Emily felt someone squeeze her hand and jumbled gibberish changed to voices that formed sentences in her brain. Struggling past the fuzz in her mind, she opened her eyes. Brandt, Mandy, and Caleb surrounded her bed. Her mate held her hand but Mandy's head gently came down to rest on Emily's shoulder and her tears quickly soaked the light sheet covering Emily's body.
"It's okay," she slurred past her dry, cracked lips. Her vision and comprehension slowly increased and she saw her brother take Mandy by the shoulders gently pulling her away. He gave Emily's hand a squeeze and walked his crying sister from the room.
The intense pain was now a memory and she could breathe normally with only a slight twinge.
Brandt lowered his head to her shoulder and inhaled deeply. She could feel a tremor r
