“Mom—”
“Don’t you, ‘Mom’ me. I’m still recovering from seeing you covered in blood. So, you will focus on healing and not worry about anything else.”
“How long do I have to stay here?”
She glances at the closed door and then back at me. “They’ll have to at least keep you overnight, and then your father and I will push for them to release you.”
I sigh and will my body to relax; I feel like I’m still running on adrenaline. My mom settles in the chair next to my bed, and I turn towards her. “Was anybody killed?” As much as I’m dreading the answer, I hate not knowing more.
“No, thanks to you and Reid and Slate.”
I look at her in surprise. “Slate was there?”
“He was nearby when Reid sent out that you were under attack. He helped hold them off until your father and the others could get there.” I can see the anger below the surface, the anger she’s barely holding off.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
She blinks. “What’s wrong?” She uses her scary mom voice, and I kind of regret asking now.
“I mean, besides the obvious,” I add.
She stares at me and then says something I’m completely unprepared for. “When you and Reid have a girl one day and she’s attacked by evil creatures and has to fight for her life and when you get to her, she’s covered in blood—”
“Okay,” I interrupt. “I get it.”
“Then,” she pauses and gives me a sharp look. “Thenyou will understand.” She waits for me to argue with her, but I’m not stupid.
“Why do you think they attacked?” I ask quietly.
She shakes her head. “I wish I knew.” She sounds weary, and I hate that she’s here and not at home.
“Mom, you don’t have to stay here.”
“I do.”
“But—”
“I’m staying, Riley Alyssa.”
There’s a soft knock at the door. Based on the way my mom doesn’t even turn towards the door to see who it is, I figure she knows who it is. So, I’m unsurprised when my dad opens the door and comes in. He walks over and stops beside my mom, dropping a hand on her shoulder before he looks down at me. He scans my injuries, and I wait for him to say something. It’s always bad when he’s quiet. When the silence stretches, I begin to feel the force of his alpha power. I have a feeling everybody’sbeen feeling that tonight. “Hey, Dad.” I finally say, trying to break the ice.
My mom must say something to him through their bond because he glances down at her a moment and then turns back to me. “How are you feeling?” His voice is deeper than usual, but I’m not surprised. His wolf would be riding him hard tonight. My dad is a very protective man—protective of his pack, his children, and his mate. He would see tonight as a failure on his part to keep me safe. It’s ridiculous, of course; but that’s how my dad is.
“I’m fine now,” I tell him honestly. “My body is healing quickly, and I'm not in pain.”
“You’re not in pain because of the high dose of drugs you’re currently on,” my mother informs me.
“Well, then, I love drugs.” My joke falls flat, and I finally meet my father’s eyes. I shudder at the dark look there. That look promises retribution and revenge. “I’m okay, Dad,” I finally tell him. And then I ask the question I’ve been dying to ask. “How’s Reid?” His face darkens even more, and I don’t let it go. “Don’t look like that. Tonight was not Reid’s fault.”
My father crosses his arms over his massive chest. “It’s his job to keep you safe when I’m not there.”
“And he did,” I argue.
“You were lying in a pool of blood,” he snaps.
“Yes, I was; and you know who was lying on top of me?” I ask, getting angry. “Reid. You know why? Because he couldn’t shift to protect me. He did the best he could do. He fought off so many of them, and then he shielded me with his body when they kept coming. I couldn’t move, Dad. I was stuck there. I couldn’t run, couldn’t fight back. Reid could have kept fighting, but he didn’t. He stopped defending himself, so he could shield me with his body. Did you look at his back?” He doesn’t respond. “Go look at his back. I’m sure it’s shredded from where they gothim while he was protecting me.” My mother sucks in a breath, but I don’t look over at her. “You don’t get to come down hard on Reid when he did everything in his power to keep me safe, to keep us both alive.” My mom makes a sound at my words, but I continue. “Without him, I’d be dead, Dad.” My mom makes another pained sound, but I refuse to look away from my dad. “I owe him my life.”
My mom stands up and starts towards the door. “Where are you going?” my father asks in a rough voice.
