Chapter 5

Perrin

My phone buzzed loudly in my pocket as I closed Jack’s door behind me.

KIRA: Are you still here? Just got done with my meeting.

PERRIN: Actually, yes, I was going to check in on Thomas.

KIRA: Can I come with? He’s totally hot.

PERRIN: This is pack business, not a social call.

KIRA: If he’s wearing one of those hospital gowns maybe I can get a peek. 

I rolled my eyes. Her text followed with a bunch of glancing eyeball emojis.

PERRIN: I’m serious.

KIRA: Ok ok fine. What room number?

I debated giving it to her, but my phone pinged again.

KIRA: I’ll keep it in my pants, I promise.

PERRIN: BOUNDARIES, KIRA!

I sighed and waited for her to join me.

She rounded the corner a few moments later. “I was only joking.”

“See, that’s the thing,” I said, trying not to grin. “I don’t actually think you were.”

“Well, I wasn’t about how hot he is. I mean. Did you see the size of his legs? I bet he could crush a watermelon with those things. Or me. I’d be up for either honestly–”

“Don’t make me regret this,” I sighed. “You do know he was the main challenger who helped persuade the others, right?” She nodded. “I need to maintain a good rapport with him. This is important.”

She saluted me in a mildly awkward way and gestured towards the door of Thomas’ room. “Aye aye, captain!”

I rolled my eyes. Goddess I missed Ethan sometimes. I knocked on the door lightly.

“Who is it?” rasped a voice.

“Thomas, it’s Perrin and Kira,” I said, nudging the door open slightly. “May we come in?”

“Of course, of course.”

“Are you decent?”

I heard a rasping laugh. “Just get in here, already. I haven’t had visitors in days.”

Thomas was sitting up in his bed, propped handsomely with pillows on either side. I knew that he had broken several ribs himself and his lung had collapsed. He was seated bare-chested on his bed, a pair of hospital pants pulling tight across his muscular frame. Sensors were attached to half of his abdomen and chest on one side.

I approached the bed. “Nice to see you,” I said, extending a hand. “How are you healing?”

“Ribs are ok,” he rasped, then coughed. A wet sound gurgled from within. “But my lung isn’t quite back up to snuff yet. Something about drainage or something.” He coughed again, excusing himself.

“Has your care here been to your liking?” I asked.

He nodded. “Exceptional. Except I’d like some real food at some point. All I get is clear liquid and terrible jello.”

I laughed and he smiled. We didn’t know each other well, but I already liked him.

“Thomas, I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to meet my new Beta, Kira.” I stepped aside and gestured to Kira, who had been standing just slightly behind me. She froze in place, her eyes glued to his exposed chest. “Kira?” I prompted, with more than a little emphasis.

She shook her head and approached the bed, her wide smile dazzling her small features. “Hi,” she said.

Thomas coughed again. “Hello Kira, and congratulations.”

“On what?” she said blankly, staring at him.

“On your new position?” Thomas asked, slightly bemused. He was too polite to show it, but he wasn’t missing a beat. He pulled a blanket up to his neck, shuddering as if to indicate he was chilly.

Kira’s face hid none of her disappointment at the gesture, but refocused her attention. “Oh, yea, thanks. My dad was a Beta, so it kind of runs in the family, ya know.”

Thomas nodded, having no context for the comment but being polite anyway.

“So, what’s the prognosis? Are you able to head home in the near future?” I asked, eager to redirect the conversation. 

“Trying to get rid of me already?” Thomas grinned. “And here I thought we were allies.”

I smiled back. “You know you’re more than welcome as long as you like. But I don’t think even our pack house kitchens can cook southern fried chicken the way you like.”

“I’m going to need as much of it as I can get,” Thomas smiled in agreement. “I’m withering away in here with the liquid diet they’ve been feeding me.”

“If you call that withering away, I’d like to see you in top form.” 

I froze. But the words had already left Kira’s mouth. What the hell? I turned on her, trying to smooth it over, but her face showed no embarrassment whatsoever. “Kira, would you mind checking if Irene is around? I’d like to ensure that Thomas is getting the best possible care. Perhaps we can adjust his menu?”

Kira looked at me skeptically, her head tilting to one side. “I don’t think we should be overriding an Ascended’s menu choices. We’re not healers, Perrin.”

I gritted my teeth. “Would you mind fetching Irene, anyway?” 

“Fine,” she said, and with another awkward salute, left the room.

I turned to ensure she actually left, and then looked back to Thomas. “Thomas, I’m so sorry–”

But he burst out laughing, his gargled breath wheezing slightly, but he raised a hand to let me know he was fine. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, calming his breath. 

I relaxed a bit, but was still slightly on edge. I didn’t know how long Kira would be gone. We’d need to work on her social cues. I’d have to ask Mark about that. Or perhaps enlist Cynthia’s help…

Thomas looked at me, eyes assessing. “We both know you don’t have to make courtesy calls, Perrin. You have more than enough on your plate and I’ll be gone in another week. What’s on your mind?”

I was struck by the frankness of his remark, but somewhat relieved by it. Here was another Alpha Dauphin; someone who could relate to the pressures of our reality; the gravity of what responsibilities we faced and the trajectory of our lives. And while he hadn’t yet won his own Sacred Call–but had declined to pursue mine, he was still someone with the same mentality. And I felt a kinship in that, apart and separate from whatever diplomatic ties I had drawn.

“I wanted to express my thanks,” I said quickly, before my nerves got in the way. “For doing what you did.”

“Getting my ass kicked?” He grinned.

I barked out a laugh. “Well, yes. That among other things. But if there’s anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable here, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

He leaned back into his pillows, pulling his arms behind his head and resting. “I still have to answer to my father,” he said conversationally. “Any advice on that?”

“If your father is anywhere near as complicated as mine, then I have absolutely none.”

He smirked. “Must be an Alpha thing.”

“Something like that. And we’ll be no better in ten years.”

“You’re not trying to give me the old adage about turning into our parents, are you?”

“Would it help if I said no?”

“Not really.” We both laughed. “But seriously,” Thomas went on. “I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to tell him. I was taken straight here and he left the morning after to return home on pack business. Apart from a few texts, I’ve been able to hold him at arm’s length. I pretend to be sleeping anytime he calls.”

“Talk to Peter at all? He may have some ideas,” I suggested. 

Thomas let out a wet laugh, coughing hard. “Not hardly. That guy’s famous now. Not taking calls unless they’re press or prestige.”

“What?” I asked, flabbergasted.

“That stunt you pulled, making him look like he actually stood a chance in the arena with you?” Thomas smiled, looking above my head as if replaying it in his mind. “I’m not sure who deserves more Oscar Buzz. Anyway, Peter’s father and their entire pack have a renewed sense of trust in him.”

I was stunned. It hadn’t taken much. “That’s fantastic.”

“I think that was probably more valuable to him than any diplomatic promise,” Thomas said.

I nodded slowly. “I should give him a call. Check in.”

“Oh, he’ll pick up for you alright,” he grinned, then turned slightly serious. “I hope it was all worth it.”

I nodded, drawing up a chair beside the bed. “It was.”

“How is she?” I didn’t need to ask who he was talking about. 

“Infirmed. Probably on bed rest until the child arrives.”

“Is it true? That she’s exiled from the Chiyads?”

I felt my eyebrows rise. “Word travels fast, doesn’t it?”

He reached for his phone on the side table and dangled it in front of me. “I told you that I still get texts from my father.”

“Yes, it’s true,” I said. “She’ll be here for the foreseeable future.”

“And Justin resumes his role as Alpha Select?”

“Yes. Ethan went with him yesterday back to Texas.”

Thomas let out a low whistle. “Isn’t that something.”

“Which part?”

“All of it. But mostly the part about two male wolves leading a pack.”

I stiffened slightly. What was he implying?

Thomas noticed. “Don’t get me wrong, Perrin. I’m in full support. But I’m also a black man from the south. Texas values are pretty similar to those in Louisiana. I’m not saying I agree with them, but traditions–and old school values, run deep.”

I relaxed somewhat. I had no doubt that Thomas would become the Alpha Select of his own pack, though it was nice to know that Ethan’s role as Justin’s mate wouldn’t be challenged by the Chiyad’s neighbors. Thomas was indeed a valuable ally. I would need to make sure Ethan was aware of that.

No, I corrected myself. All of these packs were my allies now. I needed to start getting used to that idea.

“So how is Jesamine?” Thomas asked. 

“We met with the Ascended this morning. She’s due in three months.”

“That’s wonderful, Perrin. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re either still processing becoming a father or there’s something else.”

“Can it be both?”

“I don’t see why not?”

He adjusted his position. “I’m all ears.”

I eyed him, curious. I did feel a connection to him, but… “Why do you want to hear about all of this?”

“I’d like to think that we’re going to be friends in the future, not just forced allies.”

The reality of the comment struck hard, as hard as the reality that I was becoming a father at the age of eighteen. It was a vulnerable thing to say, particularly for an Alpha. And to another Alpha, of all things. But I found myself nodding, realizing that friendships right now in my life were too important, even if he was going to be leaving soon.

“Yes, I’m overwhelmed. Very overwhelmed. And Lo’s gone so it feels like a piece of me is missing and nothing helps that.”

And so I talked. More openly than I had with anyone except for Lo and Kira. It was nice, his affirmations about how I was nervous about trainings; how Jack was in shambles and how I had been shitty to him, overlooking him in the hopes that Ethan would make a full recovery, only to be mated and choose a different path entirely. How my new Beta had just started steps towards sobriety and it worried me constantly. And on top of all that, how I was supposed to be welcoming a child into the world in three months time with a she-wolf that I couldn’t stand to be around.”

After I had finished–and I realized I had no idea how long I had been talking–Thomas let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Goddess. And I thought my own pack were the only ones with drama.”

“It can’t possibly be that bad.” 

He raised his eyebrows, glancing at his phone. “You’d be surprised.”

“So if you have any advice on how to handle any of that,” I said, “I’m all ears.”

He paused in thought. “You’re a lucky man.”

I felt my eyebrows rise. “How so?”

“Lo,” he said simply. “She seems like everything you need right now.”

And how right he was. Lo was everything. And I missed her dearly. The only problem with her was that she wasn’t here.

I nodded, lost in the thought of her. He laughed. “Wow, you’ve got it bad.”

I gave his good side a small punch and sat back in my chair. “If only you’re so lucky someday.”

“Maybe.” Thomas sighed, settling back into his pillows. A comfortable silence fell over the room.

“Thomas?”

“Yea?”

“Would you be one of its Lunar Parents?”

I could tell the question caught him off guard. “Are you serious?” he rasped. “You wouldn’t want your Beta? Or perhaps Ethan?”

I shook my head, clear in my decision. I had discussed it with Lo before she had left; even before I had spoken with Thomas today. But our conversation, however short, felt right. I knew in my gut that it was the right decision. And whileI wasn’t sure what Jesamine would say, I had a choice for at least one of the two. And Thomas would be mine.

Thomas squinted at me slightly, as if skeptical this was some type of prank. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes.”

“And how do I know that this isn’t some type of ploy?”

“There is no ploy,” I said simply. “I already stand by what I said. I will not challenge you at your Sacred Call. If you are uncomfortable, I do not force this responsibility upon you. But this child’s future was guaranteed because you convinced the others to forfeit. I wouldn’t have made it to the final round without your assistance, I am forever grateful, And I mean that. This child, whether or not it knows it, owes its life to you.” I hoped the understood that I spoke with the same honesty that I had that morning in the coffee shop. 

Thomas was quiet as he studied my face, his own unreadable.

“Found her!” Kira said, bursting unceremoniously through the door. A distinctly ruffled Irene followed quickly.

“Is everything alright?” she asked, clearly alarmed.

“Of course, why?” Thomas asked, wincing slightly as he pulled the fallen blanket back over his exposed chest.

Irene turned to Kira. “You said he requested a sponge bath?”

“A sponge bath?” Thomas inquired. “I just had one this morning.”

I could feel my face burning with humiliation. I turned to the Ascended. “Irene, everything is fine. False alarm. Thomas, sorry for the intrusion. I think we’ve overstayed our welcome.” I grabbed Kira by the shoulders and steered her towards the door.

“We’ll come back to visit, don’t worry!” Kira called over her shoulder. I squeezed her hard around the neck. She yelped and lunged out of my grip and into the hallway. I turned to close the door behind me.

“I hope you will,” Thomas called after her, smiling and laughing, the wheezing sound strenuous but serious. “And Perrin?”

I stopped, my hand on the door. “Yes?”

“I’d be honored.”