The Werewolf's Sabbat Ch. 12

Janette awoke lying in a brilliant white room in an unfamiliar bed. There were no windows, light fixtures or other pieces of furniture; just the plain twin bed covered in white cotton linens. At first, she thought that she was in a hospital; everything seemed so clean and sterile. She sat up slowly and was amazed to find that her body didn't hurt anymore as it did just minutes ago. All the bruises and cuts were mysteriously gone.

She stood next to the bed and noticed a set of French doors on the opposite side of the room. She walked slowly to the doors and turned the shiny golden knob. She pushed the heavy doors open and squinted, holding her hand up to shield her eyes as the glaring light entered the room. When her eyes finally regained focus and adjusted to the light, she gasped at the sight of the most beautiful gardens she had ever seen on the other side. She walked through the doors and slowly headed down a winding path covered with red wood chips. The path had tons of the most colorful and fragrant flowers lining either side of it. Everything was beautiful and smelled wonderful. There wasn't one flawed flower in sight. Everything was so perfect she couldn't help but smile ear to ear at the heavenly place she found herself in.

Janette spotted a small waterfall not far ahead and stopped. There was a lady with long dark hair wearing a flowing white gown sitting there. It looked like the lady was staring right at her. Janette's heart clenched with a tinge of fear at not knowing who she was. She cautiously walked towards the waterfall when recognition finally hit.

"Mom?" Janette whispered in disbelief. She began walking faster towards the woman who she knew was her mother. Her eyes filled with tears when she reached the waterfall. "Mom... is that really you?"

The woman stood and laughed lightly. "It's me, sweetheart." She wrapped her arms tightly around Janette. "My goodness, look at how you've grown. Oh how I've missed you."

"I don't understand what's happening. Where am I?"

"Sweety, there are a lot of changes taking place right now within you. A lot more than I can explain." Marie took her daughter's hand in hers and walked with her further down the path. "You will have to go soon but I wanted to be here at least long enough to see you again, even if just briefly."

"Go? Mom, I don't want to go. I mean, look at this place. It's amazing. And you are here. Where's dad? Do I get to see him too?"

"I'm afraid not. However, you have someone very special waiting for you back home."

"Back home?" Janette asked confused, unable to remember any place but the gardens she was standing in at that moment.

"Do you not remember what happened before you came here?" Marie paused, waiting for an answer.

Janette's eyes grew wide. "Oh no... Mitch. He must think I'm dead."

"Sweetheart," Marie narrowed her eyes on her daughter. "You are dead. Temporarily anyway."

"I'm... I'm dead? How can that be? I feel so wonderful," Janette said in amazement.

Marie laughed, "Yes, I expect that you do. That's quite common in those who die. You are free of any pain or discomfort, physically or emotionally, from the earthly world. It's quite an experience." Marie's face took on a sudden serious and sad look. "Look at me," she cradled her daughter's face in her hands, forcing her to meet her gaze. "I love you. It's time to go now."

Janette sucked in a deep painful breath. She wasn't able to open her eyes and see where she was but she hurt everywhere. Her face hurt, her arms and legs were screaming, even her blood hurt as it burned a blazing trail through her veins. She let out a painful groan when she tried to roll over but couldn't. She could do nothing but lie still on her back. If she even thought of moving, it hurt. She lay there and tried to calm her breathing. She suddenly remembered Mitch and wondered where he was and if he was okay.

*

Mitch stood at the cottage door knocking for the fifth time but nobody answered. He wasn't sure what else to do so he hurried back to his jeep and grabbed a pen and slip of paper. He quickly scribbled a note on the paper telling the sisters to call him as soon as possible and stuck it securely in the screen door. He hurried back to his jeep and got in, slamming the door behind him. There was no way he could go home just yet. He decided to take a drive for a bit instead to gather his thoughts and decide what to do next. Janette had never told him what her wishes were in the event of her death so he felt at a loss, not knowing what she would want.

Mitch pulled his jeep out onto the dirt road and went the opposite direction of Janette's mangled car. The police and wreckers hadn't gotten things completely cleaned up yet and he couldn't stand the sight of it. It was just too painful. He had been driving for a few minutes when he felt a familiar tingle in his mind. He wasn't sure what it was, at first, but it grew stronger and stronger until he began to feel emotions that he knew were not his own. Mitch recognized Janette's connection instantly and slammed on his brakes, nearly putting his jeep in the ditch. He sat there with his fingers on his temples, not believing what he was feeling.

"Jan?" He spun the jeep around and headed full speed back to the mansion. This had better not be a joke, he thought to himself, or someone will pay.

Mitch jumped out of his jeep almost without stopping it first. He bolted up the front steps and threw the door open, his breathing ragged. He looked around wide eyed before storming up the winding staircase into his room with Liam, Jack and Mariah following close behind.

"What the hell is going on?" Liam asked, obviously confused and thinking his brother was out of his mind.

Mitch knelt down next to Janette and sighed heavily, almost sobbing his relief, when he saw her chest rise and fall in time with her breathing. Her color had come back to her cheeks and she seemed to be mumbling something incoherently. "Call the doctor right away!" Mitch ordered. He grabbed Janette's hand in his and smiled through his tears when he felt her give a small weak squeeze.

"Mitch, you're not telling me that she's... that she's..." Liam couldn't stop stuttering when he realized that Janette was, in fact, alive.

"JUST DO IT!" Mitch glared at his brother and dug his phone out of his pocket, handing it to him.

"I'm here, Janette. I'm right here with you, sweetheart," Mitch whispered into her mind. He kissed her hand when he saw a small tear trail down her face. "Don't cry, baby, everything's going to be okay,"

"Everything hurts so much," she said back to him telepathically. "I'm so thirsty."

"I know, baby. The doctor is on his way right now. We'll have you feeling better in no time," Mitch couldn't stop the tears streaming down his face. He didn't care if anyone was there to see him cry or not. He never thought he would see Janette again and here she was, breathing and talking to him in his mind. She wasn't able to speak verbally yet but this would do for now.

*

Dr. George Cole arrived at the mansion in record time. He had only one patient scheduled before his shift ended and he asked his assistant to stand in for him, claiming that he had an emergency. He was escorted up the stairs to Mitch's room and knocked twice before entering. He rushed in and one look at Janette's body told him that things weren't good. Mitch quickly explained what had happened and the doctor stood there with his chin in his hand, considering his options.

"Mitch, I would like to do a full examination and take some blood samples. Actually, with your permission, I think it's best we bring her to the hospital. There, we can do x-rays if necessary. You are more than welcome to sit in on the examination but I warn you; it's not going to be pretty."

Mitch stood there silently considering the doctor's suggestion. He didn't want to take her in but felt he had no other choice. He cared about nothing at that moment but her recovery and if the hospital was what she needed, then so be it. He nodded his head. "Let's do it. Anything to make her better,"

Dr. Cole pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number summoning an ambulance. He quickly gave an address and hung up.

*

Mitch waited impatiently in the waiting room of the hospital for news on his mate's condition. Along with him were Liam, Jack, Mariah, Emily and several others of his pack. He gazed around the room at his family and realized how lucky he was. Not many had family like this to support them in a time of need. He jumped up from his chair when he saw Dr. Cole finally emerge from the room.

"Mitch, I need you to sit down," Dr. Cole said with a strange look on his face. "I have taken blood and tissue samples and tested them. It seems to me that she is healing rather quickly. Much faster than normal. Her wounds are healing at an astounding rate. She has lost a lot of blood, more than I am comfortable with, yet her body is replenishing it effortlessly. She even opened her eyes during the exam and talked to me briefly. I do have some good news, though. There is no evidence of sexual assault." Dr. Cole took a deep breath and wiped an exhausted hand across his face before standing. "Come with me. I have something I want to show you."

Mitch followed the doctor into the room. Dr. Cole spread out a series of photographs on the bedside table next to Janette. "Look at these. I took photos of her wounds after thoroughly cleaning them. The punctures on her sides are quite clean. There is no tearing or scratching. It's as though whoever did this was quite careful with her."

"I don't understand," Mitch shook his head in confusion.

"Notice how the outer puncture wounds are moon shaped and there are only five on each side. Now, look at your fingernails. Think about how they look when they are claws in your wolf form."

Mitch shrugged. "So she was clawed?"

Dr. Cole shook his head. "It's not just that Mitch. I transferred this information to my computer. Look at what happens when I take away the half moon shaped puncture marks from her left side," The Dr. clicked on his computer and turned the screen so Mitch could see. "Look at the marks that are left. What do they resemble to you?"

Mitch felt his anger rise in his chest. "That's a bite mark. She was bitten," he growled.

"It is my belief that she has been infected with the wolf gene, which would explain why she's healing so fast. Now you know as well as I do that the bite doesn't have to be on the neck. It could be on the foot if I wanted it to be and the recipient would still be infected. I think this asshole -- pardon my French -- bit her here to try to disguise that she had been turned. Although, I can't figure out why someone would do that. It's just ridiculous really."

Mitch felt the red hot anger flooding his veins and couldn't stop himself from shifting. The doctor jumped back away from him and held his hands up in defense. "Now Mitch, I know you're angry. I know I would be too. But your temper isn't going to help her. Think about this logically. I know you wanted to turn her yourself but if it weren't for this bite... Janette would be dead. You know that as well as I do."

If it weren't for that son of a bitch murdering my mate, there wouldn't have been a need for a damn bite, he thought to himself.

Mitch turned his head towards Janette's bed when she spoke.

"Mitch? Is that you?"

Mitch forced his wolf back, shifted to his human form and ran over to her. "It's me, sweetheart. How are you feeling?" He moved her hospital gown aside to look at her wounds and noticed that they were nearly healed. He shook his head in astonishment.

"I'm feeling fine, Mitch," she lied. "Just a bit thirsty is all."

Mitch grabbed the water pitcher from the bedside table and held the straw to Janette's swollen lips. After she took a few sips, he put it back on the table and turned to her. "Is that better?"

"Yes, thank you. Oh, and Mitch?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you," Janette's eyes began to flutter as she slowly fell back into unconsciousness.

Mitch turned to the doctor once more. "When can I take her home?"

"Well, with the way she's progressing, I'd say perhaps tomorrow morning. She's a trooper, Mitch." The doctor looked at Mitch and then down at the shredded clothes on the floor. He turned and rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I think I have something in my locker that would fit you. I'll be right back."

A few minutes later the doctor came back in and handed Mitch a simple pair of sweat pants and white t-shirt. Mitch put the clothes on and nodded his thanks before turning back to Janette.

"You have a lot of people here rooting for you, you know that? They are all in the waiting room right now. I need to go give them an update. I'll be right back, sweetheart." Mitch placed a lingering kiss on Janette's forehead and turned to leave the room. Everyone stood with worried faces as Mitch entered the waiting room.

"What did the doctor say?" Mariah asked, rushing up to Mitch. "Can we go in and see her?"

Mitch looked down adoringly at his younger sister and wrapped his arms around her in a big hug. "Not yet. But he did say that she's healing quickly." Mitch paused and looked around the room. "Apparently she was bitten during the attack that she endured. That's the only reason she is alive right now. She has been turned." Mitch could feel the anger emanating from his fellow pack members when they learned what had happened to Janette. The room filled with shouts and angry curses.

"We have to find this asshole. He's not going to like what's coming to him," Liam said through clenched teeth.

"Calm down, Liam," Mitch said. "I have every intention of finding him, but when I do, remember this. He's mine." Mitch felt his fangs and claws begin to elongate and closed his eyes in an effort to calm himself and hold his wolf back. He had already ruined one set of clothes, he didn't intend on ruining another. After all, you can't very well just wander around a hospital naked.

He interrupted the angry voices in the room. "Thank you guys for being here and showing so much support. I think I'm going to stay here with Jan. You all can go home and get some sleep. I'll call if anything new comes up."

As people began filing out of the room, Mitch called to Liam and Jack to stay behind. "I want you two to gather fifteen to twenty of our best. Arrange them along the borders of our land. They are to work in twelve-hour shifts. I don't want anyone on our property except pack members. I don't care how you do it, just make it happen."

"No problem, Mitch," Liam said, patting Mitch on the back. "I already know the perfect people for the job."`

*

It wasn't until early afternoon of the next day when Mitch wheeled Janette out of the hospital in a wheelchair. He helped her up into his jeep that was parked in front of the hospital, buckled her seat belt and shut the door before getting in the driver's seat. He noticed her sitting with her head back and eyes closed. "You feeling okay? Do you need me to stop and get you anything on the way home?"

Janette sighed heavily. "No, I'm fine. I'm just so tired that's all," She lifted her shirt slightly and looked at her wounds that had already healed and now were nothing more than pink scars. "I have been feeling real weird lately," she said shaking her head, and dragging her fingers through her hair.

"Well, you did just basically come back from the dead. I think that's enough to make anyone feel weird, don't you?"

"Yeah but that's not what I mean, Mitch. Things just seem louder, my vision is different. I'm so damn tired." She rubbed her eyes and raised a hand to her mouth to cover a yawn.

"Janette, there's some things I need to tell you. I was going to tell you all of this at the hospital but you spent most of your stay there unconscious." Mitch sighed nervously, unsure of how to tell her everything. "Jan, do you remember anything that happened when you were attacked?"

Janette thought carefully for a moment. "I remember a maroon car behind me. It looked like it had been wrecked and had blue colored tape around the driver's side headlight as though that was all that was holding it together. I told the police that when they talked to me in the hospital this morning. The car rammed into the back of mine twice. I remember running and being tied up. I remember being kicked and punched in the face. I don't remember much else. I guess I must have blacked out or something,"

Mitch looked over at his mate, his eyebrows drawn together in worry. "Jan, you died. You were not breathing when I found you. You had no pulse." Mitch went silent for a moment, and swallowed the lump forming in his throat, trying desperately to erase the image from his mind of her dead, limp body in his arms. "The man who attacked you... he bit you, Jan. He turned you." He stopped talking for a moment to allow time for the information to sink in. "The doctor did a bunch of blood tests and he confirmed it. You are a wolf."

Janette sat there in her seat, stunned. She didn't know what to think about what she was being told. Surely, he had to be pulling her leg. "I'm a... a wolf? That can't be." Janette suddenly felt dirty when she realized what Mitch was meaning. Her attacker had bitten her. She shook her head unable to wrap her mind around it.

"It can be and it is." Mitch said firmly. "I know it's not what you wanted; it's not what I wanted either. All I know for sure is that you are here with me now. I... I thought I had lost you, Janette. I thought I was going to have to bury you. Mitch kept his gaze focused on the roadway ahead of him and took a deep breath.

Janette looked over at Mitch and saw the storm of emotion in his eyes. She remembered seeing her mother and telling her that she didn't want to come back and immediately felt a sharp pang of guilt at the memory. How could she be so selfish to leave her loved ones here? How could she want to stay in those beautiful gardens when Mitch was here in misery? "I'm so sorry, Mitch," she said, a tear streaking its way down her cheek. "I should have stayed at the mansion. I should have never gone out. I'm so very sorry." Janette couldn't help the tears that were falling. She buried her face in her hands and tried to calm her emotions.

Mitch pulled the jeep into the drive of the mansion, put it in 'park' and got out. He opened Janette's door and helped her out. He saw the tears on her cheeks and immediately pulled her to his chest and held tightly onto her. "Don't apologize, Jan. I'm not mad at you for anything. I should have been more honest and told you the reasons why I was worried about you leaving the house. If you would have known everything, you would have stayed." He gazed down into her tear reddened brown eyes and kissed her lips gently.

"Let's go inside. Everyone has been worried sick about you. I know you're still in a lot of pain, as much as you'd like to think you're fooling me by telling me you're not. Just walk slowly and take it easy. There's no rush. Hold on to me if you need to." Mitch knew that Janette's wounds were healed superficially but he also knew that she would need a lot of rest over the next few days in order to heal completely.

Mitch opened the door and lead Janette through, into the TV room of the mansion where several people sat watching a movie. They looked as though they hadn't slept a wink.

Mariah jumped up and ran over to Janette, giving her a gentle hug, careful not to squeeze her too tight. "Oh my God, are you okay?" Mariah wiped the tears from her eyes with the wadded up tissue in her hand. "Come, sit down. I'll get you something to drink."

Janette let Mariah lead her to one of the sofas and sat down. Why are these people so concerned about me, she thought. They have only known me less than a week.