Chapter 71

A long string of curses rushed through Bradley's mind at his Beta's announcement that would make his nonexistent sailor ancestors proud. "What the..." the words broke off as he swept the blanket off, determined to stop the fool of a woman when a sharp pain in his side made him buckle straight to the floor. Another litany of curses left his mouth and Sam winced, glad that his Alpha was too weak to throttle him, well... at least he hoped so. He stepped forward and helped the patient back onto his bed just as Lorenzo rushed in. The doctor clucked like a mother hen and soon Sam was pushed out of the way by Nicole and another warrior the doctor recruited for all menial and physical tasks. 

Bradley was poked and prodded and if he could only catch a solid breath, he would tell Lorenzo to back off. He knew he was being difficult, but that news shocked him and made him and his wolf panic. He had to protect her but he couldn't even stop the damn nurse. He leaned back in defeat, a scowl on his face. He turned to Sam and glared at him. Sam nodded and headed out. He knew what that look meant, Bradley wanted his mate protected at all costs. Sam stalked off and began linking and making calls. 

Lorenzo finished his assessment and asked one of the human nurses for Bradley's doctor. The two men met outside and discussed what was to be done. A few minutes later, Lorenzo came back with some good news. Soon arrangements were made, and Bradley was discharged under Lorenzo's care and moved into an elite nursing facility an hour away. This was the best place as the facility catered to the rich, so their privacy policy was very strict. The doctor wasted no time in booking a surgical ward and getting everything prepared for Bradley's next operation. It would be tricky as the bullet shifted from the last X-ray and it was dangerously close to his lung now. Martha came by with some clothes and to give support. She was close with Cynthia and promised the older woman regular updates as she opted to stay back and help Samuel keep things running smoothly in Goldmoon.

Bradley wanted to wait until he heard from Trishanna, but Lorenzo didn't. Bradley was insistent and the two argued. He knew that due to time, she didn't wait for his private jet to return for them, but she and Alpha James took a commercial flight. He was protesting again when the TV that was in the private room showed a news update about a plane experiencing trouble in mid-flight. It was the same airline his mate was on and Bradley shot up at the news. Unfortunately, that caused the bullet to pierce his lung and soon Bradley was coughing up blood.

It was chaos with machines beeping, Lorenzo yelling orders, and Martha crying. As he slipped into darkness, Bradley hoped that Trishanna and his pup were alright, and if anything happened to her, he would blame it on James for failing to keep her safe.

Trishanna was glad she had listened to her instinct to switch airlines at the last minute. She saw an ad for a small charter company on the notice board and booked their flight with the jolly middle-aged man. It was cramped, but it saved them three hours and their checkout was a breeze. Only after they landed, they heard the news of the flight they would have been on experiencing difficulty and having to make an emergency landing. She rubbed her belly, not quite sure if it was maternal instinct, a desire to protect the life within her, or just dumb luck but she was glad either way. They hailed a few cabs and headed to the address Sam texted them. All she knew was that things had taken a dangerous turn and Lorenzo rushed Bradley into surgery. Trishanna prayed that all would be well.

James sat next to her, sensing her worry through his bond with the pup. "Have faith love", he whispered, holding her hand and kissing it. "He's too stubborn to die." Trishanna sniffed and nodded, turning to look out the window, never letting go of James' hand. His endearment was not lost on her but right now was not the time to dwell on it, yet she clung to his strength. They were silent the rest of the drive.

When they arrived, Sam met them and got them up to speed. He ushered them into one room to save repeating himself. He stationed two guards to stay with Trishanna and gave tasks to the others. Bradley's things were given to Martha as the woman needed something to do and she made necessary arrangements, deciding what should be kept for Bradley's stay and what would be sent to his hotel.

Trishanna wanted to go straight to the operating theater, but James advised her to eat and rest first. It looked like Lorenzo still had an hour or more and Bradley would be under anesthetic when he came out anyway. She just nodded and made her way to the very comfortable sofa in Bradley's room. She ate the meal Sam brought, not even sure what it was, and laid back. Sam left taking the tray and James, sat at the end of the seat, taking off her shoes. Her feet were swollen from the flight and looked like little sausages. James began rubbing her feet. That and the faint scent of Bradley in the room lulled her tensed body into a dreamless sleep.