“I’ll just go to a hotel…”
“The hell you will. Listen to me, Doctor, like it or not, I may need you to find the sons of bitches who did this…the fire…Toby’s murder,” he choked out, trying not to scream. “You’re not safe. If anything, you’re in even more danger. They know where you live; where you work…I will not lose you.” Tristan shook with passion, well aware that he still wanted her badly. Conflicted, he needed space. As much as he hated the idea of her staying with another man, he knew he could trust Logan with his life.
As she realized that Tristan no longer wanted her, Kalli’s heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces. Filled with shame and disappointment, she deserved it, she thought. But, still, how could he send her off to live with another wolf? Logically, she shouldn’t have been surprised given how she was raised, and the way the males treated the females. It was just that with Tristan, he seemed so progressive, kind…loving, even. Feeling downcast, she silently accepted that she’d have to move. Why bother arguing? He needed her to help him find the killers. She needed his protection. So she had to stay with Logan. Who else would she stay with anyway?
Raking her fingers through her long hair, she looked at Logan. “I’ve gotta get out of here. I’ll be in the waiting room. Come get me when you’re ready.” Casting Tristan a sorrowful look, she walked out of the room, fairly certain that he and Logan wouldn’t try to stop her. It would cause a scene and she was pretty sure they didn’t want that.
Tristan considered going after her, but the doctor entered the room at the same time. Concerned that they already had too many people in the room, he looked to Julie to leave. With a nod, she understood, and left.
The doctor looked to be about forty years old with short, thick curly hair, wearing a traditional white coat with her name embroidered on it. Regarding the two males, she extended a hand to Tristan. “Hello, I’m Dr. Shay. The nurse said she’d filled you in on Ryan’s injuries. He’s a lucky kid,” she commented, looking down at her patient. “Almost bled out, but we got to him before he hit hypovolemic shock, so he’s going to make it. Both shots were fairly clean, in and out, but apparently he sat in the alley for quite a bit before someone found him. So we’re going to keep him here for a few more hours just as a precaution, then he’ll be transferred down to the fourth floor. Once he’s released, he’ll have to come back for follow-up to have the stitches removed. My biggest concern right now is the risk of wound infection. Even though we cleaned it out, bacterial infections still occur. Do you have any questions?”
“Yes, it is my understanding that anything we discuss needs to be kept in confidence, is this correct?” Tristan asked, already knowing the answer.
“Yes, that’s right,” she replied.
“I’m going to tell you something, and I don’t want you to repeat it, not even to the nurse. Nor do I want it entered into his record,” Tristan explained. “I’m not sure how much experience you have with supernaturals, but I’m Tristan Livingston, Alpha of Lyceum Wolves. And this boy, he’s mine.”
The doctor flushed at the revelation. “Why yes, of course I’m aware that there’s others. Those who aren’t human. But sir….well, there’s no way he’s wolf. I just operated on him, so I think I’d know if he weren’t human. No, this can’t be,” she protested.
“Well, Doc. Sometimes things aren’t always as they appear.” He shot a look at Logan who knew he meant Kalli. “And when that happens, it truly is a bitter pill to swallow. Let’s just say that I’ve come into knowledge that Ryan, here, was exposed to something very dangerous that thwarted both his shifting and his natural healing abilities. Both of which would have prevented him from visiting your fine establishment. We think he’s going to shift in a few hours, and we’d like to stay with him until he does. Afterwards, we’re going to walk out the front door.”
“Well, I don’t know. But I guess if he shifts, then I can’t really oppose his release, but I’ll need to examine him first,” she insisted.
“Thank you for your cooperation. But there’s one more thing. That dangerous thing Ryan was exposed to…I need you to keep a tight lid on it until we find out who gave it to him. Tony…Detective Bianchi. We’re going to have to meet with him too. He’ll back up what I’m telling you. We’re looking at a murder.”
The doctor nodded solemnly. “Yes, I just spoke with the detective, but as I told him, I didn’t see the other boy. He was found dead on the scene. The paramedics said he’d been shot and stabbed quite badly. I’m very sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you,” Tristan said quietly. The meeting with Jax Chandler couldn’t come soon enough. When he found the wolves Kalli had helped to sketch, they’d die a slow death at his hand.
The doctor exited the room, leaving Tristan and Logan. No words could describe the loss of Toby. All that was left to do was to wait until Ryan shifted so they could find out what had happened. How did he even get the drug? He knew Ryan and Toby partied hard, but nothing that most college students didn’t do. They never took drugs; he’d scent in a minute if they’d tried. No, someone gave this to them without them knowing, perhaps as Kalli had suggested in a drink or maybe even food.
The vigil was broken as Ryan stirred in his bed. Slowly opening his eyes, he licked his dry lips.
Logan rushed to hold his hand, while Tristan stood on the other side of the bed. He rubbed his hand over Ryan’s matted hair, and leaned in to talk to him.
“Take it easy, Ryan. You’re safe. We’re all here with you,” Tristan comforted him.
Tears filled Ryan’s eyes. “Toby…he didn’t make it,” he whispered, weeping silently. “We couldn’t shift.”
“We know, Ry, we know. Trust me, we’ll grieve. And we’ll avenge his death. I promise you. But right now, I need to know what happened. Who drugged you?”
“We were at a party. Nothing big. A girl. Lindsey. She asked us if we wanted to take something. You know us, we said no. I swear it,” Ryan asserted. His eyes locked on Tristan’s. “We stayed for another beer, and left to go home. We walked. We always walk. Two men. Wolves. They had a gun and backed us into an alley. We knew we could’ve taken them, Tristan. But then we couldn’t shift. We tried to run, but our wolves wouldn’t come. I hid in a dumpster after I got hit, but Toby…” his voice trailed off as he looked away and closed his eyes.
“You listen to me, Ryan. This wasn’t your fault. Someone drugged you. There’s no way you could have known. You need to rest now. Kalli said you’d be able to shift in a few hours. Afterward, we’ll get out of here. See…Julie’s here. Logan’s here. We’re all here for you. And when we get home, you know you’ll be pawing off the pack mothers; they’re never going to let you out of their sight. We’ll make it through this.”
Lindsay? Wasn’t that the name of the girl from Kalli’s office? He planned asking Tony to send someone over to UVH to find her. Tristan stood and turned toward the door in an attempt to hide the pain that threatened to rip him in half. Listening to Ryan recount what had happened through guilt-tinged tears killed him. It shouldn’t be this way for them. They were only kids, yet someone deliberately went after his pups. Killed Toby. One thing was certain, blood was about to rain down in his city and it would be Lyceum Wolves who shed it this time. There’d be nothing sweet about this revenge, but it would happen.
“Logan, keep an eye on Ryan. I’ve gotta find Tony,” Tristan grunted. He needed to tell him everything he knew about what had happened. There was no way in hell he’d let P-CAP take over the investigation. For all they knew, a human had been shot and killed. But on the off chance they decided to become involved, he’d call Léopold and seek his assistance. As much as he despised Alexandra, he knew he could count on her as an ally.