34. Garret
Chapter 34
L oud ringing draws me out of a dream where Kelly and I embrace. Nothing overtly sexual, but holding her, caressing her hair, breathing in her lilac scent and just being warmed by her arms around me. The reality is sadly dissimilar. The ringing sounds again, and several mumbles are heard across the big bed before Sam finally rumbles out, “Shit!” There’s a long beep where he accepts the call and fuck, someone better be dying. It’s still dark outside. He doesn’t say anything, but there’s a voice on the other end.
Suddenly he’s wide awake and sitting up. He jostles Kelly, who was sandwiched between him and Teddy. She sits up too, panic written across her features. What the hell is going on here? He listens intently for a minute before his voice comes out roughened with sleep. “Shit, what about Pack Garcia? Moen? Allen? Well, can’t any of the police lend a hand? I know Miller would be…Shit. Ok, no….Yeah. No.”
His hand comes up to rub down his face. “No, I’m sure Joseph told you not to call, but fuck him…Yeah. Yeah, no. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Wait, is Pack Asher gonna be there? You know Leo’s a vet, maybe some of his training…? No, I get it. Yeah, lemme just get my pants, I’ll be there as soon as I can. Shit, if they’re waiting on me just have ’em grab my gear, I’ll meet ’em on site.”
Another loud beep ends the phone call and then Sam’s crawling over me trying to get out of the bed. Kelly’s still sitting up, she looks adorable and sleep rumpled. I want to slide into the warm spot that Sam left and pull her against me, but something about the half a conversation I just heard pulls at my mind.
Sam has turned on the bathroom light so as not to disturb everyone else, and he rushes through putting on clothes. He’s struggling with getting socks on when I manage to pry myself away from the bed. “What was that about, is there some sort of emergency?”
Sam’s eyes flick up to me quickly, and then back down to what his hands are doing. “Yeah, fire, probably somebody’s kerosene heater or something. Unfortunately, with the storm a lot of us can’t get out. So, we’re down our normal first responders and three of our usual fire fighters. Otherwise, there’s no way my brother would have let them call me in. Fuckin’ asshole.”
I grab my pants from the pile on the floor and start scrambling to yank them on, but his big hand on my shoulder stops me. “No way, you’re staying here. I don’t need a tag-along. This is gonna get fucked, especially once everything’s been put out and my family’s involved.”
I glare up at him, shimmying my legs to finish pulling up my jeans. “You’re short EMTs? Are you just planning on pulling a medic out of your ass then? No, do you have someone else to call who might have medical training or is going to school for a medical degree? Yes? No? Oh, I’m sorry, I heard you say a veterinarian was going to be there. Well, that’s just great!” He glares harder, but I just can’t seem to stop pushing now.
“Best case scenario: we get there, you don’t need my help, and I sit in the truck catching up on the Greeking Out podcast while you do your thing, then I can drive you home, or to the hospital as needed afterwards. Worse case, someone gets seriously injured, including you or one of the guys on your team, and no one’s there to help.” He starts to interrupt me, but I keep going. “Yes, I’m sure you’ve all had basic first aid training. But just in case. Wouldn’t it be better to have an extra set of somewhat knowledgeable hands on deck?”
He looks like he’s about to tell me no, but if he really cares about these people, I know he’ll relent. I get my pants fastened and yank my dirty socks and shoes back on. The shirt I was sleeping in will be fine for this. Though I do wish I’d brought a heavier coat.
Kelly’s sitting up in the bed watching us both. And she reaches for Sam. A small pang goes through my chest, but I know I haven’t earned that yet. He gives her a quick hug and a kiss on the head before he tells her, “Love you, Sugar, stay here, be safe. Call me if anything happens.” Then he bolts from the room and I hear his boots pounding down the stairs. Briefly meeting Kelly’s eyes, I wish I had something I could say, something profound. But I got nothing.
Instead, she speaks. “Keep him safe, please.” I nod as I turn to leave the room, and I barely catch her quietly whispered words. “Please be safe too, I need you both to come back in one piece.” If only there were more time I would pull her into my arms, promise her anything. Of course I’ll keep Sam safe. Of course I’ll make sure he gets home to her. But all I have time for is to turn, meet her eyes, and nod in acknowledgement before I’m following Sam down the stairs.
He throws me a heavy coat out of the closet in the living room, and I’m trying to get the zipper done in my still half asleep state when Steve clears his throat from the top of the stairs.
“Sorry, I was trying not to wake you all up. Sam got a call from the fire department. I’m going along to help in case they need an extra hand and could use someone with a medical background. Go back to bed and snuggle Teddy so he can give Kelly cuddles.”
His lip curls up in annoyance, but then he yawns so hard that I can hear his jaw crack from all the way down here.
Waving his arm at me, he turns and heads back towards the bedroom—I hear the door click closed again. Turning back, I see Sam standing by the door with his hand on the nob. “Shit, I’ve never left anyone alone in my house before, this is weird. He gonna be ok?” He nods back towards the top of the stairs where Steve disappeared, and I hope so. I know he wants Teddy, I know he doesn’t want Kelly, but I’m pretty fucking sure that Teddy would choose her at this point. We have a lot of shit to make up for, but that’s a future me problem. Current me needs to get the hell going before something burns down waiting for us.
“Teddy’ll keep him in line, one way or the other. Let's go.” Sam smirks at me, and I actually didn’t mean for that to come out sounding sexual in any way. But after what happened on the couch earlier it’s easy to see why it might come off as such. Letting out a heavy sigh, I open the door, getting smacked in the face with icy wind and snowflakes for my trouble.
I fucking hate the cold. This is why I live in Los Angeles. We might get a mild chill on occasion, but nothing like this crazy shit. Pulling the coat up around my ears, I plod down the steps and head for Sam’s truck, waiting on his slow old ass to unlock it. It takes less than thirty seconds, but I’m already glaring at him and shuffling from foot to foot when he arrives. He raises his eyebrows at me and opens his door.
Does no one in this godforsaken podunk lock their fucking cars?!
I feel like an idiot.
A frozen idiot.
Well, you know what they say about assuming things.
He smirks at me again as he turns the ignition—the switches are already flipped over to heat, but of course the damned thing has to warm up to be of any use. Sam's chuckling at my frozen expense as we creep down his driveway. It’s still dark and the fat flakes falling from the sky are swirling around and obscuring the road. He seems more cautious than anything, which I can understand. We won’t do anyone any good if we crash before we get there.
“So, we’re headed to the station first. If we miss the truck then no worries, we can meet ’em there. The fire's outside of town and the station's on the way. It’s too much to hope you have any experience with this, isn’t it?” Sam glances my way quickly while he’s talking, but his focus is almost entirely on the road and the winter storm we’re stuck in.
“Experience being a firefighter? No, none at all. I just started my medical residency a few months ago. The hospital I’m working with said I’ll be taking a turn through the ER to get the full experience, but I haven’t done it yet. Sorry.” He gives a curt nod at my reply, and then says something unexpected.
“Listen, I’m…I’m sorry about earlier. I mean, this whole day has been a shitshow with trying to register the pack, and then you and your brother showing up. My whole family situation is a trainwreck, and my brother is in charge, so it’s gonna be even more fucked up on location. I didn’t exactly want to drag you into all this drama. But if you are gonna be stickin’ around, you’ll find out sooner or later.”
He continues on, giving me a quick rundown on the weekend they had. How he’s been packless until he met Teddy and Kelly, and his brother is upset about that. I think he’s leaving some stuff out, because not all of this makes sense. He tells me briefly about the drama with Teddy’s parents and how happy they are for him. I cringe inwardly, because his mom is gonna be super pissed when she finds out that Steve and I are back in the picture.
She loved us growing up and was always excited to hear about our future pack plans. But after Teddy presented as an omega and Dad refused to let us even speak to him…Let's just say she’s not my brother’s biggest fan and has had more than a few choice words to say about him when speaking to my mom. Not that I don’t agree. Jessica has always doted on Teddy, and she was always kind and supportive to us. Even with his and Steve’s relationship, she was never anything but positive about the situation.
Sam also tells me about Kelly’s family—all betas—their reticence to approve of her joining a pack as the only female. I have a feeling that’s going to come back and bite me in the ass if we do stay. Not that my inner alpha thinks there is any chance of that not happening. As far as he’s concerned Kelly is ours, and we’re not going anywhere. That being said, it is entirely her decision if she wants me, she and Teddy already have a pack with Sam, so I guess it’s his choice too if he can accept us into it.
Rubbing my hands down my face, I sigh and let his words wash over me as we finally turn out onto the paved road and into town. The trip to their home earlier only took half the time, but it wasn’t dark, or this slippery yet. There is so much shit to unpack here, but the one preeminent part is what I focus on. “So, if he brings it up, are you going to tell him you’re expanding the pack with two new alphas?”
Sam jerks as if I electrocuted him with my question and his glare swings my way.
“I’m gonna take that as a no then. I thought he might bring it up since I showed up with you, and we may or may not be sticking around. Depending on what you three want?” The last bit is phrased as more of a question than I intended it to be, but he eventually nods in reply.
“If he’s dumb enough to bring it up in the middle of all this, then I’ll tell him we’re considering it. Does that work?” His eyes meet mine for a second as we pull into the fire station, and I know he’s expecting a reply.
“Well, if he asks me, can I just tell him it’s none of his fucking business?” He grunts out a chuckle, and puts the truck into park, nodding at me before we both get out to face the unknown and the fucking freezing ass wind.