Page 18 of It’s Kind of a Bunny Story (Hey There, Hop Stuff #3)
I had expected the men to put up a fight, but the fact that they didn’t was a testament to how sick they truly were. By the time we got them into the Jeep, and were headed to the pack house, both Fletcher and I were soaked in sweat, and I was pretty sure I’d pulled at least three muscles.
Neither Copeland nor Linc could keep their eyes open, and the few words they mumbled were barely intelligible.
I tried to get them to let the alpha know we were headed to the hospital, but they’d been too out of it to even understand what I was asking.
Instead, we decided to go straight to the pack house and hope they’d know how to help or the fastest way to the nearest hospital.
“They need something to bring down their fevers,” I told Fletcher, my eyes darting from the back seat out the front window.
“Shifters can tolerate a lot more than a human, but having temperatures this high for prolonged periods isn’t good.
They’re dehydrated from vomiting up everything I’ve tried to give them, and both their breathing and heart rates are fluctuating wildly.
They’re going downhill so fast.” I looked out the window, trying to hide the fresh wave of tears.
“Worrying isn’t going to help anything.” Fletcher kept his voice calm, trying to be reassuring, but it didn’t fool me.
His fingers were gripping the steering wheel with such force that his knuckles had turned white, and his jaw was clenched so tightly I was surprised he hadn’t cracked any teeth. It definitely wasn’t just me who was worried.
Fletcher focused on navigating the unfamiliar curvy mountain road while I listened to the men’s increasingly labored breathing.
The minutes ticked by as we remained silent, lost in our thoughts, but as we neared the main center of the pack, rows of houses came into view.
We passed an elementary school, a row of businesses with people bustling in and out, before—at last—the pack house loomed in front of us.
“Wait here.” Fletcher was out of the Jeep and banging on the pack house door before I’d even unbuckled my seat belt.
A tall man with dark brown-hair answered the door, listening as Fletcher explained what was going on.
I twisted around in my seat, anxiously studying Copeland and Linc in the backseat.
Their skin, which was normally a gorgeous sun-kissed tan, was a pale blue-gray.
They clearly weren’t getting enough oxygen, but I worried whether there could also be internal bleeding.
Sweat dripped from their hair as though they’d been swimming, and their bodies trembled as the fever wreaked havoc.
I jumped when Fletcher yanked open my door. “Come on! They have a fully equipped infirmary inside the pack house.”
“Will that be enough? They need a hospital.” I scrambled from the car, warily eyeing the men and women pouring from the pack house to surround the vehicle.
“They’ve assured me it has every life-saving piece of equipment they might need. And if not, they will have a helicopter on standby to airlift them to the nearest hospital.”
Still, I hesitated, blocking the handle to the back door, feeling protective of the wolves who’d already risked their lives for me.
“We have to trust them, Charlee,” Fletcher insisted, gently moving me to the side so he could open the backseat. “They know wolf shifter anatomy far better than we do. This is the best chance Copeland and Linc have to pull through.”
He was right, but it didn’t make it any easier to watch unfamiliar wolf shifters remove my mates from the backseat and rush them inside—away from me.
I stood staring at the open pack house door, wanting to follow but unable to move.
Being surrounded by complete strangers and the scent of so many wolf shifters was a lot to process.
Despite my desire to be strong for my mates, my body began to tremble.
These wolves had protected me from the coyotes, but my rabbit nature was screaming that I needed to bolt for safety.
A hand rested on my shoulder. “I know it’s overwhelming, and the alarms blaring in your mind are claiming you’re in danger. But it’s not true. You’re safe, Charlee.”
I turned to find two women standing on either side of me, putting themselves between me and the gathered wolf shifters.
The hand on my shoulder belonged to a woman with long dark hair, while the other had brilliant blue hair.
They were the same height as me, making them far more petite than everyone else around us.
“Hi. I’m Monroe. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you, just not under these circumstances.” The dark-haired woman gave me a sympathetic smile. “Come inside with us. We can sit in the waiting room until the doctors get Linc and Copeland settled into a room.”
“You’re both rabbit shifters,” I murmured, allowing Monroe to lead me up the porch steps.
“Yep! And I’m Ellora.” The blue-haired woman fell into step beside us.
“Charlee, you have no idea how excited we are to have another rabbit around. Our fluffles are amazing, but we can’t help but miss being around our species as well.” Monroe’s smile reached all the way to her eyes, letting me know she was sincere.
“And it’s not just us! Monroe’s bestie, Reese, has been planning a BBQ bonfire to welcome you to the pack. Everyone has been looking forward to meeting the bunny who stole the hearts of the most stubborn mountain men the pack has ever seen. They might as well be hermits!” Ellora threw up her hands.
They were trying to distract me, and it had worked. At least for a moment. “So they aren’t very social?”
Monroe snorted. “Let me put it this way. There are more sightings of Sasquatch than of either Linc or Copeland. My mate says they’ve always preferred the quiet of nature, but they did their best to adjust to crowds while trying to find a mate.
That didn’t work out, and they returned to the mountains. Your mates are good men.”
“I know,” I whispered.
And they’re dying because of me , I thought, afraid to say it out loud.
They continued their friendly small talk as they led me inside, but I barely heard another word. All my attention was focused on the hall in front of us, searching for any sign of my wolves.
We turned into one of the open doorways, and it surprised me to find the room looked far more like a cozy reading nook than a hospital waiting area.
Monroe settled me into a cushy recliner, while Ellora mentioned something about getting drinks before heading for the doorway, where she nearly ran into Fletcher and the tall man beside him.
Power seemed to radiate from the stranger.
I didn’t need an introduction to know this was the alpha who’d fallen head-over-heels for a rabbit shifter.
“I’m going to Alpha Cillian’s office while we wait for news on Linc and Copeland. Is that okay, or do you want me to stay with you?” Fletcher’s brows drew together, his eyes swirling with turmoil and indecision.
He didn’t want to leave my side any more than I wanted him to. But we both knew the alpha needed to be filled in on everything that was happening.
“Go ahead.” I turned to Monroe. “You should go with them. It’s information you need to be aware of, too.” Seeing her hesitation, I nodded my chin toward the door. “Please, this is important for the safety of the pack.”
Monroe stood, still reluctant to leave me. “Ellora will be right back…”
“It’s okay. I’ll be fine,” I reassured her.
With that, they headed down the hall, leaving me alone with my chaotic thoughts and gut-wrenching fears.
Kicking off the huge flip-flops I’d borrowed from Copeland, I tucked my legs against my chest and wrapped my arms around them.
My eyes landed on the large grandfather clock in the corner and followed the second hand as it moved around the gold-plated face.
It had been almost ten minutes when Ellora reappeared.
“Here we go.” She was carrying a small tray and handed me a steaming mug of hot chocolate.
I took the offered drink, more to have something to do with my hands than from an eagerness to drink it. Any other time, I’d have loved the treat, but with my stomach churning as though it was making butter back in the 1800s, I wasn’t sure I could keep anything down.
We sat in silence, listening to the clock tick away the passing minutes, before she spoke again. “If you’re okay by yourself for a little while, I have a quick errand to run.” Ellora chewed her bottom lip between her perfect white teeth, obviously torn about leaving me.
“I’m fine.” Forcing a smile to my lips, I set my mug on the table next to me. “I think I’ll try to take a quick nap while I wait for the doctors to give me an update. Last night was rough.”
Ellora hopped from her seat and pulled me into a tight hug. “I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. Yes, try to sleep for a bit.”
I thought I’d cried out all my tears, but my eyes instantly began to water.
It was one thing to be treated with kindness from the men who were bound to me as mates, but it was something completely different to experience it from female shifters.
I’d had plenty of female friends as a child, but as I started questioning things and then moved on to rebelling against the arbitrary rules, things had changed.
Worried that I’d be a bad influence, the older females did their best to limit the amount of time that was spent between my friends and myself.
I knew I’d be punished for challenging the council’s authority, but despite that, I found it impossible to keep my head down and my mouth closed.
Anyone perceived to be my ally or friend would face similar consequences, so I didn’t blame the other girls for avoiding me as we grew older.
Ellora grabbed a throw blanket from a basket on the floor and tucked it around me.
My chest warmed as I watched her bright blue ponytail swing with each step she took as she left the room.
It had been less than an hour, but I already knew Monroe and Ellora were going to be amazing friends.
My life had changed so much in such a short time.
I could be happy here… as long as I have my mates at my side.
Overwhelmed by mental and physical exhaustion, I closed my eyes and dropped my head back against the leather chair.