Cupcakes Ch. 07

Will took a couple bites of his sandwich, staring off into the dark surrounding the clinic.

"It's not normal is it? I don't remember ever hearing my parents mention anything like this."

"No Rig, it's normal, just not common. I know we already stressed the importance of not discussing the peculiarities of having a human mate but let me ask you again to not discuss any of this with anyone. Once Georgia is healed up we will have a conversation with both of you."

He could tell WIll was holding something back. "What aren't you telling me?"

Will chuckled, "Cool your jets young man. Concentrate on your mate right now, there's plenty of time for everything else."

He watched Rig out of the corner of his eye while he finished his sandwich. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He stood for a minute looking agitated.

Rig started to object that he deserved to have the whole story before realizing he wa disobeying a very direct order from his Alpha. He wrestled with himself for several minutes as Will casually ate as if nothing was amiss. Finally he cleared his throat, "I'll be honest, I'm not happy to wait, but I'll respect your wishes."

Will clapped him on the shoulder, "That is a very diplomatic answer. I know exactly what you are dealing with right now Rig and I appreciate your patience. Let's head back in."

Georgia lay calmly, her eyes closed, drifting and letting all the new information swirl around, making connections. Some of it fit into her experiences, some of it was frightening in it's newness.

"Georgia," Karen hated to push her farther but there was one more thing she needed her to do. Georgia looked exhausted and pale, but her gaze was steady when she opened her eyes.

"More?" She asked with a lopsided grin.

Karen laughed softly, "I'm afraid just a little bit more. You are handling this better than we could hope, and we have absolutely no right to ask more of you, but I'm afraid we must." She held Georgia's phone up, "Your sister was worried when she couldn't get ahold of you and she went to the police. They tracked your phone and saw that you were here."

Georgia took her phone, frowning as she imagined her sister's panic. Sam did have a flair for the dramatic. "What do you need me to do?"

"I took the liberty of texting your sister, as you, and reassuring her you were injured but ok. I'm sorry to have presumed but we didn't want the police sending out a search party."

"I see." She intellectually understood why but it was still an invasion and made her distinctly uncomfortable. "So you need me to continue the farce?"

Karen winced but nodded. "Again I apologize but if you could call her and let her know you are ok it would help settle her mind and protect our pack." She handed Georgia her phone and stood to leave. "Thank you Georgia, we recognize that we are asking a lot of you and we appreciate your help."

Georgia pulled up the text app and scrolled through, reading her sister's frantic messages and the phony replies. Well, they'd done a good job sounding like her at least. She took a deep breath and hit the button to dial Samantha.

As the phone rang she glanced at the door, grateful they'd trusted her enough to give her some privacy.

"Georgia!" Sam answered sounding relieved, "I have been freaking out."

"When are you not freaking out? Drama queen." She was way too tired to deal with her sister for more than a few minutes.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Rig and I spent the day out by this gorgeous lake, apparently I had no cell service sis, I'm sorry I was having so much fun I didn't even notice."

"Oooooooh." Sam made her own guesses as to what kind of fun they were having. Georgia rolled her eyes and let it go.

"We stopped back by Rigs house and I can't even explain the level of klutziness but I ran into the mirror on the side of his truck and took a tumble in his driveway. I managed to crack my tailbone and give myself a mild concussion." In truth she didn't know how severe the concussion was but it seemed best to downplay it for Sam while still telling the truth.

"Oh my god! Georgia! That's crazy! Are you serious? Which hospital are you at? I'm coming to see you right now."

"No, no, I'm fine Sam, I'm at the community clinic out here. . . geez I don't even know the name, it's like an hour outside of the city. I just want to rest right now. They said they will keep me overnight for observation and send me home in the morning. Would you come see me tomorrow at home?"

Sam was silent for a moment and Georgia knew exactly what was going through her sister's head. She was put out not to be part of the drama. Not that she didn't care, but Sam fed on excitement and was itching to be in the middle of this.

"Ok," There was a pout in her voice, "Will you call me as soon as you get home?"

"Yes I promise. In fact let me sweeten the deal by promising I'll call you quickly enough that you can come meet Rig."

"Yes!" She could practically hear Sam pumping her fist, "Ok then I'll let you rest for now. Love ya George."

"Love you too, bye" She hung up and set the phone on the bedside tray.

Machinery hummed around her, she could hear the nurses talking quietly out at their desk. She was so tired, mentally and physically she couldn't take any more today. She wanted to sleep, she wanted to feel safe. She wanted. . . she wanted Rig.

She thought about waking up in his arms by the lake this afternoon. She'd felt so content and comfortable, like she was exactly where she should be. Could she feel that way with him again, knowing what she did about him?

For the first time she let that thought take over, in stark black and white. Rig was a werewolf. As ridiculous as it sounded that was the truth. What would that mean for them?

It was scary, he was some kind of mythical beast that fiction painted as bloodthirsty and violent. It was also weirdly romantic, exciting. Something out of fantasy. That stirred up a fresh wave of insecurity.

She wasn't some kind of sexy heroine out of a werewolf romance. She wasn't the kind of girl a supernatural creature would lust after. But he did. There was no denying Rig wanted her. She thought about what Karen had told her about mates. Did he really want her? Or was he confused, thinking she was his mate? Was he only pursuing her because he mistakenly thought he had to?

Her head throbbed dully and she felt a sharp stab from her tailbone as she shifted to get more comfortable. It was all too much at the moment, she didn't want to think about it, she didn't want to figure it out, she wanted her big, strong, sexy werewolf to come wrap her up in his arms and keep everything else away while she let the exhaustion take over.

Tears sprang up in her eyes as she smiled, the situation was ridiculous.

Rig paced back and forth in front of the doors, everyone in the waiting room watching him, knowing any minute his control would snap. His parents and Alpha's grinned at each other, they remembered the craziness of new love, the overwhelming need to be with their mate.

He'd felt like she was calling him for several minutes, surely that was more than wishful thinking? It really felt like he needed to go to her, she needed comfort and protection.

He glanced at Will and raised his eyebrows in a question. Will hadn't even completed nodding before Rig was through the doors.

"Hey." He approached her bed nervously, afraid to be rejected again, needing to see acceptance and not fear in her eyes.

The look of relief on her face when she saw him made his heart sing.

"Rig." She held out a shaky hand and he took it, kissing it as his eyes threatened to overflow.

"Georgia I. . "

She stopped him, shaking her head. "I don't want to talk about it right now, I'm so tired. Just hold me, keep everyone else away and let me sleep where I feel safe."

He nodded mutely and they spent several minutes arranging themselves in the hospital bed so he was holding her comfortably. She was asleep almost as soon as her head rested on his chest.

She still felt safe with him. He kissed her hair, letting her scent fill him up.