Mon Amour

Chapter 22: In Sickness and In Health (Part 1)

Chapter 22: In Sickness and In Health (Part 1)

AnnaLee tossed and turned.

The fluffy sheets under her were welcomed by her body as she slept. 

Wait...

Anna's eyes flew open immediately. Hadn't she fallen asleep with Maks in the woods? So why then, was she sound asleep in bed? And judging by the cold feeling she had in her heart, alone.

Maksim couldn't have changed his mind about wanting her, could he?

He was so indecisive when it came to her. Anna prayed that his words from last night still rang true. She wouldn't be able to take the pain this time around.

Anna stopped her thoughts right there, not liking the path they were taking. She scolded herself for automatically assuming the worst in Maksim. If they were going to work as a couple, she needed to have more trust in him. He assured her last night that he would be sticking by her. 

After all, there are so many explanations as to why he left her to wake up alone. He could be checking on the pack, assuring them that he was ok. She was sure some were still scared of him. He might of need time alone, to think. Heck, he could be downstairs making coffee for all she knew.

There was definitely no need for her to be nervous.

Getting out of bed, AnnaLee pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She walked over to the closet hoping to grab a pair of pants and a clean shirt, but soon found it filled with only men's clothes. Looking around, Anna's eyes became wide. How had she not realized it sooner?

She was in Nik's bedroom.

Anna was about to close the closet door when something white in the back of the closet caught her eye. Walking over to investigate, Anna saw that it was a pile of women's clothes with a white piece of paper on top.

Opening the paper, Anna read what appeared to be a note:

Luna, 

SorryI had to leave before you woke up, but I was needed at the hospital. Get dressed and call me when you get done. I'll come get you and fill you in on everything.

                                                                                      Your Favorite Beta

The hospital? Anna had never seen the hospital, but she was certain that Nik wasn't needed there frequently. What's so special about today? 

Putting her worry out of her mind, Anna grabbed the clothes Nik left behind for her. Dark skinny jeans and a black cami. It must be all he could find on such short notice. She was thankful he left any clothes at all.

Dressing quickly, Anna grabbed the phone left for her on the bedside table and dialed Niklaus.

"Hey, you ready to go?" came Nik's voice through the phone.

"Yeah. What's going on? Where is Maksim?" Anna rushed.

"Calm down, Anna. He's in the hospital. He's  having trouble attaching himself back to his wolf. The doctor can explain everything to you when you get here."

"Is he ok?" Anna asked. She felt like Niklaus was keeping something from her.

"He'll be fine once you get here. The doctor says your presence will help him through the process, take some of the pain away."

Again Anna felt as though she was missing a piece of information, but ignored it.

"How long has he been there? Why didn't you wake me up sooner if you knew I could help and why am I in your room?" She didn't mean to sound so angry, but she was beyond frustrated. Why would they not let her help him?

"Don't be mad at me..."

"Just spit it out!"

"We came to find you last night and both of you were asleep. As soon as I woke Maksim up, He started to feel sick. I went to wake you up, but he ordered me not to. He tried to carry you back home but passed out half way there. I grabbed you before you hit the ground. I needed to get  back to everyone fast, so I ordered them to take him to the pack doctor and left to take you home. My house was closer so I just dropped you off there."

"Why wouldn't he let you wake me up?"

"I don't know. You will have to ask him when you get here."

After Nik's statement sunk in, Anna hung up. 

She was beyond frustrated with Nik. He promised to explain, but didnt seem to know exactly what happened himself. 

All she could do now was wait. And it was killing her.

Don't misunderstand. AnnaLee McBride was the most patient person you could ever hope to meet. How she dealt with Maksim proved that. The part that killed her was not know what she was having to wait for. Sure, Nik told her that it was Maks in the hospital, but she felt like he wasn't sharing all that he knew. The beta made it seem as if Maks being in the hospital wasn't serious.

As soon as panic started to set in, Anna heard a knock on the door.

Anna ran over to quickly open the door. As soon as she saw Nik's face, relief washed over her.

"Are you here to put me out of my misery?" Anna asked, trying to lighten the mood. Nik's face scrunched up in confusion.

"What?"

"Nothing..."

"Are you ready to go?" Nik asked, looking distracted.

"Sure... What's wrong, Nik?"

"Nothing, lets go. We are taking my car."

"Car?" All the time Anna had been here, she never once rode in a car. She saw them every once in a while, but it was rare.

"Yeah. The hospital is a bit too far away to walk, so I busted out the old chevy." He explained while leading her outside.

***

When Nik said 'old chevy' he meant it. The pick-up truck was quite nostalgic, which made Anna love it all the more.

When she first layed eyes on it, she stared in awe causing Nik to smirk beside her. She could tell that her approval gave him a big head, but she couldn't help herself.

"Wanna drive it?"

***

She had been driving for about 30 minutes now, with Nik giving her the occasional "turn". Anna still couldn't believe she was actually sitting in such an old tru-

"There's something we need to talk about before we get there..." Nik started, looking torn.

"Ok?" Anna knew he was hiding something. How could she forget?

"I don't know how to tell you..."

"Just say it, Nik." Anna said. She was tired of the games. She just wanted him to be straightforward with her.

"That's the thing. I can't."

"How do you mean?" If she wasn't confused before, now she was.

"Something is going on... Maksim used his alpha tone to command me not to tell you. I wasn't even supposed to bring you to the hospital, but I found a loop hole."

"Loop hole?"

"I got you to bring me. Clever, huh?" Nik stated with pride burning in his eyes.

Anna had to admit,  Nik was quite clever. She would never have thought of that.

"How did you think of it?"

"Sweatheart, I've defied Maksim Lukin since we were old enough to shift." When Anna rolled her eyes, he continued. "Until now... I can't find a loop hole in his command. There's only one other option... and trust me when I say, it's a long shot."

"How can I help?"

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