Bloodlines

Dean

There's a long pause on Sara's end. I hear Anna whisper something about showering and then Sara is back on. "Yeah, whatever." The call cuts and I wait for her.

I don't wait long.

Sara comes home, still mad, and tries to bolt up the stairs, but I catch her wrist. "Can we talk?"

"You're the alpha."

"Sara."

"Dean."

"Please, can we just not fight? I've—"

"Oh you've been through enough today? Is that what you were going to say? As if I've not been through it too?" She stands on the first step to get some height on me. "You froze out there, Dean. Zeke saw the opening. He took it. He pinned you down and nearly had your throat." I look from her accusing stare. "What if I lost you, Dean? Zeke would be alpha. Do you know what would happen to me? The alphas sister?"

"Sara," I say carefully. "I will never go down." Her eyes gloss over. "Never."

She squeezes me in a hug. I flinch but squeeze her back. "I'm sorry." She wipes her eyes. "If you won't go to a healer, at least see Anna's aunt."

"I will." I smile.

Sara nods and rushes up the stairs.

I fulfill Sara's request, even though I'm in jeans and a bloody shirt, and I go to Anna's. It's too dark out for anyone to see me like this. And I don't mind if the Montgomery's see me in casual clothes.

I open up Anna's door. Her Aunt Holland is the one to greet me.

"How are you feeling?" She pulls out a chair in the kitchen.

I hear Anna laugh down the hall.

"I'm fine. Just a little torn." I try to joke.

Holland looks away and I grimace, but not from the pain. "Did Sara send you?"

"Yeah." Holland is a healer we used to have. She works at a human hospital now, being too weak to work with injured wolves. Sometimes even in human form we can be vicious.

"Well let's see what the damage is." She grabs a rag from the counter and wets it. I tug off my shirt in the most painless way possible.

I leave my shirt in my lap when she starts pulling off the job Sara did. I watch her as she pokes at it and I try not to flinch. But it's hard. The bite looks better once most of the blood is soaked up. My shoulder is shredded. There's loose skin and clumps of dried blood keeping torn skin attached. I really hope no muscles were torn.

When Holland looks at the damage on my back I have to stand. Zeke also got a good hold on my back. From what I saw in the bathroom mirror, it was just a few bites and scratches.