Page 8 of Fighting For The Pack

“Yeah, just until Mom wakes up. He said he’s got things covered at the infirmary.”

“Good. I can’t imagine a better man keeping an eye on her. And it’ll give you a chance to rest.”

“Dom—”

“Night, listen, you won’t be any good to anyone if you don’t get a nap at least. You’re really going to want to conserve as much strength as you can until you can claim Bryn.”

I understood the logic—I even agreed with it—but dammit, it felt wrong to sleep when I knew my mate was in danger. Dom, seeing straight through my hesitation, grabbed my shirt and tugged me out of Mom’s room and down the hall to my own.

“Wait, hold up—”

He ignored me, pulling me toward my bedroom door and pushing me inside. “This is the only way I know you’ll take a fucking break,” he said.

“I could just leave,” I replied with a glare. “What’s to stop me from leaving through the window?”

“You could, but the minute I catch you walking around outside your cabin, I’ll ask Doc for a sedative. Don’t play games with me, Night.”

I heaved a sigh. “Alright. I’ll try to get some sleep.”

He smiled and nodded. “That’s all I’m asking from you.” He closed the door, and I heard his steps retreating downstairs.

Alone in my room now, I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. Every corner of my room should have felt familiar, but as I glanced around, nothing felt real. My body was here, but my mind wasn’t. I’d lived in this cabin since I was sixteen, but it might as well have belonged to a stranger. Without Bryn here, the space could never feel like home.

I paced back and forth. I intended to keep my mind on Bryn and Tavi and what I could do to help them, but the more I paced, the more sluggish my body became. After an hour of it, exhaustion began to weigh me down even more than my stress, and I crawled into bed.

Doc’s scent was present in the room, but Bryn's scent was stronger, lingering in the sheets and the pillows. The bed itself felt eerily cold and empty. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I hadn’t earned the right to lie down and relax when Bryn and Tavi were in Troy’s custody. But Dom was right—I wasn’t a machine, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t force myself to keep going.

I turned onto my side, pulling the covers and pillows that smelled most like Bryn to me. If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend that I held her in my arms. I thought I would spend the next while tossing and turning and worrying, but before long, I fell asleep.

I woke up a few hours later. The sun was still out, and I felt a bit more rested. I got out of bed, stretched, and headed out to look after Mom.

Because I’d broken off the doorknob, the door to her room was ajar, unable to close. Through the opening, I saw Doc sitting in the chair next to her bed. He held her wrist in one hand. With the other, he dabbed away the sweat that collected on her forehead with a cloth.

Something about the slow, gentle way he swiped the cloth across her forehead and the way he held her wrist had me tilting my head. I appreciated his care, but I couldn’t help but wonder if his bedside manner was so attentive with all of his patients. Or, was he taking extra care with her because she was my mother?

I pushed the door open a bit more and started to form the question, but then I heard the front door open followed by Dom’s quick steps. I turned from the door and met him at the top of the stairs.

“Hey,” he said, jogging up the steps. “I would’ve knocked if I thought you were awake. Did you get any sleep?”

I nodded. “Do you have any updates for me?”

“No. There haven’t been any breakthroughs as yet.”

“How’s the pack?”

“Everyone is talking about what’s happened, but other than that, things are pretty quiet.”

“I see.” It was stupid of me, but I’d hoped that some real progress would be made while I slept.

“Have you checked on your mom?”

“Not yet, I—”

“Alpha Night.” That was Doc’s voice. He wasn’t yelling, but excitement elevated the volume of his voice. “I think Violet is about to wake up.”

Dom and I were in the room in seconds. On the bed, Mom stirred, her head turning from side to side as she fought her way through unconsciousness. I neared the bed, peering down at her, my heart beating quickly. Doc kept hold of her wrist, squeezing gently.

She huffed, her eyes slowly parting open. “Damon?” she asked gently, her voice hoarse. “That you?” Her hand tightened around his.

---