RETURN || SCOTT MCCALL [1]

6.17

So much blood, too much blood.

The blood of four people- one my best friend, one my little brother's best friend, and two my mate's parents.

And despite all of the resentment I should feel towards him, I can't leave him alone- not when both of his parents are in surgery, and he could become an orphan today. Morbid, yes, but it's something I always revert too, and I know repeating my own personal tragedies is annoying and selfish, but it's not something I will ever forget, and it comes to mind often.

His hands are clenched together tightly, and I know he's listening in as Justin operates on his mother- hearing the beeping of the monitors, murmurs of the nurses, and Justin's soothing voice as he works patiently because Justin has endless patience and skill and qualifications like having graduated from Harvard Med, and just always so damn patient.

And I knew he would save Melissa McCall, and Mason, and Lydia, and Agent McCall. I knew he would, so when he gave the all clear, and Scott finally took a proper breath since we got here, I pulled him into a hug, and he stayed there, and I didn't care.

Because, dammit, he's still my mate, and I love him.

Scott eventually went to see his mother before the sedative kicked in, and I saw Lydia too and Mason was currently in surgery, so it left just Scott and I in the waiting room, waiting once again.

We were silent. We didn't talk about it, or at all. Because the last time something like this happened, he and I had our bond broken, and all romantic ties with it, and he chose the other girl.

Something told me he wasn't going to this time.

But neither of us knew where to go now.

Pounding footsteps interrupted our tense silence, and both of our eyes flashed red as we recognized Liam's scent, and his distress as he raced closer and closer to where we sat.

"You told him?" I hissed my first words to the other alpha, who adverted his gaze guiltily, and almost incredulously- and yeah, okay, I get it, of course, it's not like we weren't going to tell Liam, especially with Mason injured, but I wanted to wait until the next day at least, because this day was hell for my little brother, and he needed rest, not more worry- giving me my answer, and I growled at him before turning around and stopping Liam before he could dash past us.

I gripped the beta's forearms tightly as he struggled to break my hold, eyes yellow and dripping with tears, and he was panting, and frantic, and I didn't have the patience to talk him down- not that he'd listen when his best friend's life was threatened, and I'm sure Scott didn't tell him anything other than he was shot, and not that it was only in the arm, no where near any crucial organs, and Liam was probably imagining the worst, because that's what he does, because while my brother was not a pessimist, he was certainly not an optimist.

"Liam." I growled it out through clenched teeth, voice low but heavy- an alpha command, and my red eyes burned into his, and he immediately shifted back to human.

He was still frantic, though, trying to push past me to find Mason. He could smell Mason here, and his blood too, and I get that he's scared, but Mason was still in surgery. He had to calm down and wait like the rest of us.

"Liam, Liam, calm down." I mumbled, and he stilled, panting, looking into my eyes, his own wide with fear, and he moved to speak but I cut him off. "I know. It's Mason, trust me I know- Lydia is in there too, but Li, you can't go storming in there like this. You have to calm down."

Liam whimpered, but ultimately slowed down his breathing, a hushed, "Sun, moon, truth" escaping his mouth as he did so, and soon he was meeting my eyes, his own brimmed with tears, and I smiled softly at him.