Alpha, Beta, Omega

Chapter Fourteen

"Kali? Kali, can you hear me?"

The darkness she'd been cocooned in was slowly fading away.

"Kali?"

"Mr Crowe, just because she moved does not mean she is coming around. The painkillers will most likely keep her under for...Oh!"

She blinked and squinted against the brightness, trying to lift her hand to block the light, she felt a tug in the back of her hand before someone was gently pushing her hand back down. "Easy, Kali." The voice, Samson's voice, caused her to blink again as she turned her head to look up at him. He looked beyond tired and worried and she wanted to reach up, to touch his cheek and ask him what was wrong but given that he was stopping her from moving it probably wasn't a good idea.

"Sam...what..."

"Miss Eldridge," the second voice, one she didn't recognize, caused her to look to her right, staring up at the face of a man with glasses and greying hair. "Miss Eldridge, I'm Doctor Kenneth Becket. Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

She made a soft sound. "Groggy...my side...my side hurts..."

Doctor Becket nodded. "The grogginess is from the painkillers and the fact that you lost consciousness due to blood lost," he said as he picked up what had to be her medical chart. "The pain, well, that is from the gunshot wound you sustained sometime before arriving at Alpha Garroway house."

That suddenly had he thoughts turning from herself to the reason she was laying here. "Kay," she said as she looked from the doctor to Samson. "Where's..."

"He's fine, Kali," Samson assured her as he reached up and brushed her hair back, reminding her that, once, he had been a father. "You got him help in time."

Kali smiled, a little dopy, a by-product of the painkillers, and drew a deep breath, wincing as pain flared in her side when muscles pulled the wrong way. Samson's hand continued to comb through her hair. "It's alright," he said soothingly, giving her a small smile. "Once you can shift you'll be right as rain."

Doctor Becket nodded his agreement. "You're exceedingly lucky, Miss Eldridge. Just a little bit more to the right and you..."

"Is she awake?"

The voice from the doorway caused Samson and Doctor Becket to both turn but Kali didn't need to try to sit up to know who it was. She knew Thornton's voice. Doctor Becket walked across the room and she heard him say something about her needing rest and that her mate should take care of her before Thornton let out a low rumbling sound. "I am her mate," the Alpha said lowly, and Kali's heart beat so hard against her ribs she was surprised that they didn't break. Hearing him say that, after what had happened between them, it hurt. Almost as badly as being shot had.

"Oh..." Doctor Becket suddenly sounded confused and embarrassed. "I thought...Mr Crowe he...he was here and..."

Samson grunted. "I'm her friend, Doc." He slowly rose from where he'd been sitting on the edge of the bed, moving from her line of sight but she didn't have to see him to know he'd just put himself between the her and Thornton. It was the clearest sign a wolf could make, especially to his Alpha, to indicate which side he was taking.

"Oh..." The Doctor still sounded confused. "I just...I assumed..."

"I want to speak to my mate."

Thornton's tone left no room for argument and Kali heard the Doctor leave but she could still scent Samson, could still see him, from the edge of her vision.

"Crowe. Out. Now."

She heard Samson move, knew he was compelled by way Thornton had spoken, his tone completely Alpha but she also heard him pause, saying something softly, too softly for her to hear, but she heard Thornton's warning growl before footsteps and the door was slammed shut. She listened as footsteps approached the bed and Thornton came into view, he looked worn out and his shirt, a deep blue, was speckled with blood. Kay's blood, she realized as he looked down at her, his impossibly blue eyes flicking from her face to the IV in her arm back to her face. She stared right back at him.

"Kali..."

He paused as though trying to find the words or trying to keep calm. She wasn't certain and she wasn't about to ask. Just looking at him, knowing what he thought of her, hurt.

"You saved Kay." His words washed over her and she frowned, the painkillers, still pumping through her IV, making it harder and harder to focus. "You...How did you know?"

There was something in his tone, some question he wasn't asking, but she caught it. And she didn't like it.

"You think...You think I hurt him?"

When he said nothing she made a low sound.

Hurt and anger and disbelief all rolled into one.

"You think I...hurt Kay..." Tears prickled her eyes but she blinked them away. She'd shed enough tears for Thornton.

"Kali..."

"I...I got shot...trying to help my...our...mate." She felt her wolf shift beneath her skin, felt a growl bubbling up but she forced it down. "And you think...my God...you really hate me...don't you?"

Thornton's expression changed but she still couldn't figure out what he was thinking or feeling. "Kali..."

"Get out," she said as she closed her eyes, unable to look at him anymore. "Just...Just get...out..."

She heard him move but didn't open her eyes.

"Kali, we need..." His hand touched her arm and she snarled as her eyes flew open, jerking away from him which caused pain to flair but she ignored it, as much as she was able, instead focusing on him.

"I said..." Her voice was more growl than actual words and she heard the door open, catching Samson's scent but remained focused on Thornton, who seemed surprised by her display of aggression. "Get. Out."

"Kali..."

"You heard her, Alpha," Samson snapped, suddenly appearing in Kali's line of sight. "Out."

Thornton growled as he looked at Samson, clearly not impressed by his Beta's actions as Samson put himself between them once more. "This doesn't concern you, Crowe. This is..."

"She's pack." Samson all but growled. "Her wellbeing is my concern. And right now I don't care if you're her mate or my Alpha. I care about her. And she told you to get out."

Thornton snarled and started to step towards Samson only to stop when Doctor Becket snapped from the doorway.

"Enough! I don't care what the hell is going out but Miss Eldridge needs peace and quiet! She needs rest! Now, if you can't manage that, I'm going to have to ask you to leave!"

Kali thought, for a moment, that Thornton would argue, would use his status as an Alpha to refuse, but he gave one final, dark growl before turning and storming out of the room. Kali closed her eyes just as the tears finally slipped free, a low whine escaping her throat even as Samson was suddenly there, hand smoothing her hair back, whispering softly to her that everything was going to be alright. She wanted to believe him. She did. But she felt, not for the first time in the last few days, that her world was being tipped upside down and shaken like a snow globe.