Shadows of the Past

Seven

"Put some pants on first." Mom scolded him, but I was surprised she hadn't crouched down to see my cut herself.

"Yes ma'am." He stood up and walked away. Mom and I started towards the infirmary without him. But we weren't exactly running so he caught up with us soon enough, now wearing jeans and a black t-shirt.

The walk through the woods was silent, neither of my parents wanting to discuss the fight or the conversation that stopped it. And without being human, I couldn't just ask them everything I wanted to. I didn't want to shift until necessary because I knew it would bring a fresh wave of pain to that notch in my bottom lip.

We entered the infirmary, Dad holding the door open for us. Instantly the place stilled, because the alpha had stepped in and their protocol was that he be treated as a priority. But surprisingly—and thankfully—not many other pack members were even there. Those I saw injured must not have thought their injuries were bad enough to receive treatment.

Our pack doctor, Holly, appeared, walking through the double doors that led to the main area of the building. Behind her I could see the rows of cots, few claimed by hurt enforcers. She let the door close behind her and walked over to us.

"Alpha." She dipped her head a little. "Luna." Holly was older than my parents, by several years. But even though she wasn't quite old enough to be the age of my grandmother, she was sporting several brilliant streaks of white in her dark brown hair. They were woven into the thick braid she was almost always wearing, and the alternating pattern of brown and white was actually very pretty. Her warm brown eyes landed on me, as if just noticing I was also there.

"Would you like a private room today?"

Both my parents also focused on me, since we were there for me this would be up to me. I debated, but ultimately decided not to take the offer with a shake of my wolf head. I didn't plan on us being there too long anyway.

"Alright." She said, turning and leading us through the double doors and towards a cot near the middle of the room. I noticed Mom looked uneasy, as if this place held bad memories for her. Dad squeezed her hand, I tried to push the questions from my mind.

"Wait here." She told me before leaving us alone and quickly talking with one of the enforcers on a bed several down the aisle from mine.

In wolf form, I was too large for the cot, so I sat down and licked at my lips again, finding no new blood. That was good. My wolf had started healing it a little. I was sure shifting back would reopen it though, and that was probably why it was important for me to be here when I did.

We waited for Holly to come back in silence for a bit, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mom staring at the wall and Dad rubbing a thumb over her hand. I found myself wondering why we didn't have nurses here.

I knew in packs, a doctor could take on as many apprentices as interested pups showed, but they didn't have nurses as an occupation within a pack hierarchy. It was pack doctor or nothing. Holly only had one apprentice: her daughter Lillia. But she was across the room bandaging an enforcer's leg.

Finally, Holly returned, holding a clipboard and a tray with a syringe and a suture kit as well as a wad of gauze. She set them down on the cot next to my parents and then looked me in the eyes.

"I'm going to need you to shift. I can't sew your lip in wolf form, because it won't do you any good when you do shift. The stitches will just pop open." She held my eyes, serious. "It's going to hurt."

I always liked that about Holly. She was direct and honest when it came to what she was about to do. Lillia, on the other hand, tried to sugar-coat everything as if we were children needing to be coddled. I preferred Holly's way.