Page 12 of Alpha's Forbidden Fate

Who is the brown-haired girl? And how could a vampire be this injured? It’s been hours. Maybe she was telling me the truth about Mia?

My phone buzzes, jolting me from my thoughts. It’s 4:30 am.

Who would be texting me at this hour?

Nobody; just spam. Geez!

I slump down in the seat and wait for them to leave before deciding to follow them.

They drive down the city streets, empty at this late hour. I trail far behind, headlights off. They pull up to the hospital, and I watch from a distance as they enter.

I park in a dark area of the lot and walk toward the entrance. I lean against a nearby pillar just inside the door, trying to blend in with the stragglers. The hospital smells of antiseptic, and its harsh lighting is flickering overhead. I keep my distance but stay close enough to overhear snippets of conversation.

The brown-haired girl—Annie—speaks in hushed tones with the intake receptionist, explaining that the black-haired girl—Selene—was involved in an attempted robbery gone wrong. My eyes narrow. Attempted robbery? Yeah right!

They take the vampire, Selene, back to a room as Annie fills out paperwork. At this late (early?) hour, I know it will be difficult to get past security to where the patients’ rooms are, so I wait until someone exits and casually slip past when the guard is distracted by another patient. The hallways are bustling with nurses, doctors, and orderlies, and I pass by several rooms before I find Selene. She lies there, looking helpless in the stark, sterile space. The vampire looks different now, vulnerable and fragile.

I feel justified in my earlier decision to hold off on involving the council. I need to find out more.

Taking advantage of the hospital staff’s distraction, I slip into an empty room near the nurses’ station and wait, eavesdropping on their conversations. It doesn’t take long for me to learn that Selene is being treated for injuries sustained during a robbery attempt. I manage to catch a snippet of the nurses discussing the severity of her wounds.

Selene’s current state is a stark contrast to the image I had of her from last night. She looks nothing like the savage predator I saw. Now, she’s weak and clutching her side. It doesn’t make sense.

And what is the connection between Selene and the brown-haired girl, Annie? It’s unlikely that a vampire and a human would be friends. The human probably doesn’t know.

But whatever the situation, she is not dumb enough to attack anyone in the hospital. Half the staff here are working with the council. Or are one of us. It helps to have people right here so we can deal with any troublemakers straight away. If Selene did try anything, she would be taken down immediately.

I am curious what exactly she will say to explain her injuries. That stupid excuse might work on a human, but no wolf will believe it. What was she thinking, allowing her friend to bring her here?

Just then, my phone vibrates with an incoming message.

It’s from Gray.

The message makes me smile.

I swipe on the text quickly, reading it: Bro, the food here is terrible. I miss your pasta! I am texting from the counselor’s office. I had to sneak in before school starts to get ahold of my phone. Long story. Don’t ask and don’t text back. I miss you! Say hey to Mom and Dad.

The fact that he’s risking more trouble to send me a text says a lot about our relationship.

I feel my chest cave with tenderness. I miss my brother and can’t wait to see him.

Since waiting around in a hospital with no plan in place is just foolish, I decide it’s time to go. I have to get home and shower, so I am ready to open Mariya’s. Maybe the time between now and then will help me sort out the jumbled mess in my head.

I need to decide whether to tell the council or, at least, my mother about what happened tonight.

Keeping this secret is dangerous, especially if Mia’s pack decides to talk.

This is the first vampire sighting in years, and it had to be her?

Fucking hell!

I drag a hand over my brown hair, flinching when I realize it is now caked with sweat and dirt. I need that shower… now!

On my way back home, I wish that I could call Mariya and ask her advice. She is the only other person outside my family I would trust with this secret.

Then again, my deep hatred for vampires stems from an attack that she and I were involved in. I really doubt she would have anything positive to say about it anyway.

By the moon, I miss her!

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