Page 36 of Broken Chains

Chapter 13

I didn't want to face anyone when I came home, but I didn't know where else to go. I quietly entered the house and snuck straight up to my room.

It didn't take long before the door opened and closed again, then the bed dipped next to me.

"Want to talk about it?" Shelby asked.

"No," I said.

"Okay, but you'll feel better if you do," she tried to reason.

"Nothing can fix this, Shelbs. He doesn't want me."

"Who? Oliver?"

I nodded.

"That's a load of bullshit."

I’d quietly started crying again, but then laughed a little at her words. "I wish that were true."

We laid there in silence until I finally cried myself to sleep. My cell phone rang, startling me awake. I saw it was Kenneth. I didn't answer it. I had no doubt he was worried about me, but I couldn't deal with him just then. When it rang a second time, a twang of fear settled into my gut.

"Hello?"

"Peyton, it's Kenneth. I know you're mad at Ollie, but I don't know who else to call. Eve's really sick and the Pack physician won't help. I'm scared, Pey. I don't know who else to call."

My heart leapt into my throat and at first I couldn't respond. Eve was sick and she needed help. It was all I could think about.

"I'm on my way," I said.

"We're not at the house. We're at the trailer. Ollie didn't want us to stay there without you," he said.

"I'm on my way," I said again.

I jumped up from the bed.

"What's wrong?" Shelby asked.

"Call Thomas and tell him I'm going into Larken territory and I don't give a shit if he or Luke has a problem with it. Eve's sick and apparently their doctor is refusing to even look at her."

The edges of my vision were already turning red and I let out a growl of frustrations before running down the stairs and out of the house. I didn't know anything about a sick child, and rationally I knew she wasn't mine. That didn't stop my wolf and me from feeling like our little girl was hurting and we weren't there to protect her. We weren't going to fail her, though.

I sped the entire way there. I found their house quickly by recognizing the vehicles parked out front. I jumped out and started to run inside. I would break down the door if I had to. I stopped in my tracks as I saw Oliver sitting on the front porch and for a second my heart stopped.

The baby's cry from inside caused relief to wash over me. Torn about what to do, I first headed for my mate. I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms around him. He was shaking all over.

"I don't know what to do, Peyton," he confessed.

"I'm here, Oliver. It's going to be okay. I'm going to get Eve help, one way or another."

My voice was lethal, and all my fears were pushed aside. When Eve cried out again, I walked inside, needing to see her for myself. Kenneth wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to me. She was burning up and looked so tiny and pale.

"Pack up her things and get in the van. We're going home," I said.

They didn't argue as they immediately got to work.

"Doc wouldn't even look at her," Brady said, looking almost as pale as Eve.

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