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She sighed, “They are so fucking lucky I can see.” Given we were Werewolves our eyesight was better, but a human would be blinded right now.

I turned around in the seat. A sinister smiling face I knew greeted me.

Why was he following us with his brights on?

Dad wouldn’t have him guarding us, and he wasn’t even a Warrior; let alone a Guard.

Then I realized he was speeding up. I yelled, “MOM, LOOK OUT!” before he hit the back panel of our SUV. I screamed as the back window exploded. My mom shouted, “HANG ON, MELANIE JANE!” She was trying to keep the car straight, but we were hit again.

She glanced at me, and I saw the panic on her face. She said, “You’re going to be fine, baby.” Then she lost control, and the SUV rolled. Glass exploded and I squeezed my eyes shut and I felt the car spinning and rolling around.

When we stopped, I screamed, “MOM!” She didn’t answer me. I cried, “No, mom please answer me. Are you ok? Because… you have to be ok… mom…” She didn’t say anything. I cried, “Please, mom.” My mom had to be ok.

I turned to try and see her but there was a tree in between us.

Did the car split in two? I tried to yell louder, “MOM!” All I heard was the wind in reply.

I went through the statistics on car crashes.

The tree was in the middle of us so only a branch could’ve impaled her and at this angle it was more likely the car spit in two.

Everything was trying to fade away from me. I ordered, “No Melanie… stay conscious… use your Werewolf vision… and move forward around the tree.” I put my hands down on the roof and moved as far forward as I could.

I looked over and screamed, “MOM!” The SUV was completely in two pieces but her side was just in front of the other side of the tree. She wasn’t moving and there was blood dripping down her face, but she was breathing. I yelled, “SOMEONE HELP US!” My head was pounding but I heard footsteps coming.

I instantly quieted. What if the other driver didn’t keep driving? I closed my eyes, pretending to be unconscious. I smelled him outside our window before I felt a sharp pain in my head. He’d hit me hard enough I couldn't hang onto consciousness anymore.

I heard beeping. It wouldn’t stop and it was annoying.

Was I dead? I sat up. Someone said, “Whoa, take it easy. Do you know where you are?” I forced my eyes open.

I looked around the hospital. A quick inhale told me this was a human one.

Seriously? Why were we taken here? Wasn’t I with my mom?

What was I doing before this? Surely, I was with mom.

I asked, “Where’s my mom? What happened?” I couldn’t remember anything. I saw my gold dress in a bag with blood on it. That was the dress I’d picked out for Elise’s mating ceremony! I remembered we’d been driving.

I announced, “There… we were in the car…” I looked at the nurse in panic. I asked, “Where is my mom?” She said, “You need to calm down.” I could hear the beeping on the monitor increase, so it was a heart or blood pressure monitor.

I repeated, “My mom…” The nurse interrupted, “Please take a deep breath.” She wasn’t listening to me! I yelled, “I WILL TAKE A DEEP brEATH WHEN YOU TELL ME WHERE MY MOTHER IS! Where is she?! She was hurt!” I started to cry.

I screamed, “MOM! MOM! WHERE ARE YOU?!” She’d hear me with our hearing. She had to and she’d answer me. Who were all these people? I cried, “Where is my dad? I don’t know you.” Several people ran into the room, but none were my mom.

She didn’t answer my screams either, which logically meant she wasn’t on this floor. Or she couldn’t hear me, which I was rejecting even though the probability she was unconscious was rising. Someone put something in the IV that I had in my hand.

I looked at them and yelled again, “Where is she?! Why won’t you answer me?

” They looked at each other and frowned.

Someone said, “That should’ve knocked her out.

” I pleaded, “Just answer me! Where is my mom? She’s ok, right?

” They still didn’t answer me. Bile filled my throat and I felt extremely dizzy.

I started trying to yank everything off me, but they held me down. I could get them off me, but it would hurt them. They were humans. I screamed, “LET ME GO! Why won’t you just tell me where she is?! I want my mom! Is she ok? Why won’t she answer me?”

I heard a growl I knew and cried, “Daddy!” He was running down the hall clearly based on the sound. He still ordered, “Get your hands off my daughter RIGHT NOW!” Tristin yelled, “Mel!” Jason growled, “Let her go!” They all filled the doorway.

I looked up and cried, “Dad, they won’t tell me where mom is… or if she’s ok… she didn’t answer me… and the likelihood she’s unconscious is… around seventy percent…” The nurse said, “How? She wouldn’t have heard you. You didn’t yell that loud.” Not to her, she was human, but my mom wasn’t.

My dad ran into my room and glared at several people. He came right to my side. He whispered soothingly, “I’m here. It’s ok, Ladybug. Your mom is in a different room on another floor. I’ll go see her in just a minute.”

I asked, “Is she ok? She wasn’t moving and she wouldn’t answer me.

” They were all in tuxedos. It felt like a weird thing to notice because surely, I saw them before they left.

Didn’t I? What had I done with my whole day?

Why was everything a blank with sporadic pockets of information?

Like I knew mom didn’t answer me in the car.

I knew that tree split the SUV. I knew we were hit. Everything else was gone.

My dad explained, “The call I got was that both of you were stable. I’ll go check on her as soon as I know you're ok.” Tristan urged, “I’ve got her, dad. Go check on mom.” My dad kissed the top of my head. I whispered, “I’m fine. T is right, go see mom. Please. They won’t tell me how she is.”

Tristan asked, “How are you feeling?” I admitted, “My head really hurts and I feel dizzy.” Tristan frowned.

The doctor came into the room. He raised an eyebrow looking around.

Eventually he said, “I wasn’t aware the on call doctor was called for my patient.

I’ll need to know what happened in here.

” My dad was going to sue them is what happened.

The doctor turned to me saying, “Your disorientation makes sense. You have a severe concussion, and your equilibrium will be off. The accident damaged your inner ear.” I frowned, “But I have a dance competition…”

The doctor interrupted, “I’m sorry but there will be no dancing for at least a few months” I gasped and looked at Tristan in panic.

I whispered, “But it’s a big competition next weekend and…

” Jason jumped in, “Mel, we can have our doctors at home look at you. We will get a second opinion.” The doctor here wasn’t a wolf.

How did I get taken to a human hospital without ANY supernatural’s running around?

Or at least one on my medical team. The likelihood of that happened was literally next to none.

I’d helped out with a college study on it.

It was literally unheard of to have a team of doctors in human hospitals without a Supernatural on it.

Especially for me when I’d clearly been admitted here. Something was off about all of this.

Tristan said, “It’s going to be ok, Ladybug.” Except it wasn’t. I’d invited Xander to my competition because it was a big one. I’d mailed him the invitation personally and everything with a note like the other times. I’d specifically said this was a big one though.

I felt hot tears slipping out of my eyes.

Tristan hugged me whispering, “I’ve got you, little sister.

” I held onto him tightly. A nurse asked, “Does she have an aversion to sedation or pain medicine?” Tristan admitted, “She has a high tolerance for medicine.” I knew that because after I’d separated my shoulder, they’d barely able been able to take the pain away at our pack hospital.

The nurse nodded as my dad came back in.

He quickly announced, “Your mom is fine, and your grandpa Ben is with her. Your other grandparents will be here shortly.” He meant my mom’s parents.

He growled, “Sam’s asking about my daughter since she wasn’t told immediately when she woke up. ” He glared at the doctors.

The one that was my actual doctor frowned. He apologized, “I’m sorry that happened. I’m sure she was very worried.” Tristan and Jason scoffed, and I knew why. They were lucky my dad and grandpa got to her when they did, or she’d have gone momma wolf on them.

Sugar would’ve taken over and the question was if it would’ve been in wolf or human form. If she’d shifted, Fairies would be here erasing memories. My dad turned to the doctor that had apologized and inclined his head outside.

He told me, “We will get you and your mom home.” I asked, “What happened? There were lights and… I can’t remember anything.” Which was annoying. I remembered everything, even when I didn’t want to.

My dad explained, “It was a hit and run accident, but I promise you we will find out what happened. Peter knows you guys are ok and will receive the full report later. Garrett is on the scene and working on everything with Dylan Frost.” I’d missed meeting Dylan Frost again? Man!

Jason walked out with him. I whispered to Tristan, “Do you think Xander will come heal me?” Tristan sighed, “It’s not an emergency, Ladybug.

” It felt like one. Actually, it felt like I was going to throw up.

Why couldn’t the Moon Goddess give me a break?

I just wanted to meet Xander. I reached for something, and nurse handed me a bag that I threw up into.

Tristan asked, “What’s going on?” The nurse answered, “The concussion, or her inner ear issue could cause this. It’s quite severe.

” Tristan said, “I don’t know what an inner ear issue means.

” I answered, “Balance problems, vertigo, dizziness, hearing issues, nausea and vomiting, ringing in your ears, headaches, earaches and so on.”

The nurse chuckled, “You’re smart.” I muttered, “I’d have to lose over twenty I.Q. points to be classified as smart.” Tristan’s tone was full of amusement when he admonished me, “Melanie.” I said, “Well, I would… and…”

The nurse said, “Some of the hearing loss could be permanent.” Tristan asked, “Did you hit the tree, Mel?” I closed my eyes and tried to remember. I remembered looking around the tree to see mom. I whispered, “I don’t think so.”

Tristan linked me, “The hearing loss, if you have any, won’t be permanent.” I replied, “I hear just fine… she’s annoying… and I don’t like her. She wouldn’t answer my questions.” He teased, “And you don’t like people not answering your questions.”

I retorted, “That’s literally in my blood.” He ruffled my hair. The nurse said, “She threw up again.” Again? When did I throw up before? The doctor nodded, “They are transferring her to a private hospital nearby where they live.” She shrugged and left the room.

The doctor went through a bunch of stuff with my dad when I smelled my mom coming. I burst into tears when Grandpa Ben wheeled her in. I sobbed, “Mom!” Grandpa wheeled her next to me and she took my hand. She whispered, “I’m so sorry, Melanie Jane.”

My dad growled, “It wasn’t your fault, Sam. Some jackass t-boned you guys, lost control and hit you again, then left you guys down in a ravine.” I hummed, “It’s very rare for Harbison’s Hawthorn trees to be in Tennessee and we hit one.”

My mom snorted, “Great. It’s rare and we just happened to find one.” That seemed very strange and unlikely. I added, “They are actually rare and endangered in this state… it’s a large tree for a ravine… they are large and…”

The doctor chuckled, “She certainly knows facts.” I did and they weren’t adding up here. Something was going on and I needed to figure it out. I’d just add it to my growing list of things to figure out. My mom squeezed my hand, and I squeezed hers. We were ok and that was what mattered.