The Alpha and the Mistake novel Chapter 30

Imagine being hit by a semi-truck then having said truck back over your broken body, only to run over it again. That's me right now. My whole body ached and my mouth dry. I thought when you died all that stuff didn't happen anymore. Unless I wasn't dead, but that was impossible. I fell off a freaking cliff. I opened my eyes slowly, looking at the room around me.

No angels or heavenly trumpets and it was too cold and stank too much of disinfectant to be hell. So alive - right now, I might have preferred dying. It hurt less. The door opened, and Emily walked in, smiling as if she'd just won a million dollars. "Hello, Brook. It's good to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

"Confused," I said honestly. "I am pretty sure I should be dead right now."

Emily laughed, pulling one of those stools on wheels all doctors have. "It was touch and go there for a while."

A while? How long was I out? I started to ask her when she spoke again.

"What do you remember after the fall."

"I remember dying. There was a burning sensation, and I blacked out I guess."

"Burning?" Emily repeated, curiosity filling her voice.

Okay, now I was even more confused. "Yeah like fire ants under my skin, but it didn't last long."

"Interesting," she said but the before she could say more Ryder walked in the room. He stopped halfway, staring at me. It was kind of creepy.

"Hey," I said, self-conscious as he kept staring at me. I glanced down at my lap, noticing my arm no longer had the cast. In fact, it looked good as new.

Suddenly, Ryder was next to me, my hand in his. "You're awake! How do are you? Did you know yet? Mom, did you tell her?"

I blinked at him, confused. His mom laughed, giving me an apologetic grimace. "No, I didn't tell her, I've been busy with my checkup."

I swallowed as I looked between the two. "Tell me what?"

"It doesn't matter right now. For now, I want to examine you. Besides the confusion, how are you?"

I didn't like the vibe I was getting from her, but I answered her question. "Like I've been hit been ran over a few dozen times. My body aches everywhere, and I'm really thirsty."

Ryder leaped off the bed, running, and shouted he'll get me some water. I blinked again. He was acting kind of odd. "Was I that bad or is he just being weird as usual?"

His mom grinned at me with a laugh as she checked me over. "You were that bad. I wasn't too sure if I could keep you with us, despite all the measures we took. What kind of aches are these? Is it like general soreness or to a specific area? Also, how is the ache burning, stabbing, stinging, throbbing?"

"It's a general ache, and more throbbing than anything."

Ryder's mom continued to question me for a while, helped me sit up when Ryder returned with my water. It was room temperature, but to me, it was pure heaven. "So what exactly happened to me?" I asked when I finished.

"You were right, Brook. When you fell, you were dying and would've been dead in a matter of minutes. Brent did the only thing he could to save your life. He bit you," she explained.

"He bit me," I repeated, and she nodded. Did that mean what I think it meant?

"Yes, starting the change in you from human to werewolf."

My mouth dropped open with a gasp, and my eyes shot wide. Ryder took my hand, lacing his fingers with mine, and gave it a soft squeeze. As much as I wanted to return some gesture back. I couldn't. I was too in shock. His mom gave me a small smile and began to explain things about the ability to heal. Also, some other things I didn't understand.

"So let me get this straight," I said, rubbing my forehead. "I've been in a coma for half a month, and when the moon is full I'm going to turn into a wolf?"

"Actually, you've already shifted once," Ryder said, grinning.

"What? That's impossible. I would remember if I turned into a wolf," I said, coming close to hysterics.

"The full moon passed two nights ago Brook and while in a coma you did go through your first shift. Complete wolf form," his mom said, her tone cautious now.

Whoa, this was...I didn't even know what to think.

"You must be overwhelmed right now. I get it," Ryder's mom said. Overwhelmed didn't even cover it. "But you need to rest, you're still healing from the fall and the shift. Take it easy, no more heroics. Got it."

I grinned despite everything. "I don't plan to," I said adamantly. Next time Ryder's pack can go save itself.

"Good girl. Now I'm going to make my rounds. The others will want to see her too. I'll also get someone to bring you something to eat."

When she left Ryder suddenly hugged me to him. "I'm so glad you're okay, Brook. I thought I lost you. Why did you even do that?" His voice taking on so many emotions it was a little difficult for me to keep up.

That's when it, whatever it was, hit me. This smell coming off of Ryder. It wasn't bad, just the opposite. Everywhere he touched made my skin tingle, and it rippled through me like some electric wave. "Mike told me how his dad was going to use to me to break you then break the rest of your family and my family. I couldn't let him do it, and it was the only option open," I replied, breathless.

"And you didn't stop to think we had a plan for it?"

"How was I supposed to know?" I said, a little angry. These feelings were weird. I was warm and tingly like I was wrapped in blanket straight out the dryer. "Ryder, can I ask you something and you promise not to laugh at me?"