“I’ll let them know you’re here so you can be with him.”
While most of me wants nothing but to curl up in his bed the way Marcus has done most nights this week, I’m not enough of a jerk to force his family out. I give the same fake smile as before and shake my head. “That’s all right. I don’t mind them being here.”
A door slides open behind me.
“Charlotte?”
It’s Johnathan’s calm, quiet voice. I turn away from the nurse.
“Hi,” I manage. “I’m glad you made it out.”
His smile is nearly non-existent, clearly just an automatic response to a greeting.
“I know you’ve gotten to meet my partners. I’d like to introduce you to the rest of my family.”
“Of course.”
I adjust the bag on my shoulder and follow him in the room. Jacob follows behind me, setting one of the chairs from his nursing station just inside the sliding glass doors. He’s gone before I can offer him any kind of thanks. THe blond man leans forward with a small smile.
“Hi, I’m Jasper, part of Pack Montegue,” he offers, holding out his hand. “This is one of my partners, Rylan.” He leans his head against the man’s shoulder, and Rylan kisses his temple. “Violet, our Omega, is Cole’s sister. And the grumpy one is Dominic. Don’t worry, he always looks like that.”
There’s a scoff and then a snort behind me from the other couch.
“It’s good to meet you,” I offer numbly. “I’m Charlotte.”
And then I’m surrounded by them all, their faces and their names and their warmth.
The strawberry blonde woman is Scarlett, Cole’s oldest sister. She looks nothing like her siblings. Cole and Violet have the same black hair and golden, olive skin and hazel eyes. Her laugh is just like Cole’s, though, and it has my breath catching in my throat.
The men are harder for me to remember, but I do my best. The man with Scarlett is Joshua, a Beta just like Jasper. That brings up confusion in me. Cole had mentioned she’d matched, right? Why was only the Beta with her? Violet’s entire pack was here with her, so it’s not like it would be impossible for it to happen.
After the initial conversation dies down, I drop my bag at the foot of his bed and slowly sit beside him, tucking my legs to my chest and resting my cheek on my knees. No one comments or even seems surprised that I can’t help but touch him, be near him.
Violet adjusts her hair as she sits up. A ragged bond scar, just starting to turn silver, sits under her ear. My breath catches in my throat at the sight. It’s automatic to quietly trace Cole’s wrist, right where my accidental bite sits, now fully healed and a thick pink welt. It hasn’t had the time to fade the way Marcus’s has on his chest.
“How did he like the piano?” Johnathan asks after a while.
For some reason, the question has tears lining my lashes and threatening to fall. He frowns and then pulls me into his arms, not hesitating for a moment. He perches on the very edge of Cole’s bed as I sob uncontrollably into his shoulder. All the fear and hopelessness and rage. Every moment of feeling completelyinadequate the last week, of watching—offeeling—Marcus fall apart without knowing how to help him.
His worry slowly filters into my chest, and it just makes the tears fall harder.
A soft hand palms my shoulder after a minute. I manage to pull myself together and lift my head, quickly wiping away all the tears.
“I’msosorry,” I say, completely embarrassed.
“Don’t be.” Johnathan’s smile is softer this time and actually touches his eyes.
Scarlett’s quiet voice fills the awkward silence. “I’m glad he’s found such protective, compassionate Alphas.”
When I glance up at her, her eyes are glassy with tears, too. Somehow, I know they’re not for Cole, but for herself and whatever situation has left her with only a Beta in her life now. It’s instinct to grab her hand on my shoulder and squeeze it in silent support.
“I’m glad he has such a supportive family,” I offer.
Her lips tick up in a small smile. “Well, we’re all doing what we can. I hope it’s enough.”
My whisper is so quiet, it’s barely heard over the soft beeping of one of the alarms.
“Me, too.”
