Talk About the Direct Approach...

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Seeing red

The character of Kaitlyn belongs to Summertakemeaway (from her one-shot 'Hunter and Kaitlyn') It's highly recommended that you check it out!

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*Cayton's POV*

I couldn't tell you when the pain stopped. I couldn't tell you how long I felt it, and I couldn't tell you why, either. All I know is that I'm still lying in this bed, staring up at the ceiling as the last of the pain slowly fades away.

Never, in my twenty-one years of life, have I been subjected to such intense pain. I could barely describe it, but if I had to, I would say it's similar to being thrown into a flaming pit of jagged rocks, while simultaneously having a bulldozer roll over top of you, repeatedly.

Yes, it was that bad. And the worst part is that it didn't let up. If anything, it got progressively worse as the torturously slow minutes passed.

Carter is sitting next to my bed in silence. Honestly, I don't understand why he's still here. Best friend or not, what he said is something I'm not going to forgive. But I guess I can be grateful that he stayed by my side.

I take a deep breath once the pain ebbs away, bracing myself to jump straight into work. With a groan, I push myself onto my elbows. Even though whatever the cause of this pain was has disappeared, it left a lot of stiffness in my muscles, making each move more difficult than it should be.

"Lay back down," Carter orders, pushing down on my shoulder to try and get me back down.

"We need to get to work," I grind out, gritting my teeth as I fully push myself up, flexing and stretching my arms out.

"Not until Doc gives you the clear," he says.

"I'm fine." I stand up, carefully, and push a hand through my hair, which is damp with sweat.

"Alpha Cayton, I wouldn't advise that." The pack doctor comes in, not daring to try and push me back down like Carter is.

"We have a lot of shit to do, and we're wasting time," I say. No one objects when I stand up and exit the room, headed straight for my office. And the sight that greets me when I arrive is the last thing I would have expected.

About seven people are all sitting in the room. Tami and Trenton are on the couch; Tami curled up in Trenton's lap, fast asleep. However, what's really off is the fact that my mother is sitting in my desk chair, tears in her eyes. At first, I thought it might be that she's worried about me, but then I saw she was holding her side, and her expression was none other than pain.

Michael, Drake, and Hunter were all three surrounding her, trying to coax something out of her.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, letting out a frustrated sigh. I can already tell my attention is going to be pulled in about fifty different directions. And I don't know why, but there is the unmistakable scent of a human in this room.

My eyes scan over the room, landing on a young girl sitting against the wall, her arms wrapped around her as she warily looks around the room. She couldn't be any older than sixteen, probably less.

'That's Kaitlyn,' Hunter's voice comes in my head, and I turn my head to see him looking at Kaitlyn with the same look I'm sure I give Alexis.

'Your mate, I assume?' He nods in response. 'And you brought her here because...'

'We were hanging out at Mark and Fran's, and well, your mom came in looking like this—'

I cut him off as I step over, trying to make sense of my mother's muttered rambling. I try to get her to look at me, but she just keeps shaking her head, trying to wipe tears away with the back of her hand. Sighing, I know the only way to get answers is going through her head.