The infirmary door was open and I could hear Nadia and Jack whispering quietly. I wondered if I should come back later, but judging by the way they went quiet they heard my footsteps. I politely knocked on the open door to make sure I wouldn't catch them doing anything I wasn’t supposed to see then I peeked inside.

Jack was sitting on the bed, propped up by many pillows and covered with loads of white bandages. Nadia was sitting on the chair next to his bed, holding his hand. Her eyes were red, I guess she was crying.

“Bad timing? Should I come back later?” I asked, already turning to leave, but Nadia quickly got up.

“It’s alright I was just leaving,” she told me, then gave Jack one last look full of affection. “Don’t stay up too long, you heard Holly, you have to rest.”

“Right, I promise.” He smiled and she quickly made her way around me, closing the door behind her.

“So,” I sat down on the chair, feeling a bit out of place since Jack looked at everything but me, “…you wanted to see me?”

“Yeah, I… I wanted to thank you. I’m pretty sure I would’ve died if you didn’t show up,” he said to the bed sheet looking very embarrassed.

“You don’t have to thank me for that. Everyone came to help. And you did really good considering it was just you against three cadracs,” I said. He didn’t look like he believed me. “Seriously Jack, come on, you know I don’t just hand out compliments to make others feel better.”

He looked a bit startled by that, but then he shook his head and laughed. It didn’t sound happy. “You’re right. I know you. I’ve known you since we learned to walk and you’re still the same feisty confidante boy I admired so much,” he said with a sad sigh and finally looked at me, there was shame in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I believed them. When they all said you’re a deviant and a disgusting monster and all the other horrible things. I believed them. But then you came back and you’re still the same…”

“How dare you? I’d say I matured at least a little bit!” I said with a fake sulkiness.

That made him laugh, but the laugh soon turned into a pain-filled groan. “Damn, ribs.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Jack. It’s only natural to trust and believe what your pack and family say,” I said to make sure he didn’t think I was holding a grudge. Yes, it did hurt to see your childhood friend avoiding you and be scared to even talk to you, but I understood. Alistair himself called me a monster and told me to go away and never come back. How could Jack possibly not agree with his all-powerful Alpha?

“You’re a good guy, Reid,” he said, yawning. Damn. Not that I normally fished for compliments but it felt good hearing him say that.

“Thanks, Jack, now get some rest.” I patted his hand and left.

I felt weird. Both happy and sad. Jack was now on my side, but so many wolves saw me as a monster, a deviant. The place I once called home, my family, my pack. I was still the same person, Jack said so, and yet just because I liked guys, just because my opinions differed from Alistair’s, just because… I shook my head. There was no point mulling it over in my head now, I did enough of that the first few months after I left.

I got up the stairs and before I could even look around, warm hands wrapped around my chest and an even warmer body pressed up against me. I recognized Nadia’s scent before I looked down. She held me, her cheek pressed against my chest and quiet tears falling from her eyes.

“Thank you, thank you for saving him,” she whispered. And here it was again. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Every pack member would go help his packmate. But I’m not a pack member. I suddenly realized. So that was it… They didn’t see me as pack anymore and thus didn’t expect me to help. Now that hurt. It made my damn chest crack painfully. I might have not been pack anymore but I would never leave them to die or suffer.

As I stood there hurting on the inside and hugging Nadia I noticed we weren’t alone here. Oh, fucking hell… Marc stood just a few feet away, glaring at me with so much hate I was pretty sure he was trying to destroy my soul. He was pissed. Really pissed.

Come on. I was literally the last person in this pack who could steal Nadia from him. I was more prone to flirting with her brothers than her. “No need to thank me, I could hardly let him fight alone,” I told her and patted her back to maybe signal an end to the hugging session.

“Don’t be so humble, Reid, you’re amazing,” she whispered, pulling me even closer. Marc’s eyes flashed with predatory anger.

Oh Nadia, sweet girl, you are going to get me in trouble… Luckily for both me and Marc, Holly called Nadia’s name. She gave me a dazzling smile and then went on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to my cheek before she ran off. Oh, Nadia. Did you have to do that in front of Marc?

Not even three seconds after she disappeared from view, Marc got up close into my personal space, his eyes glowing. His chest was puffed up and he was doing his best to look tough. But there was hesitation written all over his body. He was scared of me. Good. It satisfied the darkness inside me. On the other hand, it took all my will to keep my wolf from attacking him. He was too close for comfort.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but keep your perverted hands off her, fag,” he growled and walked away.

“I’m starting to think you don’t understand what a ‘fag’ means.” I sighed but decided to let it slide this time. A fight wouldn’t help anyone right now.

As I predicted, Trystan bound me to the house, so I spent the rest of the day helping Holly around the house. Which meant Nadia talked to me eagerly and Marc glared at me at every opportunity he got. That night I could hardly sleep because of the frustration that had gathered up inside me…