Chapter Thirteen
Rocco was already heading back to the cabin with Alpha, Enzo, and Wolfe, when he heard Rose’s scream. The sound of fear and pain was going to stay with him forever, but he needed to get to her as soon as possible. He took off, not telling the brothers what was going on or what he heard, but they trusted him. They didn’t stop or turn back, but kept following him.
He heard the almighty roar as he got to her cabin.
“Rose!” He yelled her name as he heard her soft cry. He found her in the bedroom, and what he saw was like out of a horror movie.
Tears steamed from Rose’s eyes, and the room was covered with blood. Graham was on the bed beneath her, an almighty howl coming from his lips.
“I don’t know what to do,” she said. “One moment we were talking and the next, he coughed up blood, and I’ve not been able to stop what is happening.” She turned back toward Graham.
Part of his wolf wasn’t happy with her on top of another male, but Rocco knew this was not the time to be possessive. Their friend was changing, transitioning. The truth was, Graham was on the verge of death.
Graham’s scent was heavy in the room, and it was mingled with the stink of death. It made his stomach turn, and in that moment, he had never felt more helpless. His mate was looking at him in the hope of being able to save him, but that wasn’t going to happen. There was nothing to save him now. The transition was getting stronger.
Alpha, Enzo, and Wolfe entered the cabin, and came up behind him.
The mess was everywhere. This was another indication it wouldn’t be long until the end. Rocco looked at Rose.
“No,” Rose said. “No, this is not the end for him. Milton does not get to claim another victim from the grave. This is not happening today. This is not happening in my place.”
“Rose?”
“No, no, you try.” She looked past Rocco’s shoulder to Alpha. “You must try and you must do everything. Not every human is the same. Think about it, not all wolves are equal. Some of us that appear strong don’t make it, and those that look weak do. No two are the same and you cannot treat them the same.” She shook her head, and he knew she was struggling to deal with the harsh reality of what was happening. “No, we promised, Rocco. We promised we would do everything in our power to save him, and that is exactly what we’re going to do.”
“The others are coming,” Alpha said, stepping forward.
Rocco looked toward him. “Do you think this is going to work?”
“Rose is right. Every person is different, and none of us know for certain.”
Rocco did. This was prolonging the inevitable.
It wouldn’t be long before the others got here. Rocco stepped forward and gripped Rose’s shoulders, trying to give her as much support as possible as he stared down at Graham. In that moment, he had stopped trying to transition.
Rocco had never been close to a human. He’d never considered one of them his friend. Rocco attempted not to get too close to the people they had tried to help, because he knew they were not going to make it. Graham had been different from the very beginning, and against all odds he had befriended him.
Graham smiled at him, but it was forced. “You could try and look happy to see me and hopeful that this is not going to be the end.”
“It’s not going to be the end,” Rocco said.
“Don’t talk that way, Graham. You know I don’t like it.”
“Look, guys, I know you’re all invincible and stuff, but this is me, I know the end is coming, and it’s getting close, so fucking close. This doesn’t feel right to me. I feel like my insides are boiling and I can’t get it under control. I know, and we all know this is not good. This is the end for me.”
“Don’t talk that way,” Rocco said. He told Graham before Rose had a chance to. “You don’t talk, and you don’t think. Let us do all the thinking for you.”
“You know, I really miss Buster right now. Whatever happens, it would have been worth it to get to spend more time with him. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Rose leaned over Graham and held him tightly. “It’s fine, Graham. You did the right thing for the dog you loved. That is all we can do for the people we love.”
Rocco looked at Rose as she stared right back at him. He loved her. He hadn’t gotten the time to tell her how he felt. Each time he did, he took the cowardly way out, and they either had sex or hung out with Graham.
The rest of the Poison Wolves MC arrived.
“I want us all to channel the power of the wolf. I’m just one wolf, but I believe together, we can all do this.”
This was something they hadn’t tried. They had always been there as backup, but attempting to draw a wolf together, as one unit, Alpha had believed it might be too dangerous and risk killing the human quickly.
Rocco couldn’t look at Rose. He had a horrible feeling this wasn’t going to work, but he stepped with the club, as they as one turned toward Graham.
Rocco looked at his best friend, and the moment they started to call forth his wolf, Graham yelled, and then his bones began to break.
Rocco couldn’t stand to see him like that. He needed him to get through this. Not just for Rose, but for himself. Graham was a friend, and he was going to make sure he made it through this.
The minutes felt like they were taking way too long to get through. Graham’s body was breaking and then sliding back into place, which was more than any other human had done.
He couldn’t bear to see him like this, and then Graham tossed Rose across the room as his body convulsed. She hit the opposing wall, and Rocco went to her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
None of the club stopped trying to call the wolf.
“It’s not working, Rocco. None of this is working.” She let out a whimper and then she looked at the club, the pack, and he followed her gaze to land on Draco. “How is she?” Rose asked.
“The female is stable for now,” Rocco said. “Rose, we cannot do this. We do not know the long-term effects. We do not know if we’re prolonging the inevitable.”
“Do you want to see him die?” she asked. “Is that what you want? To watch our best friend die, because that is exactly what is going to happen. Graham is not going to make it, but we could help him.”
Rocco stared at her. “The two of us together?” he asked.
“Yes. I … I don’t like the idea of you sharing your blood, and I know you would hate me giving him my blood.”
“You’re my mate, Rose,” Rocco said, and he reached out and cupped her neck. “And I love you.”
This made her gasp. “What?”
“I love you. I know I messed up and you do not have to believe me, but I do love you. I know I made a mistake, but I do love you more than anything.” Rocco pulled her close and kissed her. To prove his love, he took hold of her wrist, and pulling out a blade, he slid it across her wrist, drawing blood from the wound. He spun the blade and handed it to her, so she would do the same for him. She took the knife, and then slid it right across his wrist.
The club brothers stopped.
“Rocco, what are you doing?”
“Lelah is stable,” he said. “The only thing we hadn’t tried has been tested on a female, and I’m not going to let my friend die.”
With Rose at his side, he looked back at the club pack, each one of them. He couldn’t read the expressions on their faces, and the truth was, he didn’t give a fuck what they thought. He was doing this for Rose, for Graham, and for himself.
And with Rose by his side, they presented their wrists to Graham, joining together, as he started to drink.
****
Several Days Later
It was a frosty morning. Rose had on a sweater, some sweatpants, as well as wrapped in a blanket, while she stared out across her garden, enjoying her morning cup of coffee and taking a deep breath.
She heard Rocco in the kitchen, and she couldn’t help but smile. It had been a tricky three days.
The Poison Wolves MC had been mightily pissed with what they had done. Draco had been there to help them, to guide them in bringing their best friend back from the brink. Graham had made a good recovery. His body was still weak, but his bones had stopped randomly shattering, and the fever had gone down.
It had taken Rose the last couple of days of intense cleaning to get her cabin back to sparkling new, but it was now, and she was grateful for it. She couldn’t deal with mess. She always liked to keep a clean and tidy house. To her, it was the only way to live.
Rocco had told Alpha and the Poison Wolves MC that if they didn’t like what he’d done, he would gladly leave the club and the pack, taking her and Graham with him.
Speaking of her mate, he stepped out, wearing his leather cut. The club were not going to kick him out for doing what Draco had already done to a human woman. They were trying to save the humans, not prolong their misery and pain.
“How is he?” Rose asked.
“Making himself some breakfast. He’s hungry a lot right now, but that is his body’s way of healing.”
Rose smiled. “He’s worked through quite a few of my old pickles.”
“Do you need me to head to the store?” Rocco asked, coming to sit beside her on the bench.
She loved how he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close.
“Nah, it’s fine. I don’t need any of that. I’ve got plenty. I’ve been canning for years, and you know how much I love it.”
She released a sigh. “This is nice, though. I could get used to this.” She snuggled in close to him. “What about you?”
“Yeah, I could certainly get used to this. Enjoying a nice cup of coffee in the morning, and spending my time with you.” He kissed her temple. “It’s the best feeling in the world.”
Rose tilted her head to smile up at him. “I love you too,” she said.
“Rose?”
“Rocco?”
“You don’t have to say it. I know I don’t deserve it.”
She pressed her fingers against his lips. “Stop, and accept it when I tell you I love you, which I do, and that is never going to stop.” She leaned in close and kissed his lips. “I love you, and thank you.”
“I wasn’t going to let him die. I couldn’t do that to you.”
“And I am grateful for it,” Graham said, stepping out onto the back porch, and taking the seat in front of them. He had a plate piled with pancakes and what appeared to be waffles, as well as a bowl filled with scrambled eggs.
“Do you have enough food?” Rocco asked.
“I’m starving. Is this natural?” Graham asked, using a large dessert spoon to shovel his eggs, and in between bites, he chomped down on either a pancake or a waffle.
Rose was pretty sure she watched him wrap one around the other and then bite down. She couldn’t help but laugh as she snuggled in close to Rocco.
“Yeah, it’s natural. Especially after a transition. You didn’t fully complete it, but maybe in time. We’ve got to keep your strength up.”
“I want to say thank you,” Graham said. “I know neither of you had to do that for me, and trust me, I get it, you could have let me die.”
“Graham, dude, stop. None of us were going to let you die. You’re one of us,” Rocco said.
He looked between them and Rose chuckled.
“Does this make me like your kid now? Is that what this is about?”
Rose couldn’t help but laugh.
“Do we need to put a label on it?” Rocco asked.
“I don’t know, you tell me,” Graham asked. “What does this mean for me?”
“It means you’re going to be part of the pack. You’re still going to live with Rose and me, or you can take my room at the club. You’ll be closely watched, and if you go through another transition, Rose and I will do what we need to make sure you don’t die. In the meantime, you’ve got to help us where you can.”
“That’s what I want,” Graham said. “I … don’t want to die. I want to live.”
Rose felt tears come to her eyes.
“Besides, I think I would like to see my handiwork in action,” Graham said.
“Please tell me you don’t want to watch me and Rose have sex. There are limits to what my wolf will allow.”
“Gross, no, absolutely not. Get you head out of the gutter. I’m talking kids. Come on, the two of you are going to make amazing parents. Look how you’re raising me. I’m doing okay.”
“Graham, you’re not our child,” Rose said.
“Exactly, which is why I know all of this is going to be more than okay. I heard what you two said. You love each other and this is going to work. All you’ve got to do is trust me.” He smiled, looking mighty pleased with himself.
Rocco wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her temple. “You’re right, I do love her, and I think it would be pretty amazing to have a kid running around.”
Rose groaned. “You two, come on, you’re talking about me being pregnant for nine months, and trust me, pregnant females are not always the easiest to be around. We’re demanding, short-tempered, hungry, irritable.”
“So, you’re talking about every female who lives?” Graham asked.
“Oh, I see you’re going to be a hit with the ladies,” Rose said.
The truth was, it sounded quite perfect to her.