He walked into the room and stopped in front of me. Reaching out for my good arm and helped me ease slowly to my feet. I ended up chest to chest with him and looked up to notice that his eyes were disarmingly friendly, completely at odds with his briskness. They were a beautiful hazel with little laugh lines around them.
“Thanks, Eli,” I smiled, hoping to appease him. He helped me shuffle slowly, moving my IV and monitor along with me, until I could sit in a recliner. The chair sat in the corner of the room overlooking the closed curtains, and I imagined that during the day I would have a beautiful view of the forest. For now, I sat happily in the dark room feeling a bit of the ache easing off my ribs. The chair was already proving much more comfortable than the bed.
I watched Eli moving around the dimly lit room. He took some blankets from the foot of the bed and brought them to me. One he laid across my lap and the other he placed gently along my left hip to ease where it pressed into the arm of the chair. He then lifted the footrest slowly until my feet were kicked up and he quickly spread the blanket in my lap across my bare legs.
“I’m going to lay you back just a bit,” he told me, as he suited actions to words. “I don’t think you need the heart monitor on anymore.” With that he eased my shirt up enough to remove the tiny wires and sticky pads that had been recording my heart beat. He finished his task as Alex walked in carrying a tray with a bowl and a glass on it. Alex did a double take of my new location with some concern.
“The chair is so much more comfortable,” I said as way of explanation. The concern didn’t leave his face, but he did nod slightly. “I have an important question. When can I shower?” I looked at both men, hoping they would say now. My body felt gross. I had noticed dried blood in several places, and I hoped the shower would help to soothe my sore muscles a bit, too.
“After you eat your soup, I’ll see if Tegan minds helping you,” Eli told me, and I started to tell him that I didn’t need help, but he waved me off. “You need someone to help. Trust me. The first few showers are going to be hard. You can’t get your stitches in your head or your cast wet. That’s going to take some maneuvering.”
I gave up my arguments in hopes that Alex would at least set my soup down. I was pleased when he finally did, and I found myself staring into a bowl of homemade chicken soup. It smelled amazing and my stomach let out a fierce sounding growl. Both men chuckled and I blushed.
“Eat, doll,” Alex encouraged. “Your shower can wait a few minutes.” Elis left us in the dimly lit room, presumably in search of Tegan, and Alex pulled his chair around the bed to sit beside me. I was too busy inhaling the soup to speak for several minutes. Then I decided to ask Alex some of the questions that had been bothering me.
“How are you explaining my absence to Delilah and my work?” I thought it would be the easiest answer to hear. I imagined Delilah must be worried. Alex looked uncomfortable with my choice of questions and I got nervous waiting for his answer.
“Well, Tegan called the resort and pretended to be you,” Alex started. “They weren’t happy when she told them that you were going out of town for a while and you weren’t sure when you’d be back. I’m pretty sure they implied that you were fired. Lynn was easier because she knows Tegan. Tegan told her that you had to go out of town with me for a family thing. I think she thinks we’re getting married. She hinted as much to Tegan. Tegan promised her you would call. Tegan left the same message for your sister, but Delilah hasn’t called back.”
“Well that was awfully easy,” I said, surprised. “I can’t believe Delilah isn’t going crazy. But she has been really busy with Silas; maybe she hasn’t had the time yet.” I shrugged my shoulders, trying to brush off Delilah’s lack of worry as no big deal. Inside it hurt that she hadn’t bothered to at least check on me when I didn’t come home.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Alex
I could hear every word Zee was saying to her sister. Not that I was trying to eavesdrop but even from the kitchen I could hear her. The conversation had started off quiet, but as the minutes wore on her voice was rising. I didn’t think things were going well.
“Don’t you ever call him that again!” Zee yelled from her room. I assumed that I was being insulted. Delilah probably wasn’t taking Zee staying with me well. Jarren’s eyes were narrowed in the direction of Zee’s room, and I thought that he could also be the one they were yelling about. Either way, I expected it was because we were werewolves.
“I don’t care what Silas says,” Zee’s voice sounded weaker. All the yelling was probably wreaking havoc on her ribs. At Silas’ name Jarren let out a sharp growl that had Mackenzie whipping around to glare at him.
“Jarren, get on out of here and help Aaron with the lumber since you have so much energy to work off,” Mackenzie waved her spoon at him when he turned to look at her stunned. I fought back
