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I’d thought I was pretty much maxed out for anxiety, but I couldn’t stop drumming my fingernails nervously on the seat as we drove. I made a half hearted attempt at light-hearted conversation to ease Dylan’s feelings, but he still had that wide eyed, alert look that he wore too often.
We drove back to the hospital. I needed to get my sister and brother to safety, even though I was afraid of who was stalking us.
Liam was sharp eyed, studying the road. He drove slowly, carefully, but I could tell he was searching for any attacker. When we exchanged worried glances, he nodded faintly to reassure me we weren’t being followed. But we didn’t dare talk much about the threat with Dylan listening.
Once we walked into the lobby, my heart pounded wildly. Then I saw Aiden sleeping, slumped in a chair. Poor Aiden. There must be no overnight visitation in the ICU so he’d slept down here, as close to Rose and as protective as he could be.
I sat down in the chair next to him and he stirred a little, before sitting up, his feet slamming into the floor.
We were all pretty alert when it came to other wolves, and as soon as his gaze met Liam’s, he was on his feet and bristling for a fight.
“It’s okay,” I gripped his arm, nervous that these men would fight. “He’s a friend.”
Liam seemed oblivious to the threat etched in Aiden’s tense posture. “Aw, that’s nice. I consider you a friend too, Amelia.”
Aiden managed to look tense and confused at once now. Liam definitely did not talk like other wolves.
Friendwas a funny word for the feelings that pulsed between Liam and me, but I’d take it for now. Liam had intervened to save me at Louise’s rock. I might not feel exactly what he felt with his strange sense of time, but there was still something comforting about his presence, as if he were right, as if we would become important to each other.
“I think Aiden might be able to help us figure out what’s going on with Rose,” I said. “Has she woken up? Do they have any idea?”
“No.” Aiden let out a hard, bitter laugh. “They seem convinced that she must be doing some kind of drugs. It’s ridiculous. They’ve asked hundreds of questions and none of them are going to help her because we both know she wasn’t on anything.”
He raked his hands back through his hair wildly. “It’s killing me to watch and not be able to help. She didn’t deserve this.”
I thought of the horrible scene when she’d been driving and said, “I can’t imagine anyone does.”
“Oh, I can think of one,” Aiden said grimly.
“Can you watch Dylan while I take Liam back to see Rose? In case he can help?” I hated the thought of being separated from Dylan for a minute. But we were in a very public place, so I didn’t think Nathan would invade a hospital to get to us. He nodded, and I added, “I need to fill you in on what’s been going on, though. There’s someone after us.”
“Nathan?” Aiden’s face paled slightly. “Is he alive?”
“He doesn’t have much support,” Liam said. “He’s hiding in the storm cellar. Or at least, he was. I don’t think he could find you, Amelia.”
“He found me before. And you found me.” My chin rose. “I have to be ready for him. But if there’s someone else… that’s even worse… because it means we have more enemies.”
“Could it be Stone?” Aiden asked bluntly.
Liam shook his head. “But I’m sure he’ll find his way to Amelia sooner or later.”
Well that was a foreboding thought. “We need to get Rose fixed up. That’s all that matters right now.”
As much as part of me wanted to go back to the King pack, wanted to be with the King men, I’d always be Stone’s captive.
But I’d be safe from Nathan.
What did I want more? Freedom or safety?
The choice between the two was so soul-destroying that I couldn’t face it right now. But for the moment, all that mattered was saving my little sister.
* * *
Liamand I went into Rose’s room. My breath caught as my sister lay still, pale and barely recognizable. An array of monitors and machines beeped softly around her, a chilling reminder of the fragility of life.
“How do we do this?” I asked Liam, desperate to keep moving and fixing things so I didn’t have to think about how bad my little sister looked.
Liam looked doubtful. “To be honest, I’m kind of amazed I found my way to you. I don’t know what I’m doing yet. I don’t know how to control it.” He looked regretful. “I’ve spent most of my time trying to run from the visions instead of figuring out how to harness them.”
