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* * *
“You don’t have to come in with me, you know,” I told Felicity as I pulled the Impala into Evergreen General’s visitor parking lot. The claw marks Ma had left on Felicity’s arm during her last visit were still red and raw. “You and Dad could take a walk or something. It wouldn’t be a big deal.”
She looked out the window, staring up at the hospital. The sky above it was cornflower blue, with only a few cottony wisps of clouds.
“No. We should do this together.” She reached out for my hand. I gave it to her, twining our fingers together. “I’m your mate. Whether your mother likes it or not. She loves you, and so do I. As long as we have that in common, we can figure the rest out.”
Saint Felicity strikes again.
The tension in her shoulders told me she wasn’t exactly looking forward to this, but the determination in her hazel eyes assured me she’d be doing it anyway.
“I love you,” I murmured, squeezing her hand.
We entered the hospital together and found Ma’s room. We’d decided not to bring Rylan along, though that was more for his safety than any slight. Ma hadn’t exactly been gentle with Felicity when she woke up from her coma. Hopefully, it had been a one-off, but we couldn’t risk her pulling an encore with Rylan in the room.
Healing the rift she’d torn in our family would take time and caution, but we’d put in the work if Felicity was willing.
As soon as we entered Ma’s room, Dad leapt up and wrapped us in a massive hug. He felt stronger than he had the last time I saw him. His hair and body were both still thin, but he’d regained some color in his face.
“Come on in,” he said, pulling us deeper into the room. “She’s a little groggy, but she’s awake.”
“Xander?” Ma’s eyes cracked open. “Is that you?”
Felicity gave me a nod, and I approached Ma’s bed. She was still hooked up to oxygen and an IV. She didn’t look much like the Ma I remembered, but then, I’d rarely seen her without her makeup and hair done.
“Hey, Ma. I’m glad you’re…” I paused, searching for the right word. Alive? Awake? Not actively trying to kill my mate? “Feeling better,” I finished lamely.
“Never mind that,” she rasped. “Your father tells me you’re going to take your son back. Back from my father and Quincy.”
“I am.”
She closed her eyes and nodded, just once. “Take my hand.”
Tentatively, I did as she asked. Her grip was weak, her skin more papery than I remembered. Her fingers were cold, but her palm was warm.
“He hates you, you know,” Ma told me. “Quincy, too. They both do.”
“Ah…yeah.” I glanced back at Felicity. “We kinda figured that.”
“It’s a compliment,” she said. Her lips curled into something close to a smile. “I’ve never known Father to hate anyone he doesn’t see as a threat.”
* * *
Felicity and I sat with my parents for about an hour. It was tense at times, even a little uncomfortable when the silence stretched on for too long. Ma didn’t stay awake for the entire visit, but she tried her best. When we left, she was polite to Felicity, and told me she loved me.
“This meant a lot to her, kid,” Dad told me as he hugged us goodbye. “I hope you know that.”
“We’ll be back,” I promised.
“Maybe even with the boys next time,” Felicity added, and Dad’s eyes went misty.
“I’d like that.” He embraced us again, tighter this time. “You be safe tonight. We’ll see you when you’re back.”
Felicity and I said our own goodbyes on the front porch of the lodge. She’d dressed Rylan in a hooded onesie with little ears stitched on. It made him look like a tiny bear.
“You can’t convert him, you know,” I joked, rubbing the fuzzy fabric atop Rylan’s head. “He’s gonna be a wolf, no matter what you dress him up as.”
“Oh, I’m counting on it.” She drew closer to me, cradling Rylan between us as she popped up onto her tiptoes. I hunched down obligingly, and she pressed a firm kiss to my lips. “I don’t know if you’ve realized, but I’ve kind of taken a liking to wolves.”
