Mated To An Enemy

Bell cleared her throat.

Ashleigh pulled away from Caleb with an embarrassed smile. She hurried to get off the bed and stand.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Bell chuckled.

Caleb let out a soft laugh.

“It’s alright,” Caleb smiled, “our timing always seems to be a problem.”

He looked over at Ashleigh, who suddenly remembered the last time they kissed when her mother walked in. Ashleigh licked her lips and turned away from them, her face warm from the flush.

Bell covered her giggle with a cough.

“Anyway… how are you feeling?” Bell asked, stepping up next to Caleb and proceeding to check his heart.

“Tired, my head hurts a little. Though that might be from whatever is happening out there….” Caleb replied, indicating the shouting that could still be heard in the hallway.

“Yea, even the soundproofing of this room isn’t enough to cover those idiots,” sighed Bell.

“What’s going on?” Caleb asked.

Bell looked at Ashleigh.

“We’ll talk about it later,” Ashleigh told Caleb. “Right now, you need to worry about yourself.”

Caleb gave her a look of concern but turned back to Bell.

“Alright, there is the small issue of paralysis that I am concerned about,” Caleb said with a gentle smile.

“As you should be,” Bell replied seriously. “The wolfsbane attacked your spine without mercy. We have pumped you full of medicine to treat it, and so far, it kept you alive, but when it got inside the bone–”

“It became like cancer,” Caleb replied.

Bell nodded.

“Werewolves don’t get cancer,” Caleb sighed. “So, there should be no treatment. But you don’t seem incredibly concerned about letting me down gently regarding losing my bodily functions, so...”

Bell smiled. “Each scan we have done looks better than the last. But everything is still very swollen and angry right now. So, the first thing is to give you two more days and see if you regain any function in that time. If not, there are options.”

“What kind of options?” Caleb asked.

“We looked at the research from Summer, and there were several that could pretty easily be adapted to meet your needs.”

“Which ones?” Caleb asked. “I’m generally familiar with most of our active research projects.”

“There are two different surgical options that could fix the problem,” Bell stated. “The first one has less risk, a longer recovery time, and will likely need to be reevaluated through the rest of your life.”

“What about the second option?” Caleb asked.

“Much higher risk, recovery time is a lot shorter, assuming all goes well. And theoretically, it is a permanent fix, theoretically, and again, assuming all goes well.”

“What kind of risk?” Ashleigh asked.

“The second option involves taking out multiple vertebral in the spine's lower T and upper L. Then replacing them with synthetic versions.

“There is also some kind of nerve augmentation that is very outside of my field of understanding. All of this is outside my understanding. Either option can only be done in Summer.”

“I remember it,” Caleb said. “We started the research with the idea of human soldiers in mind. But we were never able to adjust for their lack of self-healing.”

“The point is, two days rest, right here,” Bell said. “After that, you return to Summer and decide on the next treatment plan.”

Caleb nodded.

“Alright, I will let you two have some privacy.”

Bell moved to leave the room.

“Could you let Galen know I am awake? Then send him in. I would like a report on the battle.”

“Uh…” Bell looked at Ashleigh. “I’ll leave that to you.”

Bell hurried out the door, closing it behind her.

“Thanks!” Ashleigh shouted after Bell, her tone less than friendly.

“What’s going on?” Caleb asked.

Ashleigh sat down on the bed once more, this time facing him. She took his hand in hers, and though he couldn’t feel her touch, it still comforted him.

“A lot has happened while you’ve been asleep,” she started. “Galen and your wolves, other than the three medics you brought, have all returned to Summer.”

“What?!” Caleb questioned. He couldn’t believe it.

“I will tell you everything. Just listen.” Ashleigh said.

Caleb nodded.

She took a deep breath before continuing.

“Ok, so first, the bond between us works both ways,” Ashleigh said, “when you were hit with the wolfsbane, I got a taste of it too.”

“Are you ok?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Ashleigh replied. “I only got sick, and not for very long.”

Caleb hated that Ashleigh had been in danger, but further confirmation of their shared bond, still made him feel a sense of relief.

“When you spoke with my mother, you told her that someone was attacking you,” Ashleigh said.

“Yes, Granger, he was shooting at me,” Caleb replied.

“Right, but you didn’t know it was him at the time, just that someone was attacking.”

“Yes.”

“The team that was sent back for you was made up of some of mine and some of yours,” she continued. “When they found us, my men saw me, and your men saw you….”

Caleb furrowed his brows, unsure what she meant by that.

“And no one else.”

Caleb’s eyes widened, and his jaw clenched in a rage he could barely contain.

“He’s alive?” he asked quietly.

“Yes,” Ashleigh replied. “I thought he was dead when I went to you. But I guess he wasn’t. And before he left, he dropped his bow... beside me.”

Caleb could not control the low growl.

“Your men assumed I was the archer. My men came to my defense and noticed the wounds I had. They thought that you were responsible.

“They all held it together while they got us back to the hospital, but as soon as we were with the doctors… there was a fight. My mother and Galen broke it up. But no one was satisfied.”

Caleb closed his eyes. His wolves had already struggled with his decision to monitor Winter. Several of them had spoken out against taking a team to aid them before a confirmed attack.

These packs had fought side by side. Something that would have helped to bridge the gap between them… if it weren’t for another of Granger’s manipulations.

“A few hours before I woke up, my father got involved,” Ashleigh sighed. “He ordered your wolves to leave. There would have been chaos if Galen hadn’t been there. He agreed to send all except the medics you brought. My father tried to argue, but my mother got him to back down.

“Galen and the others went back to Summer an hour before I woke up. Even after telling my father the truth, he wouldn’t let them return. Not even Galen.”

“I need to let them know I am awake,” Caleb said.

“Bell has already taken care of that,” Ashleigh replied. “She has been working with your medics the entire time. They have kept Galen in the loop. I guarantee she was already calling him before the door closed.”

Caleb nodded.

“The medics I brought are all fairly calm people, and you said they are working with Bell, so why the arguments?” Caleb asked, referring to the voices he had heard earlier.

“Well,” Ashleigh said, “it’s not the medics arguing. It’s not anyone from Summer. A few of the scouts were part of Granger’s team. They showed up not long ago.”

Ashleigh looked away.

“My brother is in the hospital too. He’s in a coma right now.”

Caleb wanted to reach out to her, to hold her hand.

“So, these wolves are here trying to say that you or one of your wolves are the ones that hurt Axel. Because Granger would never have done such a thing,” she scoffed. “Which makes sense. Granger was Axel’s best friend. He was meant to be his Beta. So how could he, right?”

The tears in her eyes were impossible to miss.

“Saul is the other voice in the arguments,” Ashleigh continued, wiping her tears. “He chose to station himself outside your room after I woke up and tried to clear the air. I guess he was predicting something like this would happen.”

“He’s a good man.”

“Yes, he is.”

Caleb and Ashleigh were both quiet. Both were thinking over the events of the past few days. Both wanting to hold the other.

“You should check on your brother,” Caleb said with a gentle smile.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

He nodded, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Ashleigh stood up from the bed. She leaned forward and touched their lips together tenderly.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Ok,” he smiled.

She left the room, and Caleb was left alone to consider the things she had told him. It was a lot to process.

His wolves were sent home and forced to leave their Alpha behind. This was going to be a problem.

And Granger survived.

Caleb felt the rage welling inside him, with his anger drawing all his focus. He didn’t even notice how his hand had curled into a fist.