West POV
It was almost midnight when T.J. returned to the Luna’s medical suite in the hospital. He looked no less annoyed than when he had left 2 hours ago, what ever had gone on between his mother and his Beta, did not appear to satisfy him at all.
“And?”
“And what?” T.J. returned.
“Who won?” West enquired of him.
“Neither of us,” he shook his head. “A stalemate for now. I’ll sit with her.”
“I’m fine Terence.”
Watched as T.J.’s eyes lock right on to him, West did not budge. “This too, will be a stalemate, Terence.”
T.J. just nodded and pulled up a chair on the other side of her. “When’s that tube coming out?”
“In the morning, I imagine Patterson’s gone home for the night, she’s stable.”
“Alright. Take the Order off her West, right now.”
West sighed, he’d already changed it, just hadn’t told anyone “You can touch her Terence, I give you permission to.”
T.J. glared right at him, “It hurt her, you know. When I had to pick her up.”
“It won’t right now, I assure you.”
“You have to stop this West. It’s not protecting her.”
West did actually know that, but he was a selfish bastard it seemed, and until he knew for certain who she belonged to, he would remain that way. “Patterson is also allowed to touch her.” he informed his Beta, he did want Jo-anne to be able to be attended to medically and with his pack doctor being a man he’d had to change the order. West also knew that T.J. was going to want to hold her hand and likely want to actually hug her and hold her in his arms when she woke up.
The man had always held her after one of West's Alpha Orders, to comfort her. This would be no different at all. So the order she was under had been altered, but West was not going to tell her that.
He still didn’t want anyone touching her, as for T.J. well, West just had to deal with it. Like he had always had too. Nothing new there. He watched as T.J. reached out and touched her face, so gentle. He would never hurt her, the man loved her, right from the moment she was born.
T.J. paid no attention to West at all. Not surprising to West, his only concern was for Jo-anne right this minute. It was only now that he was watching his Beta closely that he realised he was wearing different clothing, and that he’d showered as well.
T.J.’s clothes had, had Jo-anne’s blood on them, probably didn’t want her to see her own blood on him. West stood “I’ll give you some time alone with her, Terence.” He figured the man would probably want that.
“It’s not necessary, West.”
“I need to shower and clean up anyway, I’ll come back soon.”
“Don’t come back smelling like Miranda, I’ll likely punch you right in the face.”
“I haven’t slept with Miranda in days,” West commented as he left the room. He could feel his Beta’s eyes on him, but didn’t bother with it.
West actually hadn’t, had not even slept in the same room as her. She was still in his room, he knew that. However, he had not been. Had slept the last few nights in his old destroyed room, he’d only seen Miranda when he’d returned for clothes or to shower, she’d not looked happy about it. Likely thought he had another she-wolf to fuck. But he had not and she could smell him all she liked. She would not smell another on him, he’d wanted to be alone and so had gone and slept elsewhere.
He walked into his room and she was there in bed, awake and texting on her phone. He’d been hoping she would be asleep. No such luck, it seemed.
“Is Jo-anne alright?” she asked, looking at him.
West frowned, how did she know what had happened? “Not awake yet.” he stated simply.
“ Your mother told me what happened.” she sighed heavily and shook her head. “horrible.”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Miranda.” he sighed and headed for the bathroom, closed and locked the door to shower in peace, did hear her try to open it, while he was in there.
She was standing at the end of the bed completely naked when he came out of the bathroom. “Let me help you think about something else.” she smiled up at him.
“No, thank you. I’ll be heading back to the hospital.”
“West, we haven’t had sex in days,” she pouted.
“I’m aware of that,” he acknowledged as he pulled his clothes on.
“Don’t you want to?” she asked with a sigh. Like she already knew the answer to her own question.
West looked right at her, slid his eyes over her naked body. No, he did not, he realised. “Not particularly Miranda.” he answered with full honesty, her body did not appeal to him at all anymore.
She was frowning at him now. “Are you punishing me for sleeping with another?”
“Not at all. I just have a lot on my mind,” he told her and headed for the door.
“Are you sure that’s it West? You’ve been different since you took over.”
“Have I?” he glanced at her.
“Yes,” she stated firmly.
“Guess, being the actual Alpha. I have other priorities, Miranda, and sex is not high on my list of priorities right now. Feel free to find someone to sort out your sexual needs. Just don’t do it in here. You can have a room of your own if you like.”
“I don’t want another room West, you know that.”
West just looked at her and said nothing, stepped out of the room and headed back to the pack hospital. T.J. was exactly where he’d left him. Glanced up at West and actually smelled him. West had not been gone long enough for that. Nor had he had any intention of doing that. Had no actual interest in Miranda at all any more, it seemed.
Raised an eyebrow at his Beta, but said nothing. Did it really surprise him that T.J. had smelled him? No, not really. The man was looking for a reason to beat his own Alpha, likely his own Alpha blood boiling, he certainly didn’t look like the happy, relaxed man he normally was.
West watched as the sun came up through the window to her room. T.J. had headed for the cells an hour ago, Heath was finally conscious and T.J. wanted the first crack at the man. West would not deny him that. Simply reminded his friend and Beta not to kill the man.
T.J.’s eyes had landed right on West, nodded and then he’d left the room. West knew his friend well enough to understand he would restrain himself, but then again it had been Jo-anne the man had tried to kill and was Jo-anne lying injured in the hospital bed. It might be best to remind the man again. ‘A life of torture Terence. If she won’t give permission, a life sentence of you walking in there anytime you like, or me for that matter.’
‘Understood West.’ he’d replied and severed the link.
West watched as Patterson came into the room, glanced around and asked about the Beta, where he was. West told him, dealing with the prisoner.
“I’m going to stop the sedation and remove the tube, be prepared West. She will not be able to breathe right away, not until Clova heals her. Likely take a good solid minute. If she wakes up completely, will likely be in a panic.”
West nodded, he’d never seen this done before and he could well imagine the panic of not being able to breathe. “Alright, when you’re ready then.” he just wanted that tube out of her neck. For her to breathe on her own, watched as Patterson placed his gloved thumb over the end of the breathing tube, stood and waited, she took a normal breath in and out.
He nodded and seemed pleased. “ The wind pipe is healed by her wolf. You ready for this West?”
West stood he’d already told the man he was, “Do it.” he stated.
Watched as Patterson turned off the IV and the fluids stopped running, disconnected it from the cannula in her wrist, and attached a prepared syringe to it. Flushed the cannula and then just stood and waited, watched. At the first sign of movement, her eyes flickered under her eyelids, he removed the tube from her neck.
It took 10 seconds for Jo-anne’s eyes to snap open as she realised she could not breathe, her hand shot to her throat, he could smell the fear pouring off of her, and there were waves of it rolling at him. Patterson grabbed both her hands and held them down to stop her clawing at her own neck. It likely still hurt was still very bruised.
West leaned right over her face. “Jo-anne, look at me,” he urged her.
Her panic-filled eyes shot to his, so much fear in them, distressed by the sensation she couldn’t breathe “It’s going to be alright.” he told her quietly but confidently. “Clova is healing you, try to be calm.”
West watched as tears were suddenly falling from her eyes. She was so scared, he’d never seen her scared before, he didn’t like it one bit. Scared because she could not draw breath, in or out right this second and he could see she was desperately trying to.
He reached out a hand and touched her face gently, trying to comfort her. “Trust me. It’ll be alright, a minute is all. I’m right here, focus on me.”
Her grey eyes were locked on to his, the silver was a little on the really bright side, he noted. He had her undivided attention though, which was good, but she was still struggling against Patterson to pull her hands free. “Shh, try to calm down. I won’t go anywhere.” he told her softly. West never took his eyes off of hers, not for a single second, and every one was excruciatingly long to him. He could not imagine how long each one felt for her.
Was 1 minute and 17 seconds of her struggling to breathe, before a breath was released from her mouth and one was dragged in, touched her face again “You’re alright now.” he whispered. Relief washed through him.
Patterson let her go and then her arms were reaching out for West. He helped her sit up as she wrapped her arms around him, and pulled her gently to his chest, held her close as she clung on to him. Her face buried into his chest and then she was sobbing silently and uncontrollably, likely recalling what had happened, or was overwhelmed by her own fear of the situation. She was clinging to him so tightly, in need of comfort right this minute.
Felt Patterson pat him on the back and saw the man leave. It was just him and her in the room right now, he didn’t say anything, just let her react how she needed to. He also knew she wasn’t going to be able to talk for a day or two still, if she had been wolf-less, would likely never have recovered from the injury, never be able to talk again. Sent up a prayer to the Goddess herself for giving her back her wolf.
He stood one hand brushing through her hair, while the other was holding her gently to his body, as she leaned into him, trying to comfort her the best way he knew how. Her sobs finally slowed down until she was just leaning on him ‘West.’ her soft, sad filled voice, came through the mind-link.
‘Everything is going to be alright. I promise.’ he reassured her.
‘Don’t kill him. He’s my dad.’ she was already begging for the man’s life to be saved.
‘He’s alive.’ West told her, though how could she ask him that? He did not know.
It was the second attack on her in as many weeks. How was she not furiously mad at that man? Why did she not want justice served on her behalf? And he was plenty happy to do it, as was T.J. How was Clova okay with this?
‘Please West.’ she begged him.
West sighed and tilted her chin up to look at him, her pretty grey eyes with that little bit of silver still slightly glowing around the edges. Something he’d not addressed yet. Searched her pretty eyes for anything at all. That was not just sadness at the situation, but there was nothing else, no anger, nothing. “Alright.” he told her softly. Then, without a single thought or care as to who saw he leaned down and touched his mouth to hers, softly pressed his lips against hers, saw her eyes flutter closed after just a moment, closed his as he felt her lean into him, into his kiss, accepting it. West touched his tongue to her lips tentatively and they parted for him.
West stood and kissed her, one hand moved into her hair, the other held her into his body gently and he allowed himself to actually hold her, touch her and kiss her, the way he’d never let himself before, never had the right to, still didn’t but could not stop himself right this minute.
Needed to be close to her, he’d nearly lost her for a second time and he didn’t want that. Had no idea how long he stood there, how long she allowed him to kiss her so softly and tenderly. Just knew that when it ended, she did not recoil from him, rested her head back on his chest and just took comfort from his presence, and he stood there and let her. Happy to be able to give her that.
His eyes moved to his right, he could tell someone was in the room with them, now that he wasn’t all consumed with that kiss, had been completely lost to it, nothing else had mattered to him at all. T.J. was standing just inside the room, a raised eyebrow and his mouth tilted slightly up in the left corner, seemed amused by what he had walked in on.
West had no idea how the man could be so calm, how he was not even the slightest bit ticked off by what he’d just seen, considering what Jo-anne was likely going to be to him in just a few weeks.
‘Glad to see, you can be nice to her West.’ his Beta’s voice came down the mind-link.
‘Sorry Terence.’ he apologised. West knew he had no right to her, just couldn’t bloody help himself, it seemed.
‘I don’t mind West. I know how you feel about her, its fine.’
West did not think he would react so calmly, if he’d walked into this room, to find T.J.’s mouth on hers, likely would have yanked him right off of her and started a fight right there in front of her over it.
‘ You are too laid back, Terence.’ West could actually feel that Jo-anne was asleep against him now, not that he minded at all. Liked holding her, it felt really nice, to have her curled in to him, that she had not recoiled away from him, or hate him for kissing her, like that. He knew it was most likely due to that fact that she needed to be comforted after her ordeal, but he didn’t really care, a selfish bastard he was.
‘Mm, I get that a lot. I see she’s breathing on her own.’ there was a smile on the man's face and amusement in his voice, as he walked further into the room.
‘Yes, and already sleeping again.’ West told him. Keeping their conversation going through the mind-link so as not to wake her.
‘You probably, caused oxygen deprivation and she passed out all over again.’ T.J’s tone came down the link light and teasing.
‘I did not.’ West shot at him. But then couldn’t help but smile and even had to hold back a chuckle. He had no idea how long he’d stood there and kissed her, though T.J by the sounds of it, did. Must have been a while.
T.J. smiled right at him ‘Why don’t you put her down and let her get some rest.’
West did not want to, her body was warm against his and he liked it. Really liked it, but knew that he probably should. Carefully laid her back down on the bed, one hand behind her head and the other behind her shoulders, looked right down at her, touched her face gently and brushed some loose hair from her face, pressed his lips to her forehead softly and stood up to find his Beta staring right at him, trying to hold in laughter it seemed.
‘What?’ he shot annoyingly down the mind-link, still not wanting to wake her.
‘Nothing West...just never seen you,...be so,’ he seemed to think about it for a moment ‘tender.’
‘Shut up Terence.’ West practically snarled at the man.
Only to see his Beta clamp a hand over his own mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud, West sighed. It probably did look odd to the man, he was not the tender type. Always aggressive in everything he did, with the exception of Jo-anne, he had never wanted to hurt her, not even once.
T.J. seemed to pull himself together. ‘Come on west, that son of a bitch is awake.’
West nodded, looked back at Jo-anne and frowned. He didn’t want her to be alone, not even with that bastard in his cells, twice she’d been attacked in his pack. Yes, by that man he had, but he didn’t like it. Leaving her alone, unprotected, he didn’t want that.
‘She already asked me not to kill him, Terence. The first words down the mind-link in fact.’
‘Expected as much West. Come on, she’ll be alright here, it’s the Luna suite.’
‘I don’t want her left alone, Terence.’
‘Get your mother to come and sit with her, or you could get...Ricky.’
West rubbed his temples, the man surely was busting his balls right now and loving it. Bringing Ricky into this room would speak volumes, seeing as he was the Gamma and she was right now, as T.J. had stated inside the Luna suite, the very place any injured Luna came to be healed, or for any medical things, he and his 5 sisters had all been born in this very room. Hell she’s spent a month in this room once before herself.
West realised that he had not been the one to bring her here, or place her in the Luna suite. T.J. had brought her here to the hospital both times now, the bite she’d sustained from Jester had seen her in this room, to be patched up and T.J. had brought her here to Patterson.
West did not have a problem with it. He was curious though as to who made the decision to put her into the Luna suite on each occasion, had it been T.J. or Patterson who’d made that decision. His mother had also not moved her out of this room, to another room either. That was also interesting to him. It technically was his mother's suite and she was allowing another to use it.