A Bit of Wolf in Her

15. A bit of wolf in you

"Are you going to sit and stare at me the whole day, then?" It looked like the old Elijah Delaney and it sounded like the old Elijah Delaney, even though he had dark circles under his eyes. He seemed to have shrunk into himself a little, and he almost looked worse than she did.

"You look like shit."

"That's not the worst insult I've gotten today." He sat up, bandages covering his right arm. "What are you doing here, Winnie?" When he winced in pain, she felt a small pang in her chest.

"I wanted to see if you were okay."

Her confession took him by surprise and for once he had no witty response. There were a million different things rushing through Winnie's head. Questions she wanted to ask him, insults she wanted to throw at him, but seeing him made it all fade into the background. Winnie wondered if the thoughts were hers or the Wolf's blood running through her veins.

"I'm okay," he said. "You?"

Winnie just nodded, not trusting her own voice. When they left, Winnie resisted the urge to glance back at him.

"Hey, at least you have a bit of Wolf in you now," Lydia said.

Back in her room, Winnie shifted between staring at nothing and sleeping. Now and then, a thought about Oz would slip through and nausea would churn her stomach. At one point Winnie called a nurse to give her something to help her sleep just so she wouldn't have to think.

People floated in and out all day, mostly doctors and nurses, so when someone tapped her on the shoulder, Winnie jumped.

"Sorry, babe." Stella, Miles and Gabriela stood by her bed and Winnie sat up, throwing her arms around Miles, who was the closest.

"Hola, chica," he said against her hair and Winnie felt tears push their way down her cheeks. The three friends sat with her, each taking a turn to embrace her as Winnie finally let out some of the anguish that kept building inside her. Stella held her, Gabriela stroking her hair and Miles whispering that it was all going to be okay. That they were just glad she was alive.

Somewhere along the way, Winnie passed out and woke up to Stella taking a bunch of things out of a bag. Miles lied, sleeping next to her, and Gabriela must have gone home.

"Morning." Winnie turned to see the sun peeking out behind the distant mountains. She'd slept right through to the next day. Miles stirred next to her and Stella handed them both coffee. "You two sleep like the dead," Stella said, plopping down on one of the plastic chairs next to the bed.

Miles scoffed. "You're one to talk. Once we went on holiday to a game lodge where a bunch of monkeys broke in and destroyed everything in sight. Guess who slept right through until our parents called the lodge's animal control?"

Winnie let out a chuckle, but it turned into a wince as pain shot through her body. Miles' expression turned serious and Stella leaned forward, concern on her face.

"I'm fine," she assured her friends as they shared a worried look. Stella sat back in the chair and Miles let out a breath. Winnie laid back against his chest and for a minute or two the three let quiet settle between them. Winnie finished her coffee and her eyes landed on the pudding cup next to her food tray. She couldn't help but smile as she plucked the cigarette out of the label and sat up. "Miles?"

He eyed the cigarette dangling between her lips. "Where the hell did you get that?"

"Do you have a lighter or not?"

Miles rolled his eyes, but dug one out of his jeans and lit it for her.

"You seriously have to smoke right now?" Stella asked with a shake of her head. She passed the cigarette to Miles, who, despite his initial disdain, accepted it wholeheartedly.