Page 43 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

“I’m not going back to that damned hospital. They either pump me full of drugs I don’t want or treat me like I’m out to get a bunch of narcotics I can sell on the street. There’s no middle ground and no fixing me so I’m not gonna bother.”

Vaughn rested his hand against Sam’s back. “I can take him to the clinic.”

“Vaughn—”

William let out another cry of pain.

“Sam, move over. Let me examine him.”

It only took him a minute to realize William was having an incredibly strong back spasm.

“Do you have any ice packs?”

Sam nodded. “We keep them in the fridge.”

“Get one for me.”

Sam hurried away while Vaughn adjusted William’s legs to take some of the pressure off his lower back.

“He know what you are?” William asked, his voice trembling as he spoke through the pain.

Vaughn jerked his attention back to William’s face and met his concerned gaze.

“Don’t try to bullshit me, Jerrick. He’s my only son, and I don’t want him caught up in your world.”

“Too late, Dad,” Sam said from the doorway. He carried over the requested ice pack and knelt by his father’s side again.

Vaughn eased the ice pack under William’s back, positioning it beneath the worst of the spasm. “I can treat you if you come to the clinic,” Vaughn said.

“Will it make it worse if we move him?” Sam asked.

“It won’t be a fun ride for him, but I can’t do much for him here.”

Sam nodded and squeezed his father’s hand. “Dad?”

William looked back and forth between them, as fierce as his son even though Vaughn knew he must be in an incredible amount of pain.

“Explain,” William said. His eyes were locked on Sam’s.

“It’s new,” Sam said. “But… yeah. It’s a thing. And there are kids. So… a big thing? Really big thing. We haven’t… it’s a thing, Dad. That’s all I’ve got for now.”

William turned his attention to Vaughn, narrowing his eyes to a sharp glare.

Vaughn cleared his throat nervously. He’d never actually had to worry about disappointing a parent before. Between being an alpha, being a Jerrick, being a doctor, and being an all around decent guy, most parents were pretty interested in having him as part of their family. He was saved from having to explain himself when another sharp spasm wracked William’s body.

“Sir, I will happily answer your questions later. For now, can we please get you to my clinic so I can help you?”

William nodded.

“Sam, get an overnight bag together for him, would you?”

Sam hurried down the hall, and Vaughn gave William’s arm a gentle squeeze. “This is gonna be rough, and I’ve got cubs in the car that I really don’t want to terrify. You think you can hang tough for me until we get to the clinic?”

“You’ve got kids?” William asked on a gasp.

“That’s part of that long story Sam so eloquently tried to explain earlier.”

“Sam loves kids.”