never got to tell you. All the wonderful things I didn’t know about in your life. I wanted to thank you for what you did. Tell you that no matter what, you washing your hands of me was the best thing that could have happened to me.”
“But I left you there.” Allen nodded. “I didn’t even answer any of your cards, never once acknowledged you in any way. I…I was so afraid you’d hurt me again.”
“I wouldn’t have. I never will again. I promise.” He reached for her hand, and she took his. “I love you, Jack. You’re my sister, all the family…all the family that I want or need. And I do need you to live for us so we can be there for each other.”
They sat there until the nurse came back and she asked Jack if she wanted to go with him. Allen wanted her there. He was terrified that she’d just leave him again. And when she said she’d go, he squeezed her hand as they made their way down the hall. Luke was waiting near the x-ray room when they got there. He didn’t look all that happy, and Allen glared at him as best he could with a swollen face.
“I know she’s your mate and all.” Luke nodded and frowned. “And you have to know that I respect you more than any man I’ve ever known. But if you hurt her, even to make her cry, I’ll kill you.”
Luke only stared at him for several seconds before he looked at Jack. Allen saw the change almost immediately and it occurred to him, just like that, that Luke Emerson loved his sister. Before either of them said anything else, he was pushed into the room to be examined. And for the first time in a very long time, Allen thought that things were going to be looking up. Not perfect, but certainly looking up.
By the time he was put back on the gurney, Allen was sweating. He’d never been twisted into so many shapes in his life. And he was pretty sure that he’d screamed at one point. Looking for his sister as soon as he came out, he was nearly sobbing with disappointment at her not being there. But Luke was.
“She had to go to the bathroom. I told her that I’d make sure you knew, first thing.” Allan nodded and reached for the man’s hand. He wasn’t really surprised when he took it, but he was at the strength of his hold. “You’re going to be all right, Allen. I promise you this.”
“I hurt.” Luke nodded and he could see his sister coming toward them. “You love her, don’t you? Love her very much?”
“I do.” Allen closed his eyes and felt the weight of the world slide off his shoulders. And it was weight that he’d not realized he’d been holding until then. “I won’t hurt her. I know you think I was upset, but not at her. My brother hugged her. Wolves are very possessive of their mate.”
“I understand.” He didn’t really, but it hurt too much to think. “Do you think you could hit me? Really hard. Right now I hurt badly enough that I’d let your wolf hit me if it made the pain go away.”
Luke laughed and he said something to a nurse. It was that voice again, the one he’d used to get the other one to move Jack here. Allen knew in a few minutes, if not sooner, he’d be sliding away on some drugs. As much as he didn’t like them anymore, he knew that if he didn’t get some soon, he was going to be sick. And throwing up with broken ribs wasn’t fun at all.
He was taken to the same emergency room cubical, but this time he wasn’t put onto the bed, but told that he was being transferred to a real one. The thought of moving again nearly had him begging to be left alone, but a nurse came in and told him she was going to give him something for pain. Jack moved out of her way but didn’t leave him. He wasn’t sure if he wanted her to see him cry, because he was going to. And soon if the drugs didn’t kick in.
“I love you.” The nurse grinned at him and he wondered if she’d let him hug her. But instead making a fool of himself, he held onto his sister’s hand while the nurse worked on his other side.
“Tell
“But I left you there.” Allen nodded. “I didn’t even answer any of your cards, never once acknowledged you in any way. I…I was so afraid you’d hurt me again.”
“I wouldn’t have. I never will again. I promise.” He reached for her hand, and she took his. “I love you, Jack. You’re my sister, all the family…all the family that I want or need. And I do need you to live for us so we can be there for each other.”
They sat there until the nurse came back and she asked Jack if she wanted to go with him. Allen wanted her there. He was terrified that she’d just leave him again. And when she said she’d go, he squeezed her hand as they made their way down the hall. Luke was waiting near the x-ray room when they got there. He didn’t look all that happy, and Allen glared at him as best he could with a swollen face.
“I know she’s your mate and all.” Luke nodded and frowned. “And you have to know that I respect you more than any man I’ve ever known. But if you hurt her, even to make her cry, I’ll kill you.”
Luke only stared at him for several seconds before he looked at Jack. Allen saw the change almost immediately and it occurred to him, just like that, that Luke Emerson loved his sister. Before either of them said anything else, he was pushed into the room to be examined. And for the first time in a very long time, Allen thought that things were going to be looking up. Not perfect, but certainly looking up.
By the time he was put back on the gurney, Allen was sweating. He’d never been twisted into so many shapes in his life. And he was pretty sure that he’d screamed at one point. Looking for his sister as soon as he came out, he was nearly sobbing with disappointment at her not being there. But Luke was.
“She had to go to the bathroom. I told her that I’d make sure you knew, first thing.” Allan nodded and reached for the man’s hand. He wasn’t really surprised when he took it, but he was at the strength of his hold. “You’re going to be all right, Allen. I promise you this.”
“I hurt.” Luke nodded and he could see his sister coming toward them. “You love her, don’t you? Love her very much?”
“I do.” Allen closed his eyes and felt the weight of the world slide off his shoulders. And it was weight that he’d not realized he’d been holding until then. “I won’t hurt her. I know you think I was upset, but not at her. My brother hugged her. Wolves are very possessive of their mate.”
“I understand.” He didn’t really, but it hurt too much to think. “Do you think you could hit me? Really hard. Right now I hurt badly enough that I’d let your wolf hit me if it made the pain go away.”
Luke laughed and he said something to a nurse. It was that voice again, the one he’d used to get the other one to move Jack here. Allen knew in a few minutes, if not sooner, he’d be sliding away on some drugs. As much as he didn’t like them anymore, he knew that if he didn’t get some soon, he was going to be sick. And throwing up with broken ribs wasn’t fun at all.
He was taken to the same emergency room cubical, but this time he wasn’t put onto the bed, but told that he was being transferred to a real one. The thought of moving again nearly had him begging to be left alone, but a nurse came in and told him she was going to give him something for pain. Jack moved out of her way but didn’t leave him. He wasn’t sure if he wanted her to see him cry, because he was going to. And soon if the drugs didn’t kick in.
“I love you.” The nurse grinned at him and he wondered if she’d let him hug her. But instead making a fool of himself, he held onto his sister’s hand while the nurse worked on his other side.
“Tell
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