Soren

Chapter Twenty One

It was the dead of night when the doctor finally approached the hunched figure of James, looking grim and clutching a clipboard within his hands. James heart dropped but he remained hopeful, he knew she wasn't dead, the bond still held tight between them, but the look on Doctor Hoyt's face made him nervous.

"Beta Hughes, first off, your mate is alive."

Despite having known, deep down he had still questioned if maybe the bond was malfunctioning, if maybe the worst had happened, and he didn't feel it. So, the doctor's words came as a huge relief. He braced himself for what was to follow.

"As you know, she was bitten on the left arm, and as such there will be extensive scarring along her forearm, unfortunately because of the severity of the bite, we don't yet know how much hand function she's going to be able to retain. In addition, she had multiple deep lacerations to her stomach as a result of the multiple times she was clawed, all her vital organs are okay, but she's going to be in a lot of pain for a long time."

James sat in a daze, the doctor's words running over and over in his head. How had he let this happen? How had he allowed such a blatant act of defiance and disrespect to stand? He should've killed Grace the moment she saw them in the diner. Maybe then all of this wouldn't have happened, and his mate would be unscathed.

Lost in thought he heard the faint hum of Matt's voice as he talked to the doctor and thanked him for all his hard work. James couldn't tear his eyes away from the floor, the guilt was eating at him as he blamed himself for everything that had happened.

"James."

He wouldn't blame Ren if she never forgave him, if she chose to leave him. He would never forget the sight of her bleeding in his arms, he left arm swinging limp at her side, her head hanging back as her neck failed to support its weight.

"James."

Matt was shaking him, pulling him from the self-deprecating thoughts that tore through his brain.

"The doctor said we can go in and see her now."

James' head snapped up and he was on his feet in a flash, he needed to be near her, to lay his eyes on her and prove to himself once and for all that she was still breathing. Matt grabbed onto his arm and James let him lead the way into the hospital room.

The room was a dull cream, with uncomfortable chairs in either corner. The fluorescent lights that hung from the tiled ceiling cast an unnatural glow onto the lone figure laying immobile in the bed. Her face was peaceful in her unconscious state, but James could see the dried blood that stained her hair and skin.

His heart lurched the more he looked her over. She looked so frail and delicate surrounded by all the hospital equipment and James couldn't help but stride over to her side and grab hold of her hand. Her skin was cold, and he cursed the nurses for not taking better care of their new Beta Female. Snagging a blanket from the end of the bed he gently spread it over her, making sure it covered her feet and would keep her warm.

He pulled up a chair and sat down at the head of the bed. Holding her hand, he pulled it up to his face, taking comfort in the realness of her touch and the steady rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor beside him.

He felt more than heard Matt leave, giving James and his little mate the privacy they deserved. Despite not being overly close with Soren, Matt still felt the stress of having her so close to death's door. The little wild child had imbued warm feelings of protectiveness into him. She was like a younger sister to him already, and as both a member pf his pack and a member of his family, Matt couldn't help the worry that had overcome him as soon as he saw her wounds.