Chapter 2 - Suzie

“Come on, Suzie…” Shannon pouted, tugging on my sleeve. 

“It’s a bad idea, is all I’m saying. And I really should just go home.” I shook my head, shutting my locker. 

“Oh, come on. Stan’s going to be there. Aren’t you a little interested in seeing him shift… or rather seeing him before and after.” Shannon giggled, wiggling her eyebrows at me.  

I roll my eyes but smile a little. Stan is handsome, and he only got his wolf this past full moon. So far, none of the she-wolves in our pack are his mate. 

Shannon grinned. “Yes. I knew I’d get you with that.”

I rolled my eyes, zipping up my winter jacket. “You realize no matter what he looks like naked; he’s going to be insignificant if I compare to Amelia’s big brother.”  

I blushed just thinking about the handful of times I’ve been in Madonie and seen little Ivan. His mate is a fortunate woman, that’s all I can say. And she, of course, knows it. 

We were happy for Ivan when he found his mate two years ago when Amelia made him go to a Madonie-hosted mate gathering. Their mating caused quite a stir.  

But their mating was overshadowed by Beta Alexander being mated to Delilah and his older sister Beta Zoe having two mates the same size as Ivan. Now that was a crazy story from what Amelia told me. 

“Earth to Suzie.” Shannon was snapping her fingers in my face. 

“Stop daydreaming about your brother-in-law’s third leg. He has a mate and pups. Focus on the unmated males right here.” Shannon sighed. 

“Oh, my Goddess. I can’t believe you called it that.” I rolled my eyes. “And I wasn’t thinking about his massive cock.” 

“Who’s massive cock are we not thinking about?” Diann laughed as she threw her arms around both of us.

Unlike Shannon and I, Diann just turned sixteen. It sucks to have friends that shift before you. At least Shannon won’t turn sixteen before me. I have a year before my birthday. She has a year and a month. 

“No one.” I sighed. 

“Suzie was supposedly not thinking about her giant Italian brother-in-law’s cock. I’m trying to get her to focus. Stan asked if we all wanted to ride up in his truck to the woods. He and Sullivan want to show off their wolves.” Shannon smirked.

“Oh well, I’m totally in. I’ve seen them both, but I’m all for seeing it again.” Diann laughed as we headed out of the school. 

“Hey, Suzie.” Paul waved from the back of Stan’s blue pickup. 

“Awe, look, it’s your boyfriend.” Diann taunted me, poking my ribs.  

“He is not.” I muttered. Paul is just a friend and has been since we were in diapers. I would never see him romantically.  

“Hey, Paul.” I nodded as my eyes turned to the cab as the doors opened. 

Sullivan Webster pushed back his black hair with one hand as he grinned at us, showing off his canines. “Hey, girls. Ready for some fun?” 

“Always.” Shannon winked, skipping forward and kissing his cheek.  

“I call sitting in the cab.” She declared, not giving Diann or me a chance to say anything as she hopped into the cab to sit between Stan and Sullivan. 

Sullivan smirked, shrugging. “Looks like you ladies are sitting in the back with Paul.” 

Diann huffed but jumped into the bed of the truck. As I moved to follow, Stan had come around, opening the tailgate. “Want some help, Suzie?” he offered with a smile. 

I could handle myself, but the offer was tempting. I am a sucker for blondes, and Stan has that cute dimple. 

“Sure.” I shrugged. I laughed a little as he grabbed my waist, lifting me onto the tailgate.  

“Make sure you hang and stay safe back here. I wouldn’t want something bad to happen to you. Especially before your first shift. Maybe we’ll be mates.” Stan winked. 

I rolled my eyes but knew I was blushing. I would just blame the cold winter air. Yeah, that’s it. That’s why my cheeks are pink. They’re cold.  

I settled into the truck bed, holding on tightly as Stan drove away from the pack high school. Diann, Paul, and I bounced around as Stan went off the main road heading into the forest. 

I know where he’s going. There’s a spot in these woods that young wolves like to park. Both in the human sense of ‘parking’ where you make out, some even have sex.

But we also just park to shit for our pack and run in our wolf forms. No one says anything or thinks twice about it.

Alpha Logan has never cared at most we are told to be careful not to be seen by humans. 

Shannon had opened the little window from the cab to the back so we could hear the music Stan was blasting. Shannon was giggling, leaning closer to Sullivan.  

Shannon has never been shy about going for what she wants. It doesn’t take a wolf’s vision or hearing to know what she’s doing. And she wants Sullivan even if he doesn’t end up being her mate. 

I rolled my eyes at her brazen acts. Before calling her out, it was clear I wasn’t the only one who noticed. The truck fishtailed in the snow as Stan watched Shannon give his buddy a hand job more than he was on the road. 

“Watch the road!” Diann shouted. Like Paul and I, she clung to the truck’s sides for safety. 

“It’s fine! Don’t worry so much!” Stan shouted back. 

Jinx. Stan just jinxed us by casually dismissing the hazard of traveling on this show covered road distracted. 

It happened too fast, but I’m sure Stan was still distracted by Shannon and Sullivan getting hot and heavy because he hit a deer and lost control of the truck. I just remember screams. 

I was screaming. Everyone was screaming as the truck went off the road, rolling over the edge and sliding down the edge of the mountain road until it slammed with a sickening crunch of metal into a tree.  

My head was buzzing, and it hurt to breathe. I blinked, trying to get my bearings. Groaning, I tried to brush whatever was dripping into my eyes away.  

OH shit, that’s blood. I’m bleeding. I winced as I felt a pain in my legs. I could barely lift my head to see part of the truck was on them. 

Oh fuck. This isn’t good. I tried to find my friends, but it hurt even to move my head. 

I saw a silvery gray wolf slipping down the incline from the road. It must be someone from the pack. “Find… find the others….” I strained to speak. 

I couldn’t keep my eyes open, but I heard someone shouting at me. 

“Oh fuck. Walterson! Stay the fuck awake!!” A gruff voice grunted. I still couldn’t manage to keep my eyes open, but I felt the weight on my legs fading as the ground shook. 

“Hey… Walterson! Come on! Open your damn eyes!” The voice shouted. 

I groaned, squinting at the blurry face looking down at me.  

“Don’t go dying on me, kid. I already called for the emergency crew. Just stay awake.”  

He seems familiar, but I can’t place him right now. “I’m going to check on the other idiots.” The guy scoffed as his blurry face disappeared. 

I woke up warm, feeling someone leaning on me crying, or crying, given the sobs. Opening my eyes, I spotted my mom leaning over me, holding my hand crying. 

“Mom?” My voice was strained. 

“Oh, baby!” Mom exclaimed, sitting up quickly, cupping my face with her hands. “Oh, my baby! You’re okay.” 

“Yeah… I’m… I feel like I got hit by a car.” I groaned as everything hurt.  

“Technically, you did. You’re lucky to be alive, Suzie. I have many questions, but I’ll refrain from asking them until you feel better.” Dad sighed, kissing the top of my head. 

“You are so lucky that someone was in that area to find you kids.” He frowned. 

“Wait, my friends? What happened to them? Are they okay?” I asked as the events started to flood back. 

“Who found us?” I added. 

“They are okay. They’re all in the hospital too. Of course, you three that haven’t gotten your wolf yet are in worse condition.” Dad sighed.  

That makes sense. Stan, Sullivan, and Diann have their wolves to help them recover faster. 

“I’m glad we’re all okay then. But who found us? We need to thank him.” I asked. 

“It was… well, it was Clement.” Mom sighed. 

I blinked. “The hell?! Clement? Clement Shelton? Dickhead extraordinaire? Since he returned from Incubi, he’s become like a hermit or something. Avoiding most people in the pack.” I shook my head. 

“He lost a leg. I won’t fault the boy for avoiding people. He had a lot to deal with, and people could be cruel, especially if they think you got what was coming to you. I’m just glad he saved you.” Dad shook his head. 

I frowned because that’s a lot to consider. I owe my life to Clement Shelton? The thought left a bad taste in my mouth.  

“I’ll send him a thank you card and a basket of goodies or something.” I sighed because I had to repay him somehow.  

“So what does the doctor say? Will I be okay? I remember… the truck was on my legs.” I questioned, wanting to think of something that wasn’t the utterly insane thought of owing my life to Clement. 

“You’ll recover, but Doctor Bryant did say you’ll need crutches and physical therapy as your legs are in rough shape. Only one was bad. They had to put some pins in it, and you’ll have the cast for a month or two.” Dad explained. 

I blinked and looked down finally, pulling the blanket back to see my right leg was in a cast. Well fuck. “I knew I should have just gone home.” I grumbled. 

“Yes, you should’ve. But we can’t change the past.” Mom narrowed her eyes at me. 

Oh, I’m grounded for life after this. I’d blame Shannon, but she’s probably just as bad off as I am.

“So we’ll focus on your recovery. Doctor Bryant already gave us the name of a physical therapist in the pack. He’s fairly new and works at a human practice but takes on anyone from the pack.” Dad said, holding up a card. 

I frowned, looking at the card. “Austin Shelton PT, ATI Physical Therapy?” I frowned because I couldn’t think of anyone in the pack named that. But then again, I don’t know everyone in the pack by name. 

“Yes. We’ve already called and have you an appointment scheduled for when your cast comes off.” Dad nodded, taking the card back. 

I couldn’t argue. So for the next two months, I dealt with the crutches and having to accommodate for the cast.  

Stan apologized more times than I could count for what happened. Dad wasn’t hearing any of it and told Stan that he would use his carcass for fertilizer if he came near me. 

Shannon was in worse shape than me having a neck injury and her arms both broken. Her parents sent her to live with her grandparents in Colorado to be homeschooled until she was old enough to shift.

Mom dropped me off at the physical therapist's office for my first appointment. I sighed, leaning on my crutches as I made my way into the building. 

I signed in at the front desk. Before I could sit down and wait, I heard a familiar voice call my name. 

“Suzanne Walterson.”  

I turned my head in the direction of the voice. And there he was, Clement Shelton. His blonde hair was styled in a pompadour fade, and he was wearing slim fit navy scrubs, blue eyes locked in on me with his arms folding, holding a clipboard. I couldn’t even tell his left leg from the knee down was a prosthetic with how he was standing. 

“Suzanne? Are you ready for your session?” Clement questioned, arching an eyebrow. 

“I… yes. But I am supposed to be working with someone named Austin.” I furrowed my brow.  

Clement’s brow stayed arched as he tapped the name tag on his chest. I squinted, not wanting to get closer. “You changed your name?” I asked. 

“It’s my middle name. Now come on. We need to get started. I have other appointments after you.” Clement… I mean, Austin gestured for me to follow him. 

Cautiously I followed him, and as he walked, I could see the slight limp from the prosthetic, but otherwise, if I didn’t know he had lost his leg, I wouldn’t believe it. I wasn’t sure what to expect as we started the session.  

To my surprise, he was professional but also strangely put me at ease as he helped me through different exercises. He was oddly easy to talk to. It’s like he’s an entirely different person from the dick I knew as a kid.