Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Caleb squeezes my hand as the doctor—Greg, I’ve learned his name is—stands at the end of my bed scanning my charts, double-checking his work.
I don’t like how Caleb’s handholding makes me feel, and I especially dislike how the heart monitor reflects it.
It’s practically blasting my inner emotions to the entire room, screaming that the shifter standing on my right affects me.
These past three hours have been a whirlwind. I’ve been put through examination after examination, every injury from head to toe meticulously cataloged. Caleb has been beside me almost the entire time.
The nurses have given him a few sideways glances and Doctor Greg has outright asked him to leave and give me privacy, but the alpha has refused.
The medication I was given is finally taking effect, the pain relief allowing my thoughts to sharpen. I’m no longer debilitated by my injuries. It’s a relief.
Caleb’s gaze darts toward the heart monitor, his lips twitching as he runs his thumb along the back of my hand, directly over my mark. The heart monitor blares, alerting the room that my pulse has increased.
Caleb’s lips curl into a full grin. He’s sure enjoying this, and it takes all my resolve not to rip my hand out of his. His touch is disgusting. I just wish my body were getting that memo.
If things go according to plan, I won’t have to endure his touch for too long.
I was anticipating Caleb to be a hardened leader.
Surely, the feared Alpha Knox would be intimidating and frightening.
Caleb seems softer than I expected, and I hope that means I’m able to secure all the information I need from him sooner rather than later.
This just might be too easy.
Doctor Greg sets down my chart. “I want to see you once a week,” he says. “We need to monitor your ribs.” He points to the cast on my right arm. “I’ll remove that the next time I see you.”
I sure fucking hope so. My wrist is only sprained. I don’t need a cast, but Caleb insisted. It’s overdramatic. A splint would suffice, and it’s significantly less constricting.
It seems Doctor Greg’s assumption about my ribcage was correct, though. Nothing is broken, but it sure fucking hurts. The doctor contemplated putting me on oxygen but ultimately decided against it.
Caleb nods. “Of course. What else?”
“Keep an eye on her,” Doctor Greg says. “I trust you to monitor her symptoms and pain levels. Bring her in if you notice anything concerning.”
Doctor Greg begins removing the IV from my left hand.
I gulp, glancing at the doctor before shifting my attention back to Caleb.
“I want to go home,” I say.
Caleb’s weary smile falls, which I expected. I already know he plans to keep me here, but it would be odd not to ask about my home. I should want to return to my life, not stay here with the shifters I’m terrified of.
Caleb visibly hesitates, the muscles of his jaw tightening. I doubt he ever anticipated having a human mate, let alone one who wants to leave him. The shifters are cocky like that. Caleb probably thought his female would fall to her knees and beg for his affection.
“You’re my mate, Evelyn,” he finally says. “Your place is with me, by my side.” He shifts, dragging his fingers through his hair. “The human lands aren’t safe for you, not with your marking.”
I don’t respond, mildly nervous that if I push too hard, he’ll agree to let me leave. I’d never forgive myself if I ruined this before even beginning.
“I don’t know…” I pause, sucking in what I hope looks like a contemplative breath. “I don’t know.”
“I hate to interrupt,” Doctor Greg chimes in. “But I’m sure you’re eager to get out of here, and I have a spiel.”
He begins explaining how to care for my wounds, nothing I’m unfamiliar with. These aren’t my first injuries. Still, I stare at him with wide eyes, pretending to soak in every word he says.
He’s well educated, that’s for sure. What do the shifters do for higher education? They have their own pharmaceuticals. The stuff they gave me is fantastic. It’s erased my pain, but my mind remains clear. Pain medication usually makes me hazy and disoriented, but not this stuff.
The doctor hands Caleb a large bottle of capsules. I intend to steal and deliver some of the capsules to HPAW. They’ll want to examine them.
Caleb stuffs the bottle into the pocket of the scrubs the doctors forced him into. They’re small on him, the dusty-blue fabric stretched comically across his shoulders and chest. The bottoms are no better, his muscular thighs at risk of popping the stitching.
There are a handful of women here, but none have looked twice at Caleb. They’re respectful, maintaining a polite distance. Still, I find myself reading into every interaction. Has Caleb been with these women?
I’m sure, as their leader, he has access to any woman he wants.
The thought fills me with burning jealousy, which is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t want a mate, and I have no reason to care who finds Caleb attractive. He’s going to be dead soon, anyway.
“You’re free to leave,” Doctor Greg says, pulling the damned heartrate monitor off my finger. He levels Caleb with a sharp look. “Don’t forget to bring her in.”
Caleb’s responding glare is pure ice. Doctor Greg immediately lowers his head, dropping his gaze to the floor, before he spins on his heel and darts from the room.
What kind of leader is Caleb? I can’t quite decide. He seems friendly enough, but the way Doctor Greg scurried out of sight says otherwise. Perhaps Caleb prefers to keep his true nature behind closed doors.
I suppose I’ll find out soon enough. I’m prepared for anything.
“What now?” I ask, pretending not to have noticed the interaction between him and the doctor. “Are you… Am I a prisoner here?”
Caleb straightens up. The weight of his gaze is intense, but I refuse to look away.
“You’re my mate,” he starts. “I can’t… Well…” He rubs the back of his neck. “If you truly wish to leave, I won’t force you to stay, but you’re my mate. I’d like you to stay. Do you have family to return to? A job? I’m sure we can figure something out.”
I glance at my arm, examining my cast. Then I eye the marking on the back of my right hand. “No and not really. I’ve spent my entire life avoiding the shifters, and other humans. Can’t exactly risk somebody seeing my marking.”
Caleb is silent. I continue. “People say you’re violent.”
Caleb is quick to shake his head, dismissing my statement. “That’s not true. Americans are afraid of us, and that fear has bred contempt. We are good people. I’m good people. Stay. Give me the chance to prove it.”
When I don’t immediately answer, Caleb points to my cast. “Shifters didn’t do that to you. Humans did.”
I chew at my bottom lip, contemplating Caleb’s proposal, the way Daniel and I practiced, before giving in with a jerky nod. “Fine. I’ll stay. For now.”
Caleb pushes his shoulders back, straightening up. “Thank you, Evelyn.”
He’s scooping me into his arms a moment later, carrying me the same careful way he did earlier. I’d prefer to walk, and I bite my tongue as my side is pressed against his chest.
“It’s a bit of a drive to my home,” he says, “but I had a van readied for us. It’s the best I can do on such short notice.” He smiles. “I wasn’t expecting to find my mate today, nor for her to be human. I’m a bit unprepared.”
Caleb has a dimple on his right cheek. It’s not hugely prominent, but it occasionally peeks through when he speaks. It’s endearing, and I find my attention continually darting toward it. If he notices, he says nothing. I’m sure he’s noticed.
I’ve always prided myself on my ability to notice details, and I fear I may have met my match.
Caleb is always paying attention, always locked in.
The realization hit me when he noticed Nurse June mispronouncing my name.
It was a slight mistake, but it didn’t go unnoticed.
He quirked a brow. Then he promptly corrected her.
The fact that he had been in the middle of an entirely different conversation when it happened is what caught my interest.
Caleb carries me outside, his gaze never once straying from mine. He acts like I’m the first woman he’s ever seen, constantly staring at me with open amazement. It’s intense, and I’m unsure how to feel about it.
The van Caleb mentioned is parked outside the front doors. It’s in similar shape to the SUV, and the back door creaks as it’s pulled open.
I raise a brow. The back has been converted into a bed. A mattress fills the entire space, and it’s even topped with sheets and pillows. It looks surprisingly comfortable, and I chew at the inside of my cheek as Caleb helps me get adjusted.
It’s indeed comfortable—significantly better than my bed back at the HPAW facility. I lie back with a quiet sigh. Fuck, that feels good.
“It’s not perfect,” Caleb says. He messes with the pillows surrounding me, fluffing and rearranging them until I’m covered on every side. “But it’s the best we could do on such short notice. I’ll drive slowly, but let me know if you’re in any pain. We can take as many breaks as you need.”
He’s fretting over me. The realization has my cheeks warming.
I knew the bond would be intense, but I never imagined it would have me flushing around the alpha within mere hours of meeting him. I figured I’d be attracted to him, but this is so much more.
My heart is pounding, and my fingers twitch with the need to reach forward and yank him into the back of the van with me.
It’s a relief that HPAW found me when they did.
Had I wandered any deeper into the woods and stumbled upon the shifters, there’s no telling how my life would have turned out.
I was an impressionable little girl, and it would have been easy for the shifters to convince me that their way of life was the right one.
I would’ve fallen in love with Caleb—I’m sure of it. I’d have no knowledge of the torture they inflict on humans. I’d be living in painful ignorance.