"Anny! Anny!" Hanna barreled into the hospital room, her two braided pigtails flying behind her.
"Hi sweetie," I said softly, laughing to myself as she tried to climb onto the hospital bed. Her tongue poked out of her lips in concentration and she tried to swing her legs up onto the mattress.
"Up!" She insisted. "I go up! Up!"
The door opened again, but this time those familiar, beautiful bright blue eyes smiled down at me. "Hey, darlin'."
"Joshywa!" Hanna yelled. "Up! I want up!"
He smiled, chuckling as he picked up the toddler and sat her on the edge of my bed.
I held back an irritated sigh; I had been here for three days, and yet still no talk of leaving. Hanna beamed at me, tucking her legs underneath her and bouncing. Josh pulled her pigtails. "Why don't cha tell her the good news, Picnic?"
"Home!" Hanna clamped, squealing. "Home!"
I sat up, gasping even as the blood rushed from my head, making my vision spin. "I get to go home?!"
"Yes, darlin'." Josh replied, leaning down to kiss me softly.
"Yucky!" Hanna screamed, scrambling off the bed.
Josh laughed, glancing over his shoulder to watch the little one bolt out of the room, no doubt back to her family. He turned back to me, a smile in his eyes and on his lips. "How are ya feelin'?"
"Better now that I'm getting outta here!" I replied excitedly.
Josh smiled before sighing and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Honey… yer father… Grant tried to visit."
Horror flashed through me. "Wh-what?"
His hand curled around mine. "I didn't know what he wanted, but I refused ta let him in."
I sat back in the bed, sighing and closing my eyes in relief.
The door suddenly swung open again, making me flinch harshly. But it was only Hanna again, coming to tug on Josh's hand. "Let's gwo, Joshywa!"
Josh ruffled her hair, making her squeal. "Imma stay with Danny, Picnic."
"Otay…" she sighed. "See ywou soon?"
"'Course, Picnic." Josh said, turning her towards the door, and she happily scampered out.
"Hanna talks really well," I observed, "for a two year old at least."
Josh turned back to me, smiling as a chuckle escaped his lips. "She ain't quite two yet, actually."
My eyes widened. "But one year olds can't talk yet!"
He shrugged. "It's a wolf thing. In our early years, we develop faster than normal kids. In school, we're normally smarter. We grow up faster, and then eventually slow down to normal. It's the wolf's way to protect itself."
"Wow…" I whispered.
Josh turned serious, glancing down at our hands. "Danny… We, uh, we need ta talk."
I shifted uncomfortably in the bed, suddenly wishing I could stand and walk. "I'd rather not, Josh…"
"Alright," he nodded, stilling frowning. "Not now, I understand, but we've gotta talk."
I bit my lip nervously. "O-Okay…"
Standing, he turned to brush a piece of hair behind my ear. Instinctively, I wanted to recoil from the touch, but my body wouldn't allow me to. I was too attached to Josh to stay away from him for very long. I physically couldn't do it. I closed my eyes, breathing out a sigh as soon as his lips folded over mine. I would never tire of his kisses or the sparks when we touched. Pulling away, he whispered, "I love you, Danny."
A week ago I had been so, so mad at him for those words. Now… I couldn't imagine life without them. Opening my eyes, I welcomed the sight of those beautiful blue eyes. "I love you too, Josh."
"I'm so glad yer alright," he sighed. "I-I thought I'd lost ya ferever."
"You can't get rid of me that easily." I smiled.
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Why would I wanna?"
Half an hour later, I was dressed in the normal clothes Josh had sneaked from my room and was officially checked out. My hair was braided behind my back and Josh's baseball sweatshirt hung on my shoulders. My hand clasped Josh's tightly as he led me down the hallway towards the waiting room.
"Ya sure yer ready, darlin'?" Josh asked softly, concern swirling in his eyes.
I was terrified, but I knew it was irrational. The Millers were like family to me, and I couldn't imagine them being anything but welcoming. I turned to him, smiling. "They're family, Josh."
"Good," he smiled, kissing my temple. "They've been here almost as long as I have."
As we stepped out into the waiting room, a young voice yelled, "Anny!"
"Danny!" Levi called, and before I knew it, I was being stampeded by the younger pack members. Hanna wrapped her tiny frame around my leg, Kyler hugged my left side, and Levi attacked my right. I had never been extremely close to any of the Millers except for Josh, and yet here they all were. Waiting for me, worrying about me.
There was a rush of words, a flurry of arms, but each and every one of them greeted me with a tight hug, squeezing me gently. And then Josh embraced me from behind, pulling me to his chest and kissing my temple. Gail came again, wrapping her arms around my neck before taking my face in her hands. "Oh, honey," she said, smiling and moving my hair away from my face in that motherly way, "We're all so glad yer home and safe."
"Thanks," I smiled, tears coming to my eyes as my gaze travelled across the beaming faces of Josh's pack and family. "I'm glad I'm home too."
"But…" Josh said, dragging the word out. "I know we would all really love ta get outta here, so…"
"Yes!" Cormac yelled, throwing his arms up. "Let's go home!"
"I wanna run!" Levi agreed, his eyes shining with newfound pride in his ability to shift on his own.
"We'll run, bud," Peter said, ruffing up his son's hair.
Levi smiled up at him, shifting to stand closer to the alpha.
"Yes," Gail nodded, slipping her arm through mine and Josh took the other. "Let's go home."
We split up when we reached the parking lot, Josh and I heading to the other end towards his truck. His hands intertwined with mine and he pulled me closer. "How do ya feel?"
I frowned, brushing my bangs behind my ear. "Which… which home do you mean?"
Josh faltered, his steps hesitating. "Whichever one, darlin'. Yer choice."
"Good," I sighed, laying my head on his shoulder momentarily.
He opened the door and helped me in before making his way to the driver's seat. Images flashed through me of the last time I had gotten into a car and my grip tightened on the edge of the seat. Josh slid in beside me, and just his presence calmed my nerves. "Hey," Josh breathed, his hand sliding over my wrist and gently prying my hand from the seat. "You sure yer alright?"
"Nervous," I hissed through clenched teeth, though that was a total lie.
"Danny," Josh said forcefully enough to make me look at him. "Ya don't have ta be scared. I'm right here beside you."
I glanced down at his hand that held mine tenderly. My heart was pounding in my ears, and my mind was raging with tainted memories. "I—I… I know… but…"
"We're mates," he replied, bringing my hand to his mouth and placing a soft kiss on my knuckles, "and I can't live without ya. I'll do anythin' ta protect you and keep ya with me, no matter how selfish that may be."
"Selfish?" I laughed humorlessly. "If you say so."
"It is selfish," he admitted, his eyes darkening by the second. "I can't let ya go… and if I do…"
He shook his head, a frown drawing at his lips as he pulled away to start the truck. A question came to mind as he drove away from the hospital. "What—what would happen if I were to leave you…?"
His hands tightened around the wheel so much that his skin turned white. "I—I don't k-know. I—I… truthfully… I… I don't want ta think about it."
"So you're saying…" I paused, drawing my eyebrows together as I turned towards him, "that there's no way to… refuse a mate or something?"
He flinched harshly, his face twisting in pain. "Y-yes."
"And?" I pushed.
"You… you can reject yer mate…" he answered reluctantly, his jaw clenched harshly. "But, it's very rare. It happens mostly with… with human mates."
I didn't understand the expression on his face or the tremor in his voice. "Why?"
"Humans… they… don't always understand us." He replied, trying to draw himself together. "They become frightened; by the way we act, by our temper, by our… passion. Sometimes we come on too strong, and it terrifies them."
I scoffed. "Too strong?"
He laughed nervously. "Definitely determined."
"How does that work?" I asked, finding that this conversation kept my mind from wondering.
"It's all very precise," he said slowly. "There's a certain phrase ya have ta recite."
"What is that?"
He sucked in a deep breath, and a flash of fear crossed his face. That was when I realized the way he was acting; he was afraid I would reject him. I smiled to myself. "It's…" he sighed. "I, your name, formally reject you, mate's name, as my forever mate."
Smirking to myself, I decided to play with him. "So it would be I, Danny Kimble, reject—"
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Ooooh....Cliff hanger.....