The Alpha’s Companion - Chapter 95

Lacey waited inside the compound along with the rest of The Harvest Moon Pack, all weary from the battle. “Anyone in need of medical attention, go immediately to the infirmary!”

“Aye!” the entire pack yelled in unison.

Robes had been handed out as they walked in, taking their human forms, along with bottled water.

“Let me take a look at that.” Misty stood at the door and checked a shifter’s arm as he came in. “You. Go to the infirmary.” Then she stopped three young shifters. “You three look exhausted. Are you hurt?”

“No, ma’am,” the three said in unison.

Misty nodded. “Good. Then go upstairs to take a bath and get some rest. Food will be served in the dining hall soon.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Then the three of them headed up the stairs.

Misty spent her time directing the others instead of taking care of herself.

“Julien!” Lacey yelled when he came walking through the door. He was bloody, but appeared to be no worse for wear. “Let’s get you to the infirmary.”

“It’s you who needs to go.” He looked down at her and then ran his thumb across her face, the skin burning under his touch. She wasn’t sure if it was from the wound, or just him.

“I’m fine,” Lacey lied, knowing that her side had opened up, too. “I think Dr. Silva already has his hands full.”

“Nevertheless….” Julien placed his hand on her back, already guiding her toward the infirmary. “I think we both need to be checked out.”

Lacey nodded. “If not anything else, we can check to see if he needs help.” Lacey thought for a moment and then said, “Julien, I’m so sorry… about Rex.”

Julien nodded. “Thank you, but we all lost today.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Such a waste. We might be from different packs, but we’re all the same tribe, the same species. We are all brothers.” He bit his upper lip and then released it. “I want to start some kind of initiative for wolf-shifters. The rogue wolves are nomads because they don’t have a pack. But they’ve been a problem for a while now.”

Lacey nodded. “Maybe there could be an incentive for the packs to accept rogue wolves.”

Julien nodded, smiling. “I’d also like to start a Pack Council so we can discuss our differences and start working together. Maybe then, wars like this can be averted.”

“I hope so.” She didn’t tell him yet, but she had lost a sister and her stepfather… that she knew of. She may have lost more, and it was all senseless.

When they entered the infirmary, Dr. Silva was already hard at work, but looked up and saw Julien and Lacey walk in. “Good! I need some help. Start sorting everyone according to the severity of their wounds.”

“I’ll get some help. Be right back.” Julien quickly darted out before Dr. Silva could respond.

“Okay, everyone! Form a line over here and let me take a look at you,” Lacey said and then turned back to the doctor. “Once I get them sorted, I’ll treat the less severe cases. Also, Julien went to get some help.”

Dr. Silva nodded, not taking his eyes from the arm wound he was treating. “Thank you.”

Julien walked back in a moment later with Seth, Chris, and two other wolves.

Seth gave her a crooked smile. “Hey, sis!”

“Oh! Thank God you’re here,” Lacey said, smiling. “Do any of you know anything about First Aid?”

Seth and Chris both looked at each other and nodded. “We’ve been through enough of these battles to know what to do.”

“Good,” Lacey pointed to a group of shifters. “These have bites that need to be treated—”

“Got it!” Chris quickly gathered the supplies he needed, making himself a makeshift station, and got to work.

Seth did the same thing with another group of injuries, and the other two shifters spent their time cleaning and dressing wounds that weren’t as severe.

Together, they worked all afternoon treating cases. Lacey and Julien treated cases, too, doing what they could. To her surprise, Julien knew more about medical treatments than she had realized, probably from the battles he had fought, as well. Luckily, the injuries they saw weren’t as severe as Lacey thought they would be. The most prevalent were bites. Unfortunately, the more severe injuries resulted in death.

When the cases had dwindled, Julien pulled Lacey to the side. “Okay. Now it’s your turn.”

“I’m okay.” Lacey tried to shrug out of his grasp, but Julien held her arm tightly.

“Nope,” he teased, wetting down a cotton swab with alcohol. “This is going to burn.”

Lacey nodded, bracing herself. But she wasn’t worried. She was a shifter, after all, and shifters healed quickly.

Julien cleaned the wound on her face where the glass from the huge double doors had fallen on her and Thorn, examining it closely. “Well, it’s clean. There was no glass, and it’s already healing, but the bad news is that you may have a scar.” Then he looked up and smiled. “But I don’t think it’s going to be bad, though.”

Lacey smirked. “My first battle scar.”

Julien lifted an eyebrow, giving her a sexy look. “Hey, don’t knock it. Battle scars are sexy. It’s your initiation as a warrior.”

But Lacey wished the initiation didn’t have to be so severe. Not for herself, but for what they had lost as a species.

“There’s something else I want to talk to you about.” Julien looked into her eyes and smiled as he continued cleaning her wounds.

“Oh?” Lacey wet down a ball of cotton with alcohol and started cleaning Julien’s wounds, too. He didn’t pull away. “And what’s that?”

One corner of his lips curled into a sexy smile. “Your young warriors fought valiantly today. None of them showed an ounce of fear as they protected the castle. In fact, they kept the castle from being breached… even after the door was shattered.”

Goose bumps raised over her body from his words as her heart filled with pride. “They were brilliant. I’m very proud of them.”

“Yes, they were, and you have every right to be proud of them.” Julien nodded, now moving to clean her arm. “In fact, they deserve recognition for their bravery.”

Lacey nodded, smiling. “That would be wonderful.” She raised an eyebrow. “What do you have in mind?”

“I’m not sure yet, but I’ll think of something.” Julien looked down at her side and saw the dried blood. “Lacey, you’re not going anywhere until Dr. Silva takes a look at that to make sure there’s no internal bleeding.”

Lacey nodded, and then continued working with Julien, Dr. Silva, and her stepbrothers until everyone had been treated. But as she worked, Lacey couldn’t help but think of her young warriors and how proud she was of them. They had earned their stripes, so to speak, and the right to be considered full pack warriors.. Lacey smiled knowing that no trainer could have been more proud.