Chapter 14: 14: Melanie

MAX

I’m in a rush to clean up and get dressed. Selene and Jaydon are at the pack house, just as Mom instructed.

I find them in the living room, Jaydon pacing like a caged animal. Macy is on the couch, tears streaming down her face, while Amanda, the beta’s wife, tries to comfort her.

Carter and Beck are nowhere to be found. “Where are Carter and Beck?” I ask, already heading for the door.

“Beck hasn’t come back since he took Melanie to the hospital. I think he’s still there.

Carter went to talk to Uncle Milo. He said he overheard something that might be useful.

He couldn’t find Connor and you and Dad were busy,” Selene explains. She’s sitting on a chair, nervously chewing her nail—a habit she has when she’s anxious.

“Are any of you hurt?” I ask. They all shake their heads.

“I’m going to see Melanie. Stay here and don’t leave the pack house until Mom or Dad say you can.” I grab the door handle and leave before they can respond.

I don’t have time for Selene’s snappy comebacks. As I sprint across the pack grounds toward the hospital, I mind-link with Beck.

~“How is she? Is my mom there with her?”~

~“I don’t know. The doctor hasn’t come out and he wouldn’t let me go back there with her. She lost a lot of blood and he’s giving her a transfusion. She hasn’t woken up yet. Your mom is with her and the alpha just walked in. He’s covered in blood. Maybe bring him some clothes,”~ Beck replies.

I mutter a curse, veering off to grab some clothes from the gym locker room as I pass by. He always keeps extra clothes in a locker there.

I don’t know how bad he looks, so I grab him a pair of pants and a t-shirt and continue my run. As I burst through the hospital entrance, barely giving the automatic doors time to open, I stop in my tracks.

My father stands there, his shirt soaked in rogue blood. The smell is nauseating.

His pants are splattered with blood all the way down to his shoes. Dried blood is on his hands, and his knife, strapped to his thigh, is crusted with blood.

I glance around. Madison is sitting on the other side of the room.

I should have known Melanie’s best friend wouldn’t stay home. Beck is a few seats down from her, elbows on his knees, looking up at me with raised eyebrows.

They seem to be keeping their distance from the alpha. “Dad, you smell awful.

I brought you some clothes. You should go shower and change.

Have you seen yourself?” I ask, holding out his clothes. As he walks over to take them, the scent of the rogue’s blood makes me break out in a sweat.

“Thanks, Max. Don’t you dare leave this place till I get back,” he warns, heading down the hall to the shower rooms that the doctors and nurses use after particularly messy days.

I turn to Beck, shaking my head. “Has your Dad been here?

The alpha looked pretty bloody. I wonder if your dad was involved in whatever happened.

I wish I had been there,” I growl. Beck sighs, standing up.

“Of course he was there, Max. I’m sure they’ll let you have a go at the prisoners, but right now Melanie is more important.

Maybe since you’re her brother and you’re not covered in blood, they’ll let you back there.” That’s when I notice Beck is still in his suit from the dance.

His white dress shirt is stained with blood down the front and one arm. His jacket and tie are long gone.

“I know that. I’m here for Melanie.

I’ll go back there, but you need to go home and clean up. You shouldn’t let her see you with her blood all over your shirt,” I tell him, gesturing at his stained clothes.

Beck looks down at himself. “Oh. Right.

Okay. Can you mind-link me if anything happens while I’m gone?”

“Sure, man. No problem.

And thanks for looking after my sister.” I clap him on the shoulder as he walks past me to leave the lobby.

He looks exhausted, and I know I’d feel the same once the adrenaline wore off. I head toward the nurses’ station.

A nurse greets me immediately, informing me that Melanie is still unconscious and needs more blood. She calls back and the doctor says I can go in, but only for a minute.

He prefers only one person at a time in the room so he can continue his work. I quickly follow the nurse’s directions through the double doors.

My mom meets me on the other side and leads me into a small room that looks more like an operating room than a hospital room. I haven’t spent much time here.

I got hurt once as a pup, the doctor patched me up and sent me on my way. This sterile environment, with machines beeping all around, is enough to send my wolf into overdrive.

My mom stops just inside the room. “She’s had three units of blood so far.

She had a punctured lung, so the doctor had to put in a chest tube to help it re-inflate and to make sure it didn’t collapse again from all the blood in her chest cavity. She’s going to be okay soon, but it takes the body longer to heal with all that blood loss.

Even though she’s healthy and has a strong wolf, she took quite a hit to her side. Her liver was lacerated, which caused her to bleed a lot more than she would have from the claw marks.”

My mother’s voice is soothing, as always. I’ve always been a Mama’s boy, much to my father’s chagrin.

I’ve grown out of most of that as I’ve become a man and taken on responsibilities that would turn many men’s stomachs. But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s not just my mother, but our luna.

Her touch, along with her voice, is comforting. She has her hand on my arm, fingers wrapped around my bicep, as she rubs my back with her other hand.

She positions herself in a way that both holds me back and comforts me. Melanie lies on the hospital bed, an IV line snaking into her arm.

Blood courses through it, feeding into the various machines that monitor her vitals. A box on the floor, filled with numbers and lines, is connected to a suction on the wall and a tube inserted into her chest.

Fluid seeps into the box from the tube. A nurse stands by the bed, her pen moving swiftly over a clipboard.

Her gaze never strays from the machines or Melanie. I appreciate her focus, even though Luna and I are in the room.

It reassures me that she’s fully committed to my sister’s care. I turn to Mom and ask if I can approach Melanie.

She nods but warns me to steer clear of the doctor and nurse. I tread carefully to the other side of the bed, mindful not to disrupt the nurse.

I glance at the heart monitor and feel a wave of relief. Melanie’s heart rate is steady, the rhythmic beeping of the monitor a comforting sound.

I reach out and take her hand, my thumb gently stroking the top. Blood is caked under her nails and road rash mars her arm.

I wonder if she got these injuries when I tackled the rogue off her. I know she skidded on the pavement, and guilt gnaws at me.

I lean over and brush her hair back from her ear. I’m not sure if she can hear me, but I speak to her anyway.

“Hey, Mel, you’re going to be okay, little sis. I’m so proud of you.

You were so brave tonight. This isn’t how your first date should have ended.

It’s not fair. I should have been there with you.

Maybe you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.” The nurse clears her throat and I look up.

Her expression is unreadable, but she offers me a soft smile. “That was very sweet, Alpha.

You really do love your sister,” she says. There’s a hint of sadness in her voice that I can’t quite place, but I don’t comment on it.

I straighten up and return her smile. “I’d like to think all siblings share a bond of love and care.

Mel and I, we’re more than just siblings, she’s my best friend,” I say, my words echoing with sincerity. Melanie and I have always had a special bond, the kind that comes from being born less than two years apart.

She’s turning eighteen soon, and I’ll be twenty shortly after. My thoughts drift to Beck, who’s about to turn twenty-one.

I glance at Melanie, my mind wandering to the implications of Beck’s impending birthday. Beck could sense his mate.

Dad once told me that he sensed Mom was his mate long before it was confirmed, but he kept it to himself until she turned twenty-one. He didn’t want to pressure her.

“I think I’ll head out now.” I maneuver past the bed and the door, brushing past Mom.

I plant a quick kiss on her cheek, letting her know I’ll be waiting for Dad in the lobby before heading to the pack house. As I round the corner for the lobby, Dad appears, looking much better than when I first saw him.

I quickly fill him in on Melanie’s condition and inform him that Mom is still with her, suggesting he should probably join them. We exchange a few words about the rogues and our strategy for extracting information.

He insists it can wait till tomorrow, that we need rest. I’m not thrilled about the delay—I’d rather eliminate them and be done with it—but he’s the alpha, and his word is law.

Suddenly, Madison springs from her seat and rushes toward me. She flings herself at me, catching me off guard and nearly toppling me over.

She clings to me, her tears soaking my shirt. “Uh, Madison, are you all right?”

I steady her as she sobs, bombarding me with questions about Melanie and why the doctor won’t let her see Mel. The nurse had instructed her to go home and return tomorrow.

“She’s fine, Madison, really. They’re taking good care of her.

I need to head home. There are some things I need to take care of, and then we all need some rest.” She sniffles and pulls away.

“I’m so sorry, Max. I didn’t mean to throw myself at you.

I usually have more self-control. I’m just so worried about Mel.” She confesses, nervously twisting her hands in front of her.

I sigh and wrap an arm around her shoulder, guiding her toward the door. “Everything’s going to be okay.

Melanie is lucky to have a friend like you, Mads.” I use the nickname I gave her when she and my sister were about twelve.

I don’t think she’s fond of it—she always scrunches her nose at me when I call her that, which never fails to amuse me. This time, she doesn’t react, instead, she looks up at me and smiles.

For the first time, I notice her eyes, the darkest shade of chocolate brown I’ve ever seen. They’re so expressive, it’s like you can see right into her soul.

I shake off the strange thought and offer to walk her home, noticing it’s well past midnight. She nods in agreement, and we continue our journey, my arm securely around her shoulders, guiding her home safely.