Warriors

Chapter Twenty-Five: Human

I wake up to voices talking low outside of the bedroom. I look toward it and see someone hung a sheet in the doorway while I was sleeping. I reach over next to me and feel nothing but sheets and frown. I was right; Fergus isn't there. I sigh, sit up, and groan as pain wracks my body, making every muscle throb painfully. I'm so sore, and every inch of my skin is covered in bruises. The voices stop, and Fergus pokes his head in.

"Hey, you. How do you feel?"

"Who's all out there?"

"Me, Doc, Grimes, and Onyx."

"Everyone in here."

They all walk in, and Fergus sits next to me, he has pity all over his face, and I hate it.

"Alright, this is how this is going to go. No one will pity me or feel sorry for me or look and treat me like I'm some fragile masterpiece that's seconds away from shattering. You will all go about your normal business as if nothing happened. Don't bother looking for a way to reverse this because there probably won't be one, and I can't take false hope."

"Boss, my normal business is kind of you. Same for the rest of the pack."

"Not anymore. Grimes, meet your new Alpha."

I wave my hand towards Fergus, and they look at each other before turning back to me and speaking simultaneously.

"What?"

"What?"

"I can't do it anymore, and Fergus is more of an Alpha than I was anyway, so he's the perfect choice. You guys can go train, and I'll... be here."

"Mal, we're not going to leave you here all by yourself."

"Yeah, we need you, boss."

"For what? I can't shift or fight or train or hunt. I probably can't even run a mile without dying on the side of the road from exhaustion. I'll be fine here. I'll do human things."

"Human things?"

"Yeah. Like cleaning."

"And cooking?"

"I don't think anyone is going to eat what I make. I'm not very good at it. I mostly hunted unless Doc, Reid's mom, or one of the others has us over."

Onyx steps forward and crosses his arms.

"My normal business is going crazy at my house or hanging with your dad, but..."

"Onyx."

Fergus shakes his head at him, and I roll my eyes.

"My dad is dead. It isn't a secret."

"What?!"

We all jump and turn to Shadow peeking in from behind the sheet, and Onyx sighs.

"Except that it is a secret."

"Shadow, um..."

"Before you ask if I was eavesdropping, I wasn't. I was on my way to the bathroom. You lied to me? You told me he left. Was he ever even going anywhere in the first place?"

I sigh and open my arms for Shadow, and he walks over and hugs me.

"When did he die?"

"Before we came looking for you and Zoom."

"Before we found that girl?"

"Yeah. Shadow, I'm so sorry. I would've told you I just wanted to wait until I could figure out the right way to do it, and this wasn't it. I should've just been honest with you, kid. I'm sorry."