They had stayed up all night talking. Two nurses and a doctor had attempted to get Kyrrian to leave her newly found mate's hospital room, but to no avail. She was having none of it.

She distinctly remembered the doctor coming in, because Scottlin had just begun the story of his relationship with his father and how abusive it had been when the woman walked in with a stern glare. Kyrrian had unleashed a scowl unlike any before, after which she threatened to barricade the door if someone else barged into the room. The doctor left, with reluctance, and when Kyrrian had turned back to Scottlin Reik, he had been fighting a massive smile.

Now, she sat in the chair again, but she had intentionally dragged it to his bed side. She had her head laying gently on the bed against his leg. His hand lay on top of hers, open, and she had been staring at it for the past hour. Scottlin had fallen asleep hours ago mid sentence, too exhausted from his medicine and wounds to stay up any longer. Kyrrian ran her the finger of her free hand along the top of his hand. Kyrrian was fascinated with the way her skin crackled slightly with each minute contact with his. It was the strangest feeling, as if she had known him for ever. As if she had always known it was him and she was never even tempted by anyone else in the world. Which she knew was false.

Scottlin Reik had lived a tumultuous life. Kyrrian knew Scottlin's father had been a violent, angry man, but the way he had treated his son was abhorrent. Kyrrian had merely been overlooked, which at the time of her youth, had felt like the worst thing in the world. But Scottlin Reik proved that too much attention was just as bad. Darrence Reik had put his son through the same rigorous training that Kaddian had been through, however, when Scottlin failed, he was beaten. Darrence kept him under strict lock and key, claiming Scottlin was too weak, too embarrassing to be let out in public. Scottlin admitted that although some men only become like his father after their mate dies, his father had always been that way, and that his mother died trying to escape the territory, trying to escape him, and was killed by hunters. While he had been telling his story, Kyrrian felt only dread and sadness, and she wanted to touch him, hold him, and comfort him. Kyrrian had never been a physically affectionate person, but this bond that was strengthening between herself and this strange person was causing her to change. Even though he spoke with serenity and peace, a smile on his face, Kyrrian could tell that it had taken him years to overcome what had been done with him. All that hurt had been healed by nothing more than will power and personal positivity. As Kyrrian lay there, clasping his hand in both of hers, she wondered how Kaddian had managed to be around Lauren Hale for five years, knowing what she was to him, feeling all the things Kyrrian was currently feeling, without telling her the truth so he could be with her.

Speaking of Lauren Hale, Kyrrian wondered if her brother had visited her since she had told him about Jarren being the second murderer.

Although the idea pained her, Kyrrian gently disentangled her hand from his and quietly stood up. This was probably for the better anyway as she had heard people shuffling around the hallway outside Scottlin's room for the past twenty minutes, no doubt trying to determine how long they could wait before attempting to come in here. Kyrrian slipped out the door quietly, made eye contact with the nervous nurse, and said "he's all yours". Oddly, that phrase ticked a nerve in her, not liking that she just gave another woman her man.

Her man.

What was wrong with her?

Shaking her head, Kyrrian continued down the hall until she reached Lauren Hale's room, however, she heard soft speaking and laughing from the other side of the door. Excited at first that her brother was the one in the room making Lauren Hale chuckle, Kyrrian listened closer. Upon further inspection, she realized that the second voice was a mature sounding woman, with an accent so horrendously thick, it immediately brought Kyrrian back to the first few conversations she had participated in with Lauren Hale all those years ago. Her accent had faded since then, but you could still hear it occasionally. Kyrrian assumed that the voice was most likely her mother's, and decided to leave them alone. Kyrrian checked her phone and saw that it was eleven o' clock. Not quite lunch time, but Kyrrian decided to go to the cafeteria and try to get food anyways. As she made her way through the hospital, Kyrrian decided to call her brother. Oddly, his phone went straight to voice mail. Never, in all her life, had her brothers phone gone to voice mail.

Kyrrian grumbled as she grabbed a tray and let the cafeteria woman scoop food onto it.

It wasn't until she sat down that she actually looked at the brown goo next to some white goo that was supposedly food. Kyrrian groaned loudly as she realized her brain was so frazzled she wasn't even aware of her own surroundings.

Kyrrian pushed the tray away from her and laid her head on the table.

"I blame him" she mumbled.

____________________________________________

"It's almost lunch time honey, are you sure you don't want me to go get food for you?" Kitty Shue asked her daughter.

"I'm sure" Lauren Hale said with smile. She and her mother spent all night having great conversations about everything from the weather up north to the trips she and her mother had taken when Lauren was young.

"Alright, well, I may go back to the-" but Lauren's mother quit speaking when the door opened. At first, Mrs. Shue thought that it was a nurse bringing food for her daughter, as it was almost twelve-thirty, but instead a tall, lithe young woman dressed in all black came into the room. She was probably a few years younger than Lauren and very beautiful.

"Kyrrian" Lauren Hale said with a smile, "how did your... Conversation... Go?". Lauren slid a glance to her mother, hoping that Kyrrian would realize they had company and would watch what she said.

"It was very... Informative" Kyrrian answered as honestly and vaguely as possible.

Lauren Hale smiled widely in a genuine grin that reached her eyes. Kyrrian found herself growing more and more affectionate of the clumsy, adorable sheriff ever since she had learned the truth.

"Hi" Kyrrian said, finally turning her smile and gaze to Mrs. Shue.

"Well hello there dear, I'm Kitty Shue, Lauren's mama" Mrs. Shue bustled over to Kyrrian and held her hand out.

Kyrrian took it and responded "I'm Kyrrian Grayson, a friend of your daughters".

"Very nice to meet you"

"Likewise" Kyrrian said with a smile before turning slight back toward Lauren. "So the cafeteria food here is gross, so I'm going to go get food, do you two want anything?"

"See, I told you" Mrs. Shue said to her daughter.

"Mama" Lauren groaned in exasperation. She then leaned back against her pillow and stared at the ceiling.

"She's so dramatic" Mrs. Shue felt the need to explain to her new acquaintance, " I told her the food was probably not worth the tray it was served on and I offered to go get food and she wouldn't hear of it. Said she didn't want to put me out of my way". Kitty Shue was explaining to Kyrrian, but also obviously chastising her daughter.

Lauren Hale sighed loudly. But Kyrrian barely registered her response as an idea popped into her head.

"So let's not put ourselves out" Kyrrian said and prayed that during her nap in the cafeteria, her brother had charged his phone.

She pressed the call button and held the phone up to her ear. Mrs. Shue looked at Kyrrian in confusion while Lauren Hale had an expression of curiosity.

Thankfully, he answered this time.

Before he could say anything, Kyrrian began "Kaddian", and Kyrrian watched as Lauren Hale's eyes widened slightly and she began emphatically shaking her head, "hospital food tastes disgusting. Can you make some food and bring it to the hospital?"

"Kyrrian, I-" Kaddian started but Kyrrian decided not to give him time to respond.

"Lauren says she would love that" Kyrrian threw in there, knowing that piece of information would get him to do it.

"Kyrrian, no! Don't bother him, I know he's busy" Lauren hissed quietly.

There was a second of silence before his gravelly timbre came through the phone, "I'll be there in an hour", after which he immediately hung up.

Kyrrian hung up with a smile and looked to Lauren Hale.

"Why did you go and do that? That man is probably swamped in paperwork and interviews. He doesn't need the extra stress" Lauren said to Kyrrian, almost in a motherly fashion.

"I'm sorry, who is 'that man'?" Kitty asked.

"Her twin brother".

"The man that saved her life".

Both women had spoken simultaneously but it was Lauren who spluttered afterward.

"He didn't SAVE my life, per se, he just found me. And you were there too! And so was A- Mr. Reik" Sheriff Hale corrected.

"Your twin? Is he as handsome as you are beautiful?" Mrs. Shue asked.

Kyrrian felt a little uncomfortable at her compliment, not used to such things being said to her, but responded with her usual humor, "oh, far more so".

Kitty Shue turned and gave her daughter a raised eyebrow.

"No mama, it's not like that. Kyrrian and her brother are the first people I really... Met... When I first got up here and now they're my friends. Her brother is a very respected man in this community known for his stoicism and generosity" Lauren was flailing, trying to stay afloat in a sea of misconception. She looked toward Kyrrian pleadingly, hoping she would help straighten things out, but Kyrrian offered no such help.

"Well that's because you haven't been trying hard enough. I think I'm just going to sit here and wait until I meet him" Mrs. Shue said, getting comfortable.

Kyrrian sat down in another chair and smugly crossed her arms.

"Why do you enjoy watching me struggle? She's going to embarrass me" Lauren Hale said to Kyrrian.

"Because this is what you deserve" Kyrrian responded after some thought. She had chosen her words wisely, for Lauren thought she meant she deserved embarrassment after forcing Kyrrian to go talk to Scottlin, but Kyrrian meant something so much more.