Chapter 214 Yorick

“Shakespeare, wait up,” Zach calls. I turn and see him jogging up to me. “How’d it go?”

He hands me a sandwich, which is great because I completely missed lunch and I’m starved. “Not great. They were going to kick me out until I told them that Cyra is my fated mate.”

“Is she going to be okay that they know?” he asks.

“Don’t know. But it couldn’t be helped. Thad wouldn’t have killed that little shit if she wasn’t. And like I pointed out to Alpha Leo, if they were doing their job like they should be, our group wouldn’t have been attacked two days in a row right in front of them.”

“I’m guessing he didn’t like hearing that,” he says.

“No, he didn’t. But the others were at least cool about it. Alpha Nevaeh took responsibility, and Warrior Soren talked about staying closer to the match to keep watch over it,” I say.

He looks over at me. “And you don’t think that’s going to be enough?” he asks, catching the change in my voice.

“Let me ask you something. What did you think of the skill set of the guy I killed?”

He looks at me. “He was weak, weaker than I’d expect for someone admitted to the Warrior Academy. Why?”

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t make sense. How does someone like that get into this Academy when they must have hundreds, maybe thousands, of applications every year? You can’t tell me he was the best candidate of all the applicants. Any one of my three underage sisters could have taken that guy down.”

“You think someone got paid off to admit him?” Zach asks.

I stop as we get close to the classrooms.

“Alpha Leo runs this school, right? He’s the head instructor, and he’s standing by letting that asshole take out Cyra’s knee, a potentially Academy-ending injury. He should have intervened before Thad did. And he was the only one who didn’t accept any responsibility for that guy’s death or what happened. The others did. Something just feels off with him. He almost seemed aggravated that he couldn’t eject me from the school.”

“Well, you did make him look bad, like he has zero control over anything going on. I mean, first Cyra’s knee and then you killed that guy, all while he was just standing there picking his nose. But I agree with you. You’d think someone like that would have a better handle on what’s going on, especially early on in the year.”

We start walking again, needing to get to class. I don’t want to give Alpha Leo any more fuel to try and kick me out.

“Are you going to see her after class?” he asks as we walk in. I glance at Megan but ignore her, walking over to sit with our friends.

“As soon as classes are done, I’m heading over.”

“Mind if we come see her?” Zach asks as we join the others.

“I’m sure she’d love that. She’ll probably be out of it though,” I tell him.

“That’s okay. At least she’ll know we were there,” Piper says.

“Are you planning to sleep in her room?” Zach asks.

“Absolutely.”

“We’ll bring you some dinner. Maybe we can visit then.”

“Great idea. Maybe she’ll be up for cating by then too,” I say.

I somehow manage to get through classes, using Cyra’s request for my notes as my incentive to focus. But the few hours away from her are some of the slowest of my life. When classes are finally over, I grab my things and rush over to the infirmary.

As soon as I walk in, I see Dr. Johnston.

“How is she?”

“She came through surgery well. She’s still sleeping but you can go sit with her. Let her wake up on her own though.”

“I won’t disturb her,” I say, turning toward her room.

“Is it true? She’s your fated mate?” she asks me.

“She is. Is that important for some reason?” I ask her.

“No, but it explains why we have a dead student. It also means I won’t try to kick you out of her room tonight.”

“Good. I wouldn’t have left anyway,” I say and turn to go see my mate before the doctor can stop me again. I need to lay eyes on her to make sure she’s safe.

When I walk into the room, I breathe a sigh of relief. She’s here, sleeping peacefully. Even though she’s attached to a bunch of monitors, I listen to her breathing, making sure her lungs sound clear. I listen to her heart beat, which is beating steady and strong. Thad finally settles in my mind, watching through my eyes, guarding our mates.

I quietly pull up a chair and sit beside her, taking her hand.

“Doc says you came through everything well, Cyra. I know you’re still sleeping, but if you’re awake Rina and healing Cyra like Dr. Johnston suspects, I wanted you to know, too. Hopefully, you aren’t feeling too exhausted, Rina. But we’re here now and being close to me and Thad should help you get stronger faster,” I say quietly.

I pull her hand to my lips, kissing it gently before putting it back on the bed beside her. I need to touch her, to be close to her, but I don’t want to wake her.

I lay my head on the bed beside her, just listening to her soft, even breaths. I must fall asleep because the next thing I know, I feel her hand running through my hair. I open my eyes, taking in her beautiful blue-grey eyes.

“Hey, beautiful,” I say.

“Hey yourself, what are you doing here?”

I raise an eyebrow and stand up so I can brush some hair out of her face. “Where else would I be?” I ask, tucking the hair behind her ear.

“At dinner, maybe?”

I look at the clock. Dinner has already passed. I wonder if the others came by and left. Just as the thought enters my mind, there’s a soft knock at the door. Dr. Johnston doesn’t wait for an answer before walking in.

“I saw that you were awake on the camera,” she says, nodding to the wall opposite Cyra’s bed. “I hadn’t even noticed it. How are you feeling?”

“Sore, but better than when I came in.”

“That’s good. Is Rina awake?” she asks.

“Yes,” she says smiling at me. “She says thanks for sitting with her, it did make her stronger.”

Thad pushes forward. “Any time, my mate.” Then he begins purring loudly at her. I see Cyra flinch at Thad’s use of the word ‘mate’.

“Let me take a look at your knee,” Dr. Johnston says, pulling the blankets aside and gently moving Cyra’s leg.

“The swelling is already coming down, and the bruises aren’t as dark as they were when you came out of surgery. You’re doing well, Rina,” she says.

“Thank you, doctor,” Rina says.

“Don’t overdo it though. You need your rest too, Rina,” the doctor tells her.

“Now that my mates are here and Cyra is healing, I’ll be able to rest for a while.”

“I’m going to keep you overnight, Cyra. Let the knee rest, let Rina work her magic and then in the morning if all continues to progress well, I’ll release you, but you won’t be able to go back to sparring until Thursday, and that’s only if I give you the okay tomorrow afternoon.”

“Yes, doctor,” Cyra says. The entire time the doctor has been talking, I was watching my mate. I can tell she’s tired. Maybe it’s not a good idea to have the others come in to see her.

“Did our friends come by, doctor?” I ask her.

“Yes. I sent them back to the dorms. They can see you tomorrow, Cyra. But they did leave food for both of you. I’ll have someone bring it in. You need to eat but only eat as much as your stomach will allow. It takes some wolves a longer time to adjust from anesthesia,” she says.

“What about Yorick? Can he stay?” she asks Dr. Johnston.

“Yes. I would never try to keep fated mates apart, especially when someone is healing. As your wolf said, having them here is making her stronger, and I’m sure your goal is to return to your training.”

“Yes, it is,” she says.

“Oh, and you should call your father. It’s standard procedure to call the parent when something like this happens. He was worried about you and asked me to have you call him when you woke up,” Dr. Johnston says. Because I haven’t stopped watching her, I see her body tense with this news.

“Thank you, doctor,” is all she says.

“Do not keep my patient up tonight, Alpha Yorick,” Dr. Johnston says.

“I won’t. I want her released as much as she wants out of here.”

When she’s gone, Cyra looks at me. “How did they know we were mates?”

“Besides Thad and Rina saying it,” I begin, and she starts shaking her head.

“She already knew at that point.”

“She did. I had to tell the instructors. They can’t expel me for defending my mate. No court in the werewolf judicial system would hold me accountable for that, and they know it.”

“Shit, if my father finds out…”

“Why don’t I go get your phone, and then you can call him? See what he knows. Stress and worry will not help you to heal. And if he does know, then that just means I have no reason not to tell the world that you're mine and that I will challenge any wolf, and I do mean any wolf Cyra, that tries to take you from me,” I tell her, making sure to hold her gaze so she can see the absolute truth in my eyes.

“Get my phone, please. I need to know.”

“I’ll be right back,” I say, leaning over to kiss her lips softly. It takes a moment, but then I feel hers press back.

“Don’t let this stress you, Cyra. You’re not alone fighting anymore.”

I can see in her eyes that she doesn’t believe me, but I’m not going to argue with her right now, so I kiss her again quickly, grab the keys to her room and go get her phone.