Wild Forest Pack

It was probably a good hour after the fight and I head to the pack doctor’s office to get checked out and cleaned up. Lyall and Conall were already there waiting for me.

“Hey, guys… please tell me I don’t look as bad as I feel because I feel crappy…”

“You look like you rolled around in the dirt…” Lyall chuckled a little but knew not to mess with me too much right now.

“Just because I’m a little beat up doesn’t mean I can’t still kick your butt, Lyall. Ugh, I feel like crap…” The adrenaline rush was wearing off and I could feel everything now…

“You look like it too,” Conall smirked and I was surprised by his remark.

“Conall! I’d expect something like that from Lyall but not from you!”

“Well, then I guess we still have more to learn about each other. Your necklace is glowing again.” Darn thing, if it didn’t remind me of my mom, I would’ve taken it off a long time ago, but since this is one of the few things, I have of hers besides the stuff I packed away I kept it.

“Emmy thinks so too, but I want to know on my own terms not because a necklace or Emmy say so.”

“I can respect that, now let’s get you checked out I can tell the adrenaline wearing off and you don’t look so good.” Conall looked at me worriedly and tried to push me inside.

“I-I don’t feel so…” I faint in his arms and from what consciousness I had left he probably called for help. I could barely hear what was going on, but the loudest voice was Emmy’s in my head.

“Emmy, what is going on?” Dazed and confused I had no idea what was going on.

“You passed out sweetie, between your injuries, minor blood loss, and you calming down from the fight. You passed out for multiple reasons and many of them are likely answers. Exhaustion most likely, but Doctor Bader and your guys going to take good care of you.”

“Yeah, speaking of them you keep howling at me every time I hang out with Conall. What’s up with that??”

“He’s our mate!! How much clearer can I get??” Emmy getting frustrated with me isn’t new for me but when it came to our potential mate, I’m probably driving her crazy.

“Well, I don’t want you or some silly necklace to tell me he is. I want to fall for him naturally if he really is my mate. How do I not know Lyall is my mate? He’s always been there for me.”

“Lyall is a sweet guy and he will make a great mate for some other lady, just not you. Even though I can tell he’s totally into you.”

“I know he is, and I don’t want to hurt him. He’s my best friend besides Conall it’d break his heart.”

“Yeah, probably will sting but he’s a big boy he can handle it. He will find his girl in due time. Unfortunately, we are not it for him.”

“What are they doing to me!?” I could feel the taste of saltwater in my mouth didn’t taste good.

“They’re just giving you some IV fluids to relax. Adolfo did get a few swings on you.”

“Yeah, he probably did but honestly the fight happened so fast I barely know what he did to me. Just what I did to him.”

“He did beat you up pretty good. Besides smacking you into a tree which did some minor damage to your back. He tried to bite you a couple of times, but we were too quick for him. He also tried to pin you down, but since of your size he didn’t hold you down long, but long enough to hurt you.”

“What’s happening to me?? I’m getting nervous and scared I have no idea what happened!”

“Relax sweetie, all of this is common after an adrenaline rush. Sweating is a reaction to stress and the fight, feeling lightheaded due to changes in your blood and oxygen supply, and a change in temperature because of the blood redirection. Going from a high to a crash in an hour is common at least that’s what Doctor Bader is telling the guys and I’m just passing along what he said. Wait he’s saying more stuff…some ways to help you calm down is to do some relaxing exercises like yoga, breathe deep into a paper bag, or going for a walk in the woods.”

“Ok, those sound good…it was nice talking to you Emmy but I’m gonna try and wake up now…our guys need us.”

“Ok, I just don’t need you to pass out to talk to me. Anytime you need me I’m here for you…”

“Thanks…” I slowly wake up and try to figure out where I am and what’s going on. I feel myself start to tremble my arms and hands as if I’m having a panic attack and as I try to realize I’m in a hospital bed.

“Lyna! Lyna! You’re in the hospital, Doctor Bader is taking good care of you. Try to close your eyes if you can if not that’s ok, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Lyall, why don’t you get her something to eat.” Conall was trying to calm me down, but honestly, this was all too much. I hear Bader coming back into my room, but all I could focus on was Conall. I close my eyes for a little bit, but it only made it worse, but I tried to open them again so I couldn’t replay the fight in my head.

“Lyna, it’s me, Doc Bader. Try to look at me. Your adrenaline rush wore off as you were coming to see me and now, you’re having a panic attack. Nod your head if you’re listening to anything I’m saying.” I slowly nod my head in response to him which made everyone breathe a sigh of relief. “Good, I know that everything is a shock to you, the fight, the death of Alpha Adolfo, and the possible merge with Crescent pack, but right now you need to focus on yourself. Our pack doesn’t need our Alpha to fall to pieces every time we fight with someone.” I pull the oxygen mask off my face to try to explain myself, but Conall puts it back on.

“No need to explain yourself but try to open your eyes that may help with trauma. Closing your eyes can make what happened more vivid and make things worse and overwhelm your senses.” I opened my eyes again and was glad to see familiar faces. I kept on doing as I was told with my breathing and the trembling was slowing down.

“Were you ever a medical student!? If not, I could use your help around here.” Doc Bader was so shocked by what Conall was telling me.

“No, but I’ve had my experiences with panic attacks…” I’d ask about that later, but right now I tried to focus on my breathing and just kept looking at him.

“Good, now the advice that Mr. Conall was saying was good and exactly what I was going to suggest. So, keep on doing what he told you to do, you will keep feeling this way for a good 30 minutes to fully calm down from a panic attack. I can see you are in capable hands and I will check in on you when you’re calm.” I just kept breathing as he said for what felt like an eternity but was probably another 20 minutes.

“What did you mean that you had experience with panic attacks? Did you have them?” I’m curious about this story.

“I did…I thought it made me feel weak, but when I saw my older sister have them as well, I tried to calm her. She was only 18…so close to having her first shift that’s why the intruders got to her so easily. She couldn’t quite defend herself yet…” I could see the pain and sadness in his face talking about his family…

“What happened to her?” I had a bad feeling about this…

“My whole pack was wiped out. I had to play dead for a while until the intruders were gone…I checked on my family to see if they were ok, but they were already dead…that was the day your parents found me in the woods when I was 17…I ran and ran until I couldn’t anymore. I didn’t care what direction I was going in or who found me. I just knew I had to get away from there…it was hard cause it was my home…but I had to if I wanted to live…I’d like to think they would’ve liked you.” Conall smiled for a moment thinking about what could’ve happened if his family was still alive. I felt bad for him, we were probably the only family he had left now…

“I’m sorry about your family…that must’ve been awful to leave them behind and not give them a proper burial…I can set something up and we can have a ceremony for them. Maybe just the two of us, it doesn’t have to be a whole pack thing.” I tried to think of something to give him closer…he had been carrying this grief for five years and didn’t tell anyone until now. I hugged him as best I could with the IV in the way.

“Thanks…it feels nice to get this off my chest after all these years.”

“I’m sure it does, and you don’t have to bear it alone anymore.” I rack up the courage to kiss him on the cheek. It felt nice like I could keep going if I wanted to but now isn’t the time. Just as I pulled away from my kiss, Lyall came back with some food.

“Hey hey glad you’re ok. You gave us quite a scare, are you feeling any better?” He put down the paper bag on my little table with wheels.

“For now, yes…thanks for the sandwich and water this will do for now until I settle down more.” I nibble at the sandwich and take small sips of the water not knowing how my system would handle food again. I daydream out the window near me and realize it had started to snow. First snow of the season and I’m stuck in the hospital…ugh…memories of my parents and I having fun in the snow flooded my head. I put down my sandwich and it somehow triggered another panic attack making my machines go off. Conall and Lyall were still next to me even though I wish they would go home and get some decent sleep I knew they wouldn’t leave me.

“Easy Lyna…deep breaths. What’s wrong?” Conall grabbed my right hand and I could feel the sparks between us. I guess I hadn’t noticed them before because I was always so distracted by the necklace or by Emmy howling in my head. I had taken the necklace off to try to take a nap but got distracted by the snow.

“Snow…parents…memories…” I tried to tell them what was wrong but that was all I got. The guys looked out the window at the snow and Lyall knew what I was talking about…

“When we were younger the alpha and luna would make us some hot chocolate to celebrate the first snow. After we had finished our drink, luna would take us outside to play in the snow…we’d play for hours, sometimes even the alpha would join us.” Lyall looking sad as he remembered the memories too…

“Yeah…that.” I kept breathing deeply as I tried to talk and took a sip of water. “Sorry I didn’t realize that I’d react like that to the snow…it’s never happened before.” Doctor Bader walked in as we were talking but didn’t say anything until now.

“No one really knows what triggers it, but certain factors may play an important role, including genetics, major stress, or having a predisposition to stress. I could check into your family’s medical history to see if your parents had any problems with stress or anxiety.” I didn’t understand any of that, but just stayed quiet looking at the snow outside…Conall took my hand again trying to comfort me.

“I’ll get you some hot chocolate.” Conall squeezed my hand as he went to find some for me. Probably won’t be the same as my mom’s recipe, but it’s sweet of him to do it.

“You seem to be calming down, that’s good. I can see you are in good hands. I’ll keep an eye on you, but I’d like to keep you overnight.” Doc Bader smiled at us probably knowing something that I didn’t and left us alone.

“Alright…I’m not going to fight about it. After the past few days, I think that’s best.” Between the extra training, the fight, and all that has happened I think he’s right. I try to lay down again and get in another nap before dinner, but I had a hard time sleeping. Hospital beds aren’t exactly comfy but it’s better than no bed…Conall must’ve come back while I was asleep when I woke up, I could smell the chocolate.

“Thanks for the hot chocolate…not quite my mom’s but it will do.” I smiled at him as he listened to me about my story about my parents. The more I spent time with him, the more I realized that Emmy and that darn necklace were right…I’m finally starting to fall for my mate.