Surrogate for My Brother-in-law - Chapter 97: Chapter 97

Everything happened fast. I spent most of my time in the hospital, helping the medics prepare for the battle we knew was coming soon. I kept Sable with me, either in a bassinet in my office or in a wrap against my chest. I didn’t want to be separated from her again.
Leo and Ethan were constantly busy. Wolves arrived every day from the other packs. Some came in small groups. Some came alone. One arrived on foot from the human territories.
I knew because I recognized them that some of Leo’s wolves had been with the Rogues. I’m pretty sure I healed one or two after the fire at the manor.
I made sure Leo and Ethan knew. Ethan advised keeping a close eye on those wolves. Leo, though, insisted on treating them just like the others.
Leo grouped the wolves into small fighting bands, teams of three or four that never separated. They ate together, trained together, and patrolled together. Their free time was their own but they were encouraged to stay with a group, if not their assigned band.
The Rogues fought by ambush tactics. They isolated one wolf and attacked. Leo insured that there were no lone wolves to target.
Ethan kept security tight. No one entered or left the compound without checking in with a border guard. While “the compound” mostly consisted of half constructed buildings, the outer border was the first thing finished. The perimeter had guard houses on every road and watchtowers throughout the woods. Every inch of the border was carefully monitored.
For the short term, Leo and Ethan combined their territories, guarding both Ethan's holdings and Leo's. Several of the smaller packs sent their vulnerable members to stay in Ethan's territory. They donated supplies and resources to Leo's new pack army in return for the shelter.
Ethan told me privately that he'd have taken in the children and elders anyway, but they appreciated the supplies. Leo had the funds to pay for everything, but it would drain his bank account. Also, they both worried that Rory might manage to cut their supply lines, so they wanted a good stockpile ready. The donated supplies went to that.
Rory attacked while construction was still half completed. He assumed he would catch the new pack unprepared and easily wipe us all out before moving on to sweep through the other packs.
He was mistaken.
We were ready for him. Leo's compassion for the Rogues who had joined us paid off. They warned Leo about Rory's plans. Because of them, we knew roughly when the attack was going to come.
From the outside, it looked like the new pack army was unprepared and off guard. The compound was only half built. Teams of wolves ran in all directions, as though confused. Everything was confused and chaotic.
But in reality, the chaos was carefully orchestrated. The “confused” wolves were running patterns designed by Ethan and his scouts to look random but made sure they were always near cover and back up in case of an attack. The buildings were half built, yes, but they were still capable of withstanding an attack and protecting the occupants from the elements, and give them places from which they could ambush an attacker.
Leo and Ethan wove an elaborate trap for Rory and his Rogue army. And Rory fell for it. He led his army straight into the center of our encampment. He expected to scatter us like rats. Instead he found himself surrounded.
Once again, I was tasked with leading the non-fighters to safety. This time, though, I had help. Ethan's scouts joined us, acting as guides and guards. Any of Rory's Rogues who approached us fell to the slash of a claw or the bite of a dart.
We made it to the “secondary staging location” in one piece thanks to the scouts. That was a fancy way to say we hid in Ethan's hospital. Anyone with any medical training was set to work prepping for triage. Everyone else was sent into the lowest level of the hospital to wait out the fighting.
At first, everything was quiet. None of Rory's forces made it as far as the hospital. And with the doors barricaded and the fences up, they'd have to chuck dynamite at us for us to even know they were there. The hospital was built to withstand a siege.
Then came the hard part. We had to wait. We waited for news. We waited for the injured to flood our halls. We waited to learn which side won.
Lee rested her hand on my shoulder.
“They'll be okay,” she promised.
“I know,” I whispered. “But it's so hard. Being here, not there with them.”
Ethan was my best friend. We would never be together as a couple, but he had been there for me during the worst moments of my life. I loved him like a brother.
Leo was my mate. He was the other half of my heart. My wolf howled at being apart from him.
And they were both in danger. And all I could do about it was wait to put the pieces together again. I wanted to scream, but it would scare the other medics.
“The reinforcements from the other packs have arrived,” Ethan's lead scout announced. It was the same scout who had helped me before.
I had finally learned her name, or at least the name she used. She introduced herself as Jasmine. I had the feeling it was an alias, but I felt it would be rude to ask.
“That's good, right?” I asked.
Jasmine nodded. “With these extra fighters, Leo's forces outnumber Rory's by 1.5 times. It is a significant advantage.”
“How do you know?” Lee asked.
Jasmine smiled. “I have my ways.” She paused. “Battle has commenced. Expect casualties within a quarter hour.”
After that, everything happened fast. Patient after patient was brought to me. I healed those who were most injured with my wolf's restored strength. Those who were only hurt, not dying, I treated with mundane methods, bandages and antiseptics.
We worked throughout the day into the night, keeping the injured alive. We made no distinction between our fighters and Rory's. Anyone who was hurt was brought to us.
That was on Leo's orders. We were all wolves, no matter what pack we belonged to, or whether we even belonged to a pack. He would not allow anyone to be left to bleed to death in his territory.
Jasmine approached me after I finished bandaging a wolf's burned arm. She grinned.
“It's over,” she told me.
“It is?” I looked around. Nothing looked 'over' to me. Wolves were still being brought in, bleeding and broken.
“Rory challenged Leo,” she said, and my heart stuttered.
“It's okay,” she reassured me, hand on my shoulder. “He won. Rory tried to use his little human toy. Ethan tackled him and got it out of his hands. Then Leo demanded a fair challenge.”
“And Leo won?” I whispered.
“Of course Leo won. Rory's gone.” Jasmine smiled. “You're safe now. Your mate has defeated the last of your enemies.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Rory wasn't my enemy, he was everyone's enemy. Right?
“I mean, Rory is defeated, and chose death over exile,” Jasmine said. “Your sister and father were found with the Rogues. They have been imprisoned and will be dealt with by the council. There is no one left who would harm you. You're safe.”
I took a deep breath. “It's really over?”
“Really and truly, Healer Tessa,” Jasmine promised. “There are no critical patients, and your mate awaits you. Go to him.”
She pointed, and I turned around to see Leo standing in the entryway of the hospital. He was covered in mud and blood and sweat. His shirt was ripped. His face was bruised.
He'd never looked more handsome.
I ran into his arms.
“Marry me,” I said.