Page 73 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

“And we’ll still have dinner. Don’t worry.”

“Shifters never miss a meal,” Sam teased, even as his eyes started to close again.

“Rest. I won’t leave you.”

“Take care of our boy,” Sam said as his eyes drifted closed.

Vaughn’s dad gripped his shoulder. “He needs stitches,” Stuart said. “Otherwise he seems fine. Probably a touch of shock so we’ll want to keep an eye on both of them for a couple hours.”

“Okay. Thanks, Dad.”

“Get back to your boy.”

“Yessir.”

The next couple hours passed in a blur for Vaughn. He took care of both Sam and Henry as needed, watched over the other cubs with his mom and Nana, and comforted the rest of the pack as he was able.

Meshaq and Zaire had filled him in on the prophecy and how it would affect Henry’s life. Now he just had to explain it to Sam, along with the knowledge that whoever the guy had been with Mrs. Foote? He hadn’t gotten that way naturally and none of them had any idea how he’d managed it.

By the time Sam opened his eyes again, Henry was already awake and surrounded by the other cubs. Ollie had been particularly upset that Henry wouldn’t wake up, so the two boys had been cuddled together for almost half an hour while they waited on Sam to come around. Vaughn knew he was waking up from the changes in his breathing, but he hadn’t opened his eyes yet.

He left the cubs and went back to Sam’s bed, holding his unbandaged hand as he started to stir. Vaughn wanted to be the first thing Sam saw when he opened his eyes.

And he was.

Sam smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “Time is it?”

“Time to feed some hungry cubs.”

Sam grinned.

Ollie shrieked and leapt off of Henry’s bed. Vaughn managed to catch him before a catastrophe occurred, and he held him close for a moment. “Ollie, settle down.”

His eyes were wild and he reached desperately for Sam.

“It’s fine. Give him here.”

Vaughn growled low, and Ollie stilled, looking his way for a moment before he stopped moving.

“I’ll be real gentle, Alpha. I just need my Sam.”

“I know you will. I need you to slow down for me, though, okay?” Vaughn pecked a kiss onto Ollie’s head and set him gently on the bed. He immediately curled up against Sam and began petting his chest carefully.

“I missed you, Sam. You don’t go to sleep again, okay? Only with Ollie.”

Sam kissed his hair and cuddled him close. “I’ll do my best. Were you a good boy for Alpha?”

Vaughn couldn’t help but chuckle as Ollie nodded his head so hard his head thumped against Sam’s chest. Sam groaned out a laugh and the other kids drifted over to surround the bed. Vaughn went to get Henry, who was still incredibly weak but ready to be out of bed.

Everyone else began to drift into the room once Vaughn got Henry settled beside Sam. William had a chair pulled up beside the bed and he sat with Sam’s free hand clutched in one hand and his cane in the other. Natasha sat on his lap and leaned her head over onto Sam’s arm, resting there beside him and basking in the simple touch of pack.

Ben settled on the other side of the bed and Vaughn stood behind him. The boy was fascinated by the medical treatment they’d been providing and he wanted to know what all the equipment did. Vaughn and his dad took turns explaining things to him as Ben kept a close eye on both Sam and Henry.

The rest of the kids were sitting on the bed at Sam’s feet, wanting to be close as well. A variety of pack members drifted in and out of the room until finally, Nana announced that the cookout was still happening and everyone needed to get to work.

Of course, everyone listened and she winked at Vaughn as everyone but William and the kids cleared the room. She’d spent all day cooking, and she wasn’t going to let all that food go to waste.

No, they’d celebrate the safe return of Henry and Sam while they continued to work toward what they needed to do to make sure nothing like what happened earlier could ever happen again. Zaire had already promised to return with the other awen she was affiliated with, and it had drawn a surprised gasp from Meshaq once she made the vow. Since he’d never met them, Vaughn didn’t understand, but he could tell from Meshaq’s reaction that it was big.