Chapter 47 The Alpha's Ward
1484 Words
Chapter 47
The Alpha’s Ward
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Louise
I could smell it before the building came into view. Every bone, muscle and inch of my body tensed. The hospital... The reluctant walk from the carpark to the entrance was stiff and resistant. I wanted to turn and run. At the door, I froze and waited for my heart to calm. I had been admitted to this place so frequently that seeing it had become a source of dread. The overpowering aroma of disinfectant and bleach had left a permanent impression on my sinuses.
“I’m here for you, Louise,” Tye whispered. “Are you ready?”
Exhaling, I nodded. “Let’s get this over with.
This was about to be my first visit to a hospital where I wasn’t the patient, and it was my first trip anywhere with Tye.
“So, are we officially boyfriend and girlfriend?” I asked as we headed to the information desk. I knew it was childish to ask, but for some reason, the question played in my mind all the way here.
“I hope so,” Tye chuckled, linking his hands through mine.
“Louise!” Samantha, a short and kind-faced nurse, waved to me. She noticed our hands linked and smiled wide. “Oh, how adorable…”
As we approached, Daisy Freiburg, the information desk nurse, greeted me by my first name. It made the visit a little easier. They knew me, but only Doc Anderson knew my condition. I appreciated that no one treated me differently. Here, I was simply Louise Carpenter.
“Where are you headed today, Louise?” Daisy asked through the holes in the protective shield that surrounded the desk.
“We’re here to see Alpha Joseph…” I replied, tightening my grip on Tye.
“Of course,” she said with a flattering grin across her thin face. “He’s on the Alpha ward at the very top.”
“Thank you,” I nodded back at her.
“What will you say to Joseph when you see him?” Tye asked as we turned away from the desk and headed for the elevator. He kissed our linked hands.
I shrugged. “I have no idea. He would never admit our…” I shook my head. “I have nothing to say to him.”
The elevator doors opened, and he escorted me inside. As the doors closed, he turned to me. “No matter what, I’m here for you…”
“I know…”
The top floor was meticulously maintained and reserved exclusively for the Alpha family members. Although I had ridden the elevator up a few times, I had never stepped beyond the doorway before quickly retreating. The experience was an unparalleled adrenaline rush.
We walked down a narrow corridor that curved to the left, with glass windows along the right side. The corridor led to only five rooms, with the first two doors labelled Maternity Ward and Neonatal Unit. Another room was labelled Equipment, while the other three were around the bend. As we approached the curve, a loud commotion caught my attention.
“I still can’t believe Joseph picked that snooty tramp over me! I have thrown myself at him ever since we were little!”
“It’s okay, Matilda. She’s nothing compared to you. He’ll realise that soon enough!”
“That’s right! Sarai and I will never accept her as our Luna. That’s your title… You should be our Luna!”
“I know Joseph is my mate.” Matilda wailed. “But I can’t prove it until my wolf shows up!”
No! Matilda, Lola, and Sarai! I stopped mid-walk and pulled Tye back with me. Those voices were the last sounds I wanted to hear today. Did they know about me? Did they know my true bloodline? Matilda would know. She was Beta Reece’s daughter and Kingston’s sister, after all. And they lived in the packhouse. If anyone knew the truth about me, it was her.
“Louise?” Tye asked quietly, facing me. “What’s wrong?”
The voices around the corner had stopped. Either they had gone back in to see Joseph or heard us coming.
It’s only Matilda and her gang. Your Alpha blood, remember! I sighed and shook my head. “You know what, I’m fine. Let’s go…”
We stepped around the corner to see Matilda wailing in Lola’s arms. Sarai stood behind her, soothing her back. The sight was a strange one. Matilda only ever fake cried. This was genuine heartbreak. I never knew she cared about Joseph this much. Or was it the Luna title she mourned about?
The group turned and watched as we approached. I had to double-take. Matilda’s mascara had stained her usually pristine face, and her cheeks were red and raw.
“Gamma Tyrone,” Lola gasped. She stood up and straightened her knitted figure-hugging grey dress. “What are you doing here?”
Sarai followed by doing the same. Did those two ever wear different clothes?
“Tyrone, you’re looking good…” Lola added, chewing on her bottom lip.
Tye shifted uncomfortably and tightened his hold on my hand.
Matilda’s eyes travelled from Tye to me, and a scowl replaced her tears. “What are you doing here, Omega? I understand Gamma Tyrone’s presence, but not yours. This floor is for Alpha’s…”
Matilda hadn’t been told what I was. I blinked in surprise. How was the most gossip-hungry girl in the packhouse blind to what was going on?
“If that’s so, then why are you here?” I asked, stopping at the door. Still holding Tye’s hand, I turned to her. “As far as I know, you’re only the daughter of the Beta… not an Alpha.”
Lola and Sarai gasped.
Matilda’s watery eyes flashed with malice. “How dare you, Omega!” Ignoring Tye, she stepped closer and pointed a finger in my direction. “You are lower on the food chain than me. You have no right or reason to be here!”
Something inside me snapped. A fury bubbled up from my stomach and coursed through my veins. I didn’t know if everything was piling on me at once, but I straightened my shoulders and stared back at her, ready to verbally attack. But before I could say anything, Tye stepped between us. In surprise, the girls backed up.
“Leave my mate alone…” His voice had taken on an animalistic snarl that made my insides flutter. It meant Maitea was protecting me just as much as Tye. “Do you understand?”
“Mate?” all three of them nearly screamed.
“As if!” Matilda huffed, crossing her arms. Louise? She’s not even old enough to have her wolf yet... and an Omega!”
“Does that even matter?” I asked, peering out from behind my protector. “You heard Tye, he’s my mate… he chose me!”
“Why?” Lola asked with a whine. “Why would you choose someone like her when you could have someone like us?”
“Because Louise is more than any of you will ever be!” Tye’s eyes flashed wolf black, and the three girls turned to water. “Stay away from my mate, understand? I will defend her at all costs!”
“Yes, sorry, Gamma Tyrone,” Sarai nodded and turned to hurry away.
“Yes, Gamma Tyrone,” Lola added, giving Tye another look over before she followed after her sister.
Begrudgingly, Matilda followed them. Halfway down the bend, she turned back to us. There was a strange glint in her eyes. A sneer spread across her lips. “Why would you even pick an Omega, mate? Especially one so scrawny and weak?”
“What?” Tyrone growled. I felt his body tense against me. Maitea was closer to the surface than I had expected him to be. “I dare you to repeat that and see what my wolf thinks! And trust me, Maitea doesn’t take kindly to people who disrespect his mate!”
Matilda’s eyes widened. Without another word, she hurried after her friends.
“It’s okay,” I placed my hand on Tye’s shoulder, trying to calm him.
“I’m so sorry, Louise.” He started to relax, pushing his wolf back and turning to me. “We both want to protect you…” he rubbed his forehead. “Maitea refused to calm…”
“I know,” I reached up and kissed his cheek. He smiled. “I could have handled them anyway.”
He took my hand. “I don’t doubt that a second.”
We turned towards the door, and I sucked in a deep breath. This was it. How was I going to feel? How was I going to react? “Let’s do this.”
- Writer
