Fatal Miscalculations •Jaeyong•

Chapter 22

He hated the smell of the hospital. It made him heave. It brought flashbacks he didn’t want to revisit. But he sat through it because right now, the dread and panic were more vivid than the nausea. Or they were only adding to the sick feeling in his stomach. He had exhausted his supply of tears a while ago. Now, numbness struck him as he waited.

Alec returned to the waiting room shortly after making sure that Jaehyun was in the care of Pantherinae practitioners, which must have been relatively easy because the hospital was swarming with them.

“Are you okay?” he asked, sinking in the seat beside Taeyong.

Taeyong hugged himself to stop trembling. He shook his head. He worried that if he spoke, he might start crying again.

“He’s going to be all right,” Alec reassured him, stroking Taeyong’s back.

It wasn’t fair. They were so close to their happiness. Now, it just felt like they had missed the last train to their happily-ever-after.

The image of Jaehyun grinning like an idiot across the road while he demanded that Taeyong marry him was still so fresh. And so was the image of the car bolting through him and the blood he was bathed in when Alec lifted his limp body into his arms.

In that moment, Taeyong realized how childish and insignificant all of their arguments and problems seemed when compared to the agony Jaehyun must be silently going through right now.

Tears threatened his eyes again.

“Maybe you should go home,” Alec suggested. Taeyong shook his head again. Alec sighed. “His mother will be here any second now. I don’t want you to be here when she is.”

Alec had a point. But Taeyong did not care. Jaehyun’s mother could bite his head off, but he did not plan on leaving Jaehyun tonight.

“Taeyong, you need to rest. You’ve been up all night.”

Taeyong glanced at the wall clock in the room. It was almost four in the morning. He didn’t move. He didn’t want to go. He wanted to see Jaehyun and he wanted to see him smile again.

“Hey,” he heard Kai’s voice before he lifted his head and saw him surge into the room. Kai hadn’t bothered to neaten his hair or even throw on a jacket. He looked half asleep and half angry.

Taeyong turned to Alec for answers.

“Thank you for coming,” Alec said formally, standing up to level with Kai.

“It’s no problem,” Kai said, his eyes momentarily flitting to Taeyong. “We couldn’t identify the driver but… it’s a Pantherinae.”

Alec shook his head in disappointment. “It’s not really an accident, then.”

“Best not get the cops involved,” Kai advised. “I have a few of the Lycans tracking the runner down. He abandoned the car near the woods.” He paused. “How is he?”

“We don’t know anything yet.”

Kai looked distressed as he rubbed his temples. “You don’t think it’s… Lisa?”

“What? Why would you think that?”

“Because I sort of pissed her off,” he admitted.

Alec sighed. “She’s tough. But she’d never do something like this.”

“Unless the target was missed,” Kai spat and his knowing gaze darted to Taeyong.

Alec seemed to consider this for a moment. “Lisa’s on her way. I have to stay. Would it be trouble for you take him home?” he asked Kai.