After the Sun Sets (18+)

CHAPTER 2a - Suppression pt.2

Jona suddenly looked ten times smaller in his bed and Lora felt sorry for him. She took his hand again and leaned to kiss him on the cheek, but Jona turned his face, capturing her lips with his. His hand grabbed her chin and his tongue invaded her mouth hungrily. She gasped and pulled back, knowing it wasn't appropriate behaviour for a hospital, especially when they had an audience. Her face was burning and her eyes fell to the floor with mortification, but Jona, seemingly forgetting his anxiety about the surgery, turned and looked challengingly into young Isaac's eyes.

Lora felt a stab of anger at his pettiness. He felt threatened just as he always did around younger men. That was all it took for the Alpha in him to come out in full force and mark her.

A carer joined them and helped an embarrassed Isaac wheel Jona out with the bed. Lora walked beside them until they reached the great double doors. They shut behind them with a heart-thumping thud and she said a quick prayer for him before walking up the corridor to the nurses' station. Cara was sitting there on her own, drowning in paperwork. Lora cleared her throat and her friend looked up.

"Hey, hon! Sorry, I didn't get a chance to talk to you yet. I already got three admissions this morning. It's just me and the new kid today. Did they take him down? Jonathan?"

Lora nodded slowly. "Do you know how long he'll be? I'm thinking of going to my mother's for a while. The kids were still sleeping when I drove them over this morning and I want to make sure they're okay."

"Yeah, sure, go! It will be a couple of hours. Shaw isn't even in yet. Probably having a lie-in," she winked. But her face turned serious instantly as her large eyes settled somewhere over Lora's shoulder.

Lora turned and found none other than Dr Owen Shaw himself standing behind her with his blazing green eyes narrowed and his lips pursed.

"Good morning, Cara," he growled as his eyes sparkled with a hint of humour. Then he winked at Lora playfully and disappeared into his office.

Cara scowled slightly before whispering, "Seriously though. Wouldn't you jump his bones if you could?"

#

Lora opened the front door and immediately two pairs of footsteps came racing towards her. Aiden and Siena hugged her legs, almost causing her to fall over.

"Good morning to you too, my monkeys." She heard voices coming from the kitchen down the narrow hallway. "Who's grandma talking to?"

Aiden lifted his big blue eyes, so much like his father's, towards her. "Marion is here."

"Yes! She got us bonbons!" Siena squealed in delight as she jumped up and down and stuck out her tongue. It was deep blue in colour.

"Good grief, Siena, how many did you have?" Lora exclaimed, setting her coat on the pink-flowered sofa.

Siena stood still, a guilty look consuming her tiny face.

"How many did she have, Aiden?"

The boy crossed his arms over his chest and gave Siena a look that suggested he'd already warned her about what would happen but he stayed silent, not wanting to betray his little sister. At times like this, Lora hated how mature her son was for his age. She huffed and made her way into the kitchen where Carmen and Marion sat at the table drinking tea.

"Good morning, Lora. How are you?" Marion asked in a friendly voice. "And how is Jonathan?"

Lora smiled back at the round-faced woman. Marion had been a close friend of the family ever since she could remember. "He's in theatre. God willing, he will be better in a few days."