The Bridge (Golden Lycans Sequel)

The Barn

***Ella***

It was Friday, and after a few days of shadowing one of the registrars on the wards, I was now standing in front of the senior registrar whose Consultant I was on the service of.

"Right. I'm meant to be covering the Emergency Department today. But, as you'll appreciate later in your career, you'd rather be in surgery. I've got a complex femur repair that can't really wait, and I need the practice, so you two are going to be my eyes and ears for any work that comes through those doors," the overly confident orthopaedic registrar Stephen informs Devon and I. We are standing in the ambulance handover area, holding our notepads. I look sideways at Devon, who looks promptly terrified.

"Uhh...what kind of work?" Devon wants to clarify. Stephen looks at him and mutters something unintelligible under his breath while looking up at the ceiling tiles.

"Broken hips, bones sticking out of places they shouldn't, unstable joint injuries...anything we can put a plate against and some nails through. I don't want to be bothered by fingers or toes unless something is severely wrong. Dislocated hips....yes. Anything else out of joint can be done in resus under gas and air. Only contact me if they need surgical intervention, got it? Fracture reduction under sedation can be done by the nurse practitioners, and to be honest they're pretty good at it," he rattles off, looking at us expectantly, "the bleep to contact me is on the board in Majors. One of my surgical team will answer. Just make sure the imaging is done and on the system and that it's good, I don't want another radiology f**k up."

He turns around and quickly disappears into the main hospital.

Devon still looks terrified.

"Devon, it's okay, we've got this. We just need to keep an eye on what's coming in and assess the patients who may need referring to the trauma team," I say calmly, putting my arm on Devon's arm. My empathetic abilities kick into overdrive immediately at my touch, and I know that Devon is every bit as scared and anxious as he looks. He's afraid of screwing up, just like the rest of us. He's been so anxious about this job he's not eating or sleeping properly. I decide right then that I want to help Devon feel better about this job; a job he is definitely qualified for and was chosen for, so he was more than capable of meeting this challenge.

"I never did an orthopaedic placement in Uni," he admits, "the hospital I went to mostly specialised in cardiothoracic and oncology."

Those are totally different specialities, so now I understand his apprehension. But Devon still has skills to offer that I likely don't have, despite having had a good placement in ortho.

"Well, we are in this together. Just breathe...we were born for this," I say a little dramatically, but now is the time for pure positivity, "first, we will find the charge nurse and introduce ourselves, learn her name so she wants to learn ours, then we will go find the duty Consultant here and do the same. They need to know to inform us about any cases, and that they can trust us. Then, they will get around to respecting us."

Devon nods at me and still looks quite daunted.

"Shall we grab a quick coffee first? My treat? Then we can see what's going on around here."

...

***Serena***

"Where were you last night? We didn't see you at dinner time before the full moon," Kate asks me as we get our bags ready. Last night was my last full moon before turning eighteen.

"Sorry, I was hanging out with a friend from class, so I went to dinner a little later than usual," I say nonchalantly. Last night was the first time I'd not gone to dinner with Kate since our very first day here, all those years ago, so I knew Kate would find it strange. I'd then shifted and run with some younger members of the pack rather than with Kate. But that wasn't too unusual.

"What friend? You have us. You didn't come," she replies bluntly. I roll my eyes to myself before I turn around to face her.

"I'm sorry, perhaps I should've said something, but I didn't think you'd miss me," I say honestly.

"Of course we'd miss you, you're part of our group," she says, but her face doesn't say that.

"You must have friends in your other classes, right?" I ask.

"Not really. They're mostly losers, CBA," Kate says dryly. I feel disappointed by her response and it does nothing to help narrow the chasm that has been developing between us all week.

She is draining me, if I am honest. I am starting to see tonight's late night outing as a last ditch effort to try to reconnect, to be the way we used to be. Perhaps we just both need a good time letting our hair down?

"Still game on for tonight?" I ask her as she slips her shoes on.

"Uh huh, of course! Hopefully it'll be a good time," she says, looking the most excited she's looked in days - but this wasn't hard.

"Awesome," I reply as we head out the door.

We enter the main hall and on our way to the food service hatch to grab our breakfast, I spot Christa sitting on a packed table with her friends. I smile at her broadly and she gives me a wave. A few people from her table turn to look at me and I feel a little shy. I can vaguely hear her mentioning my name to them from afar as I continue to our table.

"Who is that? That girl who waved at you?" Kate asks as she piles some beans onto her plate.

"That's my friend Christa from Law class, I had dinner with her last night," I reply, selecting a croissant today.

Christa was definitely a friend now.

I'd had three classes with her, two free periods, had lunch with her twice and then dinner last night, all in the space of a week.

She usually had every meal with her friends but she told me she could tell I needed company. It was true and I was very thankful for it. I'd definitely been feeling a bit happier as the week went on.

"The human?" Kate sniffs. I sigh in response.

"Yeah, she's human. She's also funny, chilled out, has cool stories and she doesn't try to make me feel bad for who I hang out with," I reply, a little passive aggressively.

I walk off with my tray and sit at our table, even though I feel like finding an entirely new table right now.

Why am I still bothering to try with Kate?

Kate joins me a few moments later and we eat in silence. I finish my croissant well before she can eat her own breakfast at the slow pace that she does. It's dull.

I turn around to look toward where Christa is with her friends. They all look happy, relaxed and connected with each other. I doubt anyone on that table is implying someone needed a nose job, making fun of someone's shoes or being bigoted and racist...

..

The majority of the day goes fairly smoothly, and by that I mean there were no more awkward conversations with Kate. I somehow make it through my three hour computer science class which I have with Louis and a bunch of other guys on Friday mornings; his usual enticing alpha scent is so much stronger now and it's incredibly distracting to me, as an unbonded alpha female such as myself.

Hera is pretty eager to indulge in any sort of instinctual physical activity with him. His human body is more than appealing to me, so it seems like a done deal- if he's game too.

I get to my last free period of the day and I'm spending it with Christa, out on the field after our third and final law class this week. The sun is shining and it's around eighteen degrees, which is perfect if you're just laying out on the grass like we are right now.

I have really enjoyed hanging out with Christa this week. There has been a clear ease to it which I've never felt with anyone before. I have had to admit to myself this week...that perhaps I've never really had a real girl friend, before Christa. I'd spent time with lots of lads at the pack, but never like this.

"I think...it's about time we take this new friendship to the next level," Christa says to me casually.

"Oh?" I laugh.

"Well," she begins, before allowing for a dramatic pause, "I want to introduce you to my friends."

I laugh and take a gulp from my can of cola.

"But...we've only known each other for five days," I say in a jokingly breathy voice.

"Five great days," she says with a straight face before she also starts laughing, "okay but I'm serious, Serena. I've seen what your roommate is like, I've heard stuff about her and those other two you sometimes eat with. You look miserable as f**k when you're sat with her, like she's sucking the energy out of you. You deserve better. You're nothing like her and I think you'd fit in so well with us, given the wide array of stuff you're into. They're a pretty interesting bunch and I think you'll realise you can be the genuine you, with us. You're independent, but everyone needs friends. You need us. Hell...you deserve us,"

I'm immediately all in. What is there to lose at this point?

"I would love to. I'm genuinely gutted I didn't meet you a year ago....or even when I first started here," I say honestly. I'm surprised how easily I've fallen into a friendship with Christa, and I'm now intrigued about her other friends. It occurs to me then that they're probably all human, but thankfully that notion doesn't bother me in the slightest-not anymore.

Christa had proved to me this week that I could have far more in common with the right human than I could with the wrong Lycan.

I am immediately met with the thought of how Kate would react if she saw me hanging out with a group of humans, not just Christa. But, I push that thought aside, because I actually don't care. She could judge all she liked. If tonight didn't go well with her, I feel at this point, I am pretty much done with her. We were definitely diverging away from each other when it came to how we did things and viewed the world.

"Cool. Well, we are all going for a long walk across the downs on sunday if you want to join us? Off the beaten track, hopefully a picnic if we can get some food together..." Christa says. It sounds nice, and sure beats another day playing guitar by myself on the balcony or wandering around the grounds on my own. Being outdoors is how I prefer to spend my time anyway, so I am quite keen.

"I'm in. That actually sounds perfect," I reply, and Christa gives me a warm and genuine smile...the type of friendly smile I've not had from Kate or anyone else at the school in a very long time.

"That's great, I'll let them know. They're kinda looking forward to meeting the Headmaster's daughter. They're intrigued about who I've ditched them for at mealtimes this week," she reveals with a chuckle.

I laugh at this, finding it a little weird.

"Oh man, it's really not a big deal. No one gave a damn when it was my grandfather up there in the office. But...actually...you know what? You just reminded me- I am well connected here. I can help with a picnic. I know everyone who works in the kitchens. Tell me how many of us there will be and I can get some sandwiches and snacks sorted for us all," I reply. She looks at me like I'm a godsend and for the first time I feel good about the fact I have a little bit of 'pull' here.

"That would be so amazing! So including you, there would be seven of us," she tells me, and I nod. Seven isn't a hard number to get some sandwiches for, even if I made them myself and it wouldn't be the first time I'd snuck into the kitchen to do that.

"It's no problem, I'll be glad to help," I reply, feeling the warmth and sunshine that is around us, sparking something on the inside, too.

...

***Ella***

"What do you think? I'm not sure, I just don't know...er....what do you think?" Devon says while reviewing the x-rays of the patient we've been following around the department.

"Well, the left hip is broken the other one isn't," I reply succinctly. Clearly Devon didn't do any time in radiology either.

"Okay...I'll call Stephen," Devon says, but looking reluctant. He wanders off, and I feel a buzz in my pocket. I pull out my phone and open up the message I've just received.

Will: HF3 didn't work.

I sigh. I'm disappointed in this news but I'm not put off, I've still got many other variations to try.

Me: I've got loads more to try, don't give up hope. I'll bring the next one after work today.

Will: You and Sen have given him more than he thought he'd ever get, so there is no pressure, Ella.

I pocket my phone.

Will was my half cousin and a dear friend. He was also the alpha of the Dalston Lake pack. He'd been leading the pack for almost six years along with my school friend Annabelle, who was an omega originally from our pack.

Will's father Sebastian had been terminally ill when he took over, but was thankfully still alive. He owed his continued existence to medicine Sen and I had worked on using various plants from the faerie realm. Sebastian had pancreatic cancer, just as his father had, usually an aggressive and terminal cancer except for the lucky few who caught it early.

He was still defying the odds much to the surprise of their pack doctors; but that was largely due to the faerie medicine. Sen had entered our realm at the end of my penultimate year at Exton, and we had started concocting medications during my final year. As such, Sebastian's illness had been stabilised. But, that wasn't going to last forever.

I am still convinced the answer resides within the memorial garden that I helped to create at Exton. It was bountiful with hundreds of faerie plants, and all of them had interesting medicinal properties, it was just a case of getting the right combination. I just had to hope that Sebastian held on long enough. I was still in the process of setting up a proper lab at the pack, but I had also access to resources at this hospital now which had been very useful.

...

***Serena***

It's nine o'clock in the evening and Kate and I are getting ready before sneaking out for Louis' off-campus party. We've been getting ready for half an hour already and it feels a little like old times. Just.

"Okay...okay...so bold green," Kate says, holding up a tiny emerald green mini dress, "or sapphire blue?"

I look at the options for a moment. They're both a bit revealing, but that's the vibe she wants tonight.

"Green. It suits your colouring way better than the blue," I reply. I've put on a black lace bodysuit under my white bandage skirt.

"Taken your pill?" Kate asks. I nod while I do my hair. In the mirror I can see Kate strapping a hip flask to her thigh, but I have no idea what she's got inside it. She didn't have that last year.

We finished getting ready in relative silence, and by the time we were done, it had just gone half past nine. We go out onto the balcony and start our descent down to the ground below.

Being Lycan had a distinct advantage, particularly at times like now. We darted silently and effortlessly across the rooftop before shimmying down one of the drainpipes. Once we are a few metres off the floor, we drop down. Thankfully I'd worn some cute trainers, but Kate was daft enough to be wearing heels.

"s**t! Oh thank goodness, I thought I'd broken a heel," she gasps as she looks down at her shoe.

"Yeah, why heels? It's a mile from the border," I whisper.

"It's a party and they make my calves look good," she shrugs brashly in response.

"Come on, it's this way," I whisper, sneaking in the shadows around the edges of the building.

We dart out across the lawn, dim light from the windows casting a glow across the dewy grass as we run swiftly toward the border.

"Argh, this ground is much softer than I thought," Kate grumbles as her heels slide repeatedly into the ground. It's the sports field so it's probably been recently watered to keep it looking good. I have no problem getting across it in my trainers, and soon enough, we are at the border of the school.

There isn't a fence or any physical boundary, but it's there, and once we are across it, we slow down to a walk.

The barn isn't abandoned, but it is unused and fairly derelict, residing on a farm that borders the school. We can hear music playing in the distance as we head closer to our destination.

As we get there, I can see a couple of people making out against a tree just outside the barn entrance. It's only a quarter past ten, the night is young, but we are Lycans and getting a little amorous with each other at our age, is par for the course.

We head in and there are roughly thirty people inside, not the ten that Louis suggested, and most of them are dancing to whatever garbage club music is playing.

It's not my type of music at all, but whatever, a beat is a beat. There is a staircase at the back that leads up to a split level of the barn, which is where someone has set up a bluetooth speaker. My eyes seek out and find the birthday boy immediately, his strong scent ramping up my heart rate as I hone in on him.

He's wearing a tight black t-shirt which is highlighting every well carved muscle in his upper body, plus some slim fit beige shorts. Louis' gamma Ben comes up to us, and I look at Kate to gauge her reaction. She might've sounded uninterested the other day, but she's definitely eyeing him up right now as he stands there in an unbuttoned navy shirt. I know that Kate has a weakness for a smooth, muscled chest.

"I'll grab some drinks," I say to her, wandering off, leaving the two of them alone. I spot a box of cider bottles at the side and I grab two, cracking them open easily with my fingers.

I take a sip, and it's disgusting.

It's warm and tastes really cheap, definitely not like the stuff we get at the pack house back home. I go back through my dancing classmates and find Kate, already closer to Ben than I'd expected. I pass her a cider and she nods appreciatively. I take another sip of mine and if anything, this time it's even worse. I abandon it by the box it came in, guessing that someone will take pity on it shortly. I sigh and look around, now that I'm here, this sort of thing doesn't feel like my vibe; not anymore.

Getting old already? Hera remarks, sensing my thoughts.

Just seems....rubbish, now. I mean this barn is filthy, the cider is crap, the music is dire. I could be on the balcony playing some proper music without the potential to get busted by teachers, I say.

Well, we are only here for Louis and his wolf, Hera reminds me.

"Care to dance?" I hear a voice by my ear, and I smile immediately.

Speak of the hot devil.

His hands are already on my hips before I can even answer, helping to move them in time to the music as he stands behind me. The music may be crap, but I don't care. I feel his warm body pressing up against the back of mine and I feel my heartbeat quicken in anticipation.

I turn around and come face to face with Louis, his brown eyes full of a devilish excitement as he looks at me with clear approval. I loop my arms up around his neck and gaze into his handsome face. Yep, this is the only reason I'm here.

"My father will be so disappointed," Louis mutters. His brown eyes bore into mine, and he grips my hips a little tighter while we continue to dance.

"Pretty sure I might start writing a book on how to disappoint one's father, but...I'm curious. Why would that be?" I reply, gazing up at him. Today of all days he is more delectable than ever thanks to his Lycan physiology; an unbonded alpha heir on his eighteenth birthday and beyond is incredibly enticing to any she-wolf. The tight black t-shirt he's wearing isn't helping matters either- but he knows that.

"He had hoped we'd be mates, you and I, or your sister. But, I don't think we are," he replies with a hint of disappointment. I'm surprised by this comment, but I guess I would come up high on a list of eligible she-wolves for alpha heirs, if not the very top.

His dad apparently has good taste.

"No, we definitely aren't, which is a great pity," I reply, biting my bottom lip. I'm now looking at his lips and I feel my heartbeat pick up again as I think about how much I want to kiss them. I hadn't kissed anyone in months.

"We will just have to strengthen our relationship with your pack some other way, then," he says. True, relations between our packs could be better, given their proximity. Blackwater Eclipse were a little behind the times, though in many aspects.

"Might be something to do with how your pack treats their omegas," I reply truthfully. He makes an 'hmm' noise and continues to move us to the music, bending his head a little lower. His musky scent is driving me more wild inside. I lean in closer and take a long inhale near his neck where his scent is much stronger.

Good goddess...

"Come with me," he murmurs, prying one of my hands from around his neck and threading his fingers through mine. He leads me through the throng of bodies, weaving effortlessly toward the old staircase that creaks beneath our ascent to the split level above.

The moment we reach the top, his intentions are undeniable. He spins to face me, his lips crashing against mine in a kiss that’s deep and urgent. I respond without hesitation, my fingers tangling in his jet-black hair as his hands skim boldly up my sides, claiming every inch they touch.

He moves forward, pressing me back until the rough wooden wall of the barn meets my spine.

"Just because we aren't mates doesn't mean I can't have you," he growls against my ear, his teeth grazing my lobe before tugging it between them. His hands slide eagerly up my thighs, pushing beneath my skirt, while his mouth finds the sensitive marking spot on my neck, sucking and nipping with dangerous precision.

This is the kind of situation I usually love—the thrill, the hunger. And yet, something is wrong. A sudden unease creeps over me. The heat that was there a moment ago flickers out, like a candle snuffed in the wind.

My body reacts before my mind can process it, shifting away from his next kiss.

Louis pauses, his darkened eyes searching mine, confusion creeping into his features. But I’m just as bewildered.

Why am I hesitating? Why am I not embracing this?

What’s wrong with me?

The answer hits me like ice water.

He’s just… Louis. A guy I barely know. Hot, sure—but there’s nothing beyond the surface.

The wild cravings, the reckless desire… gone, like a switch has been flipped in my brain.

"SERENA!" I hear a familiar voice booming loudly from downstairs. I look at the staircase and then back to Louis.

The music is no longer playing and before I can do anything else, there are thundering footsteps coming up the stairs. Ollie is now there at the top, looking at me angrily as I push Louis away.

"Leave, Astor. Back to school, ALL OF YOU," he bellows with a long and throaty growl down the stairs.

My alpha's beta has spoken, his eyes looking dangerous.

Louis sighs, swearing under his breath.

"Shut it, pup. I know it was you that planned this off campus event," Ollie says, pointing down the staircase.

I hug my chest protectively, I can feel Ollie's disapproving gaze on me as Louis runs down the stairs. I feel his hands on my upper arms once he's stepped up to me.

"What the f**k are you doing, Serena?" Ollie asks, looking at me fondly but somehow also with clear disappointment in his voice. I shrug. We've been busted and I should've known this could easily happen. I should have stayed at school and sung my heart out on the balcony instead.

"It's just a party," I say meekly. I regret the words immediately as I hear Ollie growl at me in annoyance.

He's right.

This was stupid.

"I was always game for a party at this age too, but we did it at the school, Serena. We didn't sneak off campus to an empty barn. What if there had been rogues?" Ollie asks fiercely.

"Oh please, I can deal with rogues," I scoff without a moment's thought.

"Really? A whole group of them? Did you know that there were a number of omegas and gammas downstairs and only one beta? Do you think Kate could handle them on her own while the only alphas were up here getting cozy with each other against a rotten barn wall?"

I look down at the floor, feeling more stupid by the second. He was right, this could've gone very wrong.

"Come on, let's get you back," Ollie says quietly, beckoning toward the stairs. I walk forward and follow Ollie, and he puts his arm around me in a protective, brotherly way.

The barn is a total mess downstairs. There are cans of beer around, crisp packets, the ends of several joints, a dozen or so empty bottles of cider and several empty wine bottles. Ollie growls in annoyance at the sight of this, and I sigh.

Why couldn't people take their rubbish with them? In addition to the rubbish are shredded clothes, indicating several have shifted in their haste to escape the gatecrashing teacher.

Good luck to them getting back into the school while naked...

"I'll come back later with a bin bag. I need to get you back to school," he grumbles. We walk back to campus in silence, but when we cross the border Ollie rounds on me again.

"Just what were you thinking Ser? You're a smart girl, you could have everything you could ever dream of with the position you're in. You take it for granted," he says sadly. I stop walking. I can feel tears in my eyes, knowing I've disappointed someone who has been like a big brother to me my whole life.

I feel small and stupid and he's absolutely right about me.

This week has been so weird and I don't feel like I know my place anymore.

Tears escape.

I can't help it, they pour down my cheeks and I let out a small sob.

Ollie strides back to me and pulls me into a tight hug. I don't hug people, usually, but right now it feels nice to have someone who cares about me, give me a tangible, positive feeling.

"I'm sorry, I've felt so lost and alone since I got back here, I don't know what I'm doing," I admit.

"Well as the saying goes, anything lost can be found again," he says to me tenderly. I nod against his shoulder. I wish I felt that sentiment.

"Come on, lets get you back to your room before someone realises- if they haven't already," Ollie says. I pull away and we step toward the school.

Someone has realised, though, and he looks pissed.

Dad is standing there in the grass, illuminated by the glow of the lights from the main hall behind him.

...Shit.