Page 11 of Emerge

Chapter Four

Morgan

The longer I spent underwater, unable to shift back to my human form, the more I realized how much I loved having two legs. I loved the two appendages even more now that my tail looked like it had been through a bad science experiment. It seriously looked like someone had taken a wedge out of it to display on their charcuterie board.

The doctors visited me three times a day and talked in hushed voices before telling me everything would be fine. How could it be fine when a vital piece of my body was mutilated? I'd never be able to renew my status as an alpha if I didn't have the speed required.

I looked down at my tail that had just been unwrapped by the doctor. I couldn't wait to get back to land and not have to see it anymore.

"Ready to go, son?" Finn swam into my room looking more stressed than usual. He had been trying to track down Dylan Gale but was always two steps behind.

I was still pissed at him for lying to me about my parents, but over the past week, he'd stayed by my side, so I'd let my anger fizzle away. Hearing him call me son reignited what I had left smoldering.

"I'm not your son." I grabbed the bag that had a salve to spread on my tail and legs twice a day and strapped it across my body. "I thought Jax and Blake were coming to get me?"

A lot had happened in my absence, including another human being compromised by Dylan. Melissa would recover, but the aftermath left us all on edge. What was he going to do next?

"They're hosting a gathering to welcome you home." He didn't seem thrilled about that. "I tried to tell them that a party was the last thing you needed."

"It's exactly what I need." I really just wanted to go home and crawl into my bed, but he didn't need to know that. I swam ahead of him and out of the hospital.

The doctors had suggested I shift in the land facility and take a car back, but I wasn't about to miss an opportunity to swim when I had been locked up for almost a week. I had to agree to an escort though, now I was vulnerable.

I swam to the exit with Finn close behind. My tail moved the same, but the speed just wasn't what it once was. A dull ache set in just as I reached the exit. Add distance to the list of things that were not what they once were.

"Are you sure you're up for this? It's still healing." Finn's concern just made me push harder as I cleared the exit and entered the open waters.

Bubba appeared next to me and I took hold of his fin, appreciative of the boost. The last thing I wanted was to ask for assistance from Finn.

It took almost four times as long to make it to the cave. I surfaced and breathed in deeply. I had shifted a few times in the land facility so they could check my legs, but otherwise, I'd been stuck underwater.

I pulled myself onto the platform and shifted, my legs cramping as soon as the last of the scales disappeared. I gritted my teeth and rubbed at my calves as the cramping intensified. It felt like I was just getting my land legs again.

"Are you all right?" Finn was bobbing in the water next to Bubba.

"I'm fine. You can leave now." I only felt a small amount of guilt when hurt crossed his face and he sank below the surface.

I didn't understand what his deal was. He was much more involved now, and I didn't know what his endgame was. Now that Robert Kline was no longer in the picture, did that mean he was done being a vindictive asshole?

The cramping in my calves had eased, so I crawled to the bench and pulled myself up to sit. The worst part of it all was the pain. Sometimes my legs or tail would just cramp up or I'd have a stabbing pain where there was no more fin.

I pulled on the pair of loose, rip-away sweatpants the guys had left on the bench. For a while, I'd need to wear clothing that could easily be removed in case my body decided to shift.

I was thankful they knew me well enough to know that I needed to be left alone during the worst part of this. I stood on shaky legs and took a deep breath. It felt like my legs and feet were just waking up from being asleep.

I made it to the elevator and waited as the motor whirred inside as it brought the car down. Finn had said something about a gathering, and I hoped no one was upstairs to witness me walking like a toddler.

The elevator took me to the house, and as soon as the doors opened, I heard people laughing and music playing outside.

Fuck.

I should have just gone back down and stayed in the cave, but the idea of my bed was enough to get me shuffling down the hall. Everyone was outside besides Blake, who was in the kitchen preparing steaks and shrimp kabobs.

"What is this?" I gestured to the group of people outside lounging around the pool as I started to limp past him.

No one was actually in the pool since the fall weather had set in and the sun was hidden behind clouds. Most of them looked to be Riley's friends.

"We're having a barbeque." Blake frowned as I came to a stop and turned to glare at him. "What's wrong?"

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