Fur and Fang [BXB]

Three

There were so many emotions swirling through the Alpha as he waited in the lobby. He was confused and angry and restless.

He was always taught that the moon goddess never made mistakes, but then why was his mate so young? He was twenty-seven years old and here he was, finding his mate in a literal child. He was disgusted with himself that he could in any way be attracted to a child.

He didn't know what to do. He knew that the more time he spent with his mate, the stronger their bond would become, but he still couldn't bring himself to leave that clinic. Would he be able to stay away from the boy until he came of age? The mere thought sounded like torture, but the alternative made him feel like a creep.

He was so conflicted.

And then there was the matter of his condition. He had clearly been abused and mistreated for quite some time and the mere thought of that made the Alpha so incredibly angry. After he found out what had happened, there would be no force in the world great enough to stop him from tearing those responsible to pieces.

He was clenching his fists so hard that he was shaking. Noticing that, he stared down at his white knuckles until he finally got them to relax. Now was not the time or place to lose control. His mate might need him.

With a heavy sigh, the Alpha leaned back in his chair and waited for news.

^°^°^°^

Fenn's consciousness gradually started returning, announcing its presence by feeding him a steady, rhythmic beeping noise.

He felt so heavy. His eyelids must have weighed a thousand pounds, but much to his relief, there was no pain.

He became aware of an object on his face. It seemed to be creating the gentle breeze of vaguely sweet air that swirled around his nose and mouth.

He wondered where he was. It felt safe. He felt calm. Maybe it was the afterlife. He dismissed that thought pretty quickly. He doubted the afterlife had this much beeping.

Part of him was content to take advantage of the calm and fall back into a blissful sleep, but a larger part was curious. He wanted to know what was happening to him.

With much effort, he was able to peel open his eyelids. The world was much too bright at first, but eventually, his eyes adjusted.

There were people all around him. They seemed like good people. He could see the concern and determination in their eyes. Their attire told him he was in a hospital, which made sense. The thing on his face was helping him breathe. The beeping was likely a monitor.

Wondering if he could move, he slowly tested his fingers.

One of the doctors must've seen his hand twitch, because he soon had an attentive audience peering down at him.

"Hey, buddy," one of the doctors said. "How are you feeling? Are you doing okay?"

Not trusting his voice yet, he gave a small nod. He hadn't felt this good in a long time.

"Are you in any pain?"

This time, he shook his head. He was so tired. His eyelids were hard to hold open. They were starting to close despite his best efforts.

"We've got you on some sedatives to help keep you calm while we take care of you," the doctor explained. "It's okay to go back to sleep. You're safe here."

That was all Fenn needed to fall back into that blissful abyss.

^°^°^°^

The Alpha sat beside the boy's bed mesmerized by the steady rise and fall of his chest. The doctor said he had woken up briefly during their examination, but he had yet to wake again.