Reaching the infirmary, Ash’s gray wolf form jumps out of the truck bed before Amelia can park. Royce curses under his breath and is out of the vehicle as soon as the truck stops, chasing after Ash. I sigh, Amelia letting out a groan as well as she turns off her truck, and we follow after the men. Inside we find nurses blocking Ash from entering the rest of the infirmary, my friend pacing back and forth in front of them while Royce stays to the side, asking another nurse to bring spare clothes for Ash to change into.
“Ash,” I call out, allowing a command into my tone. He stops pacing, looking at me with his brows raised and eyes filled with worry. Worry that I can only assume is for his mate.
“Go with Royce to change into some clothes while Amelia and I find out how the surgery is going,” I say.
Ash hesitates, looking between the blocked door and me while whimpering before slinking toward Royce and following him to the bathroom. Thankfully, the nurse has returned with clothes by now, and Royce is holding them in his arms when the two disappear behind the bathroom doors.
Amelia takes this chance to converse with the nurses, explaining that Ash is Devon’s mate and asking how he’s doing. I keepmy distance, waiting for Ash and Royce to emerge from the bathroom. By the time the two men came out, Amelia had returned to my side with a smile on her face.
“Good news?” I ask, feeling relieved.
“Great news. Devon is out of surgery, and his body is healing rapidly. Hannah will be out to talk in a moment as soon as Devon is settled into his room.”
I sigh with relief, watching as Ash joins us with a smile on his face. He must have heard what Amelia said.
“Ash, you can take some time off to care for your mate. Having you beside him will help with his healing,” Amelia says, placing her hand on Ash’s shoulder.
“Now, if you will all excuse me, I have a Head Warrior to deal with.”
I can feel Amelia’s irritation grow as she walks away. A member of her pack, a high-ranking one at that, has caused too much trouble today. Many will have already heard what happened through the pack link, and as much as we love Marco and care about him, he will need to face punishment for what he did and said.
Amelia’s leaving also gives me the opportunity to talk to Ash and Royce alone. After today, their friendship with Marco will be rocky, if not non-existent. Ash won’t forgive his childhood friend for what Marco did to his mate, and I can’t blame him. Had someone attacked Lucas that way, now that I’ve forgiven him and am building a future with him, I would be on a war path to destroy them.
“I have some news of my own,” I state once Amelia is gone and the three of us have settled into the waiting room chairs.
“What is it?” Ash asks, his eyes weary but relieved now that Devon is on the mend.
“Lucas and I talked about what you three asked. The answer is yes,” I state with a smile. Royce and Ash look at me with wide eyes before I’m pulled into a link.
[Are you serious? We can all join you?] Ash asks, his voice filled with excitement and joy.
[Yes. We had already agreed to it before Simon came to tell us what happened,] I begin to explain, closing my eyes for a moment.
[But after what Marco did, I don’t think leaving you three in this pack is a good idea. At the very least, there will be bad blood between Ash and Marco, and the discord will hinder Ivory Fangs’ growth. Having Ash and Devon join Oak Fur when we take it back is the best option for everyone,] I continue, feeling my friends’ eyes on me. I open them and turn to find Royce in near tears as he mouths ‘thank you.’ Reaching over, I squeeze his hand reassuringly.
[Also, we can’t leave Royce behind since this was his request first,] I add jokingly, making my friends chuckle.
Hannah emerges from the back of the infirmary, her eyes finding us immediately. I stand, motioning for Ash and Royce to follow as I greet my friend, a frown on her face.
“Ash, your mate is in recovery now,” says Hannah. “It was touch and go for a while, with him being collared, but once we got the wounds cleaned and some medication into him, the healing process started. He’s still unconscious, but I can have a nurse take you to his room. Only you, though. Devon needs quiet to heal.”
Ash agrees, already walking towards the doors as a nurse rushes to his side to guide him to his mate’s room.
“What is it you’re not telling us?” I ask, watching Hannah close her eyes and take a deep breath.
“Devon isn’t just unconscious. He’s in a coma. For how long, I don’t know, but Marco did a number on him,” Hannah answers, sounding worn out and sad. “I’ve already informed Amelia. I’m hoping it doesn’t last long and that Ash being by his side will help Devon heal faster, so I didn’t want to worry him further.”
I nod, looking to Royce, who is clenching his fists. His eyes are closed as he takes deep breaths, trying to calm himself.
“Let Ash have some time with Devon. When you’re ready to tell him about Devon’s coma, Have Royce be there to help him,” I state, placing my hand on Royce’s arm.
His eyes snap open, his gaze meeting mine. I can tell Royce is worried for Ash—the two were growing up and slowly climbing the ranks of Silver Paw together long before they met me.
Giving him a reassuring smile, I ask Hannah if it is okay for Royce to be with Ash and Devon, to which she agrees. If Royce can be the rock Ash needs right now, she’ll allow anything as long as it doesn’t harm another wolf or disturb her patients.
Relieved to have everything sorted out, I tell Royce I’ll be in my office if he needs anything before leaving the infirmary. So much has happened this morning, and I could use some quiet time to process my thoughts.
49
