Elegantly Rogue

C H A P T E R 4

     "So, what exactly are you trying to say?" 

Despite the fact that I had been polite while asking the question, the doctors eyes still bounced around the room, refusing to meet my gaze. It was during times like this that I cursed the fact that my presence intimidated people, but the voice in the back of my head reminded me that it ensured an answer. No one wants to find out what happens when an Alpha is ignored. 

     "We don't foresee any complications during her recovery period, Alpha. We believe that the abrasions on her back will cause some scarring, but nothing too severe or unsightly."

His head nodded as he spoke, causing me to focus more on his actions than the content of his words. I told myself that wringing his neck wasn't going to make anything easier. He needed to get to the 'but' part of his speech, and soon.

     "She has lost a lot of blood. We were quite surprised to discover that it didn't cause any permanent damage. Some of her wounds are infected and we believed it would be safer to induce a state of comatose."

My vision seemed to fade into a dark blur of red as I pushed down the sudden burst of anger within me. He hadn't gotten authorization from me to do anything of the sort. 

     "I thought it was protocol for you to get permission before deciding to do something as drastic as comatose a patient?"

I didn't miss the way the doctors skin seemed to lighten as I spoke. A lot of people had turned towards us, despite the fact that I had kept my voice low with the intention avoiding the very attention they were now giving me. 

     "In cases such as these, where the patient is a rogue, we don't have any set protocol, since something like this has never occurred. We usually consult with family. And we have no knowledge of her family." 

Shane stepped into the space between the doctor and I, making me aware of the fact that the distance between us had gotten significantly smaller. 

     "She is no rogue. She is my mate, which makes her your Luna. You were meant to consult with me." 

I forced myself to remain calm, knowing that nothing would get better if I got worked up. Everyone had gone back to what they were doing and Shane had moved out of my way again. Despite the fact that everyone had averted their gazes, I knew that they were all listening. Even if the action wasn’t deliberate. News of the new Luna would spread like wildfire. That I was certain of. 

     "My apologies, Alpha. I didn't know that she was the Luna, and therefore I didn't follow the necessary protocol. But I did what was best for her. She's weak and her wolf isn't even reacting to the dose of wolfsbane we injected her with—"

     "To my knowledge, the Luna has no wolf. She shall not be treated differently because of this by you or any other member of the pack. Do I make myself clear?" 

The doctor didn't answer, but his head nodded in agreement. I noticed the way his shoulders seemed to tense as his gaze dropped to the ground again. I could sense the nervousness rolling off of him and it caused my skin to prickle.

     "Despite her state of weakness and the unresponsiveness of her wolf, she is healing at the average speed of our kind. But due to the severity of her wounds, she needed an extra push in order to heal faster." 

I sighed, telling myself that I should accept the fact that what was done was done and there was no changing it now. The doctor did what he believed was best for a rogue and not his Luna. He wasn't to blame.

     "Since I now know that she's the Luna, there's something that should be brought to your attention." 

My shoulders seemed to tense even further, an ache making itself known between my shoulder blades. What more could be wrong?

     "There's some kind of branding behind the Luna's ear. At first glance it looks like a tattoo. But when I touched it, she flinched away, her skin breaking out in sweat. I believe that it's some kind of branding used by the old tribes. I'd like permission to research its affects."

I sat down, feeling my legs slowly lose their strength as his words sunk in. It had been years since the word branding had even been uttered. The dark ages had ended years ago—tribes capturing wolves and using them as defensive weapons. 

I looked at the doctor who seemed to look just as worried as I was. He understood the issue that we were facing. 

     "Whatever your research results in is not to be seen by anyone other than me. Do I make myself clear?"

His nod was subtle. I would have missed it if I hadn't been paying attention. He turned around, leaving me alone with Shane. He was shorter than I was and of a stockier build. The shadow he cast against me didn’t even block out the light from the sun. 

     "Well? Aren't you going to go and see her?"

His voice held a tone of confusion—something that I didn't blame him for. I shook my head, allowing my eyes to look at the ceiling as I sat back for a moment. I had no doubt in my mind that he would be annoyed by my lack of effort to reply. 

My suspicions were proved correct when I let my gaze drop down and found his eyes darkened by anger. If it had been anyone else, I would have seen it as a direct show of disrespect, but he was my friend and had lost his mate a few months ago. I had known him long enough to know that he didn't understand why I was acting this way when I had gotten a second chance. He would have jumped at the opportunity. 

     "She could have died because of the orders you gave, and now you don't even want to see her. She needs you."

His voice was matter-of-fact. And as much as I hated to admit it, he did have a point. But it was still up to me whether or not I was going to see her.

     "You know that werewolves without inner wolves are confusing. They don't fit in with us and they don't fit in with the humans. And you know that they get dangerous. You of all people should know that. And I know that I'm supposed to love her unconditionally, but how do I do that when I don't know what she's capable of? For all I know, she doesn't even feel the mate bond." 

     "We know what she's capable of. She outran an entire tracking unit and still managed to mask her scent. The only reason we even captured her was because of you. And don't forget that she was the one who saved Ana. Not you. Not me. She did. And I'm sure that everyone in the pack will agree that she's earned her right to be here. But instead, we hunted her down and brought her here to be tortured." 

I clenched my jaw, knowing that everything he said was true. I was about to speak when he turned his back on me and started walking away, his footsteps echoing through the hallway. 

An imagine if her laying against the familiar white sheets of the hospital sent an all too familiar chill down my spine. It was in this very ward that Louella had died...

But oddly enough, my memories of her were slowly being blurred by flashes of the raven haired beauty... 

Who was meant to be my mate.