the bag she’d dropped in the chaos.

She crawled over to pick it up, then returned to Alexander. She needed to focus and help him.

First, though, she needed to turn off the shower.

She stood and twisted the faucet, silencing the room. Her heart pounded as she knelt back down beside Alexander. He was still out cold.

Was he so out of it he didn’t notice her, or did his wolf trust her enough to let her see him in such a vulnerable state? ~Probably the former.~

His hair was matted with sweat and blood, and she couldn’t resist brushing it back. His breathing was ragged, his chest barely moving with each exhale.

Her heart clenched and tears pricked her eyes.

She’d never seen him like this before. He was always in control, even when he was ~manipulating~ her or forcing her to follow his lead.

She’d seen him angry…but this? This was different.

Her heart dropped and she pulled her hand back. She couldn’t dwell on this now. She had to help him.

She maneuvered him so his back was towards her. The gashes were too large and deep to be ignored.

Pressure wouldn’t be enough.

The wound was too big for her to cover completely. It wouldn’t stop the bleeding.

She’d have to stitch him up, but she couldn’t numb the area. He would feel every bit of it.

More pain than she wanted to inflict. She’d been able to numb others before stitching them, but he needed more than a stitch or two.

It was either do it here or take him to a hospital.

She knew he wouldn’t allow the latter.

This was it.

Olivia’s hands trembled as she reached for a needle and thread.

She fumbled a few times, but eventually managed to thread the needle.

That was the first hurdle. The next was hoping he wouldn’t wake up. She couldn’t warn him about what was coming, not while he was unconscious.

She found herself hoping he’d stay that way, but she doubted her luck would hold. ~You’ve got this, Olivia.~ She pinched the skin together, took a deep breath as if it would lend her strength, and began.

At first, he didn’t move, which gave her hope. But then, a gut-wrenching groan escaped his lips and she bit her own. “Shhh,” she whispered, her hand on his shoulder.

“It’s me, Olivia,” she murmured in his ear.

His body tensed under her touch, rigid. He pulled away from her, forcing her to drop the needle so she could futilely try to keep him close.

“~Alex~, please.”

That seemed to work. He relaxed again—maybe too much—until his head rested on her shoulder.

Sweat trickled down his forehead as his eyes flickered open, then closed just as quickly.

“I’m sorry.” Her hand moved from his shoulder to wrap around him. “This is going to hurt like hell, okay?”

“T-he pack,” he rasped, his voice barely audible.

“They’re taken care of.”

~Damn it~. He was lying in a pool of his own blood, and he was worried about his pack.

~Sometimes~, it was easy to forget what a jerk he could be. He didn’t care about the pain she was causing or the severity of his injuries. He just wanted to know his people were safe.

She felt a pang of guilt for the ~monster~ label she’d given him when they first met. She didn’t know what had happened to Will’s parents, but she couldn’t imagine Alexander randomly killing his pack mates.

He was so different from what she’d thought.

For a moment, he looked at her. He didn’t say anything else, instead, his eyes closed again. His body grew heavier, and she knew she’d eased his worries.

Now she had to finish what she’d started.

Alexander groaned and cried out through the whole process, but eventually, she managed to clean and close his wounds. There was more to do, but this was enough for now.

She didn’t want to cause him any more pain. She turned him around, his face towards her.

A moment later, he slumped forward, effectively pinning her under his weight.

The breath was knocked out of her as she clung to the edge of the bathtub to keep herself upright.

Yep, that sounded about right.

Now, what was she supposed to do with him?