Upside Down

EIGHT

(Tara's mates POV)

       I play with my hands while still staring at her. It's been only a few hours, and she still hasn't woken up. I want to see her beautiful eyes, and I want to hear her melodic voice. I want my mate. I tap my foot impatiently, and the doctor walks in. "It may take up to three days. Mr.Zirbel, you should leave." I shook my head no and watch the doctor uncover her neck. It's littered with bruises in the shape of hand marks. My wolf dares me to shift and rip apart the doctor, but I know it wasn't him. I feel my face heat up in anger and I storm out of the room. 

I make my way to the sixth floor of the packhouse and peer into Madison's room. She's sitting like I saw her the night that I told her that her Beta was choked, possibly to death.

I noticed the bags under her eyes becoming incredibly purple. I stepped into the room and her head didn't even move to look at me.

"What's wrong Alpha?" She shook her head and continued to stare at the wall. "Your Beta is showing signs of waking up soon." The tiniest bit of glow returned to her dark eyes and she filled in her name, "her name is Tara. Why are you so interested anyway?"

"She's my mate," then she snapped her head to look at me. "So Tara found her mate? That's you?" I nodded quickly, "are you going to accept her?" I nodded again and smiled, "she's so incredibly beautiful." Her eyes turned dark again and she faced the wall. "I wish my mate did," she said barely audible.

"What," I asked stepping forward. "Out. Now!" I took one last look at her shaken face and turned my heel and walked out. I knew absolutely nobody here, and I would be having to move in soon. I returned to the doctors office to see Tara. Her eyes were still shut and her face was twisted. I heard the raspy breaths she was taking and felt sympathy for her. I reached out and grabbed her hand.

All of a sudden a smell of sugar and roses overpowered me and I felt her hand squeeze back. "Doctor! She squeezed my hand!" I saw her mouth pull into a smile and for the first time, I saw her gorgeous brown eyes. "Beta, I'll get your medication and write down some basic rules until the bruising clears up." I looked at Tara. Her eyes were almost wide open, "med-" she was cut off by the doctor, "do not talk." I could hear the pain in her voice. It must've hurt her to talk because she was choking back tears.

I could hear the mind link they were having and it made me wonder about how long she would have to stay silent for. In the day I've been here, I've learned that she's never shifted before, and that made her finding her mate so hard. The doctor came back with a bottle of small pills and about three pages of instructions to go along with them. I started reading the first parts.

'Tara is to not speak until the bruises heal up. That should take about two weeks. She's also not allowed to shift until then. She must take two pills a day for forty days, the person who choked her broke skin and caused an infection. The infection needs to be cleaning daily as well,' that's as far as I got until I got a tap on the shoulder by Tara and she led me to her room. This is, our room I guess. "Okay," I replied using my voice. I peered into her mind for a moment, since she wasn't blocking me out and she was thinking of how to communicate for the next week or two. "You could just mind link me," I said. She looked at me and squinted, how did you know I was thinking that?

"I can read your mind, memories, and what you're thinking if you aren't blocking me. Since, you know, we're mates." She looked down an winced due to the pain but blushed, they never taught us that in school. I nodded and proceeded to sit on her bed. "You like the color navy don't you?" She nodded forgetting that the bruises were there and frowned. "Here," I said standing up, I picked her up and sat her on the bed gently. I made sure that when her head hit the pillow that it didn't hurt her.

I grabbed the bottle of pills that I set on the nightstand and took one out. "I'll be right back," I said running downstairs to get a glass of water. I filled the glass all the way up and walked back to her room. I walked into her room and gave her the pill and water and she took it. So do you know how many died last night? "I think it was around twenty eight. Half was from my pack, half was from yours," Tara's eyes watered and I took her hand in mine who? "Mostly the elders, they put up a giant fight though. The elders alone took out about a fourth of Andrew's pack. They died heroes." Tara pursed her lips thank you.

I suddenly remembered, "do you want some diner? The omegas are making soup since lots took wounds to the neck and jaw." Tara's eyes widened, Sheila, do you know her? Is she alive? "Yes she's alive. One of the best cooks out there. Why?"

Tara breathed out sigh she's my mom. I put my mouth into an 'o' shape and waited for an answer for the soup question. And yes I'll have some soup. I'll come with you. I winced at the thought of her mother and possibly alpha seeing her like that. But she was my mate and I would let her do what she wanted. We walked into the elevator, hand in hand. It was a new sensation, it felt like sparks flew through my hand and her hand fit perfectly into mine. I smiled to myself and remembered the story of my parents meeting. It was midnight and the second my mother turned eighteen, she went into heat. Fast. I remember her telling me that she looked around for her mate but couldn't find him until she stumbled across the our packhouse gym.

His scent eased the pain and she unlocked the gym door and ran to him. Just just held onto him as the pain eased down, one quote she said that my father said was, "I don't know if it's because I'm a sweaty hot guy or if you're my mate." Of course he knew that she was his mate but he was always a joker. What a weird story. I mentally cursed for not blocking her out but at least now she knew something about me.

We landed on the fist floor and got stares from everyone. Sheila went wide eyed and looked at my mate. "Tara baby, go get some rest," Amy said looking at her. There was another male in the room and my wolf teased me about Tara already liking him. I gave him a dirty look and walked with Tara to get some soup. We walked straight back into the elevator and got to our floor. Then I realized I don't even think she knows my name. "I'm Leyton by the way."

What a handsome name for an even more handsome mate. She linked. My face went red and and smiled at her. Maybe fighting was worth it after all.