“That is a serious accusation, Alpha Finlay,” the councilman said.
“And completely false,” Alpha Ryder objected.
“Your Beta saw the entire thing?”
“She did,” Finlay said, looking in my direction. The councilmen both followed his look and saw me standing over Ramses, protecting him. I wasn’t growling, but I wasn’t calm and I felt my lips twitch, showing my canines.
“Right. Tempers are high. We will set a hearing for tomorrow. The injuries are not fatal so the game will continue. All three of the hiders from the Blue mountain pack have been found, but no one will get a point from it. Ten minutes remaining,” the councilman said and walked away.
‘Go!’ I told Finlay. He needed to find as many in hiding as possible now that we lost all three bonuses. He hesitated. ‘Go, Jake and I will watch over him until they let our healer tend to him,’ I insisted. He nodded and set off. I could feel the anger rolling off both him and Sam. When everyone had left. I sat down next to Ramses and Jake sat on his other side.
“I’m fine. You can go and rest and come back for me when the game is over,” Ramses told us.
‘Shut up and rest,’ I told him.
“Yes, Beta.” Ten minutes had never felt as long in my entire life as when I watched over him with Jake’s help.
Jake and I stayed in our place until the signal came. It told us the game had ended. A group of our pack members came running as soon as it sounded. Hugo started looking over Ramses while Matilda handed spare clothes to Jake and me so we could shift back. Finlay and Sam came walking shortly thereafter. Finlay gave me a look and when I nodded to let him know I was unharmed, he walked over to Ramses. Despite Ramses’ objection, he was placed on a gurney and carried off to a waiting car. Our pack got a separate car to ride back. Which was probably wise since we all were tightly strung and wouldn’t have done well packed in a bus with other packs. Back at the cabin, we all waited while Hugo and his assistant took care of Ramses. A letter came from the council, summoning Finlay and me to a meeting at nine the following morning. When Hugo came downstairs, we all turned to him.
“His right shoulder is dislocated and fractured. There are some torn ligaments and deep gashes. I have set the shoulder and given him healing salves. Now we just need to wait for the healing process to do its part,” he told us.
“Will there be any permanent damages?” I asked.
“There probably will be scars left by the claws. If he takes time and let it heal before using the shoulder, he should make a full recovery. But if he is stubborn and refuses to listen to me, there might be some remaining mobility issues,” he answered. It was clear by the way he said it, he and Ramses had already discussed the topic.
“How long will he need to recover?” Finlay asked.
“It’s hard to say right now. It might be fine in a day. It might require a week. I will know more tomorrow,” Hugo said. Finlay nodded.
“Is it okay to go up and see him?” I asked.
“Please do, and try to talk some sense to him,” Hugo said. Finlay and I walked upstairs. Ramses made an effort to sit up in his bed.
“Stay down. If it makes you feel better, you can see it as an order,” Finlay told him. Ramses grinned as he relaxed back.
“Hugo has already talked to you,” Ramses determined.
“He has. There is no shame in resting after an injury,” I told him. Both he and Finlay gave me a look, telling me I wasn’t the right person to talk about being a model patient. They had a point.
“I will be ready to join in the next game,” Ramses told Finlay. Finlay nodded.
“We will take it one day at the time. Your first and foremost duty right now is to rest and regain your health,” Finlay told him and placed a hand on his uninjured shoulder.
“Yes, Alpha.”
“The others want to come and see you as well. We will send them up in smaller groups. If you feel too tired, just let us know,” I said.
“Thank you, Beta,” he said. Finlay, Sam and I sat at the kitchen table.
“What do we do about this?” I asked.
“Tell us what happened,” Sam said. So I did, in as much detail as I could remember.
“First step is to talk to the council tomorrow,” Finlay said. Both Sam and I nodded.
“We should also make sure that no one walks around on their own. I don’t think anyone is stupid enough to do something in the open. But I would rather be safe than sorry,” Sam said. We all agreed.
“That goes for the games as well. From now on, our strategies will be based on groups. No one is to be left alone,” Finlay added. My phone chirped and I looked at it. I was messaged by my dad.
