Twenty-Seven. Honesty

POV – Elijah

As I head toward the hospital, I take note of the blind corridors. We have cameras in most of the main thoroughfares, but not the smaller, less used ones. I decide to take these corridors to the hospital and check them out. Few people walk through these halls, and I pass maybe one or two people at most. Only when I saw a delta guarding a hallway that I know where the attack occurred.

“Alpha,” he nods, looking at me.

“Is this where the attack happened?” I ask. He nods.

“What’s happening now?”

“Our forensic scientists are in there fingerprinting the area before we let anyone walk through the hall,” the Delta explains.

“Is this hallway a shortcut to the hospital?” I ask.

“Yes, sir.”

“And who uses it mainly, do you know?”

“I’ve seen many nurses try to come through here, that’s all,” the Delta tells me.

“Thank you for that,” I reply. He nods again, and I return the way I’ve come, some of my questions answered.

I notice that this way is also close to the service entry, and I make my way to see Shoshanna.

Shoshanna is sitting at her desk, typing on the computer and answering phones when I approach. I watch and listen as she works.

“Alpha,” Shoshanna smiles, looking at me.

“Shoshanna, hi. Have you heard anything strange happening around here today?” I ask. Her face flinches, but then she wipes the expression away.

“I may have heard… something,” she says, her voice unsteady.

“Someone got attacked. If you hear anything, would you let me know, please?” I ask. She nods slightly as I smile at her.

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it then,” I say when she says nothing. Shoshanna nods again, and I go to the closest nurses’ station.

“Hi,” I smile at the young nurse working at the desk.

“Alpha,” she smiles back at me.

“Do you know where….” I begin.

“She’s in theatre at the moment, Alpha,” Danni says, approaching me. She looks distraught, tears in her eyes.

“Are you okay?” I ask. Danni shakes her head, and I hug her, pulling her body close.

“First her mum and then her. We only just got them back, Eli,” Danni says, sobbing into my arms.

“I know,” I shush.

“Alpha Brent and Dorian are in the head nurse’s office. I needed to leave and get some air,” she then admits, pulling out of my arms and taking a step back.

“Where’s that?” I ask.

“Lucy, can you take him?” Danni asks the girl at the desk.

“Of course,” Lucy replies, getting up from her seat. Danni thanks her and then turns to me, promising we’ll talk soon. I follow Lucy through the hospital, and she leads me to the nurse’s office.

“Thank you,” I tell her when she indicates the door.

“You’re welcome,” Lucy replies, walking off.

I open the door and am met with a furious-looking Dorian pacing before Brent, Liam and our commanding Delta, Eddie.

“…days and already this happens again. To your family in your pack Brent!” Dorian yells. He looks at me and shakes his head as I walk in.

“I just can’t believe it,” Dorian says, looking back at Brent.

“How is she?” I ask.

“She’s in theatre; the doctor is operating on her. She has a torn lung,” Liam says when nobody answers. I look at Brent, who has tears running down his face.

“What do you mean it happened again?” I ask.

“Aviary, my mate, his daughter, was beaten by his chosen Luna. It’s why she ran away. Did he not tell you?” Dorian asks anger in his voice. I shake my head. I knew Aviary had disappeared, which is why I was here, but not the specifics.

“Does the pack know who Lillia is to you yet?” Dorian seethes. I watch as Brent shakes his head.

“But what about the pack? They already expect Elijah to take over, not Aviary. And she’s not well enough to lead this pack….” Brent protests.

“And what about Lillia? Does she not deserve the respect of the pack? No one deserves to be beaten up. If the pack knew who she was and that it happened again, they would support any action you recommend if it means keeping your family safe!” I yell. Brent looks up at me, shocked.

“But I’ve been grooming you for the position….”

“So what? If Aviary gets better and wants it, why can’t she be Luna? Or Lillia? It’s their right. I, for one, would rather be in a pack where the alpha family is safe, not a pack where the alpha family gets beaten up. If you want the pack to continue to respect you, and me, Brent, you need to speak up!”

“You’re right,” Brent says, hanging his head in admission.

//\\///\\\//\\

Lillia was in the operating theatre for eight hours. She had other internal injuries and not just a collapsed lung. Her skull was fractured in several places, and her nose had been broken. Along with these injuries, she had several deep bruises on her arms and legs. Because Lillia was still seventeen and hadn’t shifted yet, they put her into a medically induced coma to help her body heal.

The attending doctor then sat down with Dorian and Brent to review Lillia’s treatment, which I wasn’t privileged to be a part of. What I did find out, though, was that there was more than one person involved in the attack.

I visited Lillia every day after her surgery, and her face was unrecognisable. The bruises on her face were still black, and she was so swollen under her eyes that she looked like she was having an anaphylactic attack. I would spend my time sitting there, holding her hand, with Danni popping her head in occasionally with a slight smile.

Brent came in to see her several times, but I could see he was struggling. He stopped shaving and looked like he hadn’t showered for a few days, his hair evident with an unwashed look. Even Dorian, who looked calm and collected most of the time, looked like he wasn’t handling it well.

I held Lillia’s hand when I heard an alarm come from down the hall. I stood up and watched a bunch of hospital staff run toward the Alpha’s room.

“What’s going on?” I asked one nurse who ran past the door. She looked at me and shrugged, rushing to help the nurses and doctors within the walls.

- Brent. Something is going on with Aviary’s room – I link. I’m unsure if it gets through as I slowly walk toward the room. Unlike most of the private rooms in the hospital, this room doesn’t have a window from which you can see through, so instead, I push my way through the staff standing in the doorway.

I first notice the monitors on the side of the room and then the rushed talking of those surrounding the beds.

“Clear!” the doctor calls out. I see all hands go up as the doctor shocks the heart. The heart monitor makes a slight bump but then goes flat. CPR is then applied once more, but from the heart monitor, it makes no difference.

“Call it,” another doctor says.

“Eleven-forty-five,” the first doctor says, nodding at a nurse who writes it down. He turns to me, sadness in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Alpha Elijah, there’s nothing more we can do,” he says. I slowly nod at him as I approach the woman lying in bed. A nurse is taking the tubes off Aviary with a grim expression. I watch as she unhooks Aviary from the machine. A sad howl comes from the hallway, and I know Brent has been told about Aviary’s passing.

I take a sniff and then raise my head high. I need to be strong for the pack and for Brent. Walking out of the room I see Danni hugging Brent who has collapsed on the floor. Dorian walks down the hallway with Liam, and I watch as he approaches.

“Arrange for a pack meeting tomorrow at ten. Tomorrow will be a day off for everyone except those working at the hospital. Danni, take Brent to his suite and soothe him. After the announcement about tomorrow has been made, meet me at the Alpha’s office,” I instruct, looking over at Dorian, who nods.

I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with Liam and Dorian arranging the pack meeting tomorrow and the funeral for the coming weekend. Some packs bury their dead on the full moon, some a week after death. I’m unsure about this pack’s process, but Liam reassured me when we decided to hold a pack funeral on the weekend, followed by a pack bonfire.

A knock rattles the door, and Danni walks in with a cart full of food before I can say come in.

“Have you eaten yet?” she asks as she walks in. My stomach rumbles, making Danni smile.

“I had the cooks whip up some food. I’ve also asked the cleaners to freshen up some guest rooms for your family, if they come,” Danni says, looking at Dorian.

“Thank you, Danni,” Dorian says, taking her hand. She smiles at him before approaching Liam and sitting on his lap.

“Mum?” Preston asks, walking in, followed by his brother. Danni takes an arm out for Preston, who, with his brother, walks into them.

We sit there quietly and eat. Preston asks Danni about Aviary, and Danni tells us stories about when she and Aviary were younger, before Luna Hailey.

//\\///\\\//\\

Everyone chattered amongst themselves, wondering about the reason for this impromptu meeting and day off. Looking across the room, I could see that most of the pack was here. All the missing people were on patrol, in the hospital or looking after the children.

Because the pack was large, we held the meeting outside, with speakers around the perimeter so everyone could hear what was being said from the front. Some chairs were set up at the front of the podium, but most people sat on the grass or stood around.

I watched as Brent walked across the field, standing out in his black suit. I was also dressed in a black suit, as was Liam and Commanding Delta Eddie, which made the pack more interested in why they had been called here.

Brent walked up to the podium and cleared his throat before looking at the pack, which had quietened down. The only noise we could hear was that of the toddlers on the grass in front of the podium or in their parent’s arms.

“Redwood pack, thank you for coming today. I am blessed that all of you have made an effort to join me today in this surprise meeting,” Brent says, pausing as he collects himself.

“Most of you know that eighteen years ago, my daughter, whom my chosen mate was physically abusing, our Luna, ran away from our pack. You will also know of the extensive searches we made to look for her,” he says, a heavy sigh leaving his lips.

“Her leaving us made me recollect the purpose of a pack. A pack of wolves is one of family, where those around us protect and love us. When I chose Hailey Smith, I lost sight of that. I lost my daughter, and I almost lost you. I did not lead you as I should have due to my blindness. But,” he says, looking up at the crowd.

“From the loss of Aviary, I vowed to make this pack the way my family found it wanted… a pack where each member is important, valued and loved. We destroyed the buildings which once stood on the pack grounds and rebuilt them. We rebuilt and added new members to our pack every year. I would like to say that this place is a better pack to live in than the one my Aviary left behind,” Brent says, turning slowly and looking at Dorian, me, Liam and then the crowd.

“This leads me to three pieces of news. Firstly, Aviary came home,” he says, a small smile forming on his lips. The crowd began to whisper, and I could hear words like thank the goddess coming from the crowd.

“My daughter came home to us, but she came back unwell. In the pack she came from, she was treated in a way that never has and will never happen in our pack. She came back to us with cancer….”

I hear shock rise through the crowd at the word cancer. It’s a human disease, and it’s scarce for werewolves to get.

“Yesterday, at eleven-forty-five, Aviary succumbed to her illness,” Brent says, sobbing. I feel the joint sadness through the pack bond.

“She said she returned because she wanted to see me one last time. And she did,” Brent sobs into the mike. Danni walks up to him and rubs his shoulder. He places his hand on hers and then looks back at the crowd.

“But Aviary did not come back alone. She came back with her daughter, Lillia Greystone-Redclaw,” he says, looking at the crowd. I watch their reactions, but see the same thing from them, surprise and happiness.

“I promised this pack that what happened to my daughter would never happen to anyone in this pack ever again. I promised you that I would protect you, make you safe. And for eighteen years, I tried to make that happen….” Brent begins.

“You did!” people in the crowd call out. I look at the crowd, sensing pride for their Alpha and pack. Brent, however, shakes his head.

“No, I didn’t. Because three days ago, Lillia was beaten by more than one member of this pack, and she almost died in the operating theatre. I promised to keep this pack safe, but I could not keep my own granddaughter safe,” he sighs, tears coming down his face.

“We will find them!” an angry person from the crowd calls out, followed by others with the same words.

“They do not belong in this pack,” another person calls out.

I step forward to quell the crowd.

“We have interviewed several people regarding this incident and have our suspects. If you know anything, you have till the funeral to tell us what you know. After this time, if we find out who was involved, the consequences will be harsher. If you were involved and talk to us before then, your sentencing will be lighter. Aviary Greystone-Redclaw’s funeral will be on Saturday. We will hold an intimate funeral and a bonfire for the entire pack. Everyone is invited. For now, please enjoy the rest of the day off. We hope to see everyone here for the bonfire in two days,” I state, dismissing the crowd.

“Thank you, Elijah,” Dorian and Brent say, approaching me.

“It’s the least I can do,” I say.

As the crowd begins to disperse, many members come up to us to talk and send their condolences about Aviary. Some come up to us and suggest what to do with those who hurt Lillia, the best being to put them in the pillory (where their head and hands are trapped between hinged wooden boards) so that we can throw rotten food and eggs at them.

//\\///\\\//\\

The day after the pack announcement, I was in my office, working. Brent is having a personal day, which I am fine with, and Danni has taken leave from the hospital, working with Jacky, Eddie’s mate, and Thalia, the Gamma’s mate, organising the bonfire on Saturday.

“Come in,” I call out when I hear a knock at the door.

“Alpha Elijah?” Shoshanna asks, poking her head around the door.