Page 110 of Conner's Luna

Conner steps back and tucks my hand in his. "I'll be right here, even if you just gave me a horrible middle name," he reassures me. Or he's warning the doctor. Maybe both.

The doctor checks me quickly and swiftly makes a few entries on the computer next to my bed. "I'll send the nurse in to prep her for some stitches," he says to Conner quietly.

"She needs stitches?" he seethes.

"It would be best," the doctor says quietly.

"Don't give her benzodiazepines or I'll rip your fucking arms off," Conner snaps.

I think that's a bit excessive. "Do you know why I majored in bio-sciences?"

"You're not cool enough for Statistics?" he chimes right back, easing off of the doctor.

"It saves time. Let's assume I'm always right."

The doctor laughs but chokes off the sound when Conner glares at him.

"You're being scary," I tell him sleepily. I want to 'rest' but the drugs given to me earlier are keeping me awake. The nurse enters the room and starts to bustle around while Conner eyes her suspiciously. She asks me to turn my head to face the big bank of windows, which is why the black pick-up truck catches my eye as it pulls up and parks in the drop-off zone right next to a beautiful car that I think might be a Rolls Royce.

I smile to myself at the enormous figure that unfolds from the truck. How does anyone make a pick-up truck look small?

I imagine I can hear him coming. Only a huge wolf-man could make that kind of noise; a solid, heavy tread of deliberate steps. It's like Jurassic Park when the T-Rex makes the ground tremble and you just know that the actors can't escape. Your only chance is to remain perfectly still and hope he doesn't pay any attention to you.

Conner's dad enters the room and I don't listen to my own advice. "Hello, Beta Teague Grim." I wiggle my fingers at him with my good arm.

He spares me a slight glance with no smile. "Bailey, you may call me Teague. Son, I want an explanation."

"She hurt my female," Conner snaps with a curled lip that shows off his canines.

Beta Teague Grim doesn't look impressed with his son's non-answer. Behind him, Sarj and Sean walk into the room. Both boys look grim. Ha. Grim and grim. That's funny.

Another man steps inside the room and the temperature drops to below freezing. I stare at him, trying to focus my eyes, but all I see are eyes that are eerily similar to Trey's.

"Wilkinson," Conner's dad growls. "We are not having this discussion with Bailey in the room"

Oh, poopsicles. This is Trey's father.

Then, to round out the awful situation, Trey and Lydia sneak inside the room. So now there is literally no room to maneuver with all the gigantic bodies.

Wolf-people are fast. Did I already note that?

It only takes a moment for Sarj, Sean, Conner, and The Grim Reaper to surround me. Stone-cold green eyes drop to me, followed by a pair of whiskered lips. The room gets even more uncomfortable when the giant wolf-man kisses me on the forehead, leaving me to wonder; why?

"Get them out," Conner snarls at his dad. He's pacing in the tiny amount of space left in the room, near my head. I try to watch him but I can't crane my neck in that direction. I do notice his claws and the fur sprouting from the backs of his hands.

"This discussion involves her," the old Wilkinson sneers at me. "Lydia has told us that this girl has been chasing your son," he adds.

Every one of my wolf-boy-rebels start to bristle, but the Grim's booming laughter cuts their anger away right away. I tug on Sean's sleeve with my good hand until his gaze drops to me and whisper to him, "do any of you ever go into psychology?"

He blinks at me. His pupils are slitted almost like a cat's. I try to not let that freak me out as I meet his gaze.

"What?" his voice is muffled and I see canines poking out.

"Psychology. I've considered it a few times for bi-o-logy. It may be useful with the crazies." Now I am wiggling my eyebrows at Sean. "Not you, Grim Reap- I mean Beta Teague," I hurry to tell the hugely intimidating green-eyed wolf-man.

The scariest wolf-man alive barks out a quick laugh that he quickly cuts short as Trey's dad postures to him menacingly. Conner and Trey snap and snarl at each other. The hapless doctor is trapped in the room with us and tries to diffuse the situation. Sean and Sarj are posturing a sort-of violence. Lydia and I are the only ones who are silent, but the Grim's demeanor towards me is completely at odds with how he is treating Lydia.

I can feel waves of disapproval rolling off of the scariest dude in the world directly at the foolish girl. Everyone is talking, the noise growing louder even as the buzzing in my ears increases. It all falls silent when Lydia hisses out a word in my direction.

---