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“They’re here!” someone shouts and I hear the sirens of the ambulance.
The next few seconds go in a rush. Paramedics take Carli from me, shouting out her vitals and instructions. They push me to the side and lay her on a stretcher before she’s placed inside the ambulance and rushed to the hospital. I follow behind with Danika, annoyed that only family can get in with her. Fucking hell, I’m more than her family. I’m her only family.
My knees bounce the whole drive over, I don’t stop pacing while Carli’s taken into one of the emergency rooms and I’m told to wait outside. I fill out her forms, explaining to the nurses and the reception that I’m her fiancé, begging for them to give me updates on how she’s doing.
The time bleeds so slow. The seconds take longer to tick. Danika leaves my side for only a few minutes an hour to keep the rest of the pack updated and settled. Obviously, I’ll have to conduct a meeting once the dust settles, but now I can’t get myself to think about anything else other than Carli.
Then there’s Devon. Hanging around in the hallways. Not getting too close to me, but not staying far, either. I ignore him for the most part, but when he comes to sit in front of me in the waiting area, I snap.
“You’ve done enough, Devon. Don’t make it worse by staying here.”
His hand twitches up an inch, then drops. “I didn't think Beth would cause this much damage.”
“Well, she has. And that’s your fault,” I snarl, the time for mercy long gone. “You have no right to be in the building.”
Devon hangs his head low before shuffling away. I watch him leave, and spot Beth leaning on the side walls. She has a pleased look in her eyes. When Devon passes her, she gives him a smile and then rolls her eyes at whatever he says. She shrugs, looks at me, and with a smirk, she comes over.
I sit up straight. From the other side, Danika watches us. I catch her eye and she gives me a reassuring nod. I don’t need to give Beth anything. I don’t need to lay it on her or explain to her how much she’s hated. No, I don’t need to do a single shit because if I don’t get to Beth first, the others will. And my pack, my loyal friends will cut her open if I were to give the word. They care for Carli too much to let this go with any retribution.
“Devon said I need to apologize,” Beth states as she comes to a stop next to me.
“But you don’t want to.” I raise an eyebrow and Beth huffs. There’s not a single smidge of remorse in her expression.
“I’m tired of you, Beth.” I cross my arms, not hiding my disgust. For a flicker of a second, I see her face fall. “Tired of your little games. You’re sick and twisted and I wanted to help your father in helping you get better, but now I’m glad I left you when I did. I blamed myself for what happened to you…but this? This is a new low, even for you.”
“You don’t know how much you hurt me, Jace,” she says, her eyes pleading. “You and Carli both. I suffered too. The same as you.”
Shaking my head, I stand. “No, you wanted to suffer so people would pity you and you’d get the attention you want. You asked for the suffering and were happy to get it. It was like a trophy to you. Carli and I are nothing like that. We didn't deserve this. She doesn’t deserve this.”
I turn away, hear her stamp her foot, then feel nothing but relief when I register she’s leaving. Before I’ve completely turned my back on her, the door to Carli’s room opens and the doctor comes out.
“Is everything okay?” I ask immediately.
“Mr. Hart, right?”
I nod. “Is my fiancé fine?”
“She’s stable now. You can see her if you like, but be gentle with her. The wolf attack must have been a really bad one…and an abnormally large wolf too, considering her injuries. Next time, be more careful when you’re out hiking.”
“Yes, doctor.”
We lied about Carli getting attacked by a wolf. Well, technically it isn't a lie. And it’s close enough to the truth that she got the medical attention she needed. That’s all that matters.
“Come on in,” he says and leads me inside to where Carli is laying.
There are tubes and machines beeping all around her. She looks frail, so pale and weak. I go to her side, swallow the lump in my throat and take her hand in mine gently.
“How’s the baby?”
“I’m sorry, I should have told you. The baby is stable. We need to keep them both monitored for the next few days, but she and the baby are out of danger.”
If only he knew…
Chapter17
Carli
Jace tells me I’ve been unconscious for three days. But it feels like only this morning when I was attacked. Not because of the pain, but because of how fresh the memory is of everything getting so complicated so soon.
