Chapter 3: The Morning After

"Dad, are you feeling O.K.?  I think you need to get that checked out."  I say truly concerned after he was swiped especially hard by one of the rogues last night just before mom died.

Sad and missing mom, he answers, "Yes pumpkin I am fine, but if you would feel better knowing that I got it looked at I will go over there now."  

Preparing for my stuff to arrive, Eric orders everyone to clear out and make room for all my things.  Last night, my dad stayed at the pack house with us and we stayed up all night long trying to figure out who is the master mind behind all of the attacks lately.  Piece by piece, we gathered the details and still having no clue are back to the drawing board.

"Yes dad, I would."  I smile warmly at him before Eric walks in and leans down to kiss my forehead. 

Seeing the look in Eric's eyes, my dad decides that it would be best if he left to get his wound checked and leave the two of us alone for the moment.  Eric squeezes my shoulder and his kisses travel down to my lips.  Devouring my mouth, I sense another presence in the room and the hair on the back of my neck raises. 

Eric must sense it too, because the next thing I know, he has pushed me away and has started to change.  His eyes wide and animalistic are scanning the room, while I pick up the scent even closer than before.  My wolf senses danger and I start to feel my body change instantly.  My claws come out and my fangs protrude, before the rogue crashes through the front door.   

I hear a strangled scream and watch as one of the beta's get torn to shreds before they even can say a word.  Eric jumps into the mess of blood, fur and bones breaking, before I can change completely.  Watching helplessly, my wolf growls and lets me know there is a second intruder lurking in the shadows.

Not knowing why I am not changing completely, I am somewhat at a disadvantage for the moment and stand back out of harms way.  However, when I step backwards, I feel searing pain in my side and watch helplessly as I'm being pulled to the ground.  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Eric coming to my rescue covered in blood.

His wolf is the most beautiful color of dark grey I have ever seen and he is so powerful that he easily overpowers the other rogue.  Once he rips the head off of it, he lays by my side and reverts back to his human form.  Standing up, he collects me carefully into his arms and rushes to the doctors office.  The whole time, looking down at me with such loving eyes, filled with concern.

My dad hearing the news, comes out of the waiting room to meet Eric.  Barking out orders, he lays me down on the table and demands the doctor do something.  He growls and says, "You had better fix this.  If she dies, we lose our Alpha Queen and there will be hell to pay."

Not realizing the severity of my wound, I look down and see my intestines hanging out of my abdomen.  Blood everywhere, the doctor works as fast as he can and insists that Eric and my dad leave the room.  He runs and gets the nurse, but Eric won't leave.  Instead he growls at the doctor and threatens to rip his head off if he hurts me again.

Somewhere between three and four hours later, I wake up stitched back together.  I assume everything is put back where it belongs and I notice that an I.V. is attached to my arm.  Blood is being pumped in frequently and even though I feel light headed, I still sit up and watch the hecticness of the doctor's office through the glass door to the operating room.

Noticing that I have awaken, the doctor hurries in and tries to get me to lay back down.  Yelling,  "Stop.  Lay back down right now or Alpha Eric will have my head.  He told me that if you die, I die, so please relax."

Glancing over at him, I watch as he checks my bandage and then he produces a syringe of something before putting it into my I.V.  Everything becomes fuzzy and when I wake up again, I am out in the woods.  Apparently while I was out, another rogue group attacked and tried to escape with me.  When Eric stopped them, he had the security squad take me into the woods and hide me.

So now, I am sitting in the middle of the woods at the safe house, with a bunch of muscle heads hovering over me.  I feel completely out of my element and don't know what to do.  Jim, the older one, stands next to me and asks, "Do you remember anything of what just happened?"

Looking up at him, I state matter of factly, "No, I have been asleep for several hours after they knocked me out."  Adding, "Could you tell me exactly what happened and why he decided to take me out here instead of the safe house in town?"

He responds abruptly with, "Alpha Eric demanded we take you here because he knows that the safe house in town is compromised.  He is hoping that this one isn't too.  Also, a pack from several territories over has been sending rogues here to try and take out Eric and now you, so their Alpha can take over our territory."

As soon as he says that, everyone goes on alert and I hear a loud crackling sound.  The back door splinters into a million pieces just before a huge rogue catapults himself into the room, teeth barred and ready to kill.  Jim yells, "Get down."  Standing in front of me, he protects me while Tony goes in for the fight with Andy.  I can't see what is going on with Jim hovering over me, but I hear fierce growling and the sound of bones breaking.

When the quiet returns to the room, Andy and Tony lay on the floor hurt.  The smell of fresh blood permeates through the room and the rogue is torn to shreds with no resemblance to anything living.  We hear howling in the distance as Eric arrives after the fight.

His eyes wild with his wolf, he turns to me and asks, "Are you alright?"  

I nod and when he picks me up and takes me home, I don't fight him.  Back at the pack house, everyone is busy cleaning up and my dad comes to visit me.  He hugs me and asks with deep concern, "Pumpkin are you O.K.?"

Tired and not feeling the best, I tell him softly, "Dad, I have been better, but I am worried about the pack.  We have lost too many in the last couple of days."

He looks down at me and runs his fingers through my hair before kissing me on the forehead.  He replies, "Pumpkin, Alpha Eric is the best at what he does, he will take care of this and then we will get more members to replace what we have lost.  Don't worry.  Just sleep."

Closing my eyes, I start to relax and drift off.