Cooper

I sat in the waiting room, half alive. I probably looked dead on the outside, but on the inside, a whirling storm of fear, frustration, worry, anger, and concern engulfed me. "Is Ava okay? Will she live? Did she lose too much blood? Did the surgery hurt her worse?"

I squirmed uncomfortably, feeling too big for my skin. I had to see her. I stalked up to the receptionist, a skinny, birdlike lady. "I need to see Ava Sparr."

She glanced up at me. "What's your name, hon?"

"Cooper Smithlock, the alpha's son."

"Sorry, but Ava Sparr is... currently recovering from the surgery with an accomplice named Stella. We do not allow men to be in the same room as a female patient, especially a recovering one. The only exception is if you are related to her, which you aren't. In fact..." She stared at her screen. "...I can't find any records on Ava Sparr. All I know is that she is sixteen years old and was brought here at 5:38 a.m. this morning," she told me.

"BUT SHE'S MY SOULMATE!" I snarled, the storm inside of me finally breaking. Then it hit me like a slap in the face. No records? Not even a criminal record? Someone must have hacked into the prison system and deleted Ava's file. There was only one person who could, and would, do that: Doug.

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Ava

"How do you feel, darlin'?" The plump nurse asked.

I forced down the urge to roll my eyes. "Fine," I muttered for the billionth time in the last half hour.

"If you're sure, sugar maple,'" she responded WAY too perkily. "Here are some pain reduction meds."

I nodded my thanks and accepted them.

Stella looked up from her book. "Hey, when can we leave?"

I glared at her, even though I wondered the same. The nurse frowned, then reverted to her typical, annoying and perky self. "You will be released in seven hours, baby cakes."

"Baby cakes?! What the heck?" I thought. "Why that long?" I asked with forced politeness.

"Sweetheart, there are still things to be done. I need you to take a pain med so I can make sure that they won't have any negative effects. You also need to take a test to make sure you are okay. While we analyze the results, you're gonna nap to make the medicine work faster." With that, she produced a cup of water and a pill seemingly from nowhere.

I swallowed them and grimaced, and she handed me the test:

1) Do you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or naucious? No. I'll leave those feelings for people who like staying at hospitals.

2) What kind of pain do you feel? (Put a 'Y' by the ones that apply, and an 'N' by the ones that don't.)
a) throbbing Y
b) stabbing Y
c) pulsing Y
d) burning Y
e) other: (please explain) Between my injury and taking this test, I feel multiple types of pain; there's no room for any more.

If you answered 'Y' for any of the choices in the previous question, answer the rest of the questions. If not, skip to question four(4).

3) Is the pain fading?
a) Yes, slowly
b) Yes, quickly
c) The pain is gone
d) No, it feels the same as when I got
here
e) No, it's worsening

Answer: A: It would fade faster after some fresh air, but some people are stuck in their ways.

4) Do you feel like you can recover?
Answer: Yes, but I feel that staying here slows down my recovery even more than this test slows down the rest of my life.

5) Do you feel depressed? I wish. Then I'd have something to think about.

6) Can you walk ten feet without hurting? Very funny. I practically have to beg for permission to turn my head. The nurse would sue me if I tried walking.

7) Is there anything you want us to know? The sooner I get out of here, the easier your lives will be.

Tests bring out the sarcastic side of me like nothing else.

I handed the test to the nurse. "Thanks, honey bunny," she chirped, and turned to leave without looking at my answers.

"Hold on. There's no way I will be able to take a nap here," I informed her.

She turned back. "Really? Try, kitty." On that 'positive' note, she left.

Arria growled inside me, that last statement offending her dignity. "I'm not going to sleep, Stella."

She looked up. "Really? Try, kitty," she trilled, mimicking the nurse.

"It's too bright in here," I complained.

"Oh, really? Any other subtle things you'd like to point out?" She asked, rolling her eyes.

After a while, I started feeling a longing ache in my chest. I was longing for my soulmate.

"Cooper, where are you?"

"I'm in the waiting room, about to strangle the receptionist. She won't let me come visit."

"Still in the costume?"

"No. Soon, you'll be able to see what I really look like."

I still find it hard to believe that I've only seen my soulmate's true face once, under duress.

"One more thing. Doug is alive. He deleted your criminal record file."

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Hey readers: Here's the question. Is Dylan alive?

Vexwolf