"No visitors she is sleeping! I will call security! I do not care who you are, patients come first!" Dora threatened waking me up. As I stirred and went to move from Eric's side he mumbled in his sleep, a light snore being released. He must've been exhausted to sleep through this.

"I will see her! I do not care if she is asleep!" William demanded. Oh no. I flicked Eric in the nose causing him to instantly sit up, falling off the bed. I would've laughed if not for the yelling outside my door. Eric heard it instantly and pulled aside the curtain and opened the door. Silence fell over the group at his appearance. If Dora knew he was in here, she didn't let on but I don't think much got past that nurse.

"She is awake Alpha" Eric dropped his head slightly though I think it was hide the yawn, his voice was still sleepy and judging from the title he used on William, Dora must be a were too. Seconds later William was beside the bed and my eyes drank his handsome face in. It felt like years since I had seen him and every inch of my body was eager for his touch. He hesitated, looking at me as if trying to decide if I was real or not. My heart started pounding in my chest as anxiety became heavy in the pit of my stomach. He moved confidently to the side of the bed, his blue eyes dark as they locked onto mine. The desire showing in them made me shiver and anticipate what was to come so much more.

"I have never wanted to see those beautiful eyes as much as I have in the last six bloody days" he muttered, his hand went behind my head as he forced me against him, not that he needed to use much effort as my body willingly glued itself against him. His breath was hot on forehead and I closed my eyes waiting for his lips to find mine. A moan of need surfaced from the back of his throat as my tongue teased his. The heat flooding between I leaned up closer to him, my arms wrapping around his neck.

"She is in recovery you know" Finn's taunting voice interrupted us and thankfully my arms stayed around Williams neck otherwise Finn would probably be on the floor. Taking a breath our foreheads rested together for a moment as my heart was still in over drive. Thankfully Dora had since taken off the heart monitor or I would have died from embarrassment at the beeps by now. My cheeks went as pink as my lips, which felt pumped up from the beating they had just received.

"Hello Finn" I said sarcastically trying to move from William to see my support team. The next two hours were spent joking around. No one mentioned what had happened and even Freddy was in a good mood. I could feel his accept of me and our bond strengthening. I knew I could probably hug him now and even though he'd still freak out, he'd accept it. William had positioned himself beside me on the bed and finally tiring I slowly leant harder against him, my eyelids threatening to close.

"Ok Miss Lowell needs her rest you lot. My shift finishes at twelve and she needs to have her lunch before I go" Dora came in and took over, shooing the guys out one by one. Eric and William the last.

"Thank you for everything Eric" I gave him another hug to the displeasure of William who glared at him the whole time. Ignoring him I smiled warmly at Eric as he left, and I prayed he would sleep now.

"Dora, do you mind if we have a minute?" I asked innocently. She looked between us unimpressed and nodded.

"No funny business" she demanded and closed the curtain as she left. William was above me in seconds, trailing kisses along my jaw and down my neck. It was so easy to be lost in the moment but something was nagging me in the back of my mind.

"Stop" I moaned as his hand slipped under the hospital gown, sparks lingering across my stomach as it crept higher.

"No" he mumbled, blocking my protests with his mouth with claimed mine again.  But Dora would be back soon and I had to do this. I managed to pull away and grabbing his hands fought to pull them off me. He was not making it easy.

"I've missed you so much...." He whispered in my ear and I was about to give in and let him finish what we had started.

"Like you miss Penelope?" I sarcastically spat at him. He froze, sitting up and looking at me confused. With the space between us I could think again and shuffled up the bed, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly.

"What?" he said totally clue less. I sighed, why couldn't this have been easy.

"Before I passed out, you said I promised I won't loose you again and called me Penelope. Is that all I am to you?"  I let the hurt I was feeling be seen and his face fell as what I was asking him became apparent.

"No, not at all" He stammered, still unsure how to proceed. That only made it hurt more for me.

"Everyone else knows who I am. Sure we look alike but I am certain we are different in every other way" I was confident now, trying to be mad at him as my heart was breaking. It was always about her. I felt my wolf stirring, not liking what I was doing but thankfully, I could completely block her now with the help of the shield.

"You are. You are so much more, I don't know why I said that. My wolf knows you, wants you. I want you" He took my hand in his, looking at me as he begged me to understand. But I was loosing some kind of control and being rational wasn't an option.

"Your wolf knows me? Do you only want me because of what he is telling you? I have mine going on about you all the time but I ignore her. I have learnt to see you. Not the man who was broken. Not the man who was dead in the snow. I see the one before me now who has me confused with a dead ex girlfriend" I growled. Where this was coming from I had no idea. My wolf was annoyed whether at him or me -I wasn't sure now. My infatuation started with the feelings my wolf had for him from the dreams as she recognized her mate. In our nights together we had talked and I'd come to love him as a person. Penelope's feelings were different to my own. I had learnt to distinguish them now. Why I had them I wasn't sure but it didn't matter.

"Your wolf?" He stood up and paced beside the bed. "Your wolf?? That is why you are so different. He never seemed this eager to be with Penelope but with you, he came back for you and the others, they know or at least suspect it. They must have, why else would Marcus be so fond of you after...." He was talking more to himself now as he put pieces of his own puzzle back together. But I'd had enough. The human side of him had loved her and that was what he still seemed to be clinging to now.

"I think you should go," I told him flatly. He stopped, looking me as he processed the thought of loosing me. Or her. I didn't know anymore.

"But you love me" he said slowly. I shrugged nonchalantly which had him in front of me kissing me as if his life depended on it. Instantly I relaxed, matching his movements and I felt relief fill him. The contact was making my wolf stronger and I felt her nearer as she fought to overcome what was keeping her back, he was why she came earlier than usual. She needed him. But did I? I gently pushed him back, his eyes dark with need and I knew at my request to leave his wolf was trying to fight him on doing as I asked. 'He doesn't love us. He loves her' I thought and was met with a disbelieving growl. But it was true. The human was in love with a ghost and the wolf only wanted his mate. Where did that leave me?

"I think you need to decide what you want. Ignore what your wolf is telling you. Me or Her." The ultimatum was final.

"But I love you Beth, it was a mistake" I wanted to believe him but I just couldn't. He needed to understand.

"Tell me my favorite flower and then we will know," I challenged. He agreed instantly.

"Tulips" and with that word I knew it was all-true. My wolf whimpered and died down back into the nothingness and it dawned on him what he had done. I had told him during our talks before bed I loved peonies for their appearance and roses for the smell as it reminded me of my grandmother's garden. 

"I'll go now but I will be back and I will make this right," he promised as Dora came back in. She gave him a look and he left reluctantly. Dora bought me a new water jug and adjusted the pillows. She seemed to sniff me before frowning.

"What is wrong lass?" she asked gently. I shook my head, not wanting to talk about it. I was in hospital, so maybe they could fix my broken heart. Instead of telling her I started to cry. I had not cried this much since my Dad had died and I hated it. She didn't say anything and just held my hand as the tears came out. How did my life get this point? My Mum was a stranger, I was a werewolf and the so-called love of my life was in love with someone else.

Finally settled down Dora left. I called Andrea straight away and leaving out the big details told her of my new plan. She arrived about an hour later with clothes for me and I checked myself out of the hospital. I left a note for Eric with her and said goodbyes. It was the 22nd December and it was time I went home. Home where things made sense and I had just been an eighteen year old girl who decided she had no idea what to do with life and skipped college to travel for a while.

Getting back to Mums no one was home. I packed my bag and one for James and loaded up the car. Logging in online I booked us tickets for tonight back to London. I knew Mum had a date tonight, Andrea had told me so I waited for her to leave before leaving the note on the kitchen bench and getting James in the car. He was sad to leave Mum but I promised she would join us soon and his excitement for seeing our grandparents was bigger than any worry he had about leaving.

Once on the plane I finally relaxed. I was going home.