-Alex-
The feeling of an intense pain woke me up. I was so sick of feeling pain at this point, I just wished that my body would shut up. Maybe it might allow me to heal faster, and I healed quickly in my sleep. So there you go body, let me sleep so I can have you feeling good again!
But that wasn't the only thing. This little irritating beeping was ringing out, starting to make me feel crazy. And everything smelled like bleach and bad medicine. What hell-hole did I wake up in?
I opened my eyes a little but shut them quickly, the light all but blinding me from its harshness.
"You can open your eyes. I've dimmed the lights," a soft voice said.
I tried again and was able to open them about half-way.
"How are you feeling?" The same voice asked.
"Like I was hit by a truck and fell off into the gorge below," I replied, my voice sounding very hoarse. I tried to clear my throat, but it just caused more pain.
"Try to take it easy. You've been through a lot."
I was confused on what the female voice meant when I was suddenly flooded with the memories of what happened. Right up to when I blacked out.
"Amber!" I yelled out hoarsely, sitting up so fast the pain caused me to see nothing but white. Being the worried idiot I was, I was able to look past it after a brief moment.
There was a woman in the room, that called the nurse in, and she was trying to lay me back down. I felt the odd sensation of taking a side seat in my own body, and I growled.
"Where is she?!" I heard a voice ask. I realized that Xavier had taken over again.
How did he keep doing that?
"Xavier," the woman said, looking us in the eye. "Your mate is fine. She is safe and outside waiting for you to wake up. You have been hurt and need to take it easy."
"I need to see her."
She nodded. "You will, but we need Alex back right now. Please."
I inhaled deeply and still felt myself sitting there.
"Now, Xavier." She said in a tone a little more forceful.
He didn't like being ordered around in the slightest, but I felt him take another breath before letting me take control. I fell back onto the bed with a sigh. He wasn't happy and I knew the next few hours were going to damn near kill me at the rate I was going. Finally being able to take in my surroundings, I realized that I was in a hospital-like room. It certainly didn't seem like one I'd been in before.
"Where am I?" I asked softly.
The woman smiled softly. "You're in our hospital. Like I said, you've been through a lot."
"Did Amber make it here okay?" I asked, still concerned.
She nodded, her smile widening. "Just fine."
"Did she bring me here?"
She nodded again.
"And who are you?"
"My name is Kristine." She answered patiently.
"Okay, answer me this one question then."
"Go for it."
I looked her in the eyes. "What the hell is going on?"
She shook her head, smiling. "I don't know if that's my place to say yet. But if you're anything like us, you've already heard what I've said to Xavier."
I nodded. "That's what has me pretty confused." I let out another groan, shifting a little. "Dammit... all I wanted was just a nice date..."
"It was nice," a voice in the doorway asked. I knew who it was instantly.
"Amber..." Kristine started, "Maybe it's best if-"
Amber cut her off by walking up to me, tears forming in her eyes. Xavier didn't like that, for once again, he took over and pulled her into our lap, holding her tightly despite the IVs and wires that were all on me. I didn't care. If he had more courage to do this than me, then so be it. I couldn't deny that it put me at ease.
"Don't cry, love," I heard him say. "We're okay... and so are you."
I was a bit shocked by the softness of his voice.
"We were so worried..."
We?
"I know."
That's when she looked up at me. "Xavier? Can I have Alex back? Please?"
He nodded, feeling calm, and pushed me forward again. I figured she didn't know I was in control yet, so I took the advantage and kissed her. Xavier was happy again, and I didn't feel him fighting me again.
"Xavier... now..." she said into my lips, smiling.
I smirked. "Who's Xavier?" I teased.
She smiled wider, then buried her face in my neck. I did what felt right and just held her, rubbing her back softly. She just snuggled even closer to me. It felt so nice...
Someone cleared their throat, and we looked up to see a man that was at least twice my size. His presence just screamed authority and demanded respect. Normally I would have done everything to show it, but I felt nothing. I only recognized it.
"Hey... daddy..." Amber said, smiling at him.
Okay, so maybe I should show some respect.
He nodded once at her, smiling, and then looked at me. I felt some of his power pull back. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It's a habit. I'm Adam, by the way."
I smiled a little. He seemed... nice. Comforting possibly.
"Son," he began, looking more serious. "Before you ask the main question, do you know what we are?"
I shook my head.
"We are werewolves."
I blanked, figuring I misheard him. "Uh... what?"
'He's... right. We are werewolves' Xavier said.
Adam nodded. "Yes, we turn into wolves. We are a pack as well if you wanted to go into the finer details."
I looked back down at Amber. "A-Amber?"
She nodded. "Yes... that was me the other night..."
I saw uncertainty in her eyes, but I just looked back up at Adam.
"And so are you." He said simply.
I slowly let go of Amber and press the heels of my hands into my eyes. "This... isn't happening..."
"It would have been easier under different circumstances... but we've had some complications. Before I go on, what do you know about werewolves?"
"I..." I thought back to a book I read once. "You... shift... into large wolves, that doesn't always match your hair color. And...you live in a pack... yeah, that's all I've got."
Someone once told me to go read Twilight if I liked that sort of stuff, but after the movie came out I figured I couldn't read it without seeing a grown-up Shark-boy in my head so I never bothered. Instead, I found some book about a dude who went slaying supernatural entities. Werewolves included.
"And what about mates?" Amber asked.
I look over at her. "Mates?"
She looked a little crestfallen as she put her head down.
"Well... we've found out that you are a werewolf too. We don't know if you're half or even just barely, but you are one."
"No," I said, shaking my head. "There has to be a mistake." I felt restless, so I stood up and unplugged all the wires and IV's that were on me. I was still wearing the jeans I had despite there being blood stains on them, but my shirt was gone and I had a large gauze wrapped around my side. The right side hurt like mad and I knew that's where I had taken the bullet. I walked over to the large floor to ceiling window next to my bed. Dawn had just come, and the sun was peaking above the mountains, causing the clouds to look pink. It was making the land look as surreal as the moment I was in now.
"How long have I been here?" I asked.
"Four days," I heard Kristine respond.
I groaned, looking over at them. "My parents are going to kill me."
Adam shook his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "They know, Alex. I don't know why they haven't told you yet, but they've known everything."
"Where are they?"
"They went home a few hours ago. They were here most of the night and the past days, but I called them as soon as you woke up."
I laid my head against the window. The cool glass pane was helping to alleviate a small headache I had forming. "This... this is all crazy. There is no possible way, I mean, isn't Lycanthrope genetic? Why aren't my parent's werewolves?"
"We still don't know that," Kristine said. "You, well, you're an odd case. You're not the first, but it is uncommon."
I was quiet for a long while.
"Alex?" Amber asked softly. I felt her place a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I asked coldly.
"I...." she looked at her dad helplessly.
I growled, grabbed my jacket that lay over the back of the chair next to my bed and walked out of the room. I know I was being heartless, pushing away Amber like that, and part of me knew I would regret it those actions later, but this was too much. I just needed some space. No, it wasn't just that. I was pissed. Why was I the only one left in the dark? Even Jack of all people knew! My parents didn't even bother telling me that I was one of the creatures of the night. This... beast.
'Go back to mate!' I hear Xavier growl at me. For once, I was fueled by enough anger to keep him from taking over again.
'No. I'm mad at you too. You if all people could have told me!' I snarled at him.
'Because this is the way you would have reacted!'
'I'm reacting like this because I was freaking attacked by some people trying to kill Amber, only to find out that I'm some monster! Of course I'm going to act this way!'
And then he was quiet.
Good riddance.
I found my parents down in the lobby, walking in, but I shoved passed them, ignoring their comments and worries. I let out a low growl. The exchanged a look and followed. They knew I was mad. Thank god.
"Alex! Wait, please!" I hear Amber calling out for me.
I whirled around on her, still growling. "What?"
She flinched a little. "I... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you earlier... I wasn't allowed to... I..."
"You what?" I snapped. "You were confused?! Were you to short-sighted to think that maybe I wanted to know what I am?! Or that maybe the girl that I thought I knew was some freaking beast?!"
She let out a small whimper, taking a step back from me.
'QUIT FUCKING YELLING AT HER!' Xavier howled with anger.
'Go to hell,' I quipped, not giving a damn.
"I'm going. I don't need this right now." I told Amber, and turned and walked the other way.
Both of my parents shot me disappointing - angry almost - looks, but said nothing. Smart.
I hopped into the backseat of my mom's Honda, and we drove off. I shoved the last glance of Amber on her knees, looking shocked and hurt, out of my mind.
Looking back I knew I was wrong... but at that moment I couldn't find the mental strength to care.
<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>
A/N: Going back through and editing and reading this, I really just wanted to take out this last part because it's so silly. Like, come on Alex, you're strong and all but no true mate could really ignore their instincts like that. But then I'd be lacking the 4-5 chapters that follow this brief bump in the road and figured it would be good for what little character development we have :)
Thanks for reading!
-Kaedrik