Chapter 129

I hadn’t meant to hurt her, but there was no denying the blood under my fingernails and the claw marks on the girl’s thigh. She whimpered and cried. One of the trainers rushed to her, pressing a towel against the wound.

Another trainer came to me, backing me away from the scene.

I couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

She had tried to kick my stomach. My wolf… Lilith… had reacted.

Lilith was eerily quiet now, like she had totally worn herself out from the exertion of shifting, even for a moment. I felt tired too, like I might collapse at any second.

“Cynthia. Cynthia, you are shaking,” the trainer said. “We have to get the blood off of you.”

I couldn’t reply, only shook my head. I must have been muttering something though, because the trainer spoke as if I had.

“She’ll be okay. The claw marks aren’t deep. We’re going to get her to the hospital to get her checked out just in case. You need to go, too. I’m going to drive you, okay?”

I shook my head… no, my whole body was trembling. “A-Asher.”

“We’ll let him know. He can meet us there.” She signaled something to another trainer.

The girl I had injured was up off the floor, hobbling toward the entrance of the gym. There was a pool of blood were she had been. The other cheerleaders looked at me with wide-eyes, almost like they were afraid of me. Even Elena.

“I… I hadn’t meant to…”

“Let’s get you looked at,” the trainer said. “It’s too early for your wolf to manifest. Everyone knows it wasn’t your fault…”

I didn’t believe her, especially with the way she couldn’t quite meet my gaze.

I wanted Asher. He would make me feel better.

“He’ll be at the hospital,” the trainer assured me.

Before I really understood what was happening, she was helping me outside and into her coupe. Then we were across town at the hospital.

“N-Nancy?” I asked.

“Is that your nurse?” the trainer asked. At my nod, she said, “We’ll try to get you in to see her.”

I was checked into the hospital and taken from the trainer’s side.

She called down the hallway after me, “Asher will be here soon!”

Was I still saying his name? Maybe I was. I couldn’t help myself. I wanted him here.

I was scared and didn’t know any of these people. My cousin Nancy wasn’t here yet. I was in a hospital room alone.

Finally, someone came through the door. But it wasn’t Nancy or Asher.

It was Nurse Irene.

My already twisted-up stomach knotted further. I thought I might throw up. Irene obviously did too, because she held up a bed pan for me to lose my lunch in. Fortunately, I held it down for now, but I kept the bed pan beside me, just in case.

“So you have a wolf,” Nurse Irene said. “I had suspected, as you would need one in order to obtain an ability, but now I know for sure. Are you even nineteen yet? How unusual. A wolf and such a strong ability at such a young age.”

“It’s not… I can’t…”

“You don’t have to talk. Let me check your chart.”

“N-no…”

She retrieved my chart from the edge of my bed and flipped through. “Well, seems you’ve had your wolf for a while. How nice of Nancy to put a note to keep it confidential. No mention of your ability, though. She must have known any hint of that would have to be reported.”

“Please…”

Nurse Irene looked up from the chart to take in my face. I don’t know what she saw there, but whatever it was, gave her pause. “Hey. Are you having a panic attack?”

I didn’t know. But I couldn’t breathe.

Nurse Irene lowered the chart. My heartbeat monitor beeped wildly.

Then, suddenly, someone burst into the room. I worried it might be a doctor with a crash cart, but relief flooded me when I saw Asher instead.

His hair was windswept and wild. His chest heaved from running. With one look at me, he rushed to my side and pulled me into his arms.

“I’m here,” he said.

Was I still saying his name?

“You’re safe now.”

That couldn’t be true. I had blood under my fingernails.

“That other girl’s fine,” Asher said. “I heard them talking in the lobby. She only had a few light scratches.”

I buried my face into his torso, letting his heartbeat and the gentle rise and fall of his chest close out the rest of the world. He brushed his fingers through my hair soothing.

“Breathe, Cyn. It’s going to be okay.”

I couldn’t believe that to be true, even with him here.

Everyone knew about my wolf now. And if they knew about the early manifestation of my wolf, they would question how it happened. And if they asked too many questions, they would determine the rumor about me to be the truth.

And then there was also…

“Nurse Irene,” I said, motioning my head to the woman checking my numbers on the heart monitor.

Asher began to growl, his protective instincts kicking into high gear.

Nurse Irene ignored him. “You have a calming effect on her, Asher. It’s good that you are here. Her numbers are once again coming into normal range.”

When she talked like that, I could almost believe that she was a normal nurse who cared about my wellbeing. Not a stalker who wanted to peel away all my layers and prod at my secrets.

“Where is Nurse Nancy?” Asher asked.

“She’ll be here soon,” Nurse Irene said. “We have enough time to speak, just the three of us.”

“Cynthia needs medical care.”

“She’s in normal range for now,” Nurse Irene said blandly. “And while no one out in the lobby has any idea about how this happened, we three sure do. There is no mystery here. Cynthia is pregnant. Her wolf manifested early. The wolf protected the child.”

Asher’s arms tightened around me. “Is that true?”

I nodded against his chest. “That girl… She kept getting closer while we were practicing, and then… It seemed like she was going to kick my stomach. I just… reacted…”

“See? Natural instincts.” Nurse Irene shrugged. “I’m sure Cynthia is fine, though Nurse Nancy will confirm when she gets here.”

“Then why are you still here?” Asher snapped.

“Cool your protective instincts, Alpha. I only want a few more truths. Some notes of my own that won’t make it into Cynthia’s chart.”

“The projection…” I whispered to Asher.

Asher tensed further, taunt as a bowstring about to snap. “You have no proof of anything. So there is nothing to say. Now, get out and find Nurse Nancy, before I make you leave.”

“You two are very close. That makes sense. Her wolf likely gains strength from your bond. That could be part of the reason she was able to have such a strong ability so early…” Irene withdrew her notebook from her pocket and scribbled down some notes.

“I will tell you one more time,” Asher said. “If you do not leave this room and find Cynthia’s real nurse this very instant, you will see all of my protective instincts in action.”

For once, Nurse Irene paled. She cleared her throat. “In one more moment. After all, this might be my only true time to ask, since Cynthia can’t exactly slink away this time.”

She wrote a note then looked over at me. I peeked at her over Asher’s bicep.

“All I want from you, Cynthia, is the truth. Tell me about your projection ability, now, or I will call the research facility. There is a phone right there. I know the number by heart.”

Asher’s growl bordered on a roar.

Nurse Irene stepped backwards, but otherwise held onto her courage. “Make your choice.”