Vince's POV
“I cannot disclose what Jane and I were discussing. It violates confidentiality rights, even for you, Vince,” Chase didn’t even look up as he typed away on his computer. “I know you’re curious. If she wishes to tell you, she can tell you herself. It’s not within my jurisdiction”
“Seems pretty serious,” I added. He shrugged, before pulling out my file from a drawer.
He leaned over the table, resting his chin on his hand. “You already know what I’m going to tell you, don’t you?”
I glanced away before looking back at him. He took a deep breath, before showing me the records. “Vince, if you continue to take this, the side effects are only going to get worse. You’re already getting the migraines and muscle aches. Eventually, the Wolfsbane and Moonstone will not just suppress the bond, but your wolf too”
“The pain is worse this time. I can’t just not take the pills. I’d probably drop dead,” I scoffed.
He pointed down at the breakdown of ingredients for the medicine I was on. “It’s been ten years, Vince. Being on these high amounts of Wolfsbane isn’t something that anyone would recommend for over a week, let alone years”
“Well, what should I do, doc?” I snapped. He scratched the back of his head, before getting up and walking over to a larger cabinet. He spent some time scrounging around some papers and books, before reaching for one from the top shelf. He blew off some of the dust before sitting in front of me again.
“As you know, my father was the previous pack doctor. Most of the files and research here is his,” he opened the book to a tabbed page. In scribbled cursive, what looked to be a recipe with red notes and Post Its everywhere. “He treated your father with the same medication I’m giving you. Although it’s been revised over the years I’ve prescribed it to you, the side effects and issues my father has seen from this is exactly what you’re dealing with. Other pack members we’ve given this to previously, have lost their wolves partially to completely. It’s a dangerous drug, Vince.”
“Well, you must have something else that can help with these headaches. I need this medicine, Chase.”
“No, what you need is to get off of this to get better,” he drew out. “I can lower the dose every 1-2 weeks until you wean off of it. The pain will increase temporarily until you and your wolf can manage it on your own. If your wolf has the will to get better, they’ll become stronger and stronger until you can successfully shift again without any side effects.”
Although it sounded reasonable, there was no way I could just wean off of this stuff. Losing my wolf aside, the slim chance of bearable pain wasn’t going to justify getting rid of this pill. I still could run this pack as alpha without my wolf, our entourage of betas, deltas, and thetas was enough to keep order and secure our members.
“And if the pain becomes too unbearable?” I leaned back in Chase’s guest chairs, tapping the armrest.
He sighed before rubbing his face and then leaning over the desk. He glanced at the door before saying quietly, “you do realize that the pain you’re feeling is only a fraction of what your mate is experiencing”
“Sarah takes the same pills that I do, just in a smaller dose,” I scoffed. “She’s not experiencing migraines”
“I meant Simon,” he huffed, keeping his voice down still but with an elevated level of irritation.
“I told you to never mention his name again. If someone were to overhear us,” I warned. I felt a growl rise from my throat, anger pooling in my veins.
His jaw clenched, as he pulled out a dusty file from another drawer at his desk. As he looked through the papers, he argued, “it’s been ten years, Vince. Ten years without the drug. It’s unlikely for separated mates to survive that long without help”
He slapped a paper down in front of me, “here. Arthur. Dead after three years, suicide. Theresa. Dead after six years, suicide. Benjamin. Four years turned rogue, froze to death”
There were about fifteen pictures Chase had shown me, all with little notes about their mates and how they died. He then grabbed another file, a thicker one, that looked like it was still an active case. He flipped it open, and to my surprise, had my mother’s picture on it. “And your mother. She’s survived ten years without your father but look at her condition now. Alzheimer’s, arthritis, confined to a wheelchair. She can barely remember simple tasks. She’s lucky she has the medicine, Vince. The older cases, they didn’t have that, and look where that left them.”
“Their mates died, Chase. As dead as he is to me, he’s still alive,” I informed.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “What I’m trying to say is, it’s only a matter of time before he starts wishing he was dead, and if, or when he can’t take the pain, he doesn’t have the option to relieve the pain like you do”
“Like I’ve been saying for years, I don’t care whether he lives or dies. He’s a traitor to this pack, and I will not have anything to do with him. And don’t even think about giving this medicine to the rogue he is. He deserves nothing from us, Chase. You hear me, nothing,” the authority dripping from my voice from being alpha.
Chase, however, was known for not backing down. Partly because he was a doctor, he still needed some authority in order to help pack members. He often would glare me down, like now, with his hazel eyes, before looking away. Sometimes I wondered why he hadn’t become a beta instead. He had the built and presence that commanded a room like one. Compared to some of the betas, Chase easily could challenge one physically and win. However he was good at being a doctor, and the pack needed someone like him. Although we argued and fought, we respected each other, and that’s all that mattered for Chase.
There was a long silence before Chase finally spoke. This time, calmer, with a hint of concern. “You should care, Alpha. If he were to die, no amount of those pills would help you. You would surely end up like these cases, and considering you’re the alpha, you would have a lot more to lose than the people I’ve shown you. If that’s how you wish your future to then so be it. I’ve warned you from the beginning that you were making a grave mistake-”
“Save the lecture,” I interjected.
“I’m not trying to, but I care about this pack. I care about you, and I care about my family, as well as yours. Your father sacrificed everything for this pack, he built it from the ground up, Vince. It would be a shame for a mistake like this to dismantle all of it. To have you reduced to your mother’s state of mind would not be what your father wished for you and the future of the pack”
The disappointment was loud and clear on his face, and I was slowly getting more irritated. What I did was not a mistake, it was a necessity. But Chase and my brother, Xavier did not see it. It was like they scorned my decision, taking his side. Surely, if they had been in my shoes, they would have done the same. This wasn’t my mistake, but the goddess’. She had made the mistake. He was not my mate, he wasn’t Luna material. It should have been someone like Sarah from the beginning. She was Luna material.
Chase cleared his throat, “I will stop our session here. I don’t want my opinion and emotions to hinder our friendship, but I do wish you to take the time to think about what I’ve said. I think I speak for the members of this pack when I say that I want the best for you, Vince. You became an alpha at a young age, and things happen when you’re forced into this kind of a position at such a young age. As much as I disagree with your decisions most of the time, I still need to respect you as our leader”
“Thanks, Chase,” I smiled half-heartedly. “And as much as I respect you as the pack doctor, I don’t plan on weaning off those pills. Regardless of how damaging you claim it to be, I need them, and I’m not going to let some traitorous rogue change my mind. I’m sure with more research, we can work something out to prevent it from reducing me to a vegetable”
“Sure,” he gritted out, before sighing. I knew it probably pissed him off, but I wasn’t a young alpha just starting out anymore. I didn’t need him to tell me exactly what to do anymore, even if he was our doctor. Even if I successfully weaned off of the pills, the withdrawals and side effects of not taking it wasn’t worth damaging my reputation as alpha.
“See you next week,” I grinned. “Sarah’s got an appointment with Tammy about her fertility medicine”
He waved dismissively, as he irately sorted the files back to where he found them.
Thinking about files, the stacks of paperwork still in the council room was still yet to be sorted, and it was already getting late. I might as well wait and finish it later, enjoy the night off. I checked my phone to see Sarah had texted me. She sent me a few pictures of Jane and her in the kitchen, cooking up pasta, dessert, and a few bottles of wine in the background. Guess she’s spending the night over at Jane’s place. Alcohol sounded great right about now. Between getting bitched at by Chase, and the endless paperwork, getting drunk sounded like a great plan.
I texted Sarah back, informing her I would go to the bar tonight, and to forget the paperwork for now. She sent a thumbs up emoji, and a stay safe text, before I looked for the other group chat. Getting drunk wouldn’t be any fun without the top betas of our pack who were notorious for being able to hold their liquor.
I set out to get my keys before heading to the nearby bar in hopes of forgetting that dreadful conversation with Chase.
Comments (15)
See all