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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Watching the smallhatchback travel up the driveway, Hyde kept his grip on the window-sill tight, waiting till the car was fully out of sight. Inhaling deeply, he pushed himself away from the window. He crossed the landing to the door and entered the specialised Lycan hospital, the fruit of Livingstone’s three-year labor.
Her back bare, Ghost lay face down on the gurney, hands loose on the hand holds under the head of the bed. Her eyes fluttering open as she fought unconsciousness.
Crossing the room, Hyde knelt, his face now at eye level as he took her hand in his.
“Hey old man,”
Giving a smile, he smoothed her dark hair off her face gently.
“Hi Ghosty,” glancing at the wounds on her back, his fingers tightened around hers. Two very large bullet holes had just recently healed over. Trapping any hidden bleeding or damage out of view.
While maneuvering the X-ray machine attached to the roof, the doctor guided his apprentice in setting up the intravenous blood dip.
“Thought you ... you were” she didn’t even flinch as the catheter slid into a vein. A brief smile flashing across her lips as she stared up at him.
“I got better, just like you’re about to” he had made a promise to himself a long time ago that he would do right by this kid that he orphaned. But as she let herself sink into unconsciousness, he whispered a promise into her ear. That whoever had hurt her was going to die in his hands. He would taste their blood.
“Talk to me,”
Staring at the large screen on the wall, the doctor moved a tray of surgical equipment closer to him.
“The good news is that it is not liquid silver. The bad news is that the bullet has a silver coating. I will have to cut through what she has already healed to get to the internal bleeding and shattered ribs. There is no point in giving her any anaesthetic. Her body is trying too hard to heal. She would simply absorb it.”
She needed the bullets out so her body could heal. Unconscious or not, it was going to hurt like a motherfucker. Hyde pulled a low stool over to the bed. Moving to sit at her head, his hands were ready to hold her down if he needed to.
His eyes rising to look at Scythe as the doctor picked up a scalpel.
“What happened?”
Leaning against the far wall, the enforcer’s nonchalant shrug belied the intensity in his eyes.
“Draven’s Queen,” his words thick with distaste. “Went wedding dress shopping,” Frowning as Hyde’s eyes narrowed at him, Scythe shrugged, “two of us were positioned outside, I was out the back.” Gesturing to Ghost, “she was inside,”
A pain-filled whimper broke out from Ghosts lips. Her hands tightening involuntary on the handholds, as the doctor gave a satisfied grunt. With a clatter, the doctor dropped the silver bullet onto the tray. His eyes looking up to check the X-ray on the large screen. “You will need to hold her for this one. “
“A sniper is my guess.” Scythe continued. His jaw was tight. “And they weren’t aiming for Ghost,”
Pressing his hands down on her shoulders, Hyde watched as the doctor cut deeper. Coming awake with a half scream, Ghost’s body rippled. Her hands turning into claws that raised to dig into Hyde’s forearms.
“Keep her human Alpha,”
His eyes intent on his work, the doctor made room for both Scythe and his apprentice to step forward to hold her legs down as she buckled under his hands.
Pressing his face against the back of her head, Hyde reached for the energy of his wolf and, beyond that, the power of the pack. It ran through him easier than air.
Every Titan adding strength, unity, family. Each and everyone of them needed it. It was beyond words, a place of belonging for beast and man. Letting his scent wash over her. He reached his will past her defences to where her wolf lay deep inside of her, injured and snarling.
