“It’s there, but it’s pretty dull.”
“Good. I’ll send you home with some more. You’re gonna be fine.”
“Thank you. Thank you for everything.”
“I’m gonna get back to bed but here.” She lifts the phone I used earlier from the table where it must’ve been moved to at some point. She puts the phone beside me on the bed. “If you need anything, anything whatsoever, please just hit the intercom button. It’ll ring on the phone in my apartment at my bedside. I’ve put some ice water, some apple juice, and a few pieces of fruit there if you get hungry before morning, but I have a feeling you’ll just sleep.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
She squeezes my hand. “We have lots to talk about, you and me. I look forward to some girl time. I can help you navigate this strange new world you’re in. My niece, Leona, as well as some other of our younger community members will be even more help as there will be things, I’m sure, that you won’t want to talk to me about.” She winks.
I feel my cheeks flush. “Goodnight, Cat. Thanks again. Sleep well.”
She stops in front of Tyson. “Do you need anything?”
“I need to leave,” he grumbles. “But as you’ve said we need to wait until morning, we’ll do that.” He folds his arms across his chest stubbornly.
She leans over and drops a kiss on his forehead and then slips out.
He looks sort of shell-shocked.
The door clicks shut.
I close my eyes, feeling like I should give him privacy for whatever emotions he’s having right now. I can see emotion all over his face and it looks just too personal for me to ‘eavesdrop’ on.
I really am tired from the pain medication, so I drift under again in no time.
26
Tyson
I watch her sleep, filled with urges. I long to wrap her up in my arms, to take her home. The need to punish her is still there, but it’s simmering under a layer of other emotions, specifically the need to nurture her.
It still hurts that she was put in harm’s way because I allowed it.
It still hurts that she was hurt while trying to leave me.
The fact that my efforts with her so far haven’t convinced her that what we can have would be worth walking away from her old life feels terrible.
There’s also all that’s being revealed around me to contend with. And the feelings I have about these people. I’m confused about it.
I feel affection for Catrina Savage. I feel connected to her. I’ve felt no affection for anyone other than Ivy and I’m conflicted about all of it because I don’t know what this means. I know very little about this pack’s culture and history. My culture. My history.
I’ve been told lies. I’ve done reading but I don’t know if what I’ve read are myths or not because the ones who wrote those stories and those facts have either written it as fiction or under the guise of fiction. As for what Cornelius told me, are they only lies or is some of it true?
And despite my efforts to remain distanced from the alphas in this pack, I feel a strange sense of connection to them, too. I don’t know how that works, but I am curious about the fact that two of them showed up when I was in that gorge under the haze of anger about Cornelius because I somehow summoned them.
I slip out of the room to empty my bladder and sense other shifters close, and I know Riley’s scent already but there are others with him, close. I see out the window that Riley is there with two other men, talking near this building’s entrance. I don’t know either of them but by their scent and stature, I’m certain they’re other alphas in this pack. Their heads all swing to the window simultaneously, sensing me.
Riley gestures for me to come out. I shake my head and open the window instead. No chance I’d leave Ivy in a building while I’m outside it this soon, certainly not when there are three alpha shifters outside, even if one of them is supposed to be a member of my blood family.
“Tyson, this is Jason, and this is Joel.” Riley gestures.
My eyes meet the eyes of Jason, light brown hair, light brown eyes, and built like Riley, which is to say like I am, though like Riley he is an inch or two shorter than me. Next, my gaze connects with Joel who is even taller, as tall as I am, possibly taller, and not as heavily built though definitely muscled. Joel has dark hair and vivid blue eyes. Both men look at me with what I think feels like affection and respect.
“How is Ivy?” Riley asks.
“Better. And thank you for yesterday.” My words can’t possibly convey how grateful I am. And that’s another thing that angers me. That I needed help to save her, that I didn’t have the capability to save her myself. I feel like I should’ve been able to. I despise that helpless feeling and never want to experience it again.