Chapter 17

(Chapter song ‘All Of Me' by John Legend)

MARCUS ‘She had eight times the legal limit in her system. Both her legs are broken and her skull is fractured. Countless other injuries. I know we’re shifters, but she should have been wearing a helmet. They had to put her in a coma.’

My chin quivers as Jax talks somewhere in the distance.

My eyes sting as I slowly walk into the room. My princess is broken, in casts and covered in bandages and wires. My heart crushes to see her banged up like this.

I swallow. “She was drunk.” I whisper.

“She crashed her bike on the south bridge. It’s amazing she survived.” He says.

“Why?” I ask.

He joins my side. “Maybe because of this.” He holds his phone up to me and he plays a podcast from last night.

My jaw goes slack as the video from inside the restaurant shows Claudia and I dancing and then the…

Oh God.

Jax shuts his phone off. “It’s everywhere. The news is going nuts with it.” He mumbles.

I nod. “So it’s my fault.” A tear falls as I stare at her busted body.

“Marc…Don’t. It’s not your fault. You kissed your girlfriend. Soph has problems, ok. She’s struggling with coping. Has been for a while now. If you have to blame anyone, blame the Vinellis. They took her from us.” He says.

If he only knew how devastating that kiss really is. It’s entirely my fault she’s in that bed.

Jax got called to the hall and I slowly walk to her bedside, pull up a seat, grab her hand and hold it to my lips. “Hey, princess. You’re a little banged up. It’s gonna be ok. You’re gonna be fine. The docs say you’ll be down for a bit, but you’re strong. I have faith. We…um…just need get ya healed up.”

I hold the top of her head and run my thumb across her forehead as I appreciate her beautiful sleeping face. I bite my lip as I deal with the fact that, despite what Jax says, this whole thing is entirely my fault.

I take in a shaky breath. “Baby, I’m sorry. I keep thinking about me. I didn’t realize you’d take things this far. When you get out of here, we'll have a serious talk ok? I wanna lay it all out. You wanna do that? Sophie? Would that make it better? Soph?” I clasp her hand in both of mine and rest them on my forehead. “Please…answer.” I whisper.

I try and focus on her heart beat and pray that she’ll wake up.

I barely felt Jax place a hand on my back. “Buddy. The doctors have to perform some tests. You can come back tomorrow. Get some rest.”

I sit up, wipe my nose and clear my throat. “Yeah…uh…ok.” I stand, place my hand on her hair and my lips on her forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow, princess.” I prolong the kiss, take in her sweet scent and feel her tingling warmth for as long as I can before pulling back and giving her one last look. I hugged Jax and Audrey and left for home.

The whole way, I kicked my ass for putting her through this. She almost killed herself for this fucking fake ass shit.

I walk into the pack house and hear rustling around in the kitchen.

“Aster?”

“Nope. Just me.”

I walk in and Claudia is raiding the fridge in black silk tank and sleep shorts. She comes out with an arm full of ingredients and kicks the door closed.

“What are ya doing?” I stand and watch putter around the place. She grabs a pan and bowls.

“Well…ya gave me such a good time last night, I feel like I owe you something nice too.” She spins around and leans back on the counter. “How ya feel about pancakes?” She smirks.

“I like pancakes.” I grumble as I sit.

“Good.” She gets busy cooking then looks over her shoulder. “Where were you?”

“The hospital. Sophie was in an accident last night. It’s not looking good.” I lean on the counter and hang my head.

“God, Marc! Why didn’t ya lead with that?” She spins around and walks to the counter.

“I wasn’t expecting…this.” I scowl as I motion to the kitchen.

“Jesus! What happened?” She leans on the counter with her hands.

“US! That’s what happened. A podcast showed us dancing and the kiss. She must saw it and it upset her. She crashed her bike. They had to put her in a coma.” I rub the back of my neck to try and relieve the stress.

She leans down to me. “Marcus, I’m sorry. I hope she gets better soon.”

Her soft tone did little to calm me. “Yeah, well, until Sophie gets the help she needs, no more kissing, got it?” I roll an eye to her.

“Marc. I’m not that bad. I know it was something we shouldn’t have and when she wakes up, I’ll apologize to her.” She says.

I narrow my eyes. “Right.” I say suspiciously. She’d probably apologize with a side order of murder threats.

“Come on. I have a heart, Marcus. I may not use it often, but it’s there. Now…” She pushes off the counter and turns around. “If you’re taking care of Sophie in the hospital, you’ll need fuel. One or two?” She cracks some eggs.

“Four.” I grumble.

She glances at me. “What the Alpha wants, the Alpha gets.”

The pancakes did hit the spot and they were really good, but I’m too worried about Sophie to fully enjoy them.

I texted Jax back and forth for updates when Claudia comes downstairs.

“Oh my God.”

I raise my eyes to her as she walks to a couch and sits. “What?”

“A message from my Uncle Cecil.” She says quietly.

She sits down beside me. “He wants us to visit him in Vegas.”

I glance up from my phone. “That’s cute. No.” I grumble.

“You don’t say no to Cecil, Marcus. We have to.” She says.

“I’m not going to Vegas with you. Forget it.” I respond.

“Look. I know it’s not something that ya want to do, but he wants to meet my mate. That’s you. If we turn him down, he’ll be insulted and tell my aunt. That’s not attention we need.” She eyes me.

I groan and drop my phone. “When.”

“This weekend. He owns a casino and has offered us a free stay.” She informs.

“Fine.” I stand. “Sophie better be awake before then, if not, we ain’t going.” I step past her legs and walk to the stairs.

She sits back. “Ok. I’ll tell him.”

“This isn’t a date or whatever.” I warn as I stop at the first step.

“No. Of course not.” She says.

This is all I need right now.

My wolf is going nuts as I think about Sophie in that bed and now I have to entertain Claudia in Vegas? This has to be some sort of sick joke.

I want to pull the plug on this whole thing, but I know how things work.

I just hope I get the chance to talk to Sophie before I go. I’m sure seeing me in Vegas would just be another nail in her emotional coffin.

I need to tell her how pissed I am that she did this and how pissed I am at myself that I drive her to it.

Please, let my baby be ok.

****

Someone must have been listening because three days later, Sophie came back to me.

Now, I’m going to give her hell.

Jax called me while I was at practice and I dropped everything.

I took every shortcut I knew to get to Axelridge General and I’m sure I ran about a dozen red lights.

I ran through the hospital and slammed into the door frame of her room.

My heart stopped seeing her sitting up in her bed taking with her brother. An ear to ear grin spread across my lips as I gazed at her beautiful face.

Her lips fell when our eyes locked. So did mine.

“Sophie.” I breathe as I walk in.

Jax looks at us and stands. “I’m gonna go check on Rey.” He walks past me and slaps my arm as I walk to her bedside.

“Hi, Marky.” She whispers.

I shake my head. “My God, you’re the most beautiful thing…I was so fucking scared.”

“I’m sorry.” She chokes.

“What the hell are ya doing, Sophie?! What were ya thinking, huh? Drinking and driving? Ya know better than that.” I try not sound too angry, but I need to let her know how stupid it was.

“I don’t know, Marcus! I don’t know how to deal with this…” She starts.

“This isn’t the way!” I lean to her and throw out my hand. “You almost killed yourself, for what?” I have to tone it down. I can feel the bubble growing.

“I know it was a dumb move.“ She drops her head. “I was just so angry.”

“You saw the podcast.” I run my hand up my face and into my hair, rubbing my nape.

“Yes. I saw the podcast.” She scowls.

“So this is what you do?” I point to her. “Yell at me! Blame me! Hate me, for fuck sakes, but don’t get plastered and run your bike, Sophie!”

“It's better than what I wanted to do!” She growls back.

I don’t have to read minds to know she wanted to drive her mace through my chest.

I sit on the edge of her bed. “Sophie. I’m so sorry I did what I did and you have every reason to be angry, but you can’t solve problems by going out and getting drunk.” I try to hold her hand, but she slowly pulls it away. “And I can’t keep running every time you want attention. Not this way. The bar fights, accidents…jail! It’s gotta stop.”

”I just was so angry, I needed to fight something.” She eyes me and straightens her blanket at her waist.

“Then fight me, baby. It’s fine. I can take all your lumps. It was a mistake. That’s all it was. A dumb, stupid mistake. I want you, Sophie, but it’s up to you. I’m all in if you want it, but these actions you’re doing…I can’t be with you if I have to bail you out every time you’re mad or hurt.” I try to find her eyes. “Sophie, you’re so great. You’re so talented and I only want what’s best for ya, but ya gotta take me seriously when I say you’re destroying yourself.”

I sit back and look at my leg. I take a deep breath. “If ya continue doing things like this…” I roll a sad eye to hers. “I can’t be with you, princess and I won’t be there to bail ya out next time. You’re on your own. But this is me begging ya , Soph…Please, don’t blow us or yourself to hell over a kiss.”

She chews her bottom lip in silence for, what felt like, like an hour.

“Well, you promised me forever, Marcus, then you kissed Claudia. So if anyone is blowing us to hell, it’s you.” She says quietly.

I press my lips together and nod as I slowly stand up. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

“Yep.” She says popping the ‘p'. Her eyes have almost no feeling in them. It’s like this is so easy for her to accept and it’s like a knife to my back.

I narrow my eyes at her. “If that’s what you want, then fine by me. Just remember, the next time you call, I won’t answer.”

“Don’t worry. You’re the last one I’d call.” She clenches.

I head for the door as my chest feels that thousand pound weight get even heavier.

I don’t want to do it, but she can’t keep using me as crutch to do whatever she wants. I understand she’s pissed and has every right to be. I’m pissed with myself, but she’s exhausting and I can’t keep enabling her. She’s either going to have to grow up or stay out of my life.

I stop at the door and look back. She’s laying down staring at window.

I have to walk away.

My throat closes as I walk down the hall.

This pain I feel is my punishment. It's all my fault. I just broke my own damn heart.