Page 23 of Save Me Enemy

“Yes, and? She’ll be healed. It’s not called ‘fate’ because you don't know if it’s real. It’s called fate because it’s meant to be, Jax. There will be a way to save Cricket. I know it in my bones.”

“How can you be so confident?” I hiss.

I can see Cricket dying in my mind's eye. See my life without her. I can't survive it.

“I was mauled by a bear, smashed by a monster, beaten beyond healing. Evelyn and Rachel healed me like they were fixing a twisted ankle. It was fated that I would defeat the bear, survive my mate’s father, it was fated that I’d plant the seed of life within my woman and it’s fated that we’ll raise children in love and safety.”

Chase reaches over and takes the coffee that I’ve left untouched and takes an appreciative sip.

“You can dwell on the problems, Jackson, or you can focus on the future. Soon I’ll have a child, Ruby will have the home of her dreams, and we’ll defeat whoever is attacking us. What will be in your future?”

Chase takes another plate of food and nods at me. As he leaves the room, he stops at the fridge and grabs a lemon lime soda and bottle of cranberry juice.

“Cravings!” He smiles, and heads back to Ruby.

I slump into a seat and cradle my face in my hands. He makes it sound so easy, like if I think positively nothing bad can happen. All I can think of is Cricket seizing on that bathroom floor with blood dripping out of her mouth. One day, she’ll have an attack and no one will be there to help her through it.

Someday, it might kill her.

“Jackson, Evelyn will see you now.” I look up and see Killian, his silhouette sharp white against the dark kitchen cabinets. His doctor’s jacket is pristine, and his stethoscope rests around his neck.

Standing, I walk over to him with shoulders slumped. He clasps my arm, smiling grimly. Killian is only a few years older than me, but somehow he’s managed to make a career of his life while I sit in an office and manage money for the pack. If I’d been a doctor, maybe I could help Cricket more. As he leads me towards his surgery where Evelyn waits, he makes idle chatter.

“You handle purchases and expenses, right?” he asks, and I nod without a word. “I’m looking for a building to open a clinic. Something simple, it can have a surgery if necessary, but just somewhere in town where both packs could come without worrying about the humans discovering us.”

“Hmm,” I grunt, only half listening, even as my mind does a mental inventory of all the suitable buildings in town that we could convert. It’s a welcome distraction, and before I know it I’m running numbers and counting up the costs and deciding the best location.

“I have a place in mind, near the bar,” I say under my breath as he pushes through a door to the surgery and smiles broadly at me.

Evelyn is here, standing and shifting from foot to foot as she watches a recording of an ultrasound. I stare in shock for a moment, watching a small child’s profile move and kick against the stark white background of the surgery walls.

“Is this…” I ask, and Evelyn turns to smile at me.

“This is my granddaughter,” she says, her smile wider than I’ve ever seen it.

I’ve never seen anything quite so amazing. The picture is so clear, I can see details in the shadows that I never imagined. My heart skips a beat when I imagine Cricket in here, our baby on this screen. I need it to happen.

“Evelyn,” I start, and she holds a hand up to silence me.

She steps close, placing both hands on my chest, and smiles slightly. “I know, Jax, I know. Killian and I have been working non-stop trying to think of a way to help Olivia. When can you bring her in? Is she very weak again?”

“She was weak, after… But didn’t you ease it for her, shouldn’t she be feeling better?”

“I only eased her pain, I couldn’t touch her symptoms.” Evelyn looks away sadly, and my world starts to spin.

I left Cricket alone in the trailer, she could be seizing now. She could be dying now! I turn so fast I crash into Killian’s chest as he carries a surgery tray across the room. The sterile tools clatter to the ground.

“I’m sorry, I have to go. Right now!” I say, shoving past him.

But when I open the door I’m looking at Rachel on the other side.

She smiles, taking a step back, surprise on her face. “Oh hey, you guys are here! I was worried when I saw the trailer door open and no one was inside…is Cricket okay?” she asks, peering over my shoulder and seeing the empty beds.

“What do you mean, she isn't in the trailer?” I growl, stepping forward menacingly.

Rachel swallows hard and steps back warily. “You didn’t…you didn't come back for her?” she asks, her own eyes growing wide with concern as she gasps and covers her mouth with one hand. “Where’s Chase, is he here?”

“Who cares about Chase? You let her leave!” I roar, towering over her and ready to attack.

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