Cupcakes Ch. 07

"Ah, are you looking for Georgia Allen?"

"Yeah," Frank confirmed in surprise, "Yeah exactly, do you know where she is?"

"She's the mate of one of my pack members, they spent the day together out by the lake, she probably didn't have any reception. Then she had a bit of an accident, we are at the clinic now actually, she's had to get some stitches but will be just fine."

Frank made a relieved sound, "Thank god, I really didn't want to have to lead a search party through your land Will. Can you have her call her sister?"

"Yeah she's still in with the doctor but I'll get her phone to her and have her call."

"Thanks Will, always a pleasure working with you. I'll tell her sister we've located her and she'll hear from her soon."

"No problem Frank. As always we appreciate your discretion."

Will hung up shaking his head. What a mess. He dialed one of his higher ranking betas.

"Alpha Smith?"

"Hey Jack, I need you to run over to the Cabello's, look around their driveway for a stray cell phone and bring it to me at the clinic. Fast as possible would be good."

"No problem Sir, I'll be right there."

Karen came out to join him and he explained what was going on. She sat with him on a bench by the entrance, enjoying the cool, quiet night.

About 15 minutes later Jack pulled up in a small green pickup. He hopped out and trotted toward them, holding out Georgia's cell phone.

"Sir? Do you know there's human blood all over the driveway over there?"

"Yes Jack, I'm sure the gossip will be all over the place by tomorrow morning but Rig Cabello found his mate, she's human and she had an accident in their driveway and is currently being treated here in the clinic."

Jack looked stunned, "Do you need me to do anything?"

Karen nodded, "Actually we do need something Jack. If you would keep an ear open for gossip and set people straight if you hear anything fantastical."

"We'll call a pack meeting in the next day or two to make an announcement, for now please reassure people that everything is fine and we are in control of the situation."

"Sure thing." Jack saluted and hopped back in his truck.

Will hit the home button on Georgia's phone and was relieved to find she didn't have a passcode on it. He opened her texts to find a string of increasingly frantic messages from her sister. He looked back over their previous conversations and tried to match Georgia's usual tone as he texted her sister.

"Hey Sam. Geez, freak out much? I was out of cell range most of the day, I took a tumble and am getting a couple stitches, but I'm FINE and I'll call you in a bit when the doctors are done with me. Repeat I AM FINE." He handed the phone to Karen who nodded approval and hit send. Almost immediately Samantha texted back.

"OH MY GOD GEORGIA. I have been freaking out, I went to the fucking police for gods sake! Call me as soon as you can. I won't be truly convinced until I hear your voice understand?!"

"I'm sorry I worried you sis :( I will call you as soon as possible I promise." Karen responded.

"Why do I feel like we are weaving a web that's going to tangle us up?" She asked handing the phone back to Will.

"It's a valid concern. Now we'll have to convince that poor girl in there to call her sister and lie that everything is just fine and dandy."

"I don't think things will be fine for her for awhile. I can't imagine finding out like that."

They walked back into the clinic to join the waiting family.

Georgia felt like she was trying to push her way past thick cobwebs. Her eyes were so heavy and her mind was sluggish. She was laying in a comfortable bed, she could tell that much, and from the feel of it she was heavily drugged. It was similar to waking up after she'd had her wisdom teeth out, things filtered in slowly through a thick fog.

She managed to crack her eyes open and had a mixed reaction to seeing RIg sitting beside her bed. Her immediate reaction was relief and happiness that he was there with her. Close on the heels of that was terror. What was he? What had happened? Where was she?

"Shhhhh, sweetheart it's ok, you're safe, you're at the medical clinic and you are going to be just fine." Rig rushed to reassure her, watching as her sleepy eyes went from confused to panicked in a split second.

"No, no no no." She muttered, shaking her head, then wincing as the movement caused her pain.

"Baby it's fine, just stay calm and I'll answer any question you have. You've got a concussion from falling in my driveway, you need to stay calm."

A nurse poked her head in the door having heard their voices. "Is she awake?"

"Yes, she just woke up." Rig glanced over his shoulder at the nurse.

"I'll let the doctor know. Do you need anything?"

"No, not yet." He turned his attention back to Georgia who was regarding him with a frown and furrowed brows.

His hand felt so good holding hers, she couldn't deny that it was comforting. But a million questions were crowding her head, all trying to get out at the same time.

"Where am I?" Her voice was thick and shaky.

"Still in my community, we have a medical clinic here, I brought you here for treatment."

She looked around as best she could without moving her head. "I fell." She stated simply.

"Yes, you fell. Your tailbone is fractured and you have a concussion. They put 6 stitches in your scalp where you hit the pavement."

She lifted a shaky hand to her head, feeling the gauze wrap. "I saw something." She dropped her hand heavily into her lap unable to hold it up. Her focus fell on his hand holding hers and he felt her fingers twitch.

He waited, watching the expressions changing as she tried to sift through her memories.

"Your neighbor. . ."She looked across the room, her eyes unfocusing as she searched her memory,"Your neighbor changed into a wolf."

She focused on Rig's face, waiting for his denial. Surely it was some elaborate hoax, some kind of prank or trick. Instead she was a flash of pain as he nodded.

"Yes, he did." Rig suppressed the urge to spill the whole story, flood her with information. She was barely coherent, he had to let her process this slowly.

Georgia studied his worried expression. He'd simply confirmed that yes, unbelievable, his neighbor was what? A werewolf?

"Werewolf?" She asked.

"Yes." again he simply confirmed and let her think about it.

She closed her eyes. Through the enforced serenity of the drugs she mulled over what he was telling her. Werewolves were real. He wasn't surprised by this. That meant he already knew.

She thought about the gated community an hour outside of town. They had their own school, their own medical clinic. She thought about the kids asking if she was human.

Her eyes opened and she focused on him again. "All of you?"

He knew she had to find out eventually but he was terrified that this was the moment when he lost her.

He took a deep breath and took the plunge "Yes all of us."

The monitor beside him beeped and he glanced at it, watching the heart rate rise rapidly. "You are safe Georgia, nobody is going to harm you." He assured her, squeezing her hand.

"Get out." She turned her head away, closing her eyes.

His stomach flipped violently and he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. "Georgia please, give me a chance to explain."

She tugged weakly against his hold on her hand. "Get out." She repeated, a tear slipping from under her closed eyelid to roll down her cheek.

"I can't lose you George, I can't. Please don't do this. I know it's scary and unbelievable and I had no idea how I was going to talk to you about it, but now you know and you've got to give me a chance to explain. Don't push me away."

She turned her head, cringing, The pain and tears in her eyes broke his heart. "I don't want to be around you right now." She paused, the effort to speak clearly sapping what little energy she had. "Just go please." She tried again to pull her hand from his grasp.

"Rig." Will spoke softly from the doorway. Georgia closed her eyes and turned away again, more of them the last thing she could handle. Rig looked back at his Alpha, heartbreak clear on his face.

"Give her some space Rig, this is a lot to take in. Go talk to your parents, let everyone know she's awake and ok."

Rig turned back to Georgia who kept her face turned from him. He kissed her hand before releasing it, then stood and walked quickly from the room. She trembled, his lips against her skin causing a reaction even through the pain and drugs.

Will and Karen approached the bed quietly. They'd agreed Karen would be the best person to speak with Georgia, so she took the lead.

"Georgia I'm Karen Smith, this is my husband Will. We are the Alpha's of this pack, basically we keep everything running smoothly." She sat in the chair beside the bed, "I'm sure you have a million questions and we'd be happy to answer them for you."

They waited quietly while Georgia kept her face turned away. Her pulse was slowing and her breathing was steady. Finally she turned toward them and opened her eyes.

"I want to go home."

"I can understand that Georgia, but the doctor says you need to stay overnight for observation. You took a nasty blow to the head and they like to make sure no complications arise."

"I don't feel safe here." She closed her eyes for a moment, fatigue nearly swamping her. Her head was beginning to throb.

"Will call the nurse, she's clearly in pain."

Will stepped into the hallway and summoned the nurse. Georgia kept her eyes closed as the nurse bustled in and checked her vitals. She responded that yes she was in pain and the nurse pushed a syringe into the IV, watching as it quickly took effect and the tension left Georgia's face. She nodded to the Alpha's and slipped back out to the nurses station.

Georgia sighed as the pain melted away. Her head felt heavy and sore but dull. From somewhere in her pelvis she felt an ache, and didn't want to move anymore than was necessary.

"Georgia," Karen leaned toward her, "I know this isn't the ideal time, and this isn't a conversation you probably ever wanted to have, but we need you to talk to us."

She focused on Karen, feeling euphoric from the pain medicine. "Am I going to die?"

"What?" Karen sat back, startled, "No, of course not, you only have a concussion and a cracked tailbone."

"No." Georgia gingerly shook her head,"From you."

Will and Karen frowned and shook their heads. "Georgia you are in no danger from us." Will used what he hoped was a reassuring tone.

"I know the movies paint a terrifying picture of werewolves, but if you'll give us a chance we'd like to share the truth with you."

Georgia closed her eyes for a long moment. This was all crazy. There was no other word for it. Will and Karen seemed like normal, harmless people, but they were offering her information that would continue to change her world in ways she didn't want. There was no going back after this.

She thought of Rig and felt a stab of physical pain in her chest. Whatever would happen with him she couldn't bear to think about it right now. The feeling of betrayal was overwhelming.

There were tears threatening to spill when she opened her eyes to focus on the Smiths. "I don't feel like I have much choice."

"I'm sorry you had to find out the way you did, but now that you know, you should know everything." Will smiled reassuringly.

Rig stumbled through the double doors and into the waiting area. His family jumped up as soon as he appeared, rushing to guide him into a chair. "What happened, are you ok? Is Georgia ok?"

He shook his head, resting his elbows on his knees. "She told me to get out." He voice sounded strangled.

"What?!" His family responded nearly in chorus and started peppering him with questions.

"Hey!" Ray's voice cut through the din. "Stop with the questions."

They all apologized quietly and found seats around Rig, giving him a moment to compose himself.

"When you are ready son, tell us what happened."

Rig cleared his throat and scrubbed his face, "It's pretty straightforward. She woke up. I tried to explain, tried to talk to her. She said she didn't feel safe, told me to get out."

His family murmured around him. "She's just scared Rig." Karen offered, "She's not rejecting you."

"Are the Alpha's talking to her now?" His mom asked, laying a comforting hand on his arm.

"Yeah, they suggested I give her some space."

"They will reassure her and answer all her questions. I'm sure she'll be ready to talk to you when they're done."

Rig shook his head again. He rubbed at his chest where it ached. He'd never experienced heartbreak like this before, he physically felt as if his heart was being torn out.

"She's so scared, not just of the whole situation, she's scared of me. How do I fix that?" He looked up at his dad.

"I don't know son, I don't have an answer here. But I have faith that you wouldn't be fated a mate that would reject you. Trust in Georgia. She's a strong, intelligent woman. Trust that she can process all this and find a way to accept it."

Rig sat up straighter, drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Georgia was strong and smart, she had handled the weirdness of the past couple of days and she could handle this. It make take her a bit to process it, but she'd be fine. She needed him just as much as he needed her, of that he had no doubt.

"I know you didn't eat anything earlier," His mom pressed a sandwich into his hands, "Eat, that's an order."

Georgia stared across the foot of her bed, focused on nothing in particular as she thought about what Karen was explaining to her. It was a lot to accept. Basically everything she'd ever believed was called into question. Things she wouldn't have ever thought were real were, which quickly led to a rabbit hole of what was real and what wasn't.

Pretty much all werewolves were born that way, Karen explained, and they lived together in packs like the one here. They were led by an Alpha couple and for the most part were peaceful and tried to blend into society. They didn't go around biting people and turning them into werewolves, in fact it was extremely rare for someone to be a turned wolf as opposed to born.

She'd asked a few questions to clarify but for the most part had just listened as they explained their community structure and that they had an agreement with local authorities.

Georgia closed her eyes, she was missing something important. It was hard to focus with the drugged fog her brain was working through. She teased at the tangle of information, looking for the loose thread. What was it? Something important.

"Wait." She looked at Karen, "Why am I here?"

"Well." Georgia didn't miss the look that passed between them, "That gets a little complicated."

"Please explain." That foreboding feeling was back, she wasn't going to like this she could tell.

"Relationships, romantic relationships I mean, are very different among werewolves." Karen started, clearly uncomfortable. "We only have one true mate, and we recognize them by scent when we meet each other."

Georgia frowned, "Two werewolves you mean."

"Yes usually." Karen replied tentatively, "But every once in awhile one of us will have a human mate. It's very uncommon but considered a blessing because she brings genetic diversity into the pack."

Georgia closed her eyes again, integrating this information with what she'd already learned.

"Are you saying Rig thinks I'm his mate?"

Karen couldn't help a small smile. Even drugged and injured Georgia was sharp enough to put the pieces together. She was more than a worthy mate for Rig.

"He doesn't just think that Georgia, you are his mate. I know you've been experiencing some strange things over the past couple of days. The dreams, the strange compulsions, the missing time, those are all proof that you are his mate."

"How do you know?"

"For one because Rig came to speak to us after he met you, but more importantly I know exactly what you've been going through because I was human too. I went through the same things."

The monitor beeped again as Will and Karen heard Georgia's heart speed up. She swallowed loudly, "What do you mean you were human?"

Karen raised her hands, "It's ok, stay calm Georgia. Remember you are not in danger and nothing will ever be forced on you. I simply mean that I was human, but I chose to have Will turn me after I fell in love with him. It was my choice."

Georgia felt her head throb dully with her racing heartbeat. She didn't want to know anymore right now. She was confused, scared and her body hurt and if she was perfectly honest she just wanted to curl up against Rig and sleep.

She thought about Rig, feeling the sharp pain in her chest. He'd led her on, fooled her. Hadn't he? She reviewed the time since she'd met him.

How could he have lied to her about being a werewolf? She never asked him if he was, because why would you ask someone that. And look how she'd reacted when confronted with proof that werewolves were real. She had, quiet reasonably she thought, freaked out. If she was honest she couldn't blame him for not leading with that information.

But she couldn't quite shake the feeling that she had been deceived.

Karen watched the emotions play across Georgia's face. "Let me help you Georgia, I have a unique insight into what you are going through."

Georgia nodded, then glanced at WIll, "Could we talk privately?"

"Yes, we most certainly can." Karen made shooing motions at her husband. "Why don't you go check on Rig. Tell him Georgia is doing well."

Will headed for the door.

"Wait." Georgia said it so softly human hearing wouldn't have picked it up, he turned back toward her. "Tell him. . . " she looked so lost Karen wanted to hug her, she settled for taking her hand and squeezing it. "Tell him I'm not mad, I'm just scared and confused."

Will smiled "Yes ma'am, I'll tell him."

Rig sat staring at the floor, making patterns in the speckled tile. Suddenly he sat up and looked toward the back of the clinic.

"Rig?" His dad asked, "Everything ok?"

"I think so." He rubbed his chest again, this time in relief as the sharp pain had suddenly eased. "I know this is going to sound weird but I feel like she just smiled at me."

Claudia and Ray caught each other's eye, Ray shrugged. It did sound weird but their son had a human mate, everything about this was weird.

Alpha Smith came pushing through the doors with a smile on his face. Rig jumped up.

"She's ok?"

"Yeah she's doing better than I might have expected. That's quite a girl you've got their Rig." Will grabbed a sandwich from the still generous pile. "She asked me to tell you that she isn't mad, she's scared and confused but she's not mad at you."

"Will I be able to see her soon?"

"I have no doubt, I think she's starting to realize that she needs you. She probably didn't evern realize she was doing it but she kept looking toward the door in the general direction where you are."

Rig nodded, looking toward where he knew Georgia was. Not just because he'd seen her room but because he could feel her in that direction. Will watched him carefully.

"Rig walk with me for a minute." He strode toward the front entrance. Once outside he looked around and spoke in a low voice. "RIg tell me what you are feeling."

Rig rubbed at the ache in his chest that was now barely there, "It's almost like sonar, I've been playing around with it while I'm sitting and waiting. I can kind of reach out with my mind and bump up against her, and I know exactly how far away she is."

Will looked thoughtful. "What about this?" He touched Rigs chest just where the ache was.

"Oh, my chest was hurting, felt like I was being stabbed. About a minute before you came out it suddenly eased. Now it's just a dull ache."