Nine

Genevieve was released that evening with a bruised kidney and a mild concussion. Declining the prescription for Xanax made the doctor look at her funny but she really didn’t want to take it. Brandon brought junk food for her to eat in the car and Sage offered to stop for ice cream on the way back.

Sage couldn’t stop apologizing. He even offered to let her stay at his place if she needed company.

“It’s fine. I just want to go home and go to sleep. I’m exhausted, whatever they gave me in the IV to mellow me out made me so tired I can’t even see straight.”

“At least you know the a*****e isn’t ever going to bother you again.” Brandon was stroking her hair in the back seat.

She took a deep breath. “That’s why I’m fine going home alone tonight. If he was still running around after this I would be under Sage’s couch and not coming out.”

“I would be fine with that. God, I am so sorry.”

“You didn’t know, Sage. It’s fine, it’s really fine. I’m alive, my kidney isn’t ruptured, my skull isn’t cracked. It could have been worse, but it wasn’t. I’m going to be fine. I have to do a lot of resting for a few days is all.” She sighed, “I would hug you but you’re driving. Staying alive is very important to me.”

Sage laughed just a little and sounded relieved. “Good. The report we heard on the way up had us worried sick.”

“Oh god, do I even want to know?” She started feeling sick to her stomach. Remiel would be so upset. 

“An abduction in broad daylight is going to get put on the news, Vivi. We’ll have people coming by to look in on you for weeks.”

The thought made her even more tired. Genevieve remembered suddenly, “Mr. Germain wanted to know my schedule, he wanted me to start doing some stained glass work for him soon. I hope he doesn’t change his mind when he finds out I’m a trainwreck.” She rubbed her face.

“Oh, Vivi, I already told him that.” Brandon smiled and hugged her. “I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” 

“I honestly don’t know if you’re the best friend or the worst.”

“He’s the worst.” Sage offered cheerfully. “He’s just better than the guys you’re used to dating so he seems better to you.”

“Bite me.” Brandon’s saccharin sweet tone was venomous.

“Enough. I’m too tired to referee. Sage was teasing me, not being nasty to you. Settle your a*s down.” The words came out sharper than she meant them to and Brandon looked startled. 

“You said she had a personality change with her last concussion?” Sage asked quietly.

“It’s not… I’m just tired. I’m sorry for being bitchy.” She settled back into her seat and closed her eyes.

“How long are you supposed to stay awake after a concussion?”

“If I was that bad they would have kept me. I’m fine to sleep.” Sighing, she opened her eyes and looked at Brandon. “Really. And I’m sorry for snapping.”

“It’s ok, Vivi. Are you sure you want to go home tonight? I think I want to keep an eye on you.”

“I appreciate it but I want to go home. I need some alone time and some sleep.”

“If that’s what you need but we’re stopping by a gas station to get you a phone. I want you to be able to call if you need something.”

“That sounds good.” Closing her eyes again she heard Sage turn on his mp3 player, soft music whispered soothingly. Spare me your judgements and spare me your dreams, ‘cause recently mine have been tearing my seams… (Mumford and Sons. “Thistle and Weeds.” Sigh No More, Island Records, 2009, track 9.)

She was startled awake by knocking on the window and blinked under the glare of the gas station lights. Ethan was looking into the car with a frown. Opening the door she groggily tried to get out without unbuckling. “Hey.” Genevieve fumbled with the buckle until he leaned in and did it for her, helping her out and to her feet. “Sorry, I’m not really with it right now, tired and whatever they gave me at the hospital isn’t helping. Is Remiel ok?”

“Remi is a mess. He’s been crazy with worry ever since you-” he ran a hand over his face. “I’m supposed to be asking how you are. You were hurt.”

“Mild concussion, bruised kidney,” she held up her bandaged wrists, “these from the zip ties. But I’m alive, I’ll heal.” 

He tilted her chin up with his hand looking at her face critically. “You look like s**t.”

“Silver tongued devil, aren’t you?” The sharpness was back in her tone.

“Careful, she’s been mean since this concussion.” Brandon half smiled as he approached. “And you are?”

“This is Ethan, he’s one of Remiel’s friends. Ethan, this is Brandon and Sage my two best friends.”

“Your two only friends, Vivi.” Brandon handed her the phone he’d picked out.

“Untrue. Harmony is the friend who finally got me to run from Nate.” Genevieve watched Brandon blink in surprise. “She does roller derby and some of the bruises I had she thought I did too. She introduced herself as Bodily Harm. I could only talk to her at the gym.”

“I can’t believe you let another one hit you.” 

Sage elbowed Brandon hard for that.

“They were bruises from,” she brought her hands up for air quotes, “‘training’. He insisted on sparring with me, he said he wanted to make me able to defend myself. But I think he just enjoyed having someone smaller to knock around. If I was ever going to learn to defend myself he beat that inclination out of me.” Staring into the middle distance for a moment she felt numb. “I think that’s the first time I’ve talked to anyone about Harm.”

“I think she’s about to shut down.” Sage stepped forward and took the phone before helping her carefully into the car.

“Let me take her home.” Ethan’s concern was loud.

“No. We’re taking her. No offense, but we don’t know you. She’s had a hard enough day.” Sage’s energy felt like cool water this close. 

“Water.” She blinked, realizing she was desperately thirsty. “I need water please.” 

“I have tea, Vivi.” Brandon gave her a capful from a thermos.

Drinking it and sighing, she closed her eyes and fell back asleep. At her house, she was woken by Sage and Brandon having a whispered argument about how to get her into the house. She managed to unbuckle herself this time and walk in under her own power, thanking them for picking her up and for the phone.

She laid the phone on the counter and got a glass of water before going to the bathroom and then falling onto the bed.

In the morning, she woke up next to Remiel. Yawning, she asked him sleepily, “Hey, when did you get here?” 

“Not long after they left, Ethan said you weren’t doing well. And then I couldn’t wake you.” His distress was like an ache at the edge of her perception.

“I’m fine, it’s ok.” 

Remiel growled and pulled her close, his chest was furred and she could tell he was being careful not to put the sharpness of his claws into her skin. After a moment he was back in his human form and looking at her unhappily. “Why did you call for Brandon and not for me?”

“I don’t know your last name.” Genevieve bit her upper lip and he started kissing it until she stopped. 

“Coiro. That’s my fault. I didn’t think.” Pressing his face against hers he sighed. “You could have called for Alpha Germain.”

“I didn’t think about that.” She touched his face. “I thought about you, Brandon, and Sage.” It took a moment but she realized something as his hand moved up her back, “Am I naked?”

“You smelled like fear and strangers. I couldn’t,” he started to change again and she stroked his face, helping him calm. “I couldn’t stand it. I had to clean you and make you smell right.”

“You cleaned me? I slept through a bath?”

“Yes, and,” he hesitated, “your clothes are shredded. I was too upset to get them off properly.”

“Aww. That was one of my better shirts.” Genevieve smiled and kissed him. “It’s fine, I just need you to be calm.”

Inhaling deeply, Remiel kissed her urgently before pulling back to speak softly, “And I need you to be safe. I need you to live with my pack, to work with us and stay close. I need to be able to protect you.”

“I can feel that.”

The sound of the door opening almost made her laugh. “Brandon? He said he would be by to check on me.”

“No.” Remiel rose from the bed and bowed. “My Alpha.”

Genevieve sat up in bed and looked at Remiel’s posture and then to Mr. Germain before bowing awkwardly from the waist and trying not to whimper with the painfulness of the movement. Keeping her sheet up modestly, she waited for him to speak.

“How are you this morning?” He was looking at her searchingly.

“I’m better, thanks for asking.” Biting her lip, she tried to suppress the need to pee that had hit since she sat up.

“You’re biting your lip.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“I kinda need to pee now that I’ve sat up and, um, I’m naked and you’re in my path to the bathroom. I don’t know how to say that politely.”

The Alpha chuckled. “Your option was to?”

“Try to hold it until you go.”

He nodded and leaned against the door frame. “How badly were you injured?”

“Just a minor concussion, bruised kidney and my wrists.” She looked at them for the first time this morning in bafflement, “They were torn up yesterday.” 

“You were asleep when I healed them, and your bruises.”

“You can do that?”

Remiel smiled and nodded. “I wanted you to be awake but I couldn’t wake you.”

“Why couldn’t he wake you?” Alpha Germain asked pointedly.

“I don’t know. The concussion shouldn’t be that bad. They did warn me there might possibly be some visible blood in my urine for a day or two but that was the worst I should expect.”

He frowned and stepped into the room, “Go to the bathroom, holding it probably isn’t a good idea at the moment.”

Pulling the sheet off of the bed she wrapped it around herself and went to the bathroom. It was a relief to pee, even though it hurt when she moved around. Coming back out, she hesitated between going back into the bedroom and going to get water. If she didn’t go get it on her own she would probably be sent to get it.

She saw Brandon pulling up as she filled her glass from the night before. Drinking it as she tried to hurry back to her room did not help the pain in her side.

“You move like you’re in pain.” Alpha Germain noted.

“Yeah, bruised kidney. Hurts to move much. I’m supposed to be doing a lot of resting for a few days. Brandon just pulled up, I need to get dressed.” Genevieve turned looking around in confusion. “Where are my clothes?”

“Where they should be, in your mate’s room.” He said it matter-of-factly just as the front door slammed open.

“Vivi you are in so much trouble!” Brandon sounded pissed. He stepped into the room as she sat on the bed. “Sage called to double check what you said about needing to ‘rest some for a few days’. You are on strict bed rest for a minimum of four days. I swear to god if you say it’s not that big of a deal I will fire you.”

Arguing was not an option. She bit her top lip and tried to think of an apology.

The sharp snap of fingers made her turn her head. “Stop biting your lip. If bed rest is what she was ordered to have then she will be on bed rest.”

Brandon gave him a frown, taking in the state of undress that she and Remiel were in. “You came by to check on her? Tell me they weren’t having sex.”

“They were not. There won’t be any sex until she’s cleared by a doctor.” The Alpha was giving her a stern look and she drank some of her water before laying down meekly.

“You’re not arguing.” Brandon came to sniff at her water. “Are you drugged?”

“No, just trying to stay out of trouble.”

“Are you dying?” He was looking at her sceptically.

“No. I’m mostly fine.”

“You’re in pain aren’t you. You’re only ever this behaved when something is wrong with you.”

“She is.” Alpha Germain came to stand next to Brandon. “She wasn’t moving like she should.”

“She was up?” Brandon looked at him crossly.

“To go to the bathroom and get water. If I’d known she was on bed rest, water would have been gotten for her.”

“I am not that bad off.” They were being impossible and she wanted to find clothes and go lounge on the sofa.

“Vivi, you’re coming to stay with me. Sage is going to help-”

“No.” Remiel was sinking onto the bed putting his hand on her shoulder. “She should come home with me.”

“I like you, so I’m going to try to phrase this more gently than I normally would.” Brandon sounded cold enough she expected frost to be forming on the windows. “She just got out of one nasty relationship, I am not going to let her go home with a stranger she couldn’t get away from if she wanted to. It’s not going to happen.”

“Brandon-” she tried to gently interject.

“Don’t you even.” He pointed his finger at her, “If you had any sense at all you wouldn’t have been in this situation to start with. Your opinion doesn’t count.”

“I’ll have her things sent to your apartment.” Alpha Germain made a gesture to Remiel. “Remi and some of her newer friends would also like to be allowed to help, if that won’t be an imposition.” 

Hesitating a moment, Brandon conceded. “It should be ok, as long as everyone behaves.” 

“Good. Do you need help getting her back to your apartment?”

“She needs clothes.” He looked around. “Where are your clothes, Vivi?”

“Already sent back with one of mine. The perishables have been cleared out as well. I’d intended to let her stay with Remi but I can see she defers to you and in your position I’d want her protected the same way. She’ll be welcome back when she’s well.” The Alpha was very calm but she could feel the situation wasn’t ideal. 

“Remi, go make the call.” At the Alpha’s command, Remiel nodded and moved wordlessly out of the room. To Genevieve he offered a half smile, “Feel better soon.”

Brandon waited until he was sure they’d left. “I’m starting to wonder if Sage isn’t right about the cult thing. How were they planning to take you anywhere with no clothes?”

“I’m pretty sure someone was bringing something back for me.” She tried to sit up to drink and sank back at Brandon’s sharp look. “I need to sit up to drink.”

“I’ll get straws so you can drink lying down.” He folded his arms, “Or a sippy cup. I cannot believe you were trying to slip that past us.”

“It seemed a little excessive to me. I wasn’t in so much pain last night.”

“They pumped you full of drugs, Vivi. Did they give you any prescriptions?”

“They tried to offer me Xanax, I declined it.”

“Of course you did. What else?”

“Um, limited fluids and I can take over the counter pain meds but I’ll want to talk to the pharmacist to get something that won’t ‘tax my kidney unduly’,” she resignedly recited. 

“Limited fluids?” Brandon looked at the glass that was more than half empty accusingly. 

“I am so thirsty, Brandon. And I do still need fluids.”

“I’m going to put Sage in charge of that, you’re going to be measuring every drop.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Go run yourself under the shower, briefly. I want you to be ready to go when someone shows up with clothes.”

Getting up gingerly, Genevieve took her sheet to the bathroom again. One very quick shower later she toweled off and wrapped back up in it before brushing her teeth and coming back out. Brandon was outside speaking to someone so she went and laid back on the bed to wait. After a few minutes he came back in and checked on her.

“Ruby and Silas just came by, they said you know them? I have your clothes, tylenol, and sage-peppermint tea. They also said their doctor suggested a low oxalate diet for a few days. I have no idea what that is so I’ll look it up at home.” Brandon laid the clothes on the bed. “Everything else is in my car already, so get these on and let’s go.”  He looked dubious.

“Is something wrong?”

“I’m just having some difficulty with all the helpfulness. Would you even recognize a cult if they tried to recruit you?”

“Maybe, maybe not. But I’m pretty sure they’re not a cult, they’re a big family.”

Brandon stepped out to gather her toiletries and she dressed as quickly as she could before stripping the bed. It was much harder than it should have been, rolling her sheets into a ball and tossing them in the corner she bitterly marvelled at how much one punch could hurt. 

“I know you did not strip the bed when you’re on bedrest. Get your stupid self in the car, Vivi.” His exasperated tone had her walking quickly out of the house despite the pain. 

Her toiletries were in one of his canvas shopping bags, and she winced as she twisted, looking for her clothes on the back seat. “You fit the basket in the trunk? I didn’t think you had room.”

“Stop twisting around, you're going to hurt yourself. You don’t have a basket in my trunk, you have a carry-on sized bag in my trunk. They said it’s Ruby’s and you’re borrowing it.” 

“Ruby is really nice, she reminds me of Harm.”

“Trust you to make a friend called Bodily Harm.” 

“Don’t roll your eyes while you’re driving. Her name is Harmony Pedan. I should probably send her a thank you card or something.” Genevieve rubbed her neck and tried to get comfortable in the seat.

“We’ll be there in a few minutes, Vivi. You’re going to lay down on the sofa while I go get the air mattress and then I’ll make sure you’re all set up before I go to work. Sage will come by when he gets off.”

“Tell him to take his time. If I got an earful from you I can only imagine what I’ll get from him.” It came out much more sullen than she intended it to.

“I’m going to have him make you something with red jasper. Last time you were concussed you went all timid and sweet, this time you’re a little nasty.”

She sighed and stayed quiet. 

“Wow. And sulky.” He drove in silence. 

“I’m not sulking. I’m thinking.” She offered quietly after a while, “I don’t mean to be nasty.”

“You might have too much stuff bottled up inside, Vivi. Sage tore me a new one for the way I reacted when you talked about…” Brandon stopped and took a breath. “I’m sorry if I made you feel like you couldn’t talk to me about things like that.”

“It’s hard. Knowing you’re going to get chewed out for letting it happen when you’re already just so…” Genevieve clenched and unclenched her fists feeling a lump in her throat that made her unreasonably angry. She took a deep breath and squirmed as it sent an ache through her side. “My side hurts, and I don’t really feel weepy and hurt. I just feel so angry.” After a moment she suggested, “Jet would be better, but if you don’t have it the jasper will do. I need grounding and something to help clear this all out.”

“I’ll get it for you, Vivi.” He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Your paychecks are gonna be so slim this month as it is.”

“God, don’t remind me. I’m hardly going to be able to see Remiel when I’m all healed up, I need to bust my a*s to get back on track.” She closed her eyes and frowned.

“You really cuddle naked with him without having sex?” Brandon gave her a smile to go with his incredulous tone. “He is built, and even with that eye…”

“He is so f*****g beautiful.” Genevieve had to smile. “The sex was amazing, but just being skin to skin with him is glorious.” She absent mindedly touched the place on her neck. “I never believed that there was one person out there, a perfect match, and then… then Remiel.”

“That happened so fast.” He hesitated. “I mean…”

“I know!” Laughing and then groaning and turning in the seat. “I’ve never been surer about anything in my whole life, though.”

“Well, if you ever even have a half a second of doubt about him you can tell me. I’m not going to be an a*s about it.”

“You will. But I’ve always been able to rely on you when I’ve needed help. You’ve been a better friend to me than I’ve deserved more often than not.”

“You’re family, Vivi. And God knows if I don’t look out for you, you won’t look out for yourself.”

“Maybe you ought to leave me mean and I might.”

“Ha! I leave you mean and I’ll have to live with you mean. It’s not worth it.”

Shaking her head, “Don’t make me laugh it hurts.”

“We’re almost home.”