Shadowed

Chapter 71

We piled back into the cars Tom squished up against the back seat next to Ryan and Caleb; who looked as comfortable as a cat could be sat next to a dog, his muscles were tense and his jaw clenched tightly a stony glare fixed forward. As we approached a bend in the road Tom inadvertently leant against Caleb and he growled deep at the back of his throat. "Sorry." Grumbled Tom glaring at him out the corner of his eye.

Rain pelted the roof of the car as we began the long decent down the driveway the headlights on full beam and the window wipers going mental. Inside the house the lights were on and I suddenly hoped that Haley had something cooking for dinner, my stomach growled at the thought. Craning my neck I turned to check on Tom, I felt Caleb's cold eyes glaring at me. Tom's head was ducked low against his chest and he was slumped against the window. Even in the dark I could see the hot beads of sweat dappled across his sweaty forehead. 
"Shit!" I gasped "He has a fever. God you could have said something sooner!" I growled at Caleb as I unbuckled my seatbelt. As soon as the car pulled to a stop Ryan and I were out and carefully opening Tom's door. Undoing his seatbelt Ryan pulled him out of the car heaving him over his shoulder. "Farrrk he got heavy" He grunted stumbling backwards under Tom's weight. Caleb growled stepping in to help him. Rain soaked our clothes as we hurried inside leaving a mucky trail of footprints into the hallway. Haley rounded the corner from the kitchen mouth open and ready to scream at us but stopped when she saw Tom. She didn't stop to ask any questions and just immediately began shouting orders. "Lay him down on the couch! Someone get Harry, I need a bucket of cold water and a flannel and the medical box from the garage!" 
The boys were ushered into the living room and Tom was a quivering mess, his body shook with sweat beginning to soak his shirt. I knelt by his side and instinctively took hold of his hand suddenly feeling very worried. Haley appeared beside me and someone past her a bucket of cold water and the flannel. Squeezing out the cold water she gently washed his face and then lay it across his forehead. 


"So whats this guys story then?" Asked Harry leaning over the couch.
"He's one of the wolves." Growled Caleb from across the room leant against the wall with his arms tightly crossed.
Harry frowned, "...and why is he here?"
"Because he's my friend. This is Tom." I interjected shooting him a look; his eyebrows raised in surprise. "I hadn't heard from him in days, then I got a weird phone message. We went round to his apartment the whole place was a wreck, it was his first shift and he has no idea what really happened or what he really is, only what we managed to tell him."

"So he's here...why?"
I glared at Jace. "He's here because I'm not leaving him in his apartment to get jumped by Gareth and Elijah!" I snapped letting go of Tom's sweaty hand and whipping it on my skirt. 
Harry walked around the couch to take a closer look at him. Tom's brown wavy hair was plastered to his pale forehead, every so often he groaned his breath coming out in quick sharp pants. Reaching out Harry put a hand to his forehead, "He's sure burning up alright. If it was his first shift his body will be weak, but I can't explain the fever." Harry's down furrowed and he scratched the stubble on his chin, his grey eyes seemed to cloud over as he disappeared into deep thought. Tom's muscles tightened and his body shook again in his sleep. 
"His body has every right to be exhausted. While it was his first shift he underwent more than just the wolf transformation." Brody laughed sparking Harry's interest. "I mean... fuckin' hell! This guy was as weedy as a stick, about so heigh" he motioned with a hand just below his shoulder " wore the dorkiest fucking glasses - this dude was a joke and now look at him! He's taller than me and now muscle gains like the rest of us!" 
With a sigh Harry glanced at me lazily. "Well that explains a lot doesn't it. His shifts completely different from ours."
"Also blanked out during this action packed transformation too." Ryan said shrugging.
"Look you guys might as well go get your dinner, it's in the oven. I'll stay and watch Tom, there's not much we can do. If he wakes I can get him to have some drugs, but it's looking like a long waiting game." 
I bit my lip anxiously.