The Blood Pack (book two)

Chapter five

~Niomi~

I spent as much time procrastinating as I could. I cleaned the shelves, sorted the till, cleaned up the cups and plates we had used that day. Putting off having to go and pick up old Bessy until the last possible minute. "They will close before you get your car back at this point." Margaret stated while looking at me amused.

"Right, yeah. I will get a move on then." I grabbed my things and headed to the front. "Are you sure we don't need..."

"Go." Margaret chuckled as she all put pushed me out the front door, locking the door behind me as if I would try and run back inside. I sighed and headed off down the street. I could not stop thinking about Mr. Grunts a lot, I mean I don't even know the guys name and he brought lunch for me and Margaret at work, he worried about how I got home. It wasn't just what he had done, it was him himself that I also could not stop thinking about. I wondered why he was so against talking, maybe it was his parents, or maybe he had no parents. I started to feel silly, as to the lack of my knowledge about him and yet he knew my deepest secrets. The secrets that could have me imprisoned by my old pack if they found me. And yet I knew nothing about him. Maybe Margaret was right and if I got myself a boyfriend I would not be hung up on the first guy who gave me the time of day. I could not help but laugh slightly at my own pathetic love life, or lack of it, as I pushed open the door to the garage.

It was not what I expected, given that as far as I could tell it was just two men working here. It was tidy and lacking the cliché naked women posters, bent over a car bonnet. I approached an unfamiliar wolf behind the counter as he looked up to me with a friendly smile on his face, almost the opposite to Mr. Grunts a lot. "You must be Niomi."

"Yes." I answer a little wary of a wolf I don't know, knowing my name.

"Your car is all fixed up, although I must admit that it is not the safest car I have seen." he said with a raised brow, almost seeming to reprimand me.

"Hey, she has gotten me for A to B and occasionally C for a long time. Give old Bessy a break." I jest getting a small laugh from the wolf. Yep, definitely nothing like Mr. Grunts a lot.

"Well let's hope that she continues to get you around for as long as you need. She's just back here." the wolf walked around the desk and I started to follow him when I hear a grunt behind me. My stupid heart skipped a beat, knowing exactly who was coming over. The wolf I was following just shrugged and headed back to the counter as Mr. Grunts a lot came out of the back and headed in the direction smiley was going. I roll my eyes and continue to follow the frustrating wolf out back. I can't help the smile on my face when I see old Bessy, looking completely out of place amongst the other fancy cars on the lot, except one that looks like it had been used as a bumped car at a fairground.

"Thank you, how much do I owe?" Mr. Grunts a lot shook his head at me, making me huff. "Okay, I'll go ask the other guy."

I go to walk past him when he grabs my arm. "We aren't charging you." he says, giving me a look that told me he would not budge on this.

I try to shake his grip giving him a pointed look, before he finally releases me. "I will pay my own way thank you." I again try and walk off when he skirts around me blocking my path, my wolf snarls in my head. "I will now be in anyone's debt!"

"You won't be in my debt." he shrugs.

"Then your alphas debt." I say pointedly, waiting for his rebuttal. Suddenly, I heard tyres screeching outside and a loud thud before more tyres speeding away. Somewhere, something inside of me was telling me that something was  wrong, something was off. I ran past Mr. Grunts a lot and out of the garage onto the street. I momentarily freeze as I see a small body crumpled in the road, a bead of sweat caused by my fear runs down my neck. I look around and no one else is here, except smiley and Mr. Grunts a lot. I pull myself together and run out into the road. The crumpled body is that of a small boy, his head bleeding and breathing laboured. I take one more look around, checking that no one had come to see what the loud noise was, before I tapped into the almost forgotten part of myself. I close my eyes and connect to the life all around me, I drag it into my system through my skin and force it into the child. I wince as I feel his pain, his broken bones and collapsed lung as they snap back into place and re-inflate. I gritted my teeth, the boys wounds extensive, but I continued to push the energy through my body. Tears ran down my face as I continue my labour, feeling his wounds close and his pulse steady. As I felt him start to stir in my arms. I do one last check to see he is okay and then I relax and open my eyes. The boy blinks his eyes open looking at me confused. "Hey, you almost had an accident there." I forced a smile on my face, trying not to scare him. "Be careful, okay. Can you make it home from here?" the boy gave me an unsure nod.

I let go of his body and he slowly got up to his feet. Giving me one last cautious look the boy turned and then ran off down the street. I went to stand and felt the world start to wobble around me, oh crap. I am out of practice and it has been too long since I have healed anyone, never mind wounds as extensive as his. I take two steps back towards the curb when my legs give up, I see the darkening sky as I start to fall. Instead of landing on the hard concrete floor, that was quickly coming towards my face strong arms wrap around me as the darkness consumes me.

~Luke~

I stood in awe as Niomi became almost luminescent. Her aura enveloped the boy in her arms and the air around her felt almost like static electric was passing through it. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Then, as if nothing had happened, the boy stood from her arms and ran off into the night. Niomi stood, looking pale, taking a few tentative steps before I saw her legs give out. Using my enhanced speed I caught her in my arms as her eyes rolled back into her head and her body went limp.

I lifted her legs and carried her bridal style back to the garage, taking her to the sofa in my office and laying her down. I didn't know how long she was going to be out, I didn't want to keep her here, I wanted her to be safe on my pack territory, with me. I start to pace, fighting with myself about what is best to do. How will she react to wake up in an unknown territory? When there is no sign of her waking after half an hour of waiting, my resolve is set. I scooped her back up into my arms and, with Peter following close behind, climbed into the back of the jeep, while Peter jumped into the front. I am glad that he does not ask any questions as we drive back to our territory.

I cannot take my eyes off her blissful face, still pale from exhaustion. I brushed a few hairs out of her face and take the time to study her features, not caring how creepy it may be. She really was a beauty, I noticed the small freckles that dotted her nose and cheeks, the arch of her eyebrows, the fullness of her lips that made me itch to kiss them. I pulled myself from my study as I heard the screeching of the gate being opened. The jeep jostled from side to side as we approached the pack house.

I took a deep breath, and with my precious cargo in tow, I jumped out of the car. I walked towards the pack house and, as I entered, alpha Ash gave me a concerned look. "What happened?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously as he took in Niomi's unconscious form in my arms.

Luckily Peter is all too keep to tell the tale. "She came to pick up her car and there was a f*****g hit and run on the street. A small boy. The monster got away before we got out. She ran into the road and lit up like the northern f*****g lights. Then the boy ran off and she passed out." while Peter was explaining, I kept my eyes on Niomi, shifting slightly from foot to foot, nervous my alpha would send her away.

I heard his footsteps approaching and looked up into his unreadable eyes. "Is she okay?" Cassy gasped, coming out of the living room, obviously overhearing our conversation. I grunt the affirmative and her eyes land on Niomi in my arms, I instinctively pull her closer to my chest, causing a small smile to spread on my alpha females face. "Take her to one of the rooms on the top floor." I don't give alpha Ash time to circumvent her, as I make quick work of the stairs, taking two at a time. I round the corridor and do the same again to get to the top floor. As Cassy did not specify a room I make a beeline to the one that is opposite mine and lay her down on the bed. Her body seeming so small and alone in the large king sized bed. I gently move her slightly to pull the covers over her, affectionately tucking her in. I smile down at my handwork, she is here, she is safe. I feel my wolf relax, as my hand again brushes her loose strands of brown hair from her face.

I find myself wanting, no needing, to lie beside her. I go to do just that when my alphas voice comes through the link. "Office, now." he is half sighing half angry, and I know not to keep him waiting. I take one last look over the beauty before me and head back downstairs. I knock on the alphas office door and as he grants permission, I walk in. He is sat on his office chair, Cassy's tiny frame sat on his lap as she strokes tiny circles on his neck, obviously trying to keep him calm. "So you brought her here." it was a statement not a question so I just nod. "Luke, you know I want her in the pack. After what happened with Liam, we know how useful a healer would be to us. But do you think that her waking up here, after what happened today, is going to make her want to join us?"

I sigh and scratch the back of my neck." Nothing else I could do. " I mutter, trying to think of what else I could have done.

Alpha Ash sighs and nods, his eyes closing slightly. "I understand that. But you could have waited at the garage for her to come to, instead of bringing her here."

I feel my chest rumble slightly, uncontrollably. Cassy smiles at my protective instinctual reaction. "Do you like her, Luke?" I feel my face burn slightly, uncomfortable with her question. "Is she your mate?" I feel a wave of sadness wash over me as I shake my head no. I was not her mate, but her mate did not deserve her. My sadness was quickly replaced by anger as my fists clench at my side. Cassy seems slightly saddened by the fact that Niomi was not my true mate, obviously hoping I had found my mate, but she quickly recovered. "That does not have to stop you though." she smiled and I can't help but relax a little, maybe even let myself become a bit hopeful that the she wolf up stairs could stay close to me.

Alpha Ash let's out a small rumble. "We will see how she reacts when she wakes up before you have her mated off in her sleep." he quickly relaxes when Cassy grips his arm tightly. "I do not blame you Luke. I just worry." he sighed. I nod my understanding that he was frustrated at the situation and not necessarily at my actions. As Cassy leaned in and placed a small kiss on Alpha Ash's lips, I took that as a queue to leave, heading straight back up stairs to check on the Niomi.