~
It had been two weeks since my hook-up with Susie and I had been a busy boy. Aside from the several hook-ups in the janitor’s closet with Susie, I'd been on five more dates with five different girls, each ending in hot and steamy hook-ups. Thankfully, none of the girls had been clingy and they had all made it onto my booty call list.
While I was loving my sudden uprising to pack stud, I hadn't forgotten why I was doing all of this. All of the girls I had hooked up with had all been she-wolves, in the hope that the news of my actions would travel through the rumour mill and somehow make its way to Roxy. I still hoped that when she heard about me being with other girls, jealousy would kick in and she would come running back to accept and claim me as hers.
For the time being, all the release my wolf and I had been getting from all the other girls seemed to be keeping us both calm and sated. All we had left to do was sit back and wait for Roxy to hear about it and come back to us. There was no reason why I couldn't continue having fun though, right?
A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts and I swivelled around in my desk chair to face my father as he walked in with a nervous looking girl standing behind him.
"Blaze, this is Emily. She has come over from Alpha Lucas' pack to meet you. I was hoping you could show her around?" So this is the girl my father and the Elders were trying to force me into mating? Blonde hair, blue eyes, curves to die for; I would have her under me in a heartbeat. Except I refused to have anything to do with her. She was here to replace my mate and I wasn't interested in anything like that.
"I'm just heading out Dad; get someone else to show her around. I'm sure she will let anyone do it." I snuck in a double and began dialling my phone whilst sliding on my shoes. I pushed past the two of them, who were standing in the doorway looking shocked, just as Susie answered her phone.
"Hello?"
"Susie, I'll be there in ten. Be ready, I plan on working you for a few hours."
"Ahhhh, Blaze. Heather is actually here at the moment." She trailed off and I heard whispering in the background.
"Never mind, come over now, we will work something out when you get here," she purred down the line.
"Definitely. Be waiting. Both of you." I hung up and turned to face Dad and Emily, knowing that they had just heard everything that had been said. Dad looked furious, but I couldn't read Emily's face as she looked anywhere but at me.
"If you will excuse me, I now have two dates I'm late for." Without waiting for a response, I trotted out the door and headed for my car.
I don't need a new mate. Roxy will be back soon and then everything will be as it should be.
Baydon
My eyes were stinging and my temples ached, all signs of the fact that I had barely slept during the last couple of weeks. When I wasn't contributing to the pack duties that they needed help with, I was sitting beside Roxy's bed in the medical room.
Currently I was holding her hand between both of mine, wishing for her to wake-up. It had been two weeks and the only change in her had been her heart rate returning to its regular pace. After the first few days of being here, the Alpha and Doctor had stopped trying to get me to leave Roxy's side. On the rare occasion that I did sleep, it was always short and uncomfortable, sitting upright in the chair beside Roxy, never letting go of her hand.
'Please, please let Roxy wake up soon. I will never ask you for anything again, Goddess. Just please wake her up and bring her back to me.' I felt like praying to the Moon Goddess was my last hope. She was supposed to watch over and protect all of the werewolves.
A knock interrupted my thoughts and I mumbled an almost incoherent, "Come in," as I slightly shifted my body to include the door in my vision. Sampson, one of the guys who had acted as an escort when we first arrived, was standing in the doorway looking between Roxy and me.
"Hey man, any change in Roxy today?" Sampson and I had formed a solid friendship over the past two weeks. His twin sister had gone through the same thing Roxy was going through now. It took her three months to accept her mate, so he could relate to what I was going through; although he said his sister had never been this bad.
"Nah, nothing. Not a movement or a sound." I sighed; it was really getting to me. I had logged into Roxy's online lessons and explained to her teacher what was going on so she could be excused until she was better. Roxy, I'm sure, would appreciate that, I knew it was something that was important to her, but that has been the only productive thing I have done during the fortnight.
"I'm sure she will wake up soon, anyway, Alpha Davies sent me to get you. He is up in the study. Want me to stay with Roxy until you get back?"
"Yeah, thanks Sampson. I'll be as quick as I can." Standing and heading out of the room, I clapped Sampson on the back before climbing the stairs to the second floor study.
The door was open and the Alpha was pacing the floor, which instantly had me worried. He clasped his hands together when he spotted me.
"Oh good, Baydon, you're here. How is Roxy today?" Alpha Davies had been concerned about Roxy since we had arrived. I think it was because his daughter was around the same age, and he missed her during the week while she was away at boarding school.
"No change today Alpha, I'm hoping it won't be much longer, these past two weeks have been hell." I flopped down on the nearby arm chair, exhaustion taking over my body.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about Baydon. Doctor Evelyn and I are both really worried about you. You're not eating or sleeping and you are still contributing to your share of the pack duties. We know you won't leave Roxy so we have spoken to the other pack members and have decided that you are relieved of pack duties until Roxy wakes up. You need to look after yourself Baydon." The whole time Alpha Davies was talking he was using a 'no nonsense, don't argue with me' tone. He didn't seem to enjoy using his commanding Alpha voice unless absolutely necessary.
"Thank you Alpha, but I really must decline. I need to pull my weight around - " A scream from downstairs cut me off. I know that scream.
"Fuck, that's Roxy." Running out of the room as quickly as I could, I could hear the Alpha jogging behind me.
"Baydon, you need to get down here. Roxy is freaking out man." Sampson was yelling as I jumped down the stairs and tore into her room. Sampson, Alpha Davies and Doctor Evelyn were right behind me.
I grabbed her hand as I sat in the chair beside the bed. Doctor Evelyn was bustling around Roxy, hooking up a bunch of equipment to see what was going on. Roxy was still asleep, but she was twisting around, breathing heavily and her heart rate had increased.
"What's happening to her?" I hadn't directed my question towards anyone in particular; I was just panicked and needed some answers.
Doctor Evelyn replied after a couple of minutes of checking Roxy over. "I'm pretty sure she is starting to regain consciousness. Her memories must be flashing in her mind, causing this reaction in -" The doctor's summary was cut short by Roxy screaming out again.
"Blaze," she called out and I felt my heart clench. She was calling out for Blaze, even after everything he had done; she still sub-consciously must have wanted him. I made a move to let go of her hand, I couldn't stay here and listen to her calling for that jerk. I had barely untwined one finger from her hand before she started shaking her head around on her pillow.
"Blaze," she called out again. "Stop it. Blaze, get off me, stop it. I don't want you." A blood-curdling scream filled the room as Roxy sat bolt upright and threw her hands around me and nuzzled into my neck.
"Baydon, don't let him get me. Please, don't let Blaze take me." She was sobbing uncontrollably and clinging to me as though her life depended on it.
"Shhh baby. Blaze isn't here, he can't hurt you. I got you Roxy, I'm not going anywhere. Just relax, the doctor here needs to check you over and make sure you're alright." Relief filled me, she was finally awake and she didn't want Blaze, she still wanted me. Although I was furious that she was so terrified of him because of the way he treated her.
"Okay Baydon, but can you explain what happened please. I'm so confused right now; I don't even know where we are." Roxy lay back down but she was still holding my hand tightly. Her eyes were open wide, like she was scared and confused.
So while Doctor Evelyn checked Roxy over, I explained to her what happened at the park, how long we had driven for, where we were and who Alpha Davies, Doctor Evelyn and Sampson all were. When I finished explaining, she looked slightly less confused until the look of fear took over her beautiful features.
"Does that mean Blaze is still out there? Looking for us?" Her heart rate increased on the monitor as she spoke.
"No, I called Alpha Aston, he and a few others were just getting ready to leave to go and pick him up. He should be back at our pack house now, under constant surveillance." I wasn't sure about the last part, but I hoped it was true. Roxy would probably crumble if he showed up again and tried to take her.
Her heart rate slowed back down as she nodded, satisfied with my answer.
"Good, Baydon, I'm sleepy. Will you stay with me?" Roxy's eyes were drifting closed as she spoke, the grip she had on my hand, relaxing.
Doctor Evelyn appeared on the other side of Roxy's bed, "He has barely left you these last two weeks, I'm sure he isn't going anywhere. Your tests were all fine. Get some sleep if that's what you need. I'll be back in a few hours to check on you." The Doctor, Alpha and Sampson all left the room, leaving just Roxy and I.
"Is that true Baydon?" Roxy's words were slow as she started to drift to sleep.
"It is. I only left when the pack needed my help with something. I'll always be here for you. Now go to sleep, but promise me you will wake up soon." The worry that she wouldn't wake up again for another two weeks was consuming me.
"I promise sweetie. You're such a good guy and I'm glad you're mine. Defiantly a keeper." She barely managed to mumble all this out before she drifted off into a deep sleep again.
Now that she had woken up, I was determined to find some way to help stop all the passing out and eventually death. I didn't like thinking about that, but if I couldn't help her then it was either Blaze or death.
After I had been sitting with Roxy for half an hour, I gently placed her hand onto the bed beside her, kissing her forehead and leaving the room to seek out Alpha Davies and Doctor Evelyn.
They were both in the kitchen when I found them, talking about Roxy's condition while drinking coffee at the table. When they noticed me standing in the doorway their conversation stopped as they both looked at me expectantly.
"Bet you're relieved now Baydon," Doctor Evelyn was smiling at me as I took a seat at the table with them.
"For the most part, I'm very relieved. Although I was actually hoping that you could help me with something?" I paused here and watched their reaction. Both nodded for me to continue. "Well you have both heard what happened between Roxy and her mate. You have both also seen how terrified she is at the thought of him. If she isn't mated soon, she will die. So what I was hoping is that you would help me find as many werewolf doctors as possible so I can question them to see if there is anything I can do to stop the process." It was out there now and I was praying that they would help me.
"Baydon, you really love her, don't you?"
"Yes Alpha, like you wouldn't believe. I have to find a way to save her." I could feel tears pooling in my eyes as I again thought about the possibility that I might lose her.
"I'll help you anyway I -" Doctor Evelyn cut of Alpha Davies by raising her hand in his direction.
"We don't need to help you find all those doctors," my heart sank as she spoke. She didn't want to help me. "I can do better; while you guys have been here I have done some research of my own. I have located a doctor who has been studying this condition for twenty years. I have her number if you would like to call her?"
The chair I was sitting on crashed to the floor as I leapt up and threw myself at the woman beside me, hugging her so tightly I don't think either of us could breathe.
"Yes, yes. Please can I have the number?" Doctor Evelyn nodded before rising from her chair and leaving to get the number.
Shifting my position slightly so I was facing Alpha Davies, I opened my mouth to speak, but he beat me to it.
"When Doctor Evelyn returns with that number I want you to go up to my study, lock the door and make the phone call. Take your time and find out everything you can that might help Roxy. You may not be her mate, but I can see the love you have for her and you have treated her far better than that Blaze. You're a good guy Baydon and anything I can do to help, I will." Sincerity filled the words spoken while he held out his hand for me to shake, a sign of acceptance. We shook hands as I thanked him and we ended up in a man hug just as the doctor returned to the kitchen.
"Here you go Baydon. I hope she can help you," she handed me a slip of paper with a name and number written on it.
"Thanks Doc," I shouted over my shoulder as I ran out of the kitchen and took the stairs two at a time until I reached the second floor and bolted down the hall to the study.
Locking the door behind me, it took three long strides before I was standing next to the phone. Here it goes; hopefully this lady can help me.
I lifted the phone and dialled the number, holding it to my ear lightly as though it would break.
One ring.
Two rings.
Three rings.
"Hello, Doctor Rosemary Lincoln speaking," a sweet voice filtered down the line as she answered my call.
"Hello, Doctor Rosemary. My name is Baydon Tallon. I was given your details by a friend of mine who said you may be able to help me." Even I could tell how desperate my voice sounded.
"What seems to be the problem Baydon? I'll try and help you as best I can."
I explained everything to Doctor Rosemary as best I could. The fight with Blaze, the first time he tried to mark Roxy, running away, what happened when he found us again and how Roxy had been unconscious for two weeks and had just woken up today.
A silence filled the line as I waited for her to speak, "Your friend is right, I can help you with this. The information I give you must remain between us and your girlfriend. I'm very selective with whom I help, but you seem genuine so I'll tell you what I know. My personal experience has proved that this indeed works. I rejected my mate fifteen years ago after discovering he was a murderer and rapist. I went through all the symptoms, six months later I met a man whose mate was human and didn't want to know anything about our kind. We formed a solid friendship instantly and it was only a matter of weeks before we fell in love. We decided to try mating to see if that would stop the process I was going through. It worked, I am now the Luna as well as the Doctor of my mate's pack and we have five beautiful children. After years of research I've discovered that this will only work if both wolves are in love when they complete the mating."
"So you're saying that if Roxy and I love each other, truly love each other. Then I can mate her and stop this from happening?" Could it really be that simple?
"Yes, but you have to be in love, if you're not, then it will only speed up the process and shorten her life span to a few weeks maximum." There is that catch, but still I was confident.
"That's fantastic news. I know I love her I just have to be sure of how she feels. You have really made my day Doctor Rosemary. I could never thank you enough. Please, if there is ever anything I can do for you just ask." I gave the laughing Doctor Rosemary my number and again thanked her before ending the call.
This was fantastic news. I can save Roxy, as long as we are in love, I can save her. Then she will always be mine.
Roxy can be my mate. The thought brought overwhelming happiness to both me and my wolf. She can be ours, our wife, our mate, mother to our children.
But best of all was that I could save her from dying simply by loving her, and her loving me.