Alone • Liam Dunbar

Thirty-Seven

Since our arrival at the clinic, nothing happened. It didn't do much to lift spirits, though. Everyone understood the silence was only temporary. The ending of the Dead Pool was drawing near. The only thing we didn't know was whether or not it would end because we could stop it, or because all of the names would be crossed off. 

While I sat in the waiting room, Satomi and her Beta were in the back with Kira. She was getting along great with the Alpha, and that made me happy. Kira still had centuries of her life to go. It was important for her to bond with another person who had lived a fraction of that. 

Footsteps come from the back room, alerting me to Brett's presence. He watches me for a few seconds from the doorway before coming into the main part of the room.

"Mind if I sit?" He gestures to the chair beside me. 

I wave my hand nonchalantly, and he takes the seat. The leather of the old chair groans under his weight as he makes himself comfortable.

" Do you guys need anything?" I ask.

"Inspirational speech?" he quips.

"Sorry, not really my thing," I respond with a tired smile.

I hadn't slept since before I left the hospital. That, combined with my injuries,  made my body desperate for rest. I didn't want to give in to sleep, though. The very act of closing my eyes could lead to dozens of lives being taken. I had to be on guard for the sake of Satomi's pack, and mine.

Brett and I wait in silence for quite some time, and I find that I don't mind it. It's odd, thinking of him as an ally, but I don't resent the idea.

As time passes, movement from the doorway to the back catches my attention. 

Richard and another female Beta pass by. They were probably heading toward the bathroom but stopped when they caught sight of Brett and I. They openly glare at me, Satomi's order only making their hatred display itself in non-verbal ways. I wasn't sure if I preferred that or the direct disrespect.

They continue on their way, but they had been sure to leave their impression on me. 

"They hate me," I mutter to Brett. The statement isn't meant to be full of self-pity, but rather an observational statement.

"Hard to trust a hunter." He shrugs.

"You trust me," I counter after some mental deliberation. Brett's actions as of late weren't of someone who detested the idea of trusting a hunter. 

"With my life," he agrees without hesitation.

I let out an unattractive snort at his words, thinking he was kidding. Trust with an ally wasn't the same as with a friend. Allies are about avoiding mutual destruction, while friends are about real connection. The way Brett responded made it seem like we were on the opposite side of what I thought our last-minute partnership was. 

"You haven't met many hunters, have you?" I ask, only mildly sarcastically.

"Actually I have," he says. "They killed my family." 

The way he says it so casually makes me freeze. 

I had no idea how to reply to that. I wasn't usually on the receiving end of the 'hey, by the way, my family's dead' conversation. I wasn't the one who had to deal with everyone's guilty reactions and brush off their apologies. Being on the reversal was not fun. Not at all. 

"Brett, I'm-"

"Don't apologize, you didn't know," he interrupts me, smirking. He's not offended, but rather amused. My embarrassment was pure entertainment to him, much to my relief.