Page 84 of Taming of a Wolf

But while I was off with my boyfriend, Jace got hurt. This should never have happened. I shouldn’t have let him out of my sight.

“Jamie.”

Anders’s soft voice makes me jump, my fingers squeezing the wheel.

I can’t look at him. The guilt feels like it’ll eat me alive. I shouldn’t have let Jace go. I should have—

“The lad will be fine,” Anders says. His fingers curl around my arm.

I pull away, rejecting his touch. “Please don’t.” Guilt flares, making me feel even sicker. “Just… not now.”

Anders says nothing. He doesn’t have to. I know I’ve hurt him, but all I can think about is my brother.

I promised myself I would put my brother first, and I’ve failed.

My stomach writhes as I jump from the car and rush inside the hospital. The receptionist sends us to the fifth floor. I run to the waiting room, breathless with fear by the time I get to the front desk. I rush through an introduction, and she gives me papers to sign, consenting to my brother’s surgery.

Fuck. He has to have surgery. This is a first for Jace, one I hoped he’d never experience. If my parents were here, this wouldn’t have happened. My eyes burn as I sign the papers, and I have to pause to wipe my eyes so I don’t get tears on the papers. Anders sits silently beside me. More than anything, I want to turn to him for comfort, but this isn’t about me. I don’t deserve comfort, not when Jace needs it the most.

Once the papers are signed, a nurse motions for me to follow her to Jace’s room so I can be there for him when they put him under. Jace’s face is wet with tears, which breaks my heart, but it’s the sight of him lying in a hospital bed that nearly brings meto my knees. Running to him, I pull him close, mindful of the arm he’s cradling to his chest. “Hey, kiddo. Are you okay? Are you in pain?” I frame his damp face in my hands.

“N-no. The doctors gave me medicine,” Jace says, sniffling. “I want to go home.”

I press my lips to his hair. “We’ll go home soon, okay? I promise.”

“Am I going to die? Like Mom and Dad?” Sobs rack his shoulders.

Being in a hospital must be bringing back terrible memories for him. “No, bud. It’s just a broken arm. The doctors are going to help you get some sleep, and by the time you wake up, you’ll feel much better.”

“Will you be here when I wake up?”

I wipe away his tears with my thumbs. “Of course. I’ll be right here.”

The doctor comes in. She’s a lovely woman and explains everything to Jace in a way that’s reassuring and easy to understand, answering all of his questions. She encourages him to lie down and places a mask over his face. A tear spills down Jace’s cheek, and I squeeze his hand tight. In only seconds, my little brother is asleep, and I’m asked to leave the room so they can wheel him off into surgery.

Outside the room, Anders paces, wringing his hands. “Jamie—”

I turn away, unable to even look at him without guilt consuming my insides. “I need to be alone right now, Anders.” Before he can answer, I escape into the nearest bathroom and lock myself in a stall.

Finally alone, I let my tears cascade down my face as I fold in on myself and gasp for air.

Because I was selfish and focusing on myself, my little brother got hurt. I promised I would put him first, always. It’s time to keep that promise.

No matter how much it hurts.

Chapter 22

Anders

Dread racks my insides.

Jamie will barely look at me, and he hasn’t said a word since Jace went into surgery. Children and their parents come and go, the little ones crying and distressed by their injuries. Their wails, the metallic tang of blood, all the people coming and going—it’s too much for me to bear.

“Be right back.” I rise, resisting the urge to give Jamie a comforting touch. It’s clear he needs space. He’s only rejected comfort when he’s hurting deeply, and it terrifies me and my wolf that our mate won’t let us give him what he needs.

Since neither of us had supper, I stop by a vending machine and feed it a few dollars in exchange for whatever snack catches my interest, making sure to get more for Jamie than for myself. My mate needs to be nourished right now, and he never thinks of himself.

When I return, Jace’s healer is speaking to Jamie. He grips the arms of his chair tight, shoulders stiff. I run to his side, almost dropping the snacks. “Is he well?”

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