Blueberry Scones (MxM)

Chapter 9 - Talking Is Hard

Joshua

I woke up with a splitting headache. The light seemed to pierce through my closed eyes and stab at my brain, causing me to groan lightly. As I slowly opened them, I realized I wasn't in my guest room. Instead, I stared up at a white-tiled ceiling, laying on a slightly uncomfortable bed that smelled of antiseptics. I tried to turn my head to the side, but it sent a shock of pain down my spine so I decided not to. Now that I was finally coming to, I couldn't help but feel the pulses of pain that radiated through me like heat flashes. It was painful, but my hangover seemed to overpower the constant pain.

"You're awake," someone spoke up, and as they stood up I realized it was Mark.

I tried to nod my head a bit but that only caused me more pain, so I settled for a small smile. "Where am I?" I asked, my voice slightly scratchy.

Mark reached over to a table and offered me a glass of water. I gratefully sipped from it as he tilted it towards my lips. Once I was done he answered my question. "You're in a medical room right now. I brought you here last night after you passed out."

Oh.

Suddenly, all of the events from yesterday rushed through my head. That's right. Wren, and the drinking, and then I collapsed. My heart felt like it was squeezed painfully as I thought about Wren.

"Josh..."

I looked over at my best friend, seeing the serious look on his face. Had something really bad happened aside from my fainting?

"The doctor thinks you're experiencing a form of rejection. I had to tell them that you found your mate here. You could've seriously hurt yourself otherwise."

I sighed quietly, closing my eyes. Rejection? Was that what had been bothering me for so long now? What had been causing all this pain? I guess I never really thought Wren was rejecting me, but he was, wasn't he? Indirectly, of course, but he was doing it nonetheless.

Was this it? The end? Was I never going to get my fated mate? Perhaps I could find my second-chance mate. I'd have to do something. A beta without a mate meant a beta without an heir. I could be replaced. I didn't want to be replaced. I wanted to stay by Mark's side and work with him until it was our children's turn. We were so close, too. Only a few more months until we'd officially be pack leaders. I couldn't lose my position now.

Mark sighed, running a hand through his hair. "They want to talk with you, the doctor and the alphas. I'll go get the doctor so we can start. I know this isn't what you need right now, but we need to figure out where to go from here." He smiled lightly, adding, "I'm glad you're okay. I was worried I'd lose my best friend."

"I'm not that easy to get rid of," I said with a smile, to which he laughed.

"I know, I know."

Mark then left to find the doctor, coming back a few minutes later with a man. The man came over to me, offering a gentle smile. "Hello, Joshua. I'm Dr. Milton. I'd like to ask you a few questions if you're up for it."

"Sure."

Dr. Milton cleared his throat, grabbing a clipboard from the end of my bed. "Alright, so how long have you felt any pains or discomfort in your chest area for?"

"A week now."

He nodded as if he already knew something, writing it down. Mark did tell me that the doctor thought I suffered from rejection effects, so perhaps these questions were just confirming his suspicions. "Mark said you found your mate your first day here, correct?"

"Yes, I met them my first day here," I answered, shutting my eyes for a moment.

Thinking back on that day makes me realize how blissfully unaware I was of anything. As far as I knew, my mate was ignoring me because he might've been trying to reject me. Little did I know that Wren had no clue that we even shared a bond.