13.

Brief rewind to the moment after Belle's call comes through to dispatch...

Having been informed of the animal attack at the Beauregard residence, officers Parvati and Taggert make a hasty exit from their favorite drive through coffee house with lights flashing and siren blaring. Normally some part of Jace enjoyed this bit, the high-speed driving like in the video games he and the boys often played on weekends, but considering their destination, his face was nothing less than pure determination. Sheyna, having tossed her full coffee out the window for fear of spilling it upon herself now tightly grips the passenger side 'oh shit' handle of Jace's Cherokee, her body swaying into each turn the vehicle makes. Knowing that Jace and the librarian had grown up together, she says simply in what she hoped was a convincing tone, "She was able to make the call. She's alive."

Also having been informed of the current situation via short wave keyed into Jace's own frequency, Callum and Micah spring into action as well. Dropping the wrench he'd been holding and yanking himself out from beneath the hood of the old Ford pick-up they'd been wrestling with all week, Micah wastes no time stripping off every stitch of clothing and shifting to four legs before darting out the half open garage door. Callum slams his beer can down upon the work bench and follows suit, though Micah's breakneck speed is difficult to match, even for Cal's powerful wolf. Where as Micah's garage was within city limits, they stick to the outskirts of town, realizing full well that they could easily be mistaken for the attacking wolf. Within mere moments they find themselves approaching the librarian's back yard. Callum quickly catches scent of blood and rushes to investigate the old man while Micah barrels instead to where the large, gray rogue was ascending the porch steps. Despite his speed, he arrives a moment too late, and seeing teeth make contact with the tender flesh of Belle's shoulder, Micah tackles the gray, thus allowing Belle to slip safely within doors.

About the time Micah's teeth are ripping away the gray's throat, sirens echo through the neighborhood, rapidly drawing closer. Wanting nothing more than to check on Belle, but knowing that neither he in his bloodied wolf form nor his human form, naked and also bloody would be smart choices to greet the authorities with, he offers only what he is able by way of a simple, human-like nod through the window. Leaving her care to the approaching ambulance, he reluctantly lopes off to where Callum awaits past the treeline.


That brings us back to the present...

Feeling incredibly groggy, Belle tries to move about, but her arms and legs which feel as heavy as lead, refuse to cooperate. "Shhh....don't worry, lass. You're safe and in the hospital." says the familiar voice of her Father, and after a bit of work, she manages to convince her eyelids to open so that she can almost make out his blurry, bearded face. "Dad." She whispers, then with a reassured smile, drifts back off to sleep, courtesy of sweet, sweet opiates.

Jace, now standing outside Belle's hospital room, looks up to see a rather haggard looking Micah limping down the hallway toward him. "Dude, you look rough." Jace says with a crooked grin. Ignoring the remark, and knowing that come morning, any injuries he sustained will be no more than fading bruises, Micah glances toward the door and asks, "How is she?" Jace motions for Micah to take a seat in one of the nearby chairs which line the hallway but Micah ignores that as well. "They stitched her up and pumped her full of morphine, so she's feeling A-OK for now." Jace pauses, his blue eyes scanning about them before speaking on. "Thankfully it was just a rogue shifter that bit her, so she'll heal fine without any...unfortunate side effects." Micah nods, fully aware that the rogue could have just as easily been a Were-beast, what with the waxing moon. They had been a bit cagey, but so far so good on that front. This rogue situation however...that had become a pressing matter. Micah had not recognized the attacker as the male from the campsite last evening, which meant they had numbers beyond the three. If they felt the need to attack not one but two of Oakhaven's human residents, then the future held nothing short of a full blown shitshow if the pack didn't take action. Micah nods, "Meeting at Cal's tonight. We need to sort this shit out straight away. It's bad enough that these fuckers think they ca....." Micah's words quickly fall short as the door to Belle's hospital room opens and out steps her father.

He gives his face a tired wipe from top to bottom with one large hand and sighs before sinking into a vacant chair. "She's going to be fine, Mr. Beauregard." Jace says, moving forward to pat the man's shoulder. He nods and says, "Yes, yes...I know. But it's not easy seeing my little girl in such a state. And none of that Mr. Beauregard shit, Jace. The day you and I shared a beer, I became Al to you and you damn well know it." Al looks to the mechanic and nods, "And same goes for you. Ya got me?" Micah quirks a small grin, knowing that in all reality he had at least a century on the old man, "Yes, Sir...Al." The trio falls silent for some time then, not really knowing where to take the conversation from there until Micah finally clears his throat and says, "I'd best be off then. Jace...Al." Al looks to Micah before he has a chance to disappear, "You should come on by for dinner one of these nights, Micah. Whatever you did to my Bessie...well let's just say I've never heard the old gal purr like she does now. And her gas mileage has improved threefold." Micah chuckles, appreciating the way the man dotes on that old Chevy. "Glad I could help...Al, but I couldn't impose." Al clicks his tongue and waves his hand in the air. "No, no...I insist. After I get my Isabelle home and on the mend of course, but I'll be holding ya to it." Jace arches a brow to Micah and smirks as if to say, 'Dude, here's your chance, don't fuck it up.' leaving Micah to merely nod in response to the both of them. "Fair enough." He says, then takes his leave, his limp already having improved from moments ago.

Jace holds out a hand toward Al, "I'll be patrolling Belle's neck of the woods quite heavily until we know what we're looking at with this wolf situation. Doc says she should be released in a few days so long as there's no sign of infection, correct?" Al nods, "Aye. I'd like to talk her into staying with me for a spell, but we both know how damn hard headed the lass can be, so I'd appreciate your swinging by and keeping an eye on the area." Jace chuckles and smiles reassuringly, "I'll camp out front of her house in my jeep if it puts your mind at ease, but I don't think she'll like that all too much either." Al grins, "Not likely, but I appreciate your dedication, young man." Jace lowers his brows and says, "Hey...None of this 'young man' bullshit, It's Jace, ya got it?" To which Al chuckles and shakes his head before returning to his daughter's room and the less than comfortable hospital cot he had insisted they wheel in for him, as he wasn't going anywhere for the time being.

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