Fated Mate

“Joe, we need to do something.” Maria was on the couch with Lee’s head on her lap. They immediately left for Florida after Sabrina’s attack. Ash had spent days watching Lee hoping she would wake up but scared she wouldn’t. When he couldn’t take it anymore he drowned himself in liquor and left Maria and Ann to look after her.

“I don’t know what to do.” He crouched down by the couch next to Maria. He wanted to touch her but she was still jumpy. They hadn’t told them what they really were, but Maria had some idea with an image to back it up and she was scared.

“Why not take her to the hospital?” Ann was down next to Joe holding Lee’s hand.

“We can’t do that. We can’t risk humans knowing of our existence.” Billy stood over Ann his hands crossed over his chest.

Ann stood up with a questioning look on her face. “You are worried about coming out of the closet?”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“People are going to get killed if they so much as get an inkling of what we are, of what she is.”

Maria moved from under Lee, placing her head gently on the cushion. Joe stood up and went behind, careful not to stand too close incase she pulled away again.

“Are you saying that she’s going to become like Sabrina and Ash?” Fear dominated her voice.

“Like Billy and me, too, yes she will,” Joe answered from behind her. Maria turned to look at him. He had the same sad expression since they got back. She didn’t mean to hurt him; she just needed some time to adjust. She stretched out her good hand and placed it on his belly, stroking lightly before she turned her attention back to Billy and Ann.

Joe smiled. “She’ll be fine.”

“You don’t know that,” Ann yelled.

Lee could hear distant voices pulling her from her sleep. She didn’t open her eyes; she kept still, her body too tired to move. She waited for the voices to be familiar. They were loud and angry. She tried to concentrate on them to place a face to each.

“We have to take her to hospital,” Ann insisted.

“We can’t do that,” Billy yelled back.

“What do you mean we can’t do that?”

“She’s not sick.”

“How do you know that? Are you a doctor?”

“No, but she isn’t close to human either!”

Then there was silence, a quiet voice spoke up, and it was Maria. “We still need to get her to the hospital. Sabrina hit her pretty hard.”

“She’s been out for two days; we need to get her checked out!” That loud angry voice was definitely Ann. Lee needed to wake up before she hurt anyone.

Lee forced her eyes to open. The light stung her eyes. She closed them again tight. Then she slowly opened her eyes again, turning away from the direct sunlight. It took sometime for the blur to clear out. Someone moved to her and placed something soft on her face. “Lee, Lee. She’s waking up.” The light was suddenly blocked by tall shadows. Lee squinted, trying to get a clearer look. It was Maria.

“What happened?” She struggled to get the words out of her dry throat.

“How are you feeling? Can you sit up?” Maria reached to help her but she was pulled back.

“You’re hurt. Let me.” It was Ann, her voice warmer. She put a hand under Lee, her other held her shoulder. Ann pulled her into a sitting position, her legs dangled at the edge.

Lee held her head in her hands, pacing herself before she looked up. Everyone was there, staring at her; their faces full of worry.

Great, I fainted again and I have an audience to watch me resurrect from my long slumber. This is just wonderful.

She turned away from them and looked around the room, it was different. The walls were painted ivory, the décor was an unusual…she didn’t even have the word for it. It looked like the inside of a historical museum.

“Where am I?” Maria was seated next to Lee, Ann appeared from behind the leather couch with a glass of water. She had a bandage above her right eye, which ran from the middle of her forehead to her hairline.

“What happened to your head?”

“This is the guys’ home. Cool, huh? Strange, but cool.” Ann completely ignored her question. She handed her the glass and sat down, her eyes roaming the room, trying hard not to look at her.

She let go of the glass too soon. It slipped out of Lee’s wobbly hands, a hand caught it before it could fall and spill all over her. It was Billy.

“Thanks.” She held the glass tighter and sipped at it. Ann had her hand at the bottom of the glass, holding it steady for her. Then she realized someone was missing. “Where’s Ash?”

Joe and Billy looked at each other trying hard to hide their amusement. She turned and looked at her sisters, they didn’t look so amused, but they didn’t seem to want to tell her either.

“Okay, where is my dad?” The amusement was gone. Billy and Joe’s faces were hard, their jaws clenched tight. She looked at her sisters, they looked nervous, but Maria looked especially frightened. Lee followed her gaze down to her lap. Her hand was wrapped in a bandage.

“What happened to your hand?” she asked her franticly, letting the glass fall into Ann’s open hand before she reached out for Maria’s hand.

“Don’t worry, nothings broken.” Maria paused and then looked at Lee, her eyes soft, and full of concern. “Do you remember what happened a few days ago?”

“What?” Lee didn’t understand what she meant; a few days ago they were at home-in New York. Nothing happened, a part from her missing Ash like crazy.

How did we get back to Florida?

“Lee, you’ve been out for three days.”

“What!” And then everything came back to her. The attack, the wolf, almost dying. She swayed back feeling lightheaded. A wave of nausea hit her.

“Lee!” Ann and Maria yelled in unison.

She closed her eyes and took a few breaths, swallowing the bile in her mouth. “I’m fine.” The second she finished talking, the bile came up. “No I’m not, bathroom!” Joe pointed her toward it, she was grateful it was close by. She ran, throwing the door open before she went on her knees and leaned her head over the toilet basin.

When she was done, she sat on the marble floor and leaned her head against the cool wall. Ann and Maria were there, watching her. She still felt uncomfortable having them around when she had her head over the toilet.