Claimed

Chapter 29: A Well-Earned Cry

Red's POV:

Waking up to the smell of a clean, sterile environment wasn't the best way to wake up but it wasn't the worst. The smell, and waking up at all, told me someone healed my wounds in time.

I could hear my heart pounding like it was everywhere in my body. Images of teeth snapping, claws digging... My stomach turned, remembering the bizarre sensation of my intestines being dug into, pulling and ripping through them. My chest tightened and I opened my eyes so I could see something else and remind myself that turning in my stomach wasn't because someone was clawing through my body. Not anymore, at least.

"You okay?"

Ezra's voice relaxed me and I found him sitting by my side with both his hands wrapped around mine. It wasn't the only warmth I had. Both my hands were being held. I turned to my other side and Darius was there, my hand sandwiched between his hand and face. "Hey, you still look damn good in red."

"But maybe we could avoid it for a while."

I glanced down and saw Noah and Levi sitting at the edge of the bed near my feet. I smiled at Noah's comment. "Agreed."

My voice wasn't mine. It was rough, grated, my throat so dry it almost felt impossible to swallow. Darius and Ezra helped me sit up and Noah had a cup of water in front of me before I asked for it. I took the cup and Darius moved on the bed with me, setting his hand on my back. "Easy."

Glancing around while I sipped water, I found I was in the infirmary. Levi ran off to get Alejandro and they returned seconds later. Alejandro ran through a standard list of questions then had me lay back so he could test my nerves.

He didn't say it but I knew why he was doing it. He needed to make sure I still had feeling everywhere I was injured. It was the only thing he wouldn't be able to tell until I was awake.

The good news was I felt every prod. The bad news was, the skin I never minded showing off because I was comfortable in my body was different. Scarred. I ran my fingers over my stomach, following the raised skin in haphazard claw marks scattered over my abdomen.

"You're still hot as hell."

I looked over at Ezra and laugh-cried. "Don't be an idiot. No one likes scars."

"No, no, he's right," Darius said. "Actually... He's so right I'm worried. I shouldn't get turned on by you but those scars tell me you're a warrior I wouldn't mind getting mixed up with. It's not right, Soph. We knew each other in diapers."

I covered my face while the giggles mixed with tears. "Shut the fuck up."

"Are you in pain?"

I pulled my hands down, smiling at my sensitive Noah. Only mentally. "No, I'm okay."

I wasn't okay, but I didn't know why. I won. Now I didn't have to hide. Now I could move towards making our pack official. I would be a real Luna, Darius would be my Alpha, Ezra my Beta, Levi my Gamma and Noah my Delta. We would be a real pack. A real, legal family with no one chasing after us. I should be happy.

So why do I want to cry?

My ranked wolves weren't the only ones that needed reassurance. The members of our pack that were able were waiting outside until I woke up then lined up to come see me. The ones who weren't able to sit outside and wait, I went to after Alejandro cleared me.

It was barely dawn when I woke up but by the time I got through the hugs, tears and congratulations, it was close to dinnertime. I sat on the edge of the bed we'd been using in the Delta house and once my pack was done checking in with me, members of Blood Moon came in. People I was familiar with, ones I'd hung out with, trained with, talked to... Almost everyone I'd gotten used to here.