A Warrior's Love

(K’aalógii: Butterfly in Navajo)

Becky felt her feet leave the ground as she continued to scream. When she landed at the bottom of the steps, hard, she felt a jolt but tried to keep her head from hitting the cement by covering it with her arms. She skidded across the walkway, feeling her pants shred along with her skin. She’d heard a crack and knew her arm had broken on impact even as she felt her prosthesis twist painfully on her leg.

“Becky!” Someone screamed as footsteps pounded on the ground heading her way.

Somewhere in Becky’s pain-ridden mind, she knew it was Demi who had screamed.

As the scream died out, Becky heard an almost deafening growl. Something inside her instantly knew that it had come from Wyatt. The sheer rage behind that growl should have scared her, yet all it did was show her he cared, giving her comfort despite her pain. In her mind, she almost felt his protectiveness enclose around her and the pain faded slightly. She also knew without a doubt that Cherry was as good as dead whenever Wyatt got ahold of her.

“Becky, talk to me. Where do you hurt?” Demi asked in a scared shaky voice. Her shaking hand then began to smooth Becky’s hair back and away from her face. Next, her voice loud in an angry yell, she asked, “What did you do that for Cherry? You could have killed her because she’s human!”

Becky opened her eyes when she heard a growl from next to her. Moving her uninjured arm away from her head, she looked up. There she found Wyatt kneeling protectively next to her, so she whispered, “Wyatt.”

“What did she do to you?” Wyatt asked, his voice full of rage, his eyes glowing gold.

He must have gotten there after everything had already happened, she thought, or he would know already what Cherry had done. In a pain filled whisper, she told him, “She pushed me down the steps.”

Becky’s eyes then followed Wyatt’s movements as he stood and walked to where Cherry stood on the bottom step. He grabbed her by the throat and shook her as he growled, snarling out the question, “Who are you?”

“I-I’m Cherry Porter,” Cherry answered a stutter in her voice and a look of fear on her face.

“Well, Cherry Porter, you should have stayed invisible,” Wyatt told her in a monotone voice. Then with little effort, he threw her across the courtyard where she slammed into a tree before hitting the ground. He then added, “Go home Cherry Porter, your Alpha will be by to see you soon.” Next, Wyatt walked back over to where Becky lay and very carefully picked her up.

Becky bit her lip to try and silence the whimpers of pain. It didn’t really work.

“I think her arm is broken Wyatt,” Demi said softly as she also stood up and backed away. “Her prosthesis doesn’t look quite right either.”

“Let’s get that arm fixed K’aalógii,” Wyatt murmured, giving Demi a nod. He then gave Becky a light kiss on top of her head.

“Everything hurts so badly Wyatt. Why, why would she do this to me?” Becky whimpered as tears flowed down her face.

“I don’t know,” Wyatt answered. “but what I do know is when she messed with you, she forfeited her life in this pack.”

“But... I’m not a wolf Wyatt,” Becky whispered, feeling confused.

Wyatt placed her carefully in the car. He then gently rubbed the tears from her cheek as he said, “No, but I am K’aalógii, and you are my mate. Although, even if you weren’t my mate, your parents belong to the pack and abusing a pack member, especially one of high ranking, is not acceptable.”

“Papa is the second Beta,” Becky murmured softly, “and one day Jeff will take his place,” she murmured.

“Yes, your papa is a ranking wolf, and she had to know that when she pushed you. She had to know what the consequences of her actions would be, yet she still did it. Now, as my mate, you rank even higher, and even though I am just a visiting wolf. So, either way, it was stupid of her,” Wyatt informed her.

“But she doesn’t know that I’m your mate,” Becky argued, slightly confused as to why his rank would matter.

“That does not matter because she does know your papa is a ranking wolf,” he reiterated. He then closed the door, said something to Demi and Jake, then walked around the car to climb inside.

Demi gave Becky a wave as she and Jake walked off.

Wyatt cranked the car and then began the drive to the pack infirmary. Once there, he carried her inside. As careful as he was, every step jarred her and made her whole body hurt.

“We need a doctor,” Wyatt stated as soon as he walked into the clinic.

The lady at the desk looked up. She sniffed, even as she frowned at Becky. She then said, “She’s human, shouldn’t you take her to the human hospital?”

Wyatt growled at the woman and his eyes flashed gold before he informed her, “She is part of this pack and your doctor will fix her.”

The woman wrinkled her nose, a look of disgust on her face as she asked, “Name?”

“Becky Monroe, daughter of Gary and Julie Borman,” Becky whispered.

The woman heard though and suddenly her whole attitude changed, a look of respect on her face as her head came up. She then quickly typed Becky’s name into the computer before standing with a smile to say, “Follow me please.”

Wyatt followed behind the woman and lowly told Becky, “That is the kind of respect you deserve to receive as the second Beta’s daughter.

The woman stopped at a door and lightly tapped. A low “come in” was heard from inside and the woman opened the door. Pushing it open all the way and stepping to the side, she said, “Doctor Davis, you have a patient.”

The doctor stood up from the desk and walked towards them. He said, “Hello, what seems to be the problem today?”

“I think my arm is broken,” Becky whispered nervously.

The doctor waved them toward the exam table as the woman left.

When Wyatt placed her on the table, she let out a sharp cry of pain as her hip was jarred.

“Seems like it might be more than just your arm young lady,” the Doctor commented in a gentle tone.

“Yeah, I skidded across the cement. My hip hurts, and I twisted my prosthetic leg. I think my stump might be bruised, along with some abrasions down my thigh,” Becky admitted in between her shudders of pain.

The doctor nodded as he stepped closer to look at her leg. Lifting it slightly, he murmured, “Yes I see where your pants became torn and you’re bleeding a bit. From what I can see though, it doesn’t look as if any of them are bad enough for stitches. We’ll take a closer look at them later though, just to be sure.” Placing her leg gently down, he walked over to the cabinet in the corner and began pulling out some supplies. He told her, “I think the first thing we need to do is take care of that arm.”

He had Becky lay down, and after giving her a shot for the pain he went to work. He had Wyatt leave the room as he took x-rays, then he informed her that her arm was indeed broken.

The doctor let Wyatt back in the room before he began to set about putting a cast on her arm from hand to elbow. Then going back to the cabinet, he brought out a blanket. Walking back to the exam table he told her, “Alright, now I need you to remove your pants, so we can get those abrasions cleaned up and remove your prosthesis. Would you like for me to call a nurse in to help you since you won’t be able to do it with your cast?”

Becky turned to look at Wyatt who had been standing stoically and blank-faced during the whole process. Biting down on her lip, she thought,

I knew he would do it for me if I asked, and we have grown so much closer than we were before. So, I know I shouldn’t be nervous about him helping me, he’ll have to see it at some point anyway. I also know it isn’t a complicated task to remove it, and he could do it. The thing is, I’m just not quite ready for him to see that part of me yet, stupid as that is. There’s a fear inside of me that worries he’ll be grossed out and turn from me in disgust. I don’t think I could handle that on top of everything else right now, or possibly ever. I’m also feeling the need to see my big brother, he’s always been there for me through everything, and I need him here now, childish as that may be.

So, as the need to have her big brother with her grew stronger, she whispered, “Wyatt, could you call Jeff for me? I-I don’t want just anyone to take it off, I would be more comfortable with him doing it.”

Wyatt took her hand, a look of understanding on his face. It was as if he knew even without her saying it. He then pulled out his phone and made the call.

Five minutes later Jeff almost ran into the room with a panicked look on his face. Seeing her on the bed, he rushed to pull her into his arms as he blurted out loudly, “What happened to you my little monkey?”

“Cherry pushed me down the steps at school. I need you to remove my prosthesis, so the doctor can check for damage to my leg,” she answered, her lips beginning to tremble again, tears filling her eyes.

Jeff glanced quickly at Wyatt, who shook his head slightly in answer to whatever Jeff seemed to be silently asking. Jeff then gently lay her back on the bed and began to remove her boot as he asked, “What? Why would she do that?”

“Because I wouldn’t tell her what she wanted to know,” Becky whispered.

Jeff and Wyatt both looked at her sharply then.

“I’m sorry, I should have just told her what she wanted to know, but I’m so tired of being a wimp. For once I just wanted to have a little bit of backbone and stand up to her! She’s always messing with me and calling me names. I guess I thought, if I stand up to her, she’ll leave me alone, but I never dreamed she’d push me,” Becky explained as she tried to keep from crying again. “I don’t know why she hates me. I’ve never done anything to her.”

Jeff sighed as he began to remove her prosthesis. Laying the blanket over her, he then removed her pants. Stepping back, he allowed the doctor to move in next to her as he asked, “You really don’t remember do you?”

Looking away from where the doctor was working to Jeff, she asked, “Remember what?”

“When you were a freshman, I drove you and Demi to school and home again. Cherry, or Cheryl as she was known back then, started trying to befriend you. She was Demi’s friend first if I remember right. You always had your nose in a book and didn’t pay her much mind, you were never rude just...” Jeff paused, then said, “oblivious. Anyway, she took a liking to me.”

Becky felt her eyes widen as she asked, “You? She had a crush on you?”

Jeff nodded, saying, “Don’t look so surprised Becky. According to Demi, she was forever asking you questions about me. When you didn’t help her in her quest to get me, I guess you made her mad. So, sophomore year she returned demanding everyone call her Cherry and began making your life miserable.”

“So, she hates me because I wouldn’t help her get a date with you?” Becky asked, shocked at how stupid Cherry’s reasoning was.

“That’s what Demi thinks anyway. I don’t know her well enough to say myself,” Jeff answered with shrug.

“Why did Demi never tell me this?” Becky questioned him.

Jeff rolled his eyes, saying, “She did, Monkey, you just weren’t listening.”

The doctor cleared his throat and they all looked his way. He said, “I’ve cleaned your abrasions and none of them need stitches. Your stump is pretty bruised up along with your hip. I would suggest staying completely off your feet for the next couple of days, and if you must walk use your crutches. This will give you a chance to heal.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Jeff said.

The doctor gave Jeff and Wyatt a respectful head bow and left, leaving them alone.

“I grabbed you a pair of yoga pants,” Jeff mentioned then as he held up a bag he’d dropped on the floor at the end of the table. “Wyatt said yours were shredded.”

“Yeah, pretty much,” she agreed. She then sat up and began trying to put the pants Jeff handed her on with only one hand, but it wasn’t working out too well.

Jeff began to snicker even as he pushed her down flat on the table. Then, with some careful maneuvering, he was able to re-dress her without showing anything. When she was redressed, Wyatt helped her to sit up.

Jeff took her hand and gently squeezed as he asked, “Tell us, what did Cherry want to know exactly?”

Becky looked at him before giving Wyatt a quick glance from under her lashes. He had his blank look on his face, but she could see his eyes were darkened with anger. So, she started off by saying, “She saw Wyatt with Jake, Demi, and me at the mall yesterday. She found him cute and wanted to know who he was.”

“And?” Jake asked.

Becky gave a huff. Stupid brother knows me too well! He knows there’s more to it, she thought as she fiddled with the tail of her shirt, not looking at him anymore and hoping he would let it drop.

“Becky Monroe, you better tell me right now or I’ll tell mom about what happened!” Jeff demanded with a growl.

Becky’s head jerked up, and grabbing his hand, she pleaded, “No Jeff, please don’t tell her! She’ll make me go home and stay in bed for days while she attempts to help me with school work! Please, please, don’t tell her.”

“Then tell me what I want to know,” Jeff demanded again, “because I know there’s more to it then what you’re saying.”

“She said she wanted Wyatt,” Becky mumbled. There was silence then, and when it became too much for her to bare, she looked up. They were both staring at her, their faces blank, so she questioned them, “What?”

“If she said she wanted him, shouldn’t YOU have been the one doing the pushing?” Jeff asked as he looked at her, his eyes wide.

“Jeff, I’m human, she’s a wolf,” Becky reminded him as she rolled her eyes. “My puny little self wouldn’t move her little finger, much less her whole body. What good would it do me to get into a shoving match with her?”

“O-Kay,” Jeff huffed, rolling his own eyes. He then asked, “Then what was your reply that made HER push YOU?”

“I told her that all she needed to know was that he was mine,” Becky informed the two men as she clenched her jaw in jealous anger. She then informed them, “And if I had it to do over, I’d still tell her that!”

Jeff smiled then and said, “Ah, my little monkey is growing up and feeling the feelings. You did the right thing you know. He is yours and she needed to know that and back off. As a wolf, she should have asked then if he was your mate. Did she ask you?”

“No,” Becky informed him, “all she told me was, “wrong answer”, and pushed me.”

Wyatt then stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. Placing his face in the crook of her neck he took deep breaths. They stayed like that until she felt his tense muscles relax. He then pulled back, pulled out his phone, and walked out the door without a word.

“Where is he going?” She asked Jeff, confused.

“To talk to the Alpha.”

“Why is he going to talk to the Alpha?” She asked then.

“Because you are his mate and he won’t stand by and let anyone hurt you. As a warrior, his wolf is probably yelling for her blood right now,” Jeff answered.

“You mean... to kill her?”

Jeff nodded and said, “Yes, that’s what I mean, and as a ranking wolf it would be his right to ask for exactly that. When Alpha Bannon sees what she did to you, a warrior’s mate, he may grant Wyatt his wish.”

“Oh,” Becky whispered just as Wyatt walked back in.

“Time to go,” Wyatt said as he picked her up, cradling her in his arms. He then said, “Alpha Bannon and your parents are going to meet us at the Porter home.”

“Why do our parents need to be there?” Becky asked swallowing hard. She knew her mom would have a conniption that she hadn’t been informed of Becky’s injuries.

“Because you’re only seventeen,” Wyatt answered as he walked, “and because your father is the Alpha’s second Beta which requires him to be there with the Alpha.”

Her shoulders drooped, and she buried her face in Wyatt’s neck before muttering, “Oh, but you do know she’s going to be really mad at us Wyatt. You do know that, right?”

“Why?” Wyatt asked, a slight snarl in his tone as his eyes flashed gold. “I took care of you, didn’t I? We did not need her help.”

“Yeah, but you know she won’t look at it that way,” she reminded him. “She’ll think you were trying to...”

Wyatt snarled loudly, and she stopped talking. By that time, they had made it to the car and Jeff was holding the car door open for them. Wyatt placed Becky in the seat, then squatted down to gently run his thumb along her jawline. He then softly kissed her before softly saying, “When we accepted each other as mates, you became my responsibility. If you learn nothing else about me, learn this, I take my responsibilities very seriously. You are my mate; therefore, you are no longer your mother’s responsibility. I will take care of you now sweet K’aalógii.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

Wyatt stood up, moving back to close her door.

“She’s still gonna be ticked off and you’ll get the firing end of it,” Jeff said. He then gave them a wave and headed toward his own car.

Wyatt said nothing, just walked around to the driver’s side and climbed inside. Cranking the car, he pulled out of the clinic lot and headed toward the Porter home.