Chapter 19 Atticus
NINETEEN
ATTICUS
I was looking upward as faces peered over me.
Jack was here. Were we still sleeping together? She was glowering, but that wasn’t surprising ‘cause she was often on my ass about something. I was lying on something hard, and I hurt real bad. How was that possible, because my wolf could remove any injury by shifting.
But he had taken his fur. Why? Because we had to fight. We must have won because we always did, or he did. I just shouted encouragement.
I wrinkled my nose at the disgusting smell. Was that a bear? And what was I lying in?
Hands yanked me up, and I groaned and put a hand to my cheek. I was naked, so I must have shifted. Jack wasn’t wearing clothes and neither was Phelan, and they both had blankets over their shoulders. Weird ‘cause we were inside near the infirmary.
“Get in there and give any remaining blood you have left.”
What? No. I wasn’t giving my blood to anyone. Why? And why was Phelan so angry?
But as I tried to walk, I toppled forward, and Phelan yanked me back by my long hair.
“What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing other than you’re the most selfish sanctimonious person I’ve ever met.”
Phelan took my arm and dragged me into the infirmary, but I yelped. One leg wouldn’t support me, and I was… gods… no… I was limping. Someone maimed me.
“What happened?”
“Jack found her beast, a huge fierce beautiful bear who beat the crap out of you, and now you’re giving blood to my mate to save his life, so shut the fuck up and keep your strength.”
I couldn’t shift and run. I tried, but my wolf was hurt like me and needed time to recover. I stank of bear and my beast’s adrenaline as Jack handed me a towel and told me to wrap it around my hips. I didn’t even have the energy to make a dick joke like I used to.
Phelan nudged me to sit, and I bared my teeth, but Mrs. Ardilla told me to cut it out.
Professor Barclay was opening a sterile pack and laying out tubing. His face was grim, but he was performing the task with steady hands.
“Atticus, you can hate everyone in the room later. Right now, you’re going to save Rawling’s life.”
He didn’t wait for me to answer, and I hardly had enough energy to hold up my head. If I refused, what would they do?
The professor placed my arm with the palm up and swabbed it. It was cold, and it stung as Phelan hovered at Rawling’s side.
He kept repeating, “Please,” and “Hurry.”
It was the first time I’d laid eyes on the latent, maybe human, and though I didn’t react, he smelled bad and instinct told me he was close to death.
The professor slid a needle into my vein. “Hold still.”
I didn’t like the way he was talking to me. Was he a real doctor? I gritted my teeth because this was torture, and I was sure it wasn’t legal to take blood from someone who’d been injured. When this was over, I could sue the school, and with the settlement, I might never have to work.
Mrs. Ardilla braced my elbow with one hand and tightened her grip when I flinched.
Professor Barclay got the needle in Rawling’s arm first try and taped it down, and the clear tubing linked us together. I didn’t like any part of me being given to him, but if he died, I’d never be able to announce to the entire shifter community that we had a human spy in our midst.
“Flow’s good, and his pressure’s coming up.”
I rolled my eyes at what the professor said because I was unsure whether I wanted Rawling to live or not. If he died, he’d never best me at archery again. But I could torture him emotionally if he survived.
“He’s responding,” the professor noted.
“And he has more color in his cheeks.” Phelan’s hopeful voice gave me the ick.
I stared as the blood, my blood, moved through the clear tube. It was so simple and the only thing standing between Rawling and darkness.
“We’re getting the bleeding under control.” Mrs. Ardilla, like the professor and Phelan, was covered in someone’s blood. I was too, but it was mine, and I longed to wash it off and get the stench of Rawling off me.
“You hear that, babe? You’re going to be fine.”
I made a face at Phelan using that word to refer to his mate.
The professor put a hand on Phelan’s shoulder. “He’s still very weak.”
Rawling’s chest was hardly rising, so how was he getting enough oxygen?
“Shit. His heart rate is slowing.”
“Pressure’s dropping, Professor.” Mrs. Ardilla’s voice was laced with tension.
Phelan squawked and placed his forehead on the latent’s temple, begging him to hold on. “Stay with me and Eira.”
“Who the fuck is Eira?” Nobody answered me. I hated them all.
“He’s fading.” The professor was at Rawling’s side.
I glanced to the left on the other side of Rawling as the monitor made a long flat sound. I’d watched enough TV to understand the latent/human no longer had a beating heart. Damn, so I’d wasted my blood for nothing.
The professor moved first, with his hands on Rawling’s chest as he yelled, “I’m starting compressions.” The bed rocked as he pressed on the latent’s heart, and I wondered if he’d break his ribs he was using so much force.
Rawling’s head lolled to the side, and his lips parted. Gross, I didn’t need to see that. But Phelan’s behavior was embarrassing. He wept and begged the professor to try harder, while pleading with Rawling to live.
For a second, maybe a nanosecond if that was a thing, I almost wished I loved someone as much as my friend adored his mate. I couldn’t imagine being so distraught over the death of anyone, not even my parents, though I did love them, I guessed.
But I snapped back and remembered Phelan had been going to fight me. Asshat. I’d get my revenge when I’d recovered.
Mrs. Ardilla was counting under her breath which was annoying. I’d never paid her much attention previously, but now I actively disliked her. Jack was weeping and was standing beside Phelan, echoing his pleas.
My blood was still running through the tube. Why? The guy was dead with no heartbeat. He was gone, passed, whatever, but he wasn’t coming back.
“Come on.” Phelan’s broken voice sent a chill through me, and I experienced a smidgen of sympathy as he stared at his mate’s unmoving chest.
Phelan barked, “Get out of the way.” He shoved the professor who, despite being a shifter, over-balanced and almost crashed into a cart.
Raising his fist in the air, Phelan slammed it down over Rawling’s heart.
All my friend’s despair and rage was contained in his clenched fist. I cringed as the latent’s ribs broke.
Rawling’s body jolted and nothing happened, the monitor was still making the same soulless sound until it spluttered, and fuck, there was a beep, and another and another. The line on the screen jumped.
Rawling made a gross sound, and the room erupted in cheers. The crowd outside did the same. The professor stared at the monitor like he couldn’t believe what Phelan had done. Who needed a doctor when they had Phelan? Damn him, bringing his mate back to life.
My friend’s tears fell on Rawling’s face as he told his mate to stay with him.
“Can someone pay attention to me? I think I’m going to faint.” I needed to be tucked up in bed and have someone feed me soup. Maybe I could be given blood to replenish what I’d donated to Rawling.
I closed my eyes because the room was swirling around, and the lights were so bright. There was a pounding in my head, or was that the storm outside? I’d forgotten about the rain.
But there was a groan to my left, and Phelan was leaning over his mate. I hated that the pair were mated, but I couldn’t undo it, even if I got Phelan kicked out of shifter society.
“Rawling, I’m here.”
Ewww, I didn’t want to be here for this, but I couldn’t move. I was still attached to Rawling by that damned tube.
“Hey, you’re awake.”
Rawling made a ghastly sound, and I almost puked. Gross.
“The… the… b-baby?”
“She’s here.”
Jack swanned past me with a bundle in her arms, but the pounding in my head was getting louder. There were people moving about in my vision, and I rubbed my face, trying to get rid of them. My parents were there and they were holding me. Was I dying?
Memories slammed into me. Oh shit. That couldn’t be right. I was hallucinating. “Get that away from me.” Not him, of all people.
Mrs. Ardilla was at my side and wrapped a cuff around my arm. “Blood pressure is low. Normally I wouldn’t be worried, but your wolf got banged up pretty bad.”
“Make it stop. That’s not right. No.”
“Phelan, Phelan. Help me.” That wasn’t me asking for help. It was Rawling. He was babbling, but I didn’t give a damn about him. “Who is that? I’m dreaming or hallucinating. I can see babies. Babies, Phelan.”
“That can’t be. No! Oh gods, no!” I glanced at Rawling, and he stared back at me. Was he seeing the same thing I was? I refused to believe it. What were my parents doing? And how was that possible?
“What’s happening to him?” Phelan was looking at the professor.
But Rawling pulled his mate close and whispered in his ear.
“No, that’s not possible.” Phelan glanced from his mate to me. “You’re not—”
“Shut up, everyone. It’s a lie. Rawling’s making it up. He can’t be—”
“Okay, can everyone share the secret with me?” Jack was still holding the baby, and I expected the kid to start crying with everyone yelling.
Phelan and Jack put their heads together, and Jack burst out laughing. “Are you kidding me?”
“That’s what Rawling says, and based on Atticus’s reaction, I’d say it’s true.”
“You’re lying. It’s because I gave him my blood. He thinks he’s someone else now.” I leaned toward Rawling. “You’re still you, latent!”
Jack gave the baby to Phelan who nestled the little one beside Rawling. He made stupid baby noises at the kid, and I rolled my eyes. But Jack bent over and laughed, a deep hearty chuckle that pissed me off.
“Rawling is alive, Eira is healthy and Atticus is… I can’t say it. It’s hilarious.”
“Fuck you, Jack.”
But now I was worried. All my plans were for nothing. I couldn’t expose Rawling now, and that might not even… No. I couldn’t think like that. Fuck this shit!
“Is anyone going to let us in on the joke?” Mrs. Ardilla asked.
“No! And it’s not funny. I need my blood back.” I wanted to throw up.
But more importantly, who was I?