Page 81 of Claiming the Wolf Daddy

I tried to put it out of my mind, tried not to worry. This was just an argument. We could get through it.

Right?

I had to believe that if I was going to keep my head and keep myself from freaking out.

When we finally made it back to the hospital, Sylvia told us she was going home. Cole offered her some food, his jaw a little tight. I could tell he was masking his frustration with her for hearing me out earlier. Strangely, a small part of me wished Cole would say something to Sylvia. Part of me wanted her to stand up for me, to tell him to stop being so rigid and stubborn. But she only accepted the food and gave me a hug before departing.

I would have to figure out how to navigate this situation without being swallowed up by what my partner wished for me.

After we got onto the elevator, Cole finally looked at me. “Marley,” he said.

“Hmm?” I asked, not meeting his gaze.

“I’m sorry for shouting at you,” he said. “I know it must frighten you when I’m like that.”

I bit my lower lip to keep my eyes from tearing up. “Yeah, it’s a pretty miserable place to be. I hate when you’re angry, especially when it’s because of me.”

“I know,” he said. “And Marley, I know forbidding you from doing something would be just as bad as forcing you to do something you didn’t want to do, but I can’t lose you. I can’t.”

“I can’t just sit by and be an accessory on your arm, Cole. I can’t...I can’t stand seeing everyone bond together while I stand over here by myself, barred from feeling like I’m part of things, all because I’m missing a vital component that everyone else gets to have.”

“Marley—”

“No, Cole. You’re going to need to make some hard decisions,” I said. “Because I’m finished with having to make them all by myself. I’m not yet decided on whether or not I’m going to become a shifter. There’s still a lot I have to consider. But if I decide that’s what’s right for me, then you need to be ready to support it. Or you risk losing me regardless of whether I make it through the transition.”

“That’s it?” Cole said. “Your answer to me begging you to not risk killing yourself is to give me an ultimatum?”

“Yes,” I said. “Because I am tired of being alone, Cole. I am tired of being alone and scared and weak. And if you are so attached to your anxiety and fear that you would condemn me to a life of those feelings, then maybe we really aren’t good for each other.”

The elevator door opened, and I glanced at Cole. His chest rose and fell with the intensity of his emotions. I could feel the little barbs of it within me, could feel how I was hurting him.

Could he feel how much he was hurting me, too?

“We need to put on a good face,” Cole said. “We don’t get to be just Marley and Cole anymore. We have to be pack leaders now.”

“After you,” I said, gesturing him forward, my words a little sharper than intended.

As the night stretched on, the hospital room became a cocoon of tension and subdued worry. Travis’s condition seemed to stabilize more, with his breathing becoming steadier. It was a small but significant victory in the face of uncertainty. We took turns sitting beside his bed, a silent vigil punctuated by whispered conversations and the soft hum of medical equipment.

In an unspoken agreement, Cole and I kept our heated emotions in check. Our earlier argument seemed to lose some of its significance as we focused on our friends. Yet, beneath the surface, the subtle tension between us lingered, a reminder of the unresolved issues that still lay between us—the ache of the aggression and raised voices we hadn’t apologized for yet. It would have to wait, though. Cole was right—we were serving as leaders, protectors, and supporters right now, and our argument wasn’t going anywhere.

Lana slouched over Travis’s bed, her head cushioned by her folded arms. Her breathing was steady, a sign that the sleep she’d so desperately needed had finally claimed her. On the other side of the room, Cole and I sat in silence, each lost in our own thoughts.

I sensed Cole looking at me, so I lifted my gaze to meet his own and gave him a questioning look. Cole’s gaze softened, and he broke the silence. “Why don’t you go back to Lana’s place with her?” he suggested. “She needs some rest. I’ll stay here with Travis and call when he wakes up.”

Even when we were arguing, he was still so considerate. His suggestion made sense, and I knew Lana could use the company and support.

“Yeah,” I agreed, despite how loath I was to leave him when we still had issues to hash out. “I could use some rest, too.”

Carefully, I rose, my body stiff from hours of sitting. Cole mirrored my movement, his expression a mixture of weariness and what looked like reluctance to see me go. But maybe that was just wishful thinking. We exchanged a silent understanding, the unspoken acknowledgment that despite our differences, we were united in our care for Travis and Lana. United in our care for each other, even though that seemed to be the very thing pushing us apart at the moment.

I walked over to Lana’s side and gently touched her shoulder to rouse her from her slumber. She blinked groggily, then focused on me.

“Hey,” I whispered. “You need some rest. Let me take you home. Cole’s going to stay here with Travis and call when he wakes up.”

Lana nodded, her expression relaxing as she slowly sat up. “I wanted to be here when he woke up,” she murmured, her voice heavy with exhaustion. “But I’m so tired.”

I nodded. “It’s been a long day. Let’s get you home so you can be full of energy when he’s awake.”

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