The Broken Warrior's Daughter

“I need to take some more blood and | need you to eat a full meal.”

“Deal. What are you looking for in my blood?”

“We're checking to see how Artemis is doing getting rid of the venom.”

“She told me it’s working and that the marks are gone.”

Yeah,” Lacey interrupts, “Look at her neck, doc. It’s still bruised but the puncture wounds are all gone.”

Dr. Harris checks my neck on both sides and seems very happy with what he’s seeing or isn’t seeing. “Ok, let me get this blood work run, eat the dinner your father brought, and I'll see about getting you out of here.”

I'm actually famished and easily finish the food dad has brought me. It’s better than the nasty, boring food from last night. After eating | feel even stronger, so when Dr. Harris returns, I’m ready to get released.

“Okay,” he tells Dad and |, “I’m going to release you, but you must come back tomorrow for more blood work and maybe on Thursday as well. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

Lacey stays to help me get changed as Dad goes to get the car and Jason heads off to afternoon warrior training. | look at Lacey. “Won't you be in trouble for missing training?”

She gives me a devious smile. “Nope. When your dad banned Alpha Rik from your room, he gave us a free pass to miss as long as we were here with you and provide him updates on your progress.”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

| stop mid-way pulling my shirt over my head and get stuck with my head and arms inside as | take in what she said. “Wait. Alpha Rik said you could miss training to be with me?”

—we fill him in on Lacey helps me get untangled as she replies. “Yep. As long your status every hour, which we have done, even overnight.” I stare at her. “So, he really means it. He was really staking a claim?”

“Yeah, he’s your...” She stops abruptly, her brow furrowing. She opens her mouth a couple more times and looks like a fish out of water before she finally rolls her eyes and says, “Yes, he means it. He’s very serious Cara. You need to know that before you see him again.”

+15 BONOS “Good to know. And | won’t be seeing him until Dad agrees to let him see me, right?”

“That’s what | hear. | wasn’t actually in the hospital when it all went down, but Jason was, and | trust him as a source. But | also heard it from several others, and it was the same, so, yeah.”

| finish getting ready and then follow Lacey out to the room where a nurse is waiting with a wheelchair. “Is that necessary?” | ask her.

“Sorry, hospital rules.” | sigh but sit in the chair. As we leave the room, there are several warriors from both Canyon Ridge and Shadow Falls packs. They gather in two lines on

either side of the walkway cheering me on as | leave the hospital. I’m stunned. | had no idea this many people were here waiting to see how | am doing.

Just before we exit through the automatic sliding doors, | ask the nurse to turn me around to face the crowd. “Thank you all, so much. | really appreciate all of your support, and I'll be back to fighting strength in no time.”

Acheer goes up as the nurse turns me back around and helps me into dad’s van. As we pull away, and head home, | see Rik standing near the packhouse,

watching. | lock eyes with him and | lift my hand in a wave. He smiles and lifts his hand back as we pass by.

llaaleat mu fathar “our long before you lift the ban on Liam and Rik?”