Alpha Brothers - The Trickster (book 4)

Chapter 22

Chapter 22
Graham
I woke up to an empty bed and an ache in my heart. A small part of me had wished it was just a dream, that I still had my Little Witch next to me. But it wasn't.
Sometime during the night I had snatched her pillow under my arm and held it tight. Her deep rich scent filled my nose and I could almost pretend that she was here.
Of course it didn't work and I just became a pathetic idiot smelling a pillow but I didn't care.
Bleu wanted me to feel, well she got her wish. I had never felt so much pain and hurt in my life. Every time I thought of my brothers and how right now, they were sleeping with their mates, I was filled with anger. Every time I remembered the brick wall hitting moment when I realized that if I hadn't gone to meet that woman in the village, I could have saved my witch and had her three years earlier. Every time, I recorded the pain in Bleu's eyes as I told her the truth, my heart ached for her. Every time the image of her walking away fill my head, I became numb, not wanting to feel anything. And every time I felt my wolf stir in want of his mate, I cried.
I understood why Malcolm did it. Who would want to feel this every day? I think I could have the strength turn away from my wolf if I knew that Bleu would never come back to me. I believed that she would even though there was a part of me that knew that she wouldn't. Who would want to come back to this place? Countless of times I had wanted to leave. It was only three days ago that I actually had the guts to. And now that was gone. And I was broken.
Soon, it became too much. I stumbled out of bed and aimed for the bathroom.
I stripped and got in the shower, allowing the water just to fall on top of me.
I forced the memory of Bleu's and mine's first time together, knowing that it only brought misery at what I had lost.
Walking down the hall, I tried to see what made this place werewolf heaven. Tarna had once told Callum that rogues would die to live in this place. But all I saw was pain. Pain that had been done to me.
I knew I was just feeling sorry for myself but I couldn't help it. My whole world had been taken away from me in a course of one single day and I couldn't stop it.
Just before I hit the third gallery, I halted. A body lied face down on the stairs, looking almost asleep.
My heart skipped in my chest when I recognised Tarna's long brown hair and over-sized belly.
"Tarna," I said, barely recognising my voice, seeing that I hadn't spoken since the day Bleu left.
When she didn't answer me, I panicked. I jogged down the rest of the way till I was by her side.
"Tarna, wake up," I told her, shaking her shoulder.
God, I had never seen her so pale. She mumbled a few words, telling me that she was at least breathing.
Where the hell was Malcolm? I wanted to groan, though seeing him was the last thing that I wanted to do.
"Can you hear me, Tarna?" I asked, knowing that she wouldn't be able to answer even if she did.
"Tarna, I'm goin' to try and get you upstairs, okay?"
I had no idea how. Maybe I could have when she was her normal size, but she was around eight months gone.
Turning her into her back, I hooked my arms under her's and began to drag her. The one time, I needed someone's help, nobody was around. Not even a passing maid or fellow pack member. Not even my family, though they were the last people I wanted to see.
As I pulled my sister up the stairs, I couldn't help but think, why?
Why me? Out of everyone, why was I the one to find her?
Don't get me wrong, I loved Tarna and was excited about becoming an uncle. But I knew by helping her, I was helping Malcolm. And I wasn't ready to be nice to them yet.
When I got to the fourth gallery, I found the strength to scoop her up in my arms and struggle down to hers and Malcolm's room. I had to kick open the door, not being able to use my hands and stumbled to their bed.
Placing her down, I checked her forehead. She was burning up, sweating and mumbling something about her bloody wolf cub.
Taking out my phone, I dialled Doctor Glen's number.
"Harlo, Doctor Glen speakin'," he answered after two rings.
I frowned at the rustling in the background and realized that he must be in the car.
"Hi, Doc, it's Graham Patterson here," I told him, "see, I have Tarna here and she's collapsed on the stairs."
"Aye, is she talkin' at all?" He asked.
"No, she's out cold. She's burnin' up actually."
"Right, look I'm about ten minutes from Foal Coillie, I'll come round."
"Thanks, Doc."
I hung up and knelt down beside the bed, hoping and praying that she was okay. As much as I was furious with my brothers, I didn't want them to lose their mates.
"Malcolm," she mumbled slowly waking.
"It's Graham," I told her, taking her hand, "you had a bit of a fall."
"How bad? Is Wolf Cub okay?" She asked in a hurry, trying to sit up.
"Wolf Cub's fine, just lie down," I told her.
She groaned, doing as I asked, running her hands over her belly.
"Why is this happenin'?" She groaned, her voice full of air, "not again. I can't go through this again."
"It's not like last time," I reassured her.
"Where's Malcolm?" She groaned.
"I don't know."
She sighed, trying to get her breathing under control.
"God, my heart is racin', I feel sick."
"Well, warn me when you are, okay?" I asked her, "I don't want to be vomited on."
She groaned in response. She needed better help than me. I wasn't in the right sense of mind to look after a pregnant woman let alone one that was in love with one of my backstabbing brothers.
Taking out my phone, I dialled Liv's number.
"Graham?" she answered confused.
"Is Graham callin' you?" I heard Callum ask in a hurry, "Where is he?"
As if he didn't know.
"Don't tell him where I am," I told her, "I'm upstairs in Malcolm and Tarna's bedroom. Tarna's collapsed."
"Oh my God, I'm coming up," she said.
"What's wrong, what's happin'?" Callum asked her, "Liv, talk to me."
I hung up, knowing that it wouldn't be long till Liv was here to offer her comfort. To my grief, she brought her big hump of a husband with her.
"I told you not to bring him!" I yelled at her.
"He followed me," she said before running to Tarna's side on the other side of the bed, "Tarna, how you feeling?"
"I feel sick Liv," she groaned, "And hot and grouse. It's not labour, is it?"
"N-no," Liv stuttered, not sure herself.
"Where's Malcolm?" she groaned, "If it's labour, he should be here."
"He's on a boundary check," Callum told her, "I'll go send word."
Callum left and I felt like I could breathe again. His concerned stare was too hard to take.
"Have you called Doctor Glen?" Liv asked.
I nodded, trying to avoid eye-connect. I didn't want anyone to think that I had forgiven them for what happened with Bleu.
Like he promised, Doctor Glen was here in ten minutes. He wore his usual smile and his big glasses that sat at the end of his nose. Not to mention his growing grey hair and round belly.
"Ah, Miss Tarna," he started, waddling over to the bed.
I stood and got out of his way.
"What seems to be the problem?"
"Oh Doc," she groaned sitting up on her elbows, "Please tell me it's not labour. I'm not ready. We haven't got half the baby stuff we need."
"Don't worry my Dear, I'm sure it's not," he said sitting his bag on the chair next to the bed and pulling out a blood pressure cuff, "just lie down, relax. It will be over before you know it."
She did, with a groan, rubbing her belly.
"Where's Malcolm?" she groaned, "He should be here."
"He's coming," Liv reassured her.
"Tarna!" I heard him yell from outside the room.
The sound of my feet on the carpet more than just two meant that the whole family was coming and that was something I wasn't ready for.
"Tarna," Malcolm said in a hurry, running to her side, "I'm here Darlin'. What's happened?"
Before she could answer, the Doc buttered in, "Just a little high blood pressure."
"But, isn't that bad for the baby?" Amy asked from where she and Archie stood just inside the door.
"Is it?" Malcolm panicked.
"Everythin' is fine," he reassured them, "Can I get a wet face washer and a glass of water and perhaps take off your shirt to get that fever down."
"We'll leave you to it," Callum said, guiding everybody out the door, accept Liv and Malcolm.
I just as I stood, Malcolm said, "Thank you, Graham. Callum told me what you did. Thanks."
"I didn't do it for you," I snapped, "I did it for Tarna and her unborn babe. Not you."
He nodded, understanding which only frustrated me. I groaned and stormed out of the room.
To my grief, they were waiting for me.
I groaned and stormed for my room.
"Please Graham, just let's talk about it," Callum said as the rest of them followed.
"I have nothin' to say," I told them.
"But we have plenty," Archie stated.
Turning, I told it to them straight, "Well, I don't want to hear it."
"Graham, we haven't seen you in three days," Amy pointed out.
"Aye, and in that time I've been thinkin'. Thinkin' about what back stabbin' brothers I have!"
"Graham!" Callum snapped, only fuelling my anger but it did stop me from taking another step, "We need to talk this out before it becomes even bigger than it already is. We've apologised and we will always carry the guilt. But we didn't know."
"You don't get it," I said, turning to face them, "it's not just because you gave my mate away or that you're the reason why she's not next to me right now. But you lied to me about it. You kept it from me. Somethin' that was so incredibly important, somethin' that was to do with me and no one else and you kept it from me."
Both Callum's and Archie's face softened as they realized their mistake.
"So no, Callum, we can't talk about it," before they could stop me, I paced down the hall back to my cave.