Chapter 5 Mate

Mae POV

The surgery doesn't last long, just a little over an hour. The bullet seemed to have magically missed all of his vital organs. The two doctors work quickly to find the bullet that is still lodged in the man's abdomen.

The three of us don't speak to one another while they work. Finally, the first doctor drops a silver bullet into the pan beside the hospital bed. The second doctor picks up the bullet and hisses before dropping it back in the pan.

"It is a silver bullet," the second doctor says. "Someone knew what he is."

I watch in silent awe as the man's skin begins to knit itself together slowly. It eventually leaves no trace that a wound was there, to begin with. I feel compelled to reach out, touch him, and tell him that he will be okay, but I manage to keep myself composed.

We wheel the man back to his hospital room, and Tony is given strict instructions not to bother me or the patient.

Tony glares at me as I walk past the nurses station, but I don't return his gaze. I keep my eyes on the man in the hospital bed. I cannot seem to take my eyes off of him. His dirty blonde hair is ruffled on top of his head, and his full lips are pursed into a pout as he sleeps peacefully. The color is coming back to his skin, and he looks like he has spent the last month on a sun-kissed beach, even though it is in the middle of winter.

I have found myself finding reasons to touch him so that I can feel the electricity that pulses between us. It is the oddest feeling, but I feel protective over this patient.

The doctors shut the door to the patient's hospital room and pull the curtain closed. They both turn and face me.

"I think it is time for introductions," the first doctor says.

"I am Doctor Franklin, and this is Doctor Bolder," the second doctor tells me.

"I am Mae," I whisper.

"I am sure you have questions," Doctor Franklin says calmly. "We can answer as much as we can."

I pale at the thought of knowing the truth. I have, of course, thought of different scenarios that could make sense of what I have seen today. Most of them involve superheroes being real.

Instead of asking the million questions that are flying through my mind, I shake my head back and forth. "I don't have any questions," I whisper.

The doctors share a concerned look. "I think you might be in shock," Doctor Bolder says gently. "That is understandable after everything you have seen today."

"Do you know what the term 'Moonwalker' means when a patient comes into the hospital?" Doctor Franklin asks me.

I shake my head no and both the doctors take in a sharp breath.

"What we are going to tell you is on a strictly need-to-know basis," Doctor Bolder begins.

I stare blankly at the two doctors and wait for them to continue.

"Keep an open mind," Doctor Franklin says. "But we are not the only species of human on the planet. There are other creatures. Mostly those that come out underneath the moon."

My mouth turns dry. "Are you talking about vampires?" I ask.

The two doctors look at each other and chuckle. "Of course not," Doctor Bolder says. "We are talking about werewolves and witches."

I laugh awkwardly as the doctors wait for me to react. "You are joking," I say, my eyes glancing between the doctors and the man in the bed. "You are telling me this man turns into a terrifying creature under the full moon?"

"No," Doctor Franklin says. "We are telling you he can turn into a wolf at will."

"So can Doctor Franklin and myself," Doctor Bolder fills in the blanks.

Doctor Bolder opens his mouth, and his canine teeth elongate into fangs. He looks terrifying and I trip over the chair trying to escape the room. But before I can reach the door, Doctor Franklin stands in front of it.

I look across the room to where he was standing. There is no way he moved that fast. I raise my arms into the air and back away from the door.

"Please don't hurt me," I stutter. "I promise I won't tell anyone your secret."

"We know you won't," Doctor Franklin laughs. "No one would believe you."

"How many of you are there?" I ask, terrified to know the answer.

"For every human, there is a werewolf," Doctor Bolder says.

I swallow hard and nod my head in understanding.

"This man right here is one of the most important men in our world," Doctor Franklin continues.

"Is he like your king?" I say jokingly.

"No, he is the Queen's brother," Doctor Bolder says seriously. "He runs a pack of his own called the North pack."

"A pack?" I ask, not moving away from the door.

"Think of them as independent cities," Doctor Bold says.

"And he is the leader of one of them?" I ask, gesturing to the man on the bed. Both of the doctors nod and I look back in the patient's direction. "What is his name?"

"Alpha Kieran," Doctor Bolder says. "But you should call him Kieran."

"Okay," I say as I inch my way back to his bedside. I brush his hair out of his face, and the tingles between us follow my fingers. "Kieran," I whisper his name.

Kieran moans as my fingers brush across his forehead again, and he blindly reaches for my hand. I look at the doctors, who have concerned looks on their faces when I allow Kieran to take my hand. I don't see the harm in holding a patient's hand. I have done it many times before to offer them comfort.

His long, dark eyelashes flutter open, and Kieran looks in my direction. "Mate," he whispers hoarsely before his head rolls back to the side, and he falls back asleep.