292
Tony
I clutched the phone tightly to my ear, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Are you sure?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "I can't just...There has to be something…"
"I'm sorry," the doctor replied, her voice gentle but firm. "We've been doing everything we can to treat her, but it's not looking good. We don't think she has much longer. It would be best to start making final arrangements."
My mind raced as I tried to process this information. Ginevra wasn't going to make it… For all of my power as an alpha, whatever that means now, I hadn't been able to save her. I could imagine Quillan's wails of distress. The bleakness in his eyes. My chest tightened at the thought. I couldn't…
"A week at most?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. "Is there anything we can do to make her more comfortable? To prolong it?"
What about her family? Did she have any? I'd have to ask Quillan.
"We're doing everything we can to manage her pain and make her as comfortable as possible," the doctor assured me. "But ultimately, she's in a coma. She isn't in pain, exactly. If you'd like to relay what funeral home you choose, we will make the related changes. In addition, we have a list of supernatural funeral homes that would be able to handle her funeral, if you need."
I shook my head, setting my jaw. "I'll figure it out."
I hung up and sat back, whirling a little. It was going to be damn near impossible to get anything done for the rest of the day, no matter how hard I pushed. I felt lost. I felt alone and completely unprepared.
If I was back at Blue Moon…
I snarled, turning away from that thought, irritated and disgusted with myself. Being at Blue Moon, our father, Eliza, and the whole pack were why we were dealing with this situation in the first place.
Ginevra could have gotten supernatural treatment for cancer and been completely fine. Goddess, what was I going to do? I shook my head. I had no idea. I had to be there for Quillan. No matter what happened to Ginevra, he needed me, even if we had to fumble our way through this all together.
But first, I had to figure out how to tell him. I hadn't even been able to take him to see Ginevra yet. How could I just add to that?
It was his first day at daycare, of what would essentially be his new life with me. The field trip that was coming up was probably on his radar… His life had been upended enough by me and my bullshit. Guilt weighed heavily on my chest as I tried to turn back to my computer and work.
I couldn't handle it. I picked up the phone and called Matt. But, the call went to voicemail after a few rings. I clutched my phone tightly to my ear, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Matt, it's Tony," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I need to talk to you. Please call me back."
I hung up, but I couldn't sit still. I sent a text message, but still no reply. My mind raced. Had something happened to him? Had whatever he'd been taking finally taken him out? Matt always answered. If we still had our mind-link, this wouldn't be a problem. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. I tried to push it to the back of my mind and focus on work, but it was no use. I was on edge. I couldn't concentrate, couldn't make decisions. I wasn't sure what part of it all was irritating me the most.
It felt like hours had passed in a blur. My alarm to go get Quillan went off, and there still hadn't been a reply from Matt. I got up and shut down, resolving to pick it all up tomorrow for better or worse. I checked my phone again, hoping for a reply from Matt, but there was nothing.
Just as I was about to leave, Mr. D'Amico appeared out of nowhere. His grin was smug, amused, and outright troubling. Why was he in such a mood?
"Mr. D'Amico…" I said.
He stopped, dragging his gaze over me. "You look like hell. What happened?"
His tone was gentle and fatherly, and my chest clenched. My own father would never speak to me like that, and I damn sure wouldn't believe it if he did.
"I… Just… hard news."
"Your son?"
I bit my lip and shook my head. "H-His mother. Just… You needed something?"
His eyes narrowed. He hesitated.
"I'm fine," I said firmly. "Just… I'm not the kind of man to bring my personal life to work."
He snorted. "You bring yourself to work, don't you?"
I blinked at him. "I suppose you have a point."
"Don't worry about it," Mr. D'Amico said. He smiled. "Come in a bit later tomorrow if you need to get some things straightened out."
I dropped my gaze and thought of Matt. "That would… likely be necessary."
He sighed. "Damn, I'd hate to… You know what, never—"
"Just tell me," I said.
"….Oren and Cline requested a meeting for tomorrow morning."
My heart sank, and my blood boiled all at once. The dread and anger felt like someone had poured hot, molten metal into my stomach.
"Great," I muttered, my sarcasm clear in my voice. "Just what I needed."
Mr. D'Amico chuckled, his eyes gleaming. "I thought you might feel that way, and chance I could convince you to take care of yourself and not come?"
I shook my head. "I'll be here. What time?"
"Eleven." He shrugged. "I suppose there's no sense in telling a grown man how to handle his father…"
As I walked away from Mr. D'Amico, my mind was already racing, trying to come up with a plan.
I headed to the garage and closed the door of my car. I reveled in the silence for a little bit. I tried to focus on the meeting, on getting Quillan, on anything, but I couldn't do anything, but pull in deep breath after breath.
Something was unsettled in me, a tug that I hadn't really noticed before. I didn't know exactly what it meant or what to do about it, but it didn't matter. I cranked up the car and pulled out.
I was just getting to the exit of the garage when my phone ran. It was Matt.
"Matt, what the—"
"Hey," he said. "Sorry. It's been… a day, and my phone was on DND. I got your message. Fuck, Tony, are you okay?"
I sighed. The irritation eased out of me slowly. "I don't know."
"What do you want to do?"
"I… I don't know."
A beat passed. The weight of those words felt like they would crush me. I had always known what to do, and now I wondered if I actually ever knew what to do.
If I was back at Blue Moon—
"Well, if you're open to suggestion," Matt said. "We should get Quillan over there to see her ASAP."
"I don't want to ruin his first day with the news…" I bit my lip. "Tomorrow evening. What do you think?"
"Understandable," Matt said.
"Will you come?" I held my breath. My gut churning. I sounded vulnerable, and I hated it. I had never allowed myself to be, not even with Matt really. Eliza had maybe been the only person who had ever heard me doubt, but even that felt surface. Something prodded at me from the back of my mind. I felt it pressing on my mind, poking and nudging. I pressed the brake and put on my hazards, before putting the car in park.
The pain felt like a drill grinding into my head, then it broke, and I was somewhere else. The moment felt so real, so vivid as if I was there again. But where was I going?
I pulled into the parking lot. A familiar but hazy marquee above my head. I walked in to the scent of perfume, cigar smoke, and fine alcohol. The music was a low murmur in the background. The lights were low. I nodded at the booth and kept going, walking down the hallway and to the private bar reserved for members.
The room was dimly lit, with a few flickering candles casting a warm glow across the room. The walls were lined with leather couches and armchairs, and the floor was made of polished wood. The atmosphere was calm and sultry.
I walked towards the bar, my eyes scanning the room. The patrons were a mix of supernatural beings and humans. They were quiet and reserved, sipping their drinks and chatting in low tones. The bartender, a tall, dark-haired man with piercing blue eyes, greeted me with a nod.
"What can I get for you?" he asked.
"Just a whiskey. Make it a triple. Wolfsbane."
The bartender poured me a glass of whiskey and handed it to me and left. I took a sip, drumming my fingers on the table.
"Whiskey," a familiar voice said behind me. "A double."
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