Wolf's Pack (Wolves Next Door #3) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,196

he's off guard duty, then he can go get some sleep."

The old wolf just lifted his lips in a snarl, but his growl sounded half-hearted. "Can I at least get you a blanket to lie on, Sampson?" I asked.

He just huffed and tucked his nose back under his feet. Evidently, that was a no. Tossing my hands in the air, I gave up. The grumpy - but actually sweet - old man wasn't why I was here. I needed to talk to Jonah, because it was now Sunday, and he was going to be a very sick boy soon enough.

Tapping on his door, I slipped into the room to find him flipping through a magazine. "Hi, Elena," he said.

"Jonah?" I asked, moving to the little chair beside his bed. "I want to call your mother and tell her you're ok. If you'll let me, I'd like to bring her here, but we can't let you leave yet."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because when you turn, it's difficult to know where you are. A lot of converts die that first night for reasons that are easily preventable. Getting hit by a car is the main one. See, the moment the moon comes up, you're going to run. You have to catch it, and you don't even know why, but nothing will stop you from running, and you can't recognize the things you're running through - or across."

"So you're going to lock me in here?" he asked.

"No," I assured him. "Wolf's Run was made for wolves. You'll turn, you'll run, but the gates will all be closed. The pack will guide you to the trails, and we'll keep you moving until you're so exhausted that you'll be able to find your human body again. The problem is that in a few days, your fever will hit. You will become aggressive, and this disease is passed through bites, blood, and sexual contact."

"What?" he asked.

"Condoms work," I assured him. "But we can teach you all about that stuff when you're feeling better. For now, I just thought you might want to tell your mother that you're still alive, and give me the chance to explain all of this to her as well."

"She won't believe you," he insisted.

I just ducked my head and laughed once. "Oh, I probably know that better than you do. I also know that she deserves to know. Leave explaining it to me. All I need is her number."

He gave in and recited it. I promised I'd be back soon enough, then headed back to the waiting area. Sampson looked up, but Bridget was there waiting for me.

"Well?" she asked, pushing the phone toward me.

"Here goes nothing," I decided, typing in the number.

It was answered quickly. "Hello?" a woman gasped.

"Michelle Sims?" I asked.

"This is her."

"My name is Elena, and I'm at the Wolf's Run medical clinic. We have your son. He's fine. Jonah is currently being checked by our local doctor and - "

"Where?" she asked.

So I gave her the address. "Do you need me to send someone to get you?"

"No, I'm on my way. That's only like ten minutes from me."

"Just tell the guard at the entrance that you're here for Jonah," I told her. "They should be expecting you and will give you directions through the community to the clinic. I promise you, though, that he's going to be just fine."

"Thank you," she breathed, and then just hung up.

It didn't take long for her to arrive. A tired little sedan pulled up, shut off, and a woman in her late thirties jumped out, wearing clothes she'd clearly had on for days. She also didn't walk to the door. The woman ran, and Jesse pulled open the half-hung door to make sure nothing barred her way.

"My son's here?" she asked as she barreled into the waiting room.

"He is," I promised, catching her by the shoulders when she tried to go down the hall. "I'm Elena, and there are a few things you need to know."

"You said he was fine!" she snapped.

It was Bridget who answered that. "Medically, he is," she assured the frantic mother.

"But?" Michelle asked, looking back at me.

I just gestured to one of the chairs, indicating that she should sit down. "I don't know you, and I'm sure this is going to sound insane, but there are a few things you need to understand." In that moment, I completely understood why Ian hadn't told me what he was until he had no other option. It would've been so much easier