“Asher pack, I’m here to see Jacks and Leo…and Xan." Her face lights up at that.
“Oh, is this Candice? I’m so glad to see she’s ok. Can I get her anything; the poor dear looks like she’s been through the ringer." I smile at her kindness, and say thank you, but I thinkseeing her pack would do her good right now. She just nods and smiles, and points me to a room.
I don’t bother knocking, which is probably for the best. Leo is sprawled out across his bed, head back, snoring loud enough to wake the dead. Xan is sitting beside Jacks’ bed, a rolling tray between them, playing strip poker. Xan is down his shoes and socks, and I know he is letting Jacks win, because he only has on a hospital gown. They both turn their heads when I come in and Jacks tries to scramble out of the bed, stopping and wincing, holding his side as he hobbles over, IV pole in hand. I lower Candice enough that they can both see her in my arms, and Jacks sobs loudly, startling her awake.
Then they’re both crying, she scrambles out of my arms, losing her blanket in the process and limping on bare feet towards him as he crawls back into bed. She cries harder when she sees Leo bandaged up in the bed beside him. Xan pulls her into his arms, and plants his ass on the side of Jacks’ bed, so she is stuffed between them, all three of us purring loudly for our omega. Even Leo’s snores taper off into more of a rumble, and I think he’s trying to purr in his sleep.
Xan looks at me, “The doctor says that there’s a lot of inflammation and scorched tissue from the smoke, so he’ll probably be snoring for at least a few weeks. He suggested a cool mist humidifier to help keep the area moist. Jacks’ lung is healing well, but his ribs are never going to mend if he doesn’t get more rest, and his jaw has a small fracture, but none of the teeth aredamaged." I smile, glad to hear the news until Candice turns and glares at me.
“A little banged up, huh, just a few busted ribs?" Her arms are crossed as she stares at me.
“Ok, but to be fair, I didn’t want you to worry or blame yourself for them getting hurt. I know you worry…about everything. You don’t need to worry about this, they’re ok. I even brought you to see that they’re ok." Before she can say anything else, the angry nurse comes in.
“Here you go dear. I brought you some fuzzy socks and a spare pair of sweatpants we had at the nurse’s station, I know it can get chilly up here." Candice beams at her and thanks her, before returning her angry glower to me.
The nurse just smiles indulgently, but Xan pulls Candice towards the bathroom to get dressed, and whispers in her ear something that’s probably going to come back and bite me in the ass later.
Chapter 39
Imissed my Kitten’s first visit to the hospital, but I was awake for the rest of them. She talked to the doctor and got some medication to hold her heat off for a few weeks, since half her alphas were incapacitated. I still haven’t thought of a good courting gift, and we’re headed home today. Xan comes alone to drive us home, so that Jacks doesn’t try to get frisky with the omega in the back of the truck. He’smostlyhealed, but broken bones take more than just a couple of weeks.
I make Xan stop before we leave so I can hit the gift shop and get her some flowers. It's not a courting gift, more just an I-missed-you gift. Jacks is mad that he didn’t think of it first. When we get home, Xan helps Jacks into the house. My skin still feels a bit tight in places, but I can easily make it around on my own, and they sent me some oxygen just in case my breathing gets difficult with my singed lungs.
Candice is in the kitchen—in a cute little apron covered in pink hearts—and Jacks makes a bee-line there as soon as he sees her. She gives an exasperated look to Xan, who manages to peel him off and lead him over to the couch, where he pouts whilestaring at her. She blows him a kiss to settle him down, and goes back to the oven, pulling out a roasting pan. I’m not sure what’s in that thing, but it smells really good…so does she, and I want to stalk her up the stairs and make her melt with my mouth and hands.
She came to our room almost every day we were there, but I couldn’t really touch her, not the way I want to…the way I’ve wanted to ever since I first saw her at the clinic. I should have known something was up then, even without being able to smell her. My body knew, it just took my brain awhile to catch up, and soon she should start her heat. I know she was on blockers for the last couple of weeks, to make sure we were healed enough. Even now, Jacks is supposed to be taking it easy, but he told Xan he would escape the hospital and walk home if they didn’t release him now, so we were all cut loose.
I want to eat, I also want to eat her, and I am a bit torn at the moment between which one my body needs more. Conversely, she did go through all the trouble of making dinner, and I don’t want her to think I’m ungrateful. Maybe we can pawn kitchen cleanup off on Gabe and Xan since we’ve been at the hospital, and I can take her upstairs after we eat.
This sounds like a good plan, I like this plan.
Idea in place, I hum to myself as I head towards the kitchen to see if she needs help. I didn’t notice it before, but she has the radio on and turned down, her hips swaying along to an old Def Leppard song about sugar, so I grab her hips and slide behind her…my rhythm sucks, and the height difference makesthis almost impossible, but she turns in my arms and cuddles against my stomach anyway.
“I missed you.” It’s a soft whisper against my chest, and my hands slide from her waist to wrap about her back, pulling her against me.
“I missed you too, Kitten. When we started driving towards your house on the firetruck, I couldn’t breathe. I just kept telling myself it couldn’t be you, you were safe with Jacks, and then we got there, and I couldn’t think–none of us could. I don’t want to do that again. I love you, I was already pretty sure but this has just kind of solidified that thought."
I pull back enough that I’m able to get down on my knees, still not quite eye level, but at least I can see her face now, and her eyes are red. “I love you too Leo. All of you…though Gabe is still a grumpy ass. I’m sorry I worried you all…I really didn’t mean to." A tear escapes her eye and rolls down her cheek. I brush it off, cupping her face with both hands, and leaning my forehead against hers.
“Of course you didn’t, Kitten, none of us think that. I’m just…I’m sorry we weren’t there when you needed us. I’m sorry you got taken in the first place, and that we let that asshole get so close to you. We love you, and we want to bond you, if you’ll let us. Make you officially part of Pack Asher.”
“I mean, you already are, but…shit, I’m messing this all up." I’m stuttering over my words, but I don’t want to give her any reason to think we don’t want her, don’t already know she is ours in every way.
“I want that too, I want to be able to feel you all." Her arms come around my neck, and she stretches up to kiss me on the tip of my nose, not romantic, but definitely cute, like kitten kisses.
“Is it ok if we wait till my heat, I wanna make sure I do this right, and I don’t know what I’m doing. Um, I took my last suppressant yesterday, so it’ll probably be soon…maybe two or three days. Sorry" She blushes, her ears turning bright red. I chuckle against her hair.
“Whatever you want, Kitten, however you want to do it, it’s all up to you, ok?" She nods, and pulls back, wiping her hands under her eyes and sniffing.
“You wanna help me with this roast? It is not real light…and flaming hot right now, so I don’t want to hurt myself, or drop it on the floor trying to get it to the table.”
Gabe must be listening because he comes bustling in and grabs the potholders off the counter to take the pan before I can get it.
“We want to make sure this makes it to the table." He winks at me and leaves. Candice looks startled, but bounces back quickly.
“Ok, then, um, can you get the cake?"
Xan comes in and grabs a large platter with a cake off the counter, but we all freeze when we hear a screech from the dining area, and all of our heads swing towards the table.
