I scream into the hospital pillow, my body jolting up from the thin mattress as the antiseptic is poured over my skin. The scream that breaks through me is blood curdling, Mary crying with me at the sight. She begs me not to look, but the way my muscle hangs off the bone is horridly captivating. If this wasn't on me, I would be rather interested, but the fact that I feel every single shift in my breathing drags me from my foreign interest I would normally have.
"Luna, I need you to breath!" Sanders yells out as I shake my foot against his hand. He works hard to keep me still, his wife standing on the other side of me to keep me at least in view. Mary closes her eyes as soon as the stitches come out, the muscle and skin starting to be put together as best as possible, "You have a lot that can be saved! Mary did well to keep her off you as best she good. No broken bone. I just need you to keep as still as possible, I don't have any pain killers that are good for humans."
"Fucking kills me Sanders!" I scream once more digging my head into the pillow to keep myself as still as possible. He grunts working quickly while Mary whispers comforting words over and over.
"The Alpha." The wife whispers, her voice is scared, "He's here."
The room starts to weigh heavy from not only my fear, but theirs. I sense a drastic shift in the room as the quiet themselves and focus on working as fast as possible. Potentially, with hopes that Levi won't see the damage before it has been fixed.
Mary bends down to whisper to me, "Please for the love of anything good in this world, please let him do what he needs to calm down. His wolf is guiding him."
"What? Mary?" Try to grab at her, but the whole team stops. The three wolves drop to their knees and show their necks, Sanders keeping his hand over my foot as a place holder for his stitch work. Tears continue to shed down my face as Levi stands with solid black orbs at the end of the bed. His glare is so intense I must bite my lip to keep from submitting like the other three.
The energy that comes from him is heavily, a drug that keeps me from the pain resonating through my leg. His hand outstretches over me. I watch him gently lay his hand on my hip. The electric sparks crackle through his touch and Sanders is ordered to continue. I keep my wailing on the low as Levi watches me. Mary steps back to grab anything the doctors need letting Levi have the space.
Levi settles himself on his knees right next to my head. His hand comes up to caress my sweat filled hair, a look of pure agony coming over him, "How are you doing, love?"
I crack a grin trying to comfort him, "I've been better, but I've also been much worse."
"That fucker almost took your foot off." His growl is deep, a threat that wasn't meant for me.
"And your gamma handled it. If she wasn't there, I'd be dead, or worse, in the hands of the mafia." I lay my bloodied hand on his cheek rubbing my thumb back and forth in comfort. He curls into my palm small growls of approval leaving him. So much like a dog.
"I should have fought harder for you to stay home or have been with you." He lays his forehead against the bed. While the pain is horrid him being near takes some of it away. Almost like he's my own pain medication.
"I bloodied the expensive car."
"Be damned the car." He grips my hip tighter, the other hand moving into my hair, "All I care about is seeing you breathing."
"Alpha." Sanders interrupts the sweet moment between us. I peak down to see my ankle cleaned up, "Ready for your inspection."
"Inspection?" I mumble looking over the well-done lines.
"It's customary for males to check over the doctor's work when they handle their mates. Make's sure that the doctor did their best and didn't miss anything. A mate knows their counterpart's body like no other." Mary answers from the corner of the room while Levi delicately checks over each stitch. I watch the concentration he has on my injury. He doesn't rush nor does he harm me in any way.
"It looks good, Sanders. Thank you both." He grabs the shoulders of the couple with a tight squeeze. Both wolves drop the fear in their faces and smile big at the Alpha, then at me.
"You will be on bed rest for three days. Then you can use a wheelchair. As soon as the muscles start to form the scar tissue, you will be on crutches till fully healed or shifted." The doctor clears his throat before continuing, "As the Alpha has informed me you will be sitting out of this heat, you will have about two months to decide if you want to shift or heal naturally. It will take over a year for this to be almost back to what you remember."
"A year? Sanders..." I go to shift up on the bed, but everyone stops me from moving, "Is there anything I can do to help a natural process?"
"Luna, this is a deep muscle laceration that goes around your entire ankle and lower calf. Nothing but a wolf could heal this quickly." He gives me a sad smile, one that I wasn't expecting, "I know you had plans, but this will hinder those."
Plans to run. He means. And this will absolutely hinder that.
"How much longer until I can leave?" I whisper. My voice sounds defeated. Everything about this makes me want to scream my head off until I pass out endlessly.
"Let me wrap it, Luna. Then I can send you with the Alpha."
He wrapped it quickly. The deep purple bandage holds tight around my leg. Levi carries me bridal style throughout the pack land. Pack members look towards us with sorrowful expression, each displaying their neck as we pass, "Why are they doing that?"
Levi tries to form a smile before answering, "The pack feels as though they failed to protect their Luna. This injury impacts more than just you. As Mary has told you, just your presence increases the fertility of the pack, and things as crazy as this can change that. When the Luna hurts, everyone does."
"That doesn't make any sense, why would my leg injury cause problems for everyone else?"
"As the caretaker of the pack, your aura is important. If the Luna is down whether in a coma, injury, or death, then your aura is not projecting as it should. This lack of happiness and safety per say leads to the pack unable to produce heirs. The moon goddess doesn't see it fit to bless packs that can't take care of the people who lead them. How would they take care of their pups?"
I look around at the women in the pack that stand with their mates. Some are by themselves in the gardens, others coming from side buildings. Each of their faces are streaked with tears at the sight of me, some even falling to their knees. One lady has the need to beg for forgiveness and sends me on my way with fresh bread for the recovery.
"They know we are just people, right?"
Levi laughs, "Of course they do, but we are their Alpha's. We protect, provide, and nurture all the wolves. This land is my land and I give them the privilege of living on it. Working under me gives their wolves the pack connection they need as well, leading to easier shifts and day to day relations. They need us as much as we need them."
"Can't they challenge you for the role?"
"Of course, they can. However, they must have reason to do so and majority agreement of the pack supporting them. If not, it's against wolf law and will be handled accordingly. And per the pack surveyors I send out to check in on the needs, no one is hurting. Everyone is content or overjoyed with their life within the pack."
I peak over the people that walk around us. They all have their own styles, jobs, and even body language. Not a single person is the same. My jealously build for only a moment as a gorgeous dark-skinned woman walks by us, her complexion perfect beyond compare. She seems sure of herself. A confidence emitting from her that I wish one day to mock.
"That's Xena. She's the pack librarian. Her mate is a wonderful cook and likes to provide for the pack functions and events."
"And what's his name?"
"Her name is Bella."
My eyes go wide. I peak back over to see Xena dipping a red-haired, green-eyed beauty back before kissing her forehead. The understood Bella giggles covering her face before moving to standing, "Wow."
"Surprised?"
"Can they have children? Like do wolves have something like that for same sex pairings?"
Levi laughs once more at my amazed face, "While they cannot have children of their own, the moon goddess has never failed to provide one way or another."
"What about..." I start to ramble again, but he stops me as we enter the pack house.
"You need sleep." He gets us to the room quickly laying me under the duvet before pulling it nicely under my chin, "Get some sleep. I will wake you with dinner."
"Do you not have work to do?" Sleep is already dragging me to its personal bliss. My eyes start to take more and more to peel open. I didn't know I was this tired.
"I'll be working in here as much as I can." He looks around before finally landing back on me, "My wolf can't leave you. I am going to seem rather clingy compared to normal until he cools off."
"But your eyes? They aren't black anymore."
"He is still present and pressing. He wants to curl into bed and hold you."
Being bold for once in my life, I toss back the covers next to me, "Your presence takes away the pain. Why not lay with me until dinner time?"
The Alpha stutters visually, his eyebrows lifting, feet stepping only an inch forward with hands outstretched, "Are you sure?"
"Come on, before I change my mind."
.
.
.
.