Welcome Home Mate
Chapter 69

LEX

The hospital was busy, but I was glued to Roxie's side.

I never left.

I was too afraid to sleep just in case she woke up.

After a few hours, Tim left, and Keith joined me. We didn't do any talking, but I could feel his anxiety roll through him.

I knew I had to be the pack's Alpha, but my main concern was Roxie.

My father was updating me on what was happening, and he told me many pack members were concerned about their Luna.

I looked back at Blaze, who had been silent most of the night.

His eyes were open, but something told me he was thinking about Bex and Rox.

I looked back at Roxie, but my eyes scanned over to the wall where the clock was sitting.

Roxie has been sleeping for most of the night.

The sun was coming up.

I looked at Keith, who was sleeping with his head resting on the wall.

I could feel my eyes start to get heavy, but movement on the bed made my eyes open wide.

I looked at Roxie, who was moving.

"She's waking up," I said a little too loudly, which startled Keith, who jumped out of his seat.

I move and place my hand in hers, and tingles erupt through me.

Blaze moved in my head, and was happy. "Mate is waking up," he murmured.

I kept my eyes glued to Roxie, who was trying to open her eyes.

After a few blinks, her eyes met mine.

"Roxie," I said; everything I held back came ten folds. I didn't know whether to cry or not.

Roxie cleared her throat, and all that came out was, "Mate."

My heart shuddered in my chest hard.

Mate.

She called me mate.

I couldn't help the big grin that formed.

Roxie tried to move but winced slightly as her hand went to her hip. "Ahh," she moaned out as she leaned back.

I looked over at Keith, but he wasn't there.

Where the hell did he go?

"You okay?" I asked as I stood up from the chair and moved closer.

Roxie's scent engulfed me, sending every fiber of my soul alight. I didn't know what I wanted to do with myself.

Roxie looked at me and gave me a small smile; her hand squeezed mine, letting me know she was okay.

"I'm okay, Lex," she whispered.

The door burst open with the pack doctor, Keith, Tim, and Jason, coming into the room.

I stepped back, but as I was about to move my hand out of Roxie's, she gripped my hand tight.

I didn't move.

The doctor checked on her and took every wire on her off. The room was silent, but the relief was written on everyone's faces.

"You had a few minor injuries that were already healing," he said with a smile, looking between us. "Luna will have to be careful with her side, there will be scarring left where the Alpha bit her, but I'm not too worried."

I nodded but looked at Roxie, who frowned. "Great, a reminder of the prick," she muttered.

I stared at her, but I squeezed her hand to let her know it didn't matter.

Roxie looked back at me but turned to look at the doctor. "When can I leave?" she asked.

I looked at him, but the doctor grinned. "Well, hopefully, today," he said. "I will need someone to fill out the paperwork, and we can send you on your way, Luna."

That was music to my ears, but there was a slight problem. Where the hell was she going to stay?

"Never going to get used to people saying that," said Roxie, who tried to say it quietly, but due to the werewolf hearing, everyone heard it.

I looked at her but frowned.

Roxie shook her head and cleared her throat. Her eyes scanned the room as she sighed. "Dad, can you fill in the forms?"

Tim nodded without saying anything.

His face was soft as he did want Roxie wanted.

Tim followed the doctor out of the room.

I was about to talk when the door burst open, and Alpha Dean and my father walked in.

"Roxie," said my father, with a smile. "Thank goddess; you're awake."

"Yeah, I agree with that one," said Alpha Dean with a smile as he looked at Roxie. I noticed his eyes wander to our joined hands, and he gave me a knowing look.

Roxie didn't say anything but smiled.

I kept looking back at her.

I don't know what, but something was off with her.

My father turned his attention to me and cleared his throat. "Some guards came back from the hunter's cabin," he said. "There were traces of loads of footprints around, and there was a body, Naomi's."

I stared at him in shock.

Naomi was killed, but by who?

"Some snapped her neck," he said, but he was cut off by Roxie, who had everyone stunned to silence with what came out of her mouth. "I did it," she said. "I killed her."

I turned to look at her, and my eyes widened.

Roxie looked between us and started to tell us everything that had happened.

Blaze came forward as he wanted to see her. He felt proud of her, and I was.

After Roxie explained, she looked at me. "I didn't want to kill her," she said. "Her wolf wanted to die. It seemed like Naomi was hellbent on taking you as her mate and killing me. Whatever promise she made with Alpha Trevor, she wasn't going to keep it." A low growl erupted from my chest at the mere mention of his name, but a squeeze of my hand from Roxie made me feel better.

Her hand stayed in mine.

It calmed me, knowing that she was close by.

"It's sad to hear that a wolf wanted to die," said Alpha Dean. "I never heard of such a thing."

"That's why it was so hard to kill her," Roxie blurted. "I kept thinking about her wolf in all this."

I sighed.

Tim walked back in, looking slightly flustered. "I forgot how much paperwork there was," he said.

I smirked.

Roxie cleared her throat, which made us all look back at her.

"I know I am leaving here today," she said, but her eyes scanned over to Tim and Jason. Roxie looked at them for a few moments but looked at me. "Lex," she said. "Could you give me some time with my family for a moment? I need to talk to them about something." I stared at her, thinking she was joking, but her face turned serious. "I want to stay with you when I get out," she exclaims.

My eyes rounded, but she carried on. "I need to talk to my family about some things," she said. "You can get yourself ready and shower. Once I'm ready, I will let you know when to come and get me."

I smiled.

I felt relieved that she wanted to stay with me, but something was clearly up with her; I didn't know what.

"I will see you later," I said.

I leaned down and placed a kiss on her head.

I wanted to kiss her, but I thought it might make it awkward with everyone being around.

I pulled back and smiled.

Roxie smiled. "I will see you in a while," she whispered.

I nodded, letting go of her hand. As soon as my hand left hers, I felt lost.

My father, Alpha Dean, and I went out the door, leaving Roxie with the men of her family.

"She is staying with you," said Alpha Dean, pulling me from my thoughts as we walked through the hospital.

We were walking out of the hospital and heading toward the pack house. "Yeah," I said, feeling slightly off. "I thought I heard her wrong."

"You didn't," said my father as I looked at him. "I knew she would come around."

"I wonder what she has to say to her family," said Alpha Dean.

I shrugged.

I looked toward the pack house entrance, which made me stop as I spotted Luna Stephanie waiting for Alpha Dean.

I smiled as Alpha Dean took off running.

"I will be in the office," said my father, who stopped with me. "I will get the funerals for the pack members who lost their lives in the attack."

I sighed as remembering the attack brought everything back.

"How many did we lose?" I asked.

My father was quiet for a moment but turned to look at me. "Not many, fifteen," he said.

I closed the pack line down while waiting for news about Roxie. All the pack members were there, trying to find out how she was. I didn't want to hear from them, but I wasn't being nasty; the emotions that come through such grief were the worst emotion to feel, especially when it's not your own.

I cleared my throat.

"Organize all the funerals and do them for the next few days," I said. "Let all pack members grieve, and training is off for a few weeks."

My father looked at me with a smile. "Yes, Alpha," he said, which made me frown.

My father laughed.

"You are taking on the role I have been trying to get you to do for the last few years," he said. "I didn't push you, especially since most of it was due to Roxie leaving. But I like this new you; she brings the best out of you." I smiled.

"She does, doesn't she?" I said.

My father nodded.

He looked toward the pack house and sighed. "You better get ready for Roxie," he said. "She won't be long till she comes here to be with you."

My heart was going like a train, running fast on high alert.

Roxie was coming to the pack house to stay with me.

I was excited, but nerves were kicking in.

Blaze came forward, which made me look back at him. "You better shower," he said, wagging his tail. "You smell bad."

I grunted. "Thanks," I muttered under my breath.

I looked back, and my father was staring at me. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Blaze told me I smell," I muttered, which made my father laugh out loud.

"I have to admit, Lex," he said. "You do. You need to be all clean for Roxie's return."

I stared at him, but a smirk was trying not to itch the corners of my mouth.

"Come on," he said as he started to walk toward the pack house.

I watched as he walked away.

I was happy but also afraid of what would happen when Roxie showed up.

A lot has happened, and she was injured. But more questions were running around my head, but I shook them away. I couldn't think about them now; I had to clear my head before she came.

I started to walk toward the pack house with one thing on my mind, Roxie.