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My eyes close, my body shivering with pleasure as my fingers brush over the mark. It’s already healed for the most part; it’s now just a scar that’s left for the whole world to see.
Last night was one of the worst nights I’ve ever had. I was restless, pining after alphas that shouldn’t be mine.
Dane and Chandler are my scent match alphas. What in the fucked up world did I do to deserve this?
Those men are my fathers’ friends. Men who watched me grow up. They’re so much older than me. And yes, they’re hot as fuck, and yes, I had a little crush on them when I was a teenager, but I’ve grown up since then and grown out of that crush.
And now the world is trying to tell me that they’re mine?
I don’t want them to be mine. I want to go back to Calling Wood. To see Ledger, Nash, and Aubrey. To beg them to have me as their omega because to me they're already mine.
But then the thought of Dane and Chandler not being mine makes my stomach twist because my body sure as hell feels like they’re mine.
Why, why did he have to listen to the ramblings of an omega in a frenzy and mark me? In what way did Dane ever think that would be a good idea seeing how we haven’t talked in years? Scent match or not, I wouldn’t have wanted this mark if I was in my right frame of mind.
I don’t blame him, though. I understand what it’s like to be lost in the heat of the moment. The things that are said, the things our bodies want us to do. Once you reach a certain point, sometimes you're too far gone to make rational decisions.
The ride to the hospital was filled with awkward silence, feeling like hours until I pull up. Once I’m out of the car, I ignore the two alphas I leave behind. I don’t have time to deal with that just yet. It’s like a force is pulling me toward my brother. “Hi. I’m looking for Wesley Rath.” I ask the nurse at the front desk. “I’m Willow, his sister.”
“Willow, hi, yes, your name is down on the approved visitors. There is currently no one with him at the moment. Your parents have gone across the street to their hotel.”
“That's okay. I think alone time with him would be good.” I give her a sad smile. She nods and leads me down the hall to his room.
There’s a doctor leaving just as we arrived. “Doctor Kelly, this is Willow, Wesley’s sister.”
“Willow. Nice to meet you.” He gives me a friendly smile. “Your parents mentioned you would be coming by.”
“Nice to meet you, too. Could you tell me how he is?” I feel like the worst sister because the last time I heard about my brother's condition was as soon as it happened. Then, when I got here, I fell so hard into my heat, I have no idea what’s going on.
“He’s currently in a medically induced coma. The swelling on his brain from the crash was too much, so we needed to give him time to heal. We are going to keep him under until the swelling goes down, but as long as he keeps showing signs of progress, he should be just fine. His leg is broken, arm a bit banged up, but other than the trauma to his head, nothing else. All brain activity is showing good signs.”
“Oh thank god.” I let out a heavy breath, my hand going to my racing heart.
“You can go in.”
I nod and thank them before slowly opening the door.
My heart breaks at the sight of him, my hand flies to my mouth to hold back a sob. He looks so weak and fragile. He’s a few years older than me, but right now, he looks younger.
He’s hooked up to a ventilator, and the sounds of machines beeping fill the room.
I let the tears fall as I take a spot next to his bed. “Oh, Wesley,” I whisper, taking his hand in mine, careful not to touch the IV hooked up to him. “Why? Why did you have to go and get yourself hurt.” I huff out a laugh. “You scared me half to death, you know?”
I talk to him like he can hear me, brushing some of his crazy blond hair off his forehead. He gets his hair color from our mom while I get mine from my dad, Tony.
“I wish you were awake. I need your advice,” I tell him. “Remember that temp pack I was hanging out with, getting to know? Yeah, well, I totally lied when I said I didn’t want anything serious with a pack because I’ve fallen so damn hard for them. But everything’s gone to shit.” I sniffle. “I was meant to have my first heat with them, spent weeks getting to know each other just for this time. Only, it didn’t work out that way. Bad time to get hit by a car.” I choke out a laugh. “Because leave it to my luck to have my heat the moment I get here to come to see you.” I sigh heavily. “It’s why I haven’t been by sooner. I bet mom and dads were going crazy. They’re going to lose their minds when they find out who I rode my heat out with.”
I look over my shoulder, making sure my parents aren't about to walk in before I spill the beans to my brother. “You know Dane and Chandler, dads’ best friends? The guys we’ve known all our lives. The two that you would tease me relentlessly about for having a crush on. Well, guess life has a sense of humor because guess who’s my scent match?” I sob out a humorless laugh, trying my hardest to keep it together. “What do I do, Wesley? I can’t be the omega they want. I’m not coming back here, I can’t. I love dad, but god, he was so smothering. He had the light inside me slowly dying. I can’t go back to that. What if they try to control me too? And what about the three amazing people waiting for me back at Calling Wood?”
Even though he can’t hear me, can’t talk back, I keep going. For the next hour, I talk about the past, present, and future. I leave Dane and Chandler out of the equation for now. I know they’re not people I can just shake off or pretend don’t exist. But I can’t decide what I’m going to do about them until I figure out how things are going to be with me and my pack waiting back at Calling Wood.
My parents come back and we all hug. I let them fuss over me, telling me how much they love and miss me.
I spend the rest of the day with my family in my brother's room until visiting hours are over.
“I gotta get going,” I tell my brother, giving his forehead a kiss. “But I’ll check in with mom all the time. And the moment you wake up, I’m here.”
I wanted to stay and be here for him, but I know my brother. If I stay here, miss school and fall behind, he would be pissed. He would tell me there’s nothing I could do and I’d just be sitting around, waiting for nothing. Going mad.
