Werewolf Bites (Completed)

Chapter 37

Adolpha wasn't wrong. I was the source of the recent trouble. I couldn't mess up again, or my father would be punished for it. I needed to behave and be careful.

"What a bitch!" Nadine balled up her fists. We were back with Romulus. He was brewing a new remedy for Bayne.

"Who?" Asked Romulus, though his eyes didn't part from the bottle in his hand.

"Adolpha! You didn't do anything. Neither did your father. She just wants to be pack leader!"

"She's kind of right." I said, crossing my arms by the window.

"What?" Said Nadine.

"I understand your frustration, I do. But I have brought trouble to the pack. She has a point."

"She had no right to insult your father like that. Ulrich is a good leader."

"He is, he can take care of himself." I said.

"You've been around Ulrich a lot, what's that all about?" Romulus asked.

"You noticed that?" She said.

"The pack talks."

"Well yes, I'm just keeping him occupied so he doesn't catch on to the whole trying to kill a mega-wolf so Erin can turn human thing."

"I see. Is that all?" He raised an eyebrow.

Before Nadine could answer, the brew made a popping sound.

"It's done!" Said Romulus.

He took the liquid and filled a syringe with it. He then put a needle on it. He took a deep breath.

"Hope this works." He said.

He then took Bayne's arm and plunged the needle into his flesh, pumping the dark liquid inside of him.  I stood up and watched him. Please, please, wake up.

He didn't move. My heart sank down to my stomach. He was still unconscious.

"Damn it." Romulus said in frustration. I had never seen him so distraught.

"Don't worry, Romulus. You did everything you could. Let's try again tomorrow." Nadine said.

He longingly looked at Bayne before nodding.

"Can you guys continue to go after Remus without Bayne?" She asked.

"It wouldn't be wise to. Bayne is strong, we need him to help us take him down. Just the two of us won't be enough."

Romulus went to take a well deserved break to rest and eat. I was getting anxious. There was a chance Bayne would never wake up. I wanted to refuse to believe that, I wanted to have hope. But the tiny voice in the back of my mind knew that he might not wake up. That I might've  have to move on without him.

It was the holidays. Everyone in the pack had done a secret Santa and exchanged gifts. I didn't participate. Even Nadine did, but I had no interest in it. I stayed alone when we weren't spending time looking for Bree or trying to cure Bayne.

Nadine came in the room I was staying in. She was dressed nice, as was almost everyone else that day.

"Happy Holidays." She said, carrying a present box. I laid in bed.

"Why didn't you come downstairs?" She asked

"I didn't feel like it." I admitted.

"I know having Bayne not here is hard. Bayne would want you to move on."

"He's not dead, Nadine! Stop acting like it!" I shouted.

"I know. But he's not with us right now. He would still want you to live and enjoy life. Even when he can't."

"Who knows what Bayne wants? No one. I don't want to care about him. But he saved my life."

"I think his debt would be repaid. You saved him once, didn't you?"

"I guess."

"So I think it was more than just survivors guilt."

I knew what she was suggesting. I didn't want to admit it to myself or anyone else. I wanted to be with Bayne. But even more so, I wanted him to live. With or without me, I wanted him to be alive and happy.

"We have to save him." I huffed.

"We will. Now open your present."

"I didn't get you anything." I said. She handed me a small box covered in candy cane wrapping paper.

"It's alright. Merry Christmas."

I tore the wrapping paper off and lifted the lid. It was a festive pair of holiday socks. They were red and green striped, with little elves on the top. They went above my ankles.

"They're perfect. Thank you."

Most of the pack spent New Year's Day drinking together. The pack felt closer than ever. I wondered if I had just never noticed their closeness, or if Bayne's incident had brought them closer together. It was like a family. None of them wanted this, but they made do with what they could and made a family along the way. Sirius invited me to drink with everyone, but I declined.

Romulus pulled me aside a couple days after. He worse a stethoscope around his neck over his mustard colored sweater.

"Is he awake?" I pushed through the door eagerly.

Bayne remained stiff in the bed.

"No. I want you to listen to this."

He put the end of his stethoscope over Bayne's chest. I put the ends of it in my ears. I listened. There was a very faint heartbeat. It felt weak.

"His heartbeat?" I said.

"Yes. I don't know why, but his heart is getting weaker. It's slowing down, beating less."

"What does that mean?"

"I wanted to make sure to be the one to tell you. I didn't want you to hear it from anyone else."

"What? What is it?"

"Bayne is dying. And I don't know how to stop it."