Their Powerful Hybrid Mate

Chapter 3

Lorraine

"So your parents took the teachers' side?" Sarah whispered as we walked into school together.

"Not my dad, he was more on my side, but my mom was totally on their side. But they were both upset that I never said anything about having trouble sleeping." I yawned. "My mom is having me go to the clinic after school, so they can give me something to sleep better at night."

No need to mention to anyone that it's because I'm being haunted and harassed by spirits at night.

"Maybe once you get your wolf your sleep will even out again," Sarah said hopefully.

As if I ever got good sleep to begin with. The only difference now is the frequency of their visits. Always asking me to do them favors.

'Tell my daughter I love her'.

'Tell my brother I'm still mad at him for screwing my wife'.

'Can you check on the stray cat that comes to my house every evening? He is probably hungry.'.

The list goes on and on. And since I don't want to be pointed out as a freak again, I don't bother even speaking to most of the spirits except to tell them no. There are only a handful who are actually useful to me, and they are all currently in my school helping me learn.

"Maybe." I yawned again.

"Here, you're gonna need this more than me." Sarah said, pulling a Red Bull from her bag.

"Thanks." I chuckled, cracking it open and chugging it down immediately. I just needed to make it to lunch, and then to three. I can do this.

- - - - - - - - -

I couldn't do it. I almost made it to lunch, but then ended up falling asleep during English, earning myself more community service time. I might not have, had I not sassed the teacher about handing in my homework, reminding her that I was being tested next week, so what was the point? I'm sure that merited a phone call home too, but really no one had anything more to say, not until I took the placement tests they had planned.

How was I going to do that? I don't know. While I wanted to invite my deceased teachers along, I did feel like it was kind of cheating. But at the same time, there was no chance in hell that I was going to go to summer school or worse, repeat a grade or more. My ghostly teachers never gave me the answers, they only pointed me in the right direction. They were people to bounce ideas off of, someone to work through all the problems with like my wolf would one day. Once she came along, there would be no more need to speak with any of the spirits. I hoped.

I still had a number of months, seven to be precise, until my birthday, so it wasn't like she would be able to help me tomorrow. Or next week when I will really need her. I was caught up in the thoughts of my wolf, shuffling to my locker in search of my lunch, when Sarah came crashing into me, her face filled with excitement.

"The triplets!! They are on break for a few weeks! They have all come back home!!"

"So?" I asked, fumbling with the lock on my locker as she grabbed my arm and jumped up and down excitedly.

"So?! Come on Lorraine!! You can't be that against them! Not with how hot they all are!"

"They are just people, Sarah."

"I heard Noah was here at school again today! He was speaking with the coach and principal, and Greta said that she talked to Maggie, who talked to Lilly, who said that her boyfriend Jake was training with Beta Roland's son Matt, and Matt said that he overheard that Noah might be trying to get an internship here for extra credit! Eeeeek!!!"

"News sure does travel fast, huh?" Noah said from behind us.

Sarah practically broke her neck as she whirled around, her face a bright cherry red.

"Alpha Noah." She said, bowing her head in respect and submission. "I didn't see you there."

"I'm not Alpha yet." He said, his eyes locked on mine.

Was he expecting me to act the same? Blush and bow at his very presence? If only he knew I outranked him in about ten different ways.

"We are going to be late for lunch." I said dryly, forgoing my lunch in my still locked locker and grabbing Sarah's hand to drag her along with me.

"Oh, I was actually hoping you two would join me." He smiled. "I could use a few familiar faces."

"No."

"Yes!"

Sarah and I answered at the same time, each shooting each other daggers.

"I have some studying to do, but Sarah is free." I said, pushing her forward and quickly turning to leave.

"Lorraine, wait!" Noah called.

But I didn't stop or even look back as I found my place in the library and spent my lunch sleeping. Again.

- - - - - - - -

"Now, when we get there, be sure to mention that the dreams started getting worse after your...incident. There is a doctor-patient confidentially, you know, you can tell them what happened."

"Got it." I yawned.

I was sitting slouched in the car, my eyes heavy as my grandma drove me to my appointment. She was being pushier than usual, effectively driving me up a wall. But perhaps my lack of sleep was giving me a shorter temper too. Either way, the ten-minute drive had me ready to claw my way out of the car.

"Here we are-"

"Thanks." I said, darting out of the car before she could even finish her sentence.

She hated it when I did that, but I hated it when she spoke to me as if I were still a pup. Perhaps I was considered one to some still. For those who didn't know that I talked to the dead or previously raised an undead army anyway.

I didn't waste any time once I got in. The receptionist took my information and gave me a packet to fill out about my medical history. Not much to say other than sleep problems, thankfully. A nurse called me back a few minutes later and took my height and weight and blood pressure. She took me into a room and asked me basically all the information I had just written down on my paperwork before leaving me to sit for a few more minutes. Everything was going just fine, until the doctor came in.

It wasn't the doctor that was the problem, it was his shadow.

"Good afternoon Miss Fuller, I'm Doctor Patel, but you can call me Melvin." He smiled warmly. "And I'm sure you know who this is," he said, gesturing to the second born triplet, Owen. He looked almost the same as I remembered him, his dark brown hair cut short, but styled nonetheless. But he lost the teenage pup look, and now he looks like...well, a man. Especially in those scrubs. "Owen will be running the show today, as part of his internship. We, like the hospital, are a teaching group, and encourage hands-on learning. Is that a problem?"

"No." I said with a heavy sigh.

"Well then, let's get started. Owen, the floor is yours." Dr. Melvin said, taking a seat in the corner of the room.

Owen took a seat at the counter, placing his laptop next to the sink. He faced me, not bothering to look at his screen for a moment longer. No, instead, his full attention, and vibrant green eyes were totally set on me.

"First and last name?" He asked, though I knew he already knew. Or at least he knew my cover-up last name, not my real last name. But this was part of his learning, so f**k it.

"Lorraine Fuller."

"Birthday?"

"November eleventh."

"Eating enough?"

"Yes." I nodded. Lie.

"Drinking enough?"

"Yes." Also, probably a lie.

"Exercise regularly?"

"Only when school makes me."

"Are you sexually active?" He asked with a sigh.

"No."

"Drugs?"

"No."

"Alcohol?"

"No."

"Smoker?"

"No."

"Reason for your visit?"

"I just need a sleep pill." I deadpanned. "Something that will put me out at night like a horse tranquilizer might."

"Anything else?" He asked, his brow raised at my crassness

"Nope, just that." I said, letting the 'p' in my 'nope' pop.

He nodded and took a few vitals, a serious expression on his face the entire time. He was always the more serious of the three, the more stern. But I had never seen him this...invested before.

"Heart sounds good, lungs too. Thyroid is normal." He announced to the room.

"Very good, what's next?" Dr Melvin coached from the sidelines.

"She is up-to-date on her vaccines, overdue for a physical, and we still need to determine the reason why she thinks she needs a sleep aid." Owen said.

"Very well." He nodded.

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I can touch my toes just fine, and I'm otherwise healthy, I just can't sleep at night."

"Are you refusing a physical then?" Owen asked.

"Yes." I nodded.

He mimicked my nod with a slow, disappointed one. And then proceeded to type up some notes in my chart, probably marking me as noncompliant, before he continued.

"How long have you been having sleep problems for?"

"My whole life." I said, my fingernails suddenly becoming very interesting. "But I had an...accident a few months ago, and I've been having nightmares since. They keep me up at night." I shrugged.

"What kind of accident?" He frowned.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said, meeting his eyes again.

He stared at me for a long moment before Dr. Melvin stepped in again.

"Your prognosis, Owen?" He asked.

"History of sleep issues, only made worse by the accident which has resulted in possible PTSD. I would recommend her seeing a counselor to work through the trauma, which should result in better sleep. I would also write a script for a sleep aid in the meantime for the long-term issues she has been having."

"I couldn't agree more." Melvin smiled. "I would also like you to follow up with us in a month for your physical and to see how the medication is working for you. If all is well, I won't need to see you back until after you get your wolf." he winked.

"Thank you doctor." I smiled.

"Check the pharmacy in an hour." Dr. Melvin said over his shoulder as I left the room.

Finally, something good was happening.