Rejected and Forsaken

An Inconvenience

Lily woke up to the feeling of someone shaking her shoulder.

“Lily?”

She groaned, the throbbing of her head combined with the excruciating ache in her hand making it feel impossible to open her eyes. Werewolves healed quickly, but even they couldn’t recover from broken bones within hours, especially if they hadn’t gone through their first shift.

“We need to get you to the pack hospital,” her brother said, but there was little sympathy to soften his words.

Lily forced her eyelids to open, wincing as the sunlight hit her sensitive eyes. She met Sam’s serious gaze, her stomach dropping with disappointment at the cold look in his eyes. It wasn’t the first time he’d woken Lily up after her father had left her passed out on the floor. That didn’t make it okay that Sam was treating her like an inconvenience, however, or that he hadn’t stepped in to help her when he’d presumably heard her screaming.

“What did you do this time?” he asked after she’d managed to sit up.

Lily’s eyes closed as Sam’s words sank in. There’d been a time when her brother had cared enough about her to hold her while she cried after the Alpha had taken his anger out on her. There’d been a time when he’d promised her they would escape together, leave this God-forsaken town behind them, and never look back.

That time felt like an eternity ago. Long gone was the brother who’d used to hug her. Long gone was the brother who’d been on her side.

“I didn’t do anything. Nobody deserves this,” she whispered, cradling her broken hand to her chest and hating that her voice sounded so weak.

“You always find a way to make him mad,” he argued, sounding oddly bitter.

Lily shook her head angrily. “He’s still punishing me for what happened to Mom.”

Sam looked away from her, his jaw tight. “She would still be here if you’d just run home with us.”

Lily felt tears forming in her eyes as the pain and guilt ate at her. “If I could change it, I would. I wish it had been me,” she admitted to him. “I wish that man had taken me and left her alone. I wish that she was safe at home.”

Tears were flowing from her eyes, but her voice sounded numb even to her own ears. There’d been a time when her apologies had come out through choked sobs, but she no longer seemed to have the energy for anything more than silent tears.

Sam looked taken aback by her words, but the apathy in his eyes only abated for a few seconds. “Yeah, well, you can’t go back and change what happened,” he finally ground out. “Your regrets don’t change anything.”

His words hit their mark, sending pain through her chest. She turned and wiped her damp cheeks with her right hand. She hated crying in front of anyone in the pack. She hated showing her weakness and vulnerability.

Lily tried to set aside her heartache, focusing on the pain in her body and what she was going to do about it instead. She needed to go to the pack hospital. There was no way around it.

She knew from experience that if a werewolf’s bones healed before they were properly set and stabilized, they would have to be re-broken. It had happened to her when she was ten. Her father had broken her arm and had only taken her to the hospital a week later.

Lily drew in a deep breath before standing without any help from Sam. As soon as she was upright, her stomach revolted, and she had to run to her bathroom to throw up. She probably had a concussion.

She was just grateful she wouldn’t have to walk the one-mile distance in the summer heat to get to the pack hospital. Sam might not like her very much, but at least he wasn’t the kind of monster who’d make her walk. He’d drive her there. Grudgingly, yes, but he’d do it.

After rinsing out her mouth, she woozily walked down the stairs with Sam following behind her. She was careful to be quiet, not wanting to draw their father’s attention if he was still in the house. Thankfully, they made it outside without further incident, and Lily let out a sigh of relief as she climbed into Sam’s car.

Her brother started the car and drove south, away from Alpha Mason’s house and toward the center of Hood River. The town was near the Mount Hood National Forest and was bordered by the Columbia River to the North and the Hood River to the East.

The forest was the perfect cover for werewolves who wanted to shift and run, so the pack lived in the northwest section of the town, closer to the tree line, while the homes of the many unaware humans in Hood River filled in the eastern section.

Mount Hood, with its snow-tipped and pointed peak, was visible from the small town, and the mountain, combined with the deep green of the surrounding forest, gave Hood River a scenic and picturesque quality.

Lily knew the town was lovely, but she hated it.

She could appreciate its beauty, but she detested it for the people who lived within it. Every tree and every spectacular view was marred by her terrible memories of growing up with people who hated her.

The Alpha’s house—her house—was situated close to the Columbia River, and the backyard looked onto Wells Island, which Lily liked to kayak to when she got the chance. The island was small, and its beaches were shallow and only accessible by canoe or kayak, making it the perfect place for Lily to get some peace and quiet away from her hateful family and pack.

Aside from Eli and Amanda’s house, it was the only place in Hood River she truly loved.

Lily was getting more and more sore as the movement of the car jarred her injured hand painfully, and by the time Sam pulled up to the pack hospital, she was covered in sweat and feeling miserable.

The hospital was just a small, unmarked white house that wouldn’t draw any attention from humans in the town. Werewolves rarely needed medical care, so the only people who worked at the tiny hospital were two doctors, a nurse, and a receptionist.

Lily walked into the building to find the receptionist, Mrs. Joseph, and the nurse, Miss Martin, chatting at the front desk. Neither of the young women looked surprised to see Lily walking into the building. If anything, they looked resigned at having her there yet again.

“What happened this time?” Mrs. Joseph asked Lily, taking in her black eye with a cursory glance.

“Broken fingers probably, and a possible concussion,” Lily replied stonily, refusing to be polite to people who had turned their backs on her.

Everyone who worked at the hospital knew that her father had been abusing her for years, but they’d chosen to turn a blind eye. Not one of them had offered to help her. Not one of them had stood up to the Alpha or spoken out against him to the rest of the pack.

After Lily had told Dr. Hansen and Nurse Martin that it was her dad who’d been hurting her when she was ten, they’d looked at each other in shock and had left her alone in the examination room for a while. Lily had thought they would help her, but when they’d come back, they’d acted like she’d never spoken.

They’d led her out to the reception area after treating her, and though they’d looked ashamed, they’d allowed Lily’s furious father to take her home. Alpha Mason had repaid Lily’s loose lips with bruised ribs and ten whippings from his belt on her back. Whatever Lily’s father had said to them had kept them in check for the years that followed.

So, Lily only went there when absolutely necessary, preferring to avoid the pitying looks that never resulted in any action on their part. Unfortunately, with a broken hand, she had little choice that day.

“I’ll have to see if one of the doctors has an opening to see you,” Mrs. Joseph responded.

Lily looked around the vacant waiting room, too tired to point out that it didn’t look like they were exactly swarmed with patients. She took a seat next to Sam and, with a sigh, wondered why she often felt so unwelcome in the pack hospital. It wasn’t that the people there didn’t believe her or see her as a victim, but sometimes she thought they saw her as an inconvenience because she served as a reminder of their own cowardice.

Lily started to feel dizzy and nauseous, so she leaned further back in her chair and rested her head against the wall. She closed her eyes for what could have only been a moment, and when she opened them again, it was to find Dr. Hansen and Dr. Crofton looking down at her with raised eyebrows.

Dr. Hansen was an old and grumpy man who looked as if he was close to death with his sunken eyes and pale skin. Dr. Crofton was a much younger man, probably in his late thirties, and if he were a better, braver person, Lily might have been tempted to call him handsome.

Dr. Crofton, who was somewhat kinder than his older colleague, sighed heavily and gestured for her to follow him to his exam room. She stumbled after him, feeling more and more dizzy. She fell onto the hospital bed in his room, not able to stand up any longer.

“I need you to get into a hospital gown. Do you need the nurse to help you?” the doctor asked, clearly seeing that she was struggling.

Lily hesitated. She didn’t want Miss Martin’s assistance, but she couldn’t deny that she needed it. “I need help,” she murmured, admitting defeat.

He left the room, and soon afterward, the nurse entered the space. She helped Lily take off her shoes and jeans without comment, but when she helped Lily out of her shirt, she gasped. Lily looked over her shoulder to see the nurse’s gaze on her scarred back.

Miss Martin swallowed loudly before quietly asking, “How did you get those?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Lily asked through gritted teeth.

“Lily, I-” the woman started, sounding guilty.

“I don’t want to hear it,” Lily interrupted. She was in no mood to chat with one of the people who’d stayed silent in the face of her father’s abuse.

Miss Martin nodded and stayed quiet while she helped Lily into a light blue hospital gown. She was gentle and careful, but her kindness felt empty after so many years of silence.

“I’ll send the doctor in,” the woman said, her voice wavering.

Lily waited on the hospital bed, just wanting it all to be over and hoping that Sam hadn’t left without her.

After Dr. Crofton finally re-entered the room, he tested Lily for a concussion, shining a light in her eyes and asking her simple questions. She wasn’t surprised when he confirmed that she did, in fact, have a concussion.

He took X-rays of Lily’s hand next. Fortunately, only her index finger was broken. The doctor set the bone, thankfully without the need for surgery, and then put her finger in a splint that would prevent her from bending it.

“Normally, it would only take about a week or two for the bone to heal completely, but your first shift will speed that process along, and then you can take the splint off yourself,” he told her. “Until then, don’t use that hand at all. Luckily, the effects of the concussion should be gone by tomorrow with our fast healing.”

“Great. Thank you,” Lily responded.

She tried to get up from the bed, but he stopped her by placing his hand on her shoulder. “Lily, have you thought about moving to another pack?”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ll be turning eighteen soon,” he said with a shrug.

“I’m well aware,” she replied angrily. “And trust me, I don’t plan on staying in that house after my first shift.”

He nodded, his tense shoulders dropping with relief. “That’s good.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure you’ll all be relieved not to see me again.”

Dr. Crofton frowned. “That’s not what I meant,” he argued. “We just don’t want to see you hurt.”

She sent him a glare. “Then maybe you should have stepped in and done something to help me.”

He blanched. “You know none of us would be able to stand against the Alpha.”

Lily chose to ignore him, knowing there was no point in trying to argue. They were all terrified of her father, and that would never change. She got off the bed, grabbed her clothes, and stormed into the bathroom to get dressed. She was struggling to pull on her jeans when there was a soft knock at the door.

“Lily? I thought you might need help.” Miss Martin’s voice came through the door.

Lily hated to admit she needed assistance, but with the splint on her finger, she knew it would be stupid to refuse it. She opened the door, letting the nurse into the bathroom to help her change.

“Thanks,” Lily reluctantly offered once she was back in her own clothes.

“It was a pleasure,” the woman said sincerely.

Lily’s teeth ground together. She hated how everyone there could be so caring and kind, all the while they’d been choosing themselves over a child’s safety for years. She followed the nurse back to the waiting room, her tense muscles only relaxing a fraction when she saw that her brother was still sitting in the same chair she’d left him in.

“What did the doctor say?” Sam asked after standing up.

“I’ll be fine,” Lily replied with a shrug.

Her brother nodded and looked down at the splint on her broken finger, something that looked a lot like concern entering his eyes. But Lily knew it was just her mind playing tricks on her. Sam didn’t care about her. Not anymore.

Sam cleared his throat and turned to the door. “Let’s go,” he said, not bothering to hold the door open for her after he’d walked out.

Lily scowled but followed after him, instantly feeling sweat gather under her cast and on her forehead as she walked outside. The heat was stifling. Thankfully, Sam blasted the air conditioning in the car for the short trip back to the Alpha’s house.

“Thanks for taking me,” Lily said grudgingly once they’d pulled into their driveway.

Sam turned off the car. “Just try not to piss him off again, will you?”

Lily let out a humorless chuckle. “Right, because it’s always my fault.”

Sam wiped a hand over his face. “You know what, never mind. Do whatever the hell you want.”

Lily stared at him, wondering what she’d done to make her brother abandon her. “What happened, Sam?” she asked. “When did you start hating me too?”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Just go inside, Lily.”

She swallowed her disappointment. “Fine.”

Lily got out of the car and ran into the house and up to her room, thankful that her father seemed to be out. She flopped onto her bed, too physically and emotionally drained to do anything but sleep. She didn’t know how to feel about her brother or the people at the pack hospital, who had, like almost everyone else in the pack, turned their backs on her, but sleep offered a reprieve from having to think about it.

In three days, she would be turning eighteen, and all she had to show for her life was her relationship with Amanda, Eli, and Bella. Other than them, there was nobody and nothing in her life she could depend on. She wasn’t even sure if she would be able to depend on her mate, whoever he turned out to be.

Lily was losing hope that her life would ever get better. With every day that went by, a piece of Lily seemed to disappear, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take before there was nothing left of her at all.