Mike threw his arms around me, his entire body shaking. I looked past him toward the ambulance, knowing Nora was inside. I could see her body still on the bed. A monitor was beeping next to her. I stared at the ambulance, needing her to be okay. I didn’t know what I would do if she wasn’t.
I rode with the ambulance to the hospital. I held Nora’s hand tightly, feeling my entire body shake. I held an oxygen mask to my face, refusing to break my eyes from her. She still hadn’t awoken; she hadn’t even stirred, and it scared me.
Once at the hospital, Nora was admitted. I paced her room, coughing as I watched them work on her. I couldn’t stand still, knowing part of it was the adrenaline.
“Sit,” a nurse said, pointing to a chair. She handed me the oxygen mask. “And take this.”
“I’m fine,” I snapped, refusing it. “I’m not the one who needs help.”
“Take it.” A new voice spoke up, and I turned as Jade stepped into the room. Her face was pale as she looked at me before her eyes snapped toward Nora. I watched fear fill her eyes before she looked back at me. “Or I’ll make you. I am not losing my best friend or my brother today.”
I put the mask back on and sat down, bringing it to my face. I stared at Nora, watching as the doctors looked her over. She needed stitches on her head and a CT scan to see if there was a brain bleed. Jade stood next to me, her hand tight on my shoulder.
“What happened?” she asked softly.
I didn’t know. I kept seeing her lying on the ground with the man’s body next to her. She’d used her magic. I knew that. But I still didn’t understand how he shifted. I couldn’t understand what Ryan had told me.
“I don’t know,” I said, looking at her. “Only she knows.”
The time ticked by, and still Nora didn’t wake up. I sat in the chair next to her, holding her hand as we waited. Jade paced the room, going from the door to the window and back. The door opened, and Brandon stepped in.
“Any news?” he asked, shutting the door behind him.
I shook my head. “No. What happened after I left?”
“They got the fire put out. Mike and I found a place to get the animal settled. A vet came and checked them out. They were all okay. What happened?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. Ryan came running down the street, saying a dog shifted into a hybrid. How is that even possible?”
“It’s not,” Brandon said. “Was he mistaken?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. It all happened so fast.”
“The good news is she’s okay, and the baby’s okay,” Jade said, trying to sound hopeful. “The doctor said she just used up her magic, which exhausted her and hit her head. She should wake up soon.”
I looked back at Nora, taking her in. I swallowed, needing her to be okay. We hadn’t even fixed everything. I couldn’t lose her like this. I didn’t have enough time with her.
“Kaleb, do you need anything?”
I shook my head.
“How about we grab something to drink? The doctor said you need to drink water.” Jade walked over and gave me a side hug. “We will be right back. I’m going to get some fresh air and bring you a bottle of water.”
I didn’t break my eyes away from Nora. I pulled her hand up, kissing her knuckle. “Please, Nora, wake up. We have so much to talk about. So much to figure out. I have so much to tell you.”
I felt my voice crack. “I found a baby crib. It’s white. I have already started moving stuff in the guest room to turn it into a nursery. That was my gift. I was going to surprise you.”
I felt her hand twitch on mine, and my head snapped up. I watched her eyes flutter for a moment before they slowly opened. My heart stopped beating as she opened her eyes. She looked confused as she looked around for a moment before her eyes landed on me.
“Kaleb?”
“I’m here,” I said, scooting closer. “I’m here.”
She blinked, looking away from me around the room. “I thought I was going to be dead for sure.”
I kissed her cheek, shaking my head. “You’re alive.”
She softly smiled at me. “You bought a crib?”
