18. EIGHTEEN
EIGHTEEN
Bastien
I wake with a start as Vera sits and spot Riley looking pale and tight-lipped, standing in front of us. I scrub a hand over my face. “Hey. What time is it?”
“Six. How long have you guys been here?”
“A couple of hours.” Vera’s voice is unsteady, and I don’t pull her into my arms, but I’m glad when my friend remembers how to be a good brother and hugs her instead.
I’m not sure now is the right time to break our news to him, so it’s good he doesn’t seem suspicious.
I guess letting her rest in my lap is innocent enough.
After a moment they break apart, and her eyes are teary. That makes me want to hit something, but there’s nothing to hit. There’s no big bad here, just a silent disease that it’s all too easy to forget about on Tilly’s good days. Then it slogs you in the guts when you least expect it.
“I came down to get Mom a coffee,” Riley says.
“How is she?”
“She’s awake, and the pain meds are helping. The specialist is coming at seven. She’s mad at Dad for calling and worrying us. Typical. But underneath she’s scared. I can smell it on her. Which is why she didn’t want us to come.”
Vera nods. “She hates that.”
We follow Riley to the cafeteria and wait while he orders a strong black coffee. My belly is balled up in a tight knot, so I turn down Riley’s offer to get one for me. So does Vera.
Tilly has been transferred out of emergency, so we head up in the elevator in silence, each thinking our own thoughts.
Riley stands in front of Vera and me, holding the coffee, and I reach forward to brush her hand behind his back, giving her fingers a little squeeze to remind her I’m here for her.
Her scent is a bitter mix of fear and anguish, and I’m longing to hold her close and stroke her hair and tell her Tilly’s going to be alright.
When we get to the room, I fall behind the others, waiting in the doorway. Jamie looks up. “Hi, kids.” I’m not sure if this is just a family moment, but when Jamie sees me there his face breaks into a smile. “Bastien! What are you hiding out there for? Come on. Tilly, Bastien made it too.”
Tilly’s bright green eyes find mine over Vera’s shoulder as my mate leans in to hug her, and I catch a slight flare of her nostrils and a little hint of a knowing smile.
Vera’s hair is loose around her ears and covers my mark, but we’re all shifters in a tiny room, and neither Vera nor I have showered since I was inside her.
I don’t dare respond; I just hope the smile is a good sign.
Vera straightens. “How are you, Mom?”
Tilly’s attention is drawn back to Vera, and I try to find a spot where I’ll be unobtrusive. That’s more difficult than it sounds because while the room is tiny, I am not. I fold my arms awkwardly in front of me and hunch my shoulders in, trying not to take up too much space.
“I’m fine. Seriously. Imagine all of you rushing up here to see me just for a broken arm.
” Tilly scoffs and winces as she adjusts in the bed, betraying that her injuries are worse than she’s making out.
Generally we shifters heal quickly, but even though I don’t know all the ins and outs of her disease, I know it messes with her immune system and means that the magic often ends up contributing to her symptoms somehow.
“Let’s just see what the specialist says, Mom.” Riley gives her a skeptical look.
“Well, now that you’re here you can entertain me. Who has something interesting to tell me?” She looks between us expectantly.
I’m sweating, but luckily Riley seems oblivious to the knowing look Tilly is casting Vera and me.
“Not me. Interesting comes with too much drama.” Riley smirks. “And Ver’s been at college. I can’t think of anything less interesting.”
“Yep. Nothing interesting happening to me,” Vera says too quickly.
I wish we could tell everyone, but I understand why she wants to wait.
I hope that’s the plan, rather than keeping it secret forever.
We haven’t talked any more about the mate claim since last night, but I don’t plan on letting her reject me a second time.
Not now that I know she’s not just my claimed mate, she’s my fated one.
Just then there’s a knock at the door, and a young doctor with pale blue scrubs and a large clipboard smiles at us all.
“Matilda Ballard? I’m Dr. Rao. I’m a neurologist, and I’ll be doing some tests today just to check on things before we send you home.
” He smells human and I have to admit I’m skeptical about how well he’ll be able to treat Tilly.
Tilly frowns, apparently thinking the same thing. “They couldn’t get my regular specialist?”
Dr. Rao shakes his head. “I’m sorry. Dr. Torres is away until the end of the month. I think it’s important that we check things out before then.”
“So how much longer will I have to stay here?”
He shrugs. “I’m afraid I can’t say yet. I’d suggest we look at a course of intravenous methylprednisolone for at least three days.
Given how far you have to travel to get to the hospital, it’s going to be best for you if we keep you in at least that long.
That should help with the dizziness and muscle weakness provided this is just a relapse. ”
Vera’s back straightens, and I spot her shoulders lift as her muscles tense. I barely resist reaching for her.
Tilly growls. “Of course this is just a relapse. Like every other goddam time with this disease. That’s just how it goes.”
“I think it’s best if we go over all the relevant information and do some tests before I make that assessment.” says Dr. Rao. I’m impressed. Tilly isn’t an easy person to say no to! Kind of like her daughter.
Vera sucks in a tiny breath. The others don’t notice, but her raw emotion tugs on me through the bond, pulling me closer. I step nearer, hoping the small space excuses my movement.
She looks around and gives me a weak smile.
“OK, well why don’t you kids go now? I’ve kept you here long enough. No need to worry, I’m sure.”
“It’s fine for your family to stay if everyone is comfortable with that.” Dr. Rao looks between us.
Tilly shakes her head. “No need to bore them. I’m sure this might take a while.”
“Mom, we’re here because we care about you,” Vera says. “We’re not rushing out of here.”
Tilly fixes her with a look that says not to argue.
Vera sighs. “Come on. We’ll wait outside, OK? We’re coming back when the doctor is finished.”
Jamie pats her shoulder. “I’ll buzz you.”
Vera keeps her expression firm and her spine straight until we close the door and round the corner, but as soon as we’re out of eyeshot of Tilly’s room, her strength crumples and she lets out a sob.
I react instantly. A purr starts up deep in my chest, and I reach for her, hauling her against me as another wracking sob shakes her whole body. “Shh. We don’t know anything yet.”
“That’s just it! Now I’m imagining the worst.”
Riley, who was walking a little ahead of us, stops and turns. “Bas is right, Ver, we don’t—” he stops, cuts his sentence off short, and stares at me holding her. I can’t bring myself to let her go, and she makes no move to step out of my arms.
Riley’s head tips to one side, and his eyes narrow. “Bas, are you… purring?”
Shit. “Ahhh, yeah, about that. There’re a couple things I guess we should tell you.”
“What do you mean?”
Vera turns to him. “Not now, Riley. Just don’t be a dick about this now, OK?”
“Why don’t you tell me exactly what the fuck this is so I can decide how I react? Because it looks to me like you’ve been screwing my sister, Sebastien.”
Vera groans. “I knew you’d be a dick.”
“Riley, it’s not like that.” I try to step in. I can feel things getting heated already.
Riley shoves me hard in the chest. “You’re damn fucking right it’s not like that because no friend of mine would fuck my little sister! I’ve treated you like my brother since we were kids. She’s practically your little sister, man, that’s just wrong.”
Vera’s whole body is vibrating. On the plus side, she’s not crying any more. She looks like she’s about to hit her brother, though. I stay between them, keeping my voice calm, my body language neutral. “It’s not like that, Riley, she’s my m—”
At that moment Riley’s fist connects with my face, cutting off the word mate. The air fills with a stench so potent I’m literally immobilized for a moment. It takes me a second to realize it’s Riley’s alpha musk, hitting me like a forcefield.
“Oh no you did not just hit him!” Vera lunges for Riley, and I have to wrap an arm around her waist and hold her back while dodging Riley’s next blow at the same time. Luckily I’m bigger and stronger than them both. Even so, my movements are sluggish, my whole body reacting to Riley’s musk.
“Fuck you.” Riley is shaking the hand he hit me with.
My face is still stinging. He might be smaller, but he’s always had a great right hook.
“You need to leave.” He glares at me.
“Maybe you should leave,” Vera snaps.
“The fuck I will.” He turns back to me and straightens, his voice gaining a new depth of power as he speaks his next words.
As an alpha, he can imbue his spoken commands with power which makes it almost impossible for an omega or a beta to disobey.
“Don’t you come near me again, traitor. You’re not my friend.
You’re nothing to me. Vera, you’ll realize this was for the best when your hormones have calmed down and you’re thinking straight. ”
Vera holds her ground. “Don’t patronize me.”
“If you want to see Mom again, you’ll let him leave and you’ll stay here and not do anything stupid.”
Vera is clinging to my side. “Listen to yourself; you can’t gatekeep our parents from me.”
“The hell I can’t.” Riley steps toward me like he might try to hit me again. His words ring out through the empty corridor, the force of command in them slapping me in the face as he jabs an angry finger toward me. “You need to leave. Vera, let him go and get here, now.”
Vera’s whole body quivers. “Stop it!” she snarls. She doesn’t let go. She’s got to be hurting from how much it’s costing her to refuse his command.
“I said leave!” he shouts at me, and before I can stop myself, I’ve responded, stepping back from Vera only to watch her collapse to her hands and knees.
“Vera!”
A whining howl bursts from her lips, and she hunches forward, her sweater ripping at the seams as her body expands.
It takes me a second to process what is happening because she’s never shifted before.
But as I stare, her ears lengthen into red-and-white furry tips and her face into the pointed snout of a fox.
Claws sprout from her fingertips and red fur shoots out all over her body.
“I won’t follow your orders, Riley. You can’t make me. He’s my mate!”
She pushes him roughly, and all the anger drops from Riley’s face as he stares at his sister. “What the—?”
She looks down at her outstretched arms and blinks. She tries to talk, but it comes out as a growl. Her hands fly to her mouth in astonishment. “I can’t believe it!”
Riley stares between us for another long moment, then with a curse, he storms off down the corridor.
It’s probably for the best. Emotions are high. He needs a chance to cool down.
Vera jumps into my arms, and I catch her up, Riley forgotten for the moment. “That’s my girl.”
She’s laughing into my neck as I swirl her around. “I did it! Oh my god, my clothes are ruined. How do I change back?”
I laugh. “You’ll figure it out. Come on. Let’s go get you a change of clothes and give everyone some breathing space.”
“Ugh. I knew he’d get weird about it.”
“Can you blame him?”
“Uh, yeah. Because he’s acting like a dick. Your poor face.” she lifts a paw to stroke my cheek, and honestly I’d forgotten all about the punch.
“I’m fine.”
“Should we get you some ice?”
“No. Come on. Let’s go get some breakfast. I’ll get us a hotel, and we’ll get some clothes and take a shower. We’ll come back when everyone is feeling more rational.”
Vera slides down my body and tucks herself into my side where I can wrap my arm around her. Even in her half-shifted beast form she’s still short enough for me to kiss her right on the top of her head.
I lead her toward the exit, keeping my senses peeled for Riley to return, but there’s no sign of him. “Mate, huh? So you’ve accepted me?”
Her eyes are the same familiar green orbs filled with wonder when she looks up at me and her grin is one hundred percent cheekier with a mouth full of sharp teeth. “Well, you did say your offer stands. So now there’s no getting rid of me, even if I look like this for the rest of our lives.”
I boop the end of her long nose. “You would be adorable to me no matter what form you’re in.”