Shattered Crest: Legacy

Chapter Twenty-Two: I Should Go

"A song like you would never tell me the truth...It would turn me on, break me down...Make me feel like there is nothing outside this room..." 

~ Bea Miller (song like you)

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The hospital is quiet as we wait for the doctor's return. I'm seated next to a large window that allows the sunset to bathe the hallway in a bright orange. It would've been a calming sight if it weren't for the chair's loose spring poking my butt, mixed with the sound of Nathan's footsteps fading in and out as he paces the hall. 

"Would you relax? He'll be fine." 

"But what if Nolan did some real damage? What if-" 

"It's nothing a day's rest won't fix," I assure. The Eclipse member's wound was deep, and probably difficult for anyone to see on their mate's body. But Nathan seems to forget we're werewolves with the capacity to heal in hours. 

"I'm cutting him off after this. He took it too far this time," he says dramatically. 

"Mhmm," I respond absentmindedly, knowing full well he's speaking and moving off pure adrenaline. 

"I mean it!" 

No, he doesn't. He's fresh off the first meet of a ripening mate bond. He'd probably rip the head off any stranger who throws his partner a nasty look. 

A doctor exits the nearest room and looks between Nathan and I. His brown hair is tied in a bun. His posture is stiff yet confident, and his smile softens the tension in the air. 

I recognize him as Ava's father. 

Nathan begins to speak, but the doctor raises a hand to silence him. "He's fine. Nothings broken and there's no internal bleeding. He'll be out by tomorrow morning." 

Ava stands at the end of the corridor and waits for her father to catch up. I wave and receive a small smile before she turns away to exit. 

"Go in with me," Nathan says after a few moments of silence. 

I hug myself, now fully aware of the hospital's chill and laugh nervously. "Your first true moment together should be spent alone. You'll want me to leave sooner or later." Even his mate's sister and friends left awhile ago to give the pair some space. 

"I'm nervous. What if I say something stupid?" 

"You never say anything stupid." 

"Is that sarcasm I sense?"

I push him to the door with a cheeky grin. After a few shuddering breaths, we head inside. 

Nathan's mate is sitting under the covers with his legs crossed when we enter the room. There's nothing but the low mumble of the small television, but he's alerted to our presence as his eyes fall on Nathan, and only Nathan, not even sparring me a glance. 

"Hi," they say in unison. 

"What's your name?" I ask, simultaneously ending the staring contest while easing my awkward presence in the room.

He finally acknowledges me and says brightly, "Flynn! My wolf is August, who you've already met," he says to Nathan. 

"I'm sorry about that, by the way. My wolf kept yipping in my head and your scent was driving me crazy. I was torn between knowing what was happening and being completely lost at the same time." 

Nathan continues to ramble. It's cute, and Flynn seems to think so too. His eyes are lit with adoration as he stares at Nathan who gravitated towards him with ease. He's seated on the bed with only the thin material of the hospital blanket between the two.