I had a very strange dream of being in a car or something like it. There were lots of male voices arguing. They sounded familiar, but I couldn't focus. It was like they were running around me, so I could only hear bits of it.
"There is no way she can be a shifter." One male voice said.
"What else could she be? She's my mate." Another man argued.
"She would need a wolf! To have a mate," A third argued.
"SHE HAS ONE!" The second voice yelled.
"Knock it off, we can talk about this elsewhere." A fourth man said.
Yeah, I had to be dreaming. I only ever dream of wolves lately. So, that is the only thing that makes sense. It's been a long day. I am so very tired. I felt rough hands stroke my hair off my face. It felt good. I was warm and safe. I feel myself slip peacefully into a deep sleep.
I groan awake. Nothing around me looked familiar. What happened? I was talking with the Holloway brothers about Chad. I got a call from Jess…
"Where am I? What's going on?" Panic grips my chest as I look around. Looking for safety. Something to tell me I was going to be okay. Fear began clawing its way up my throat.
"You are safe, Little Hippie. You are at the hospital." Phil's familiar calming voice relaxed me.
"What happened?" I asked, and I began to remember the fire, and no one could find my mom. "MY MOM!?? What happened to my mom!!" Dread filled me as I tried to sit up and run, run where? I don't know. It would be impossible to be still if she's not found. I had to find her.
"She is in another room in a coma. But she is alive." An unfamiliar male voice told me. I looked over to who spoke. He was the most handsome man I have ever seen... Wait... I have seen him before... What was his name again?
"Lu..ka?" I asked, unsure.
"That's right, beautiful." He smiled at me. Something in my stomach did flips at his praise.
"What happened to me...? I can't remember." I asked, feeling embarrassed. I looked down at my hands, not meeting anyone's eyes.
"Doctors think you might have just over-exhausted yourself running from the hotel and getting to your house so quickly, and once you saw your mom, the adrenaline that was pushing you gave out. So that's why you collapsed." Joel's hands landed on top of mine. No one said anything to me as we all sat in silence. I tried wrapping my head around everything that was just said. It was crazy to think about.
"Do you want me to check on your mom?" Phil asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes, please! When can I go see her?" I asked,
"We can go find that out?" Joel offered.
"Please," I practically begged. I could barely look up at him. I felt so embarrassed. I hated feeling so useless.
"Okay. Come on, Jordan, let's go find out." Joel ushered Jordan out. Wait, Jordan was here? I looked up to see him with a stony mask of anger on his face. I watched in shock as he walked away with Joel. Why was Jordan so mad? Did I do something? Was he mad at me for not noticing him?
"He's not mad at you," Luka said as he moved closer to me.
"Then why? He has never looked so mad before." I responded.
"He has some personal issues to work out. Nothing to to do with you," Luka said, reassuring me.
"How long was I out?" I asked, meeting Luka's eyes. It was a lot easier to talk now that it was just us.
"Two days," Luka told me.
"What? Really!" I practically yelped in shock.
"Yes, when you do get out of here, you need to decide where you want to stay. The Holloways have already checked. Your house is unlivable." Luka explained. Thinking back, flames had already engulfed my house. Crap, I don't have really anywhere else to go. Maybe Jess will let me crash with her for a bit, till I figure out where I can go.
"You have options when it is time to leave," Luka said, like he was reading my mind.
"What?" I looked at him expectantly. He chuckled.
"Well, the Holloways said you can stay with them at their house, or the hotel in the VIP section. Or you can stay with your friend Jess. I believe she said she was going to stop by before work to check on you and your mom." He looked at the clock. Before looking back at me. "That should be in about two hours. There is one more option you have."
"What would that be?" I asked, not sure who else would want to take me in. After my mom, the only people I have in my life are Jess and the Holloways.
"If you are comfortable with it, you can stay with me. I have a place outside of town. I can make sure you can get to work and see your mother whenever you want to. Nothing would have to change if you don't want it to, if you choose to stay with me."
"What? I am sorry, but why would you do that?" I was grateful that he had saved my mom, but he didn't know me. Why would he want to do that for me?
"You really don't know?" He observed my face, looking for the answer that I didn't have.
"Know what?" I asked back. Before he could answer, Joel popped his head in the door.
"We can take you to see your mom, but it has to be by wheelchair, just in case you feel faint."
"Oh Okay!!!" I felt excited and nervous at the same time. "Oh, what were you going to say?" I asked Luka, realizing he was about to say something, before Joel walked in.
"Nothing important. Let's go bring you to your mom," Luka said with a serene smile on his face.
"Luka, my father wants to have a quick word with you." Joel stopped Luka from following.
"Of course," He leaned over, kissing me on the top of my head. "I will be right back, beautiful." And just like that, he walked away towards where Phil was standing. After I watched Luka walk away, I noticed Joel was watching me watch Luka. Heat rushed up my face. Oh, wow, that was embarrassing.
"I am guessing he told you about your options about who you can stay with when you are out of the hospital." Joel always sees right through me.
"Yeah," I sheepishly replied.
"Good, you like him, don't you?" Joel eyed me. My face burned even hotter now. I might just die of embarrassment.
"Ahhh... Well... I don't know him... But he seems nice." I stumbled and stuttered on my words. Something was there, but I wasn't sure what it was yet.
Joel chuckled to himself. "Well, you are always welcome to stay with us. You are family." The way he said family hit differently. Like, there was a deeper meaning to it. I shook my head mentally at that. It must be all in my head. They have always been like family to me, I think, with losing my dad and almost my mom. All this stress is making me imagine things.
"So, don't take this the wrong way, and you make the ultimate choice, but I think you should go stay with Luka. He is a good guy, and it will give you the chance to get to know him." Joel said to me as he put me next to my mom. "I will give you some privacy to be alone with your mom, and to think about what you want to do."