CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Blake
Time slowed down as one minute ticked into two. One hour became two and one day passed into another. Three days passed, but she never woke up and the hope I was hanging on to began slipping away. I tried to stay positive but it was really hard with no improvement in her condition.
Kyle was also feeling the hopelessness of the situation and it was hard to sit across from him in Keri’s hospital room, seeing the resignation on his face. It was harder each day to sit by her side and hold her hand, telling her how much she meant to me. I gave her so many reasons why she needed to wake up but it made no difference.
I had no idea if she could hear me but I hoped that if she felt the love that I felt for her, it would give her the strength to wake up. The steady beeping from the medical equipment echoed in the room, reminding me that she was depending on machines to keep her alive.
After the second day, I’d told Scarlett and Cade that they could leave, but Cade had shaken his head and Scarlett had pretended I hadn’t said anything.
“We aren’t going anywhere,” Cade had told me. “You need us.”
He’d been right. He knew me better than I knew myself. I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than Keri and the fear that was growing that despite everything being done we were going to lose her.
I appreciated that they had stayed to help because they helped Curtis with the running of day-to-day tasks of the pack, which allowed Curtis and I the time to give Keri our full attention. I never wanted Keri to be alone in case she woke up, so if I wasn’t with her, Kyle was.
Curtis had been keeping a close eye on Keri and even though he was doing everything he could, she remained the same. He couldn’t give us the miracle we were all praying for. He was under a tremendous amount of pressure and the fact that he cared about her made him push himself to do everything he could.
I was sitting with Keri with her hand to my lips as I watched her silently. Curtis walked in and I glanced at him.
The look on his face filled me with dread. It was bad news.
“What?” I asked, feeling anxious as I stood up. I could tell that whatever he was going to tell me was something I wouldn’t want to hear. I continued to hold Keri’s hand as I faced him. The calming touch of our connection kept me calm even with the swirl of negative emotions building up inside of me.
Curtis pressed his lips together. It was like he was struggling to find the right words to tell me what he needed to.
“Just spit it out,” I demanded. Even if it wasn’t something I wanted to hear, I was impatient to know.
“Every day that she remains unresponsive…her odds of waking up decrease,” he explained. The sadness in his eyes told me volumes. He didn’t think she was going to wake up.
“She has to wake up,” I said, wanting to believe the words I’d just spoken. Curtis shook his head.
“We have to face the reality that she isn’t,” he said with such a finality it felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest. I was left breathless and struggling to breathe as his words sank in. “I know it’s a lot to take in but she wouldn’t want to be kept alive like this,” Curtis said and his voice broke slightly on the last word.
I shook my head when I realized what he was saying.
“No,” I said, gripping her hand more tightly in mine like if I could physically hold her hand I could keep her with me.
Curtis studied me for a moment.
“You love her,” he said. “Love her enough to let her go.”
Shock and anger at his words rushed through me and I wanted to hit something or somebody.
“Keeping her alive like this isn’t for her, it’s for you,” he told me, his voice hoarse with his own grief. “Let her find the peace she deserves.”
I looked at him with disbelief. He stood there for a few more moments before he turned and walked out, leaving me alone with Keri. I slumped down in the chair and breathed in a deep breath, trying to process everything he’d just told me.
Let her go? I couldn’t let her go. I needed her.
Cade? I called to him through our mind-link.
I’m here, he answered seconds later.
I need you in the medical center, I told him.
I’m on my way, he replied.
In my mind I was already formulating how I was going to keep Curtis from switching off the machines. I wasn’t taking any chances that someone would do that without my consent.
What’s wrong? Cade asked through the mind-link as he walked into the room and saw my expression.
“Curtis doesn’t think that Keri is…going to wake up,” I explained, trying to keep my emotions from bubbling over.
“He wants to turn off the machines,” I told him. He didn’t look shocked, but I could see the sympathy in his eyes when I looked at him.
“What do you need me to do?” he asked despite the fact that even logically he knew that in some way Curtis was probably right.
“I need you to keep watch over her to make sure no one tries to switch off the machines,” I told him. Cade was the only one that I truly trusted with this.
Despite the fact that Kyle was just as devastated about Keri as I was, I was scared he would be swayed and I wasn’t taking any chances with the life of my mate. Any mistake I made now would have a lifetime of trying to live as half a person.
“I’ll watch over her,” he promised me and I felt a small amount of relief that I had someone on my side. I was putting my whole life in the hands of my friend who’d earned a lifetime of my trust.
Kyle walked in and he looked between the two of us.
“What’s going on?” he asked. He frowned at the tension.
“Curtis is talking about turning off the machines,” I managed to say without breaking down.
Kyle glanced at Keri in the hospital bed for a moment and I saw the determination set into his features.
“Over my dead body,” he swore and he stormed out of the room.
He was probably on his way to tell Curtis that same thing. I did feel slightly more relieved that he felt the same way I did.
“I know you have a lot going on,” Cade said, “but this pack needs a leader.”
I looked at him with slight puzzlement. They did have a leader—they had Keri.
“It’s been three days and we have no idea how long it will be before she wakes up,” he explained softly. “Curtis is too busy with the medical center and watching over Keri to fulfil his role as the beta.”
Everything he was telling me I already knew.
“Keri loves this pack enough to have put her life on the line for them,” he said softly, and I nodded. “I know that you want to spend time with her, but this pack needs someone to pull them together.”
I rubbed my forehead as I tried to figure a way to do what he was asking and still spend every moment I could with Keri.
“The longer this pack goes without a proper leader, the weaker it becomes, and you know what that means,” he added.
I nodded my head. I understood. If a pack was considered weak it would become a target. Deep down inside I knew I couldn’t allow that to happen. Keri had put her life on the line for them.
“Okay,” I said. I didn’t have a choice.
I would just have to figure out a way to juggle my time with Keri and my time handling the pack. I’d been an alpha of my own pack and I knew exactly how to run one efficiently. My consolation was that I was doing this for Keri so when she woke up, her pack would be ready for her to take over.
“Get me a knife,” I instructed Cade and he disappeared out of the room.
I sat down beside Keri and cradled her hand in mine. I was dreading the slight cut I was going to have to make in her hand to join her pack, but I didn’t have a choice. It needed to be done.
Cade returned a few minutes later and handed me the knife. I glanced at Keri and I felt a moment’s guilt at the thought of hurting her. It was the only way for me to join her pack. Mixing your blood with the alpha’s blood was the only way to join their pack, so I couldn’t even try and do this with Curtis, her beta. It had to be her.
I cut my hand first and then as gently as I could, I cut her hand. I clasped her hand in mine and our blood began to mix.
“What are you doing?” I heard Curtis ask behind me, and I turned to look at him.
“I’m joining your pack,” I informed him, still holding Keri’s hand in mine. I looked back to our joined hands and I could start to hear the noise of thoughts flitting through my mind. It had worked. I was hearing the thoughts of her pack.
I released Keri’s hand and Curtis handed me a bandage, which I wrapped around her hand. Once I was done, I released her hand. I stood up. As much as I wanted to stay with Keri, there was a lot of stuff that I needed to do. Cade was standing between Curtis and me with his arms crossed, glaring at Curtis.
Curtis stood tall with a clipboard in his hands, ignoring the anger emanating from Cade.
“Look, I’m sorry about before,” he said, his eyes looking between Cade and me.
I was still angry that he’d even suggested switching off the machines, but I was willing to give him a chance to say what he needed to.
“The part of me that is her friend doesn’t want to lose her and I can’t imagine my life without her, but the doctor in me knows that things aren’t looking good at all. As a friend, I keep hoping she will wake up, but as a doctor I know the chances are she won’t.”
I pressed my lips together as I listened to him. It hurt every time he told me the odds of her waking up. Fuck the odds. She was going to wake up.
Scarlett entered the room and her observant eyes took in the strained scene in front of her.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she looked at Cade.
“Curtis wants to switch off the machines,” he explained as he continued to glare at Curtis.
Scarlett turned to look at Curtis, who was standing just a few feet away from her.
Before any of us could react, she stepped forward and punched him in the face. Cade grabbed her by the waist and pulled her off Curtis before she could land another shot.
“Calm down, Scar,” Cade told her and he held her firmly against him. As hard as she fought him, she couldn’t break free from his steel grip.
“If you touch those machines, I’ll kill you,” she promised Curtis in a threatening tone, and his eyes were glued to her as he rubbed his cheek where her fist had landed.
I couldn’t help but smile at the fact that Scarlett had attacked Curtis. Although he’d apologized, he still deserved it for saying it in the first place.
“I’m sorry,” he said to Scarlett, understanding why she’d hit him.
“She’s your friend. Why would you even suggest that?” she asked, her eyes searching his face. Even though she wasn’t fighting to break free from Cade, he still held her against him.
“As a doctor, I know how hopeless this situation is,” he said softly.
We all wanted Keri to recover, but he was the one with the medical background and the knowledge to realize that it wasn’t looking good for Keri. I didn’t care, though. I wouldn’t give up on her.
“She’s a fighter,” Scarlett argued. “She’ll pull through.”
She said it with such determination, even I believed her. Scarlett looked back at Cade and I saw her true fear as she wavered for a moment. He kissed her on the forehead.
“She will wake up,” he reassured her softly.
Seeing them share a tender moment felt like a knife slice through me. I let out a breath and turned to focus on Curtis. I needed to sort out the pack so when Keri woke up everything was running smoothly.
“I need to talk to Curtis alone,” I told Scarlett and Cade. Cade gave a brief nod as he released Scarlett but kept his arm around her waist as he led her out of the hospital room. Despite Curtis’ apology, Scarlett gave him one last glare before she left. Being on her bad side was never a good idea.
“I know you’re doing everything you can but our pack needs a leader who can pull them together and keep things running smoothly until Keri wakes up,” I began to explain.
“Thank God,” he said, sounding so relieved. “I can’t be beta and run the medical center. It’s just too much.” I hadn’t expected that. “I only accepted the role because Keri asked me to. I was the only person she’d trusted enough to depend on. It was never supposed to be a permanent arrangement,” he explained, rubbing his forehead.
With traitors in her pack, I knew it was hard for her to know who she could trust.
“I’m not cut out to be a leader,” he added. “And I’m not the best person to run this pack while Keri can’t. She would want you do it.”
There was a moment’s silence.
“As of now I’m making you beta,” he said.
Unlike the alpha title, the beta role could be changed easily.
“I don’t want to take over the beta role. I just wanted your permission to help run the pack while you ran things here,” I explained as I ran a hand through my hair.
“You’re a better fit for the role,” he explained. “Besides, she would want her pack in the best hands and those are yours.”
There was no doubt about it—I was more than qualified to lead this pack.
“Are you sure?” I asked. I didn’t want to force him into a decision he didn’t want to make.
“Yes.”
He nodded his head, looking visibly relieved.
“I’ll organize the pack so we can make the announcement,” he said.
“Okay,” I said as he hurried out of the room.
I took a deep breath and released it. I wasn’t nervous about taking over the role as beta. I was finding it hard to handle that I had to be away from Keri. Reaching out, I touched her hand. The feeling that spread through me eased any fears that I had.
Thirty minutes later I was standing outside the medical center, facing my new pack, with Curtis standing on the one side of me and Kyle on the other side. Curtis had just made the announcement that he was relinquishing the role of beta to me and I watched the reaction from the pack.
Cade and Scarlett had promised to watch over Keri. Despite Curtis’ apology, I still didn’t trust him enough to leave Keri without someone to watch over her. Kyle had given Curtis a piece of his mind and lucky for Curtis he hadn’t used his fists to reinforce the message like Scarlett had.
Kyle had offered to help me with the running of the pack and I’d accepted. I knew that he was a great leader. He wanted to protect Keri’s pack like I did. We both loved her and we’d do everything we could to keep her safe as well as her pack, which was now my pack.
Some looked nervous about it and others looked hopeful. I would prove I was worthy of the job.
“I know you don’t really know me,” I began to say, “but I will do everything I can to keep everything running smoothly until Keri is able to take over again.”
I began to issue orders. Everyone was to get on with their usual daily tasks and everyone was expected to start training again. With a potential attack looming, everyone had to make sure they were in their best fighting form.
Surrounding packs would look at this pack as a weakened and easy target because their alpha was injured, so I had to ensure that all the pack members were fit and ready to fight. There would be an attack and I needed to make sure the pack was strong enough to fight it off.
I looked at Kyle and he gave me a nod. He was going to oversee the training in the gym while I focused on the security around the territory. It was hard trying to keep my mind focused on anything other than Keri, but I had to. Curtis left me to go back into the medical center.
I walked to the meeting room to have a look at the territory maps to be able to formulate the best way to position the guards.