"Oh, I don't think I'm quite drunk enough for that, big boy," she teased.

"Can't blame a man for trying when there's a beautiful girl sitting next to him, can you?" Matt winked at her.

Jen stood up then and would have fallen down if Matt had not steadied her. "Whoa, the floor is dipping. That can't be safe. You should probably tell someone to have that looked into," she told him as she continued to try and stay upright.

"Uh huh. Jen, I think it's time I got you back to your room."

"Room, shroom, I'm having fun. Aren't you having fun, Matty?" Amazingly, drunk Jen was still able to flirt.

"I'm definitely having fun, but I don't want someone to be worried about you if they come to your room and you are gone. Come on, you point me in the right direction and I will escort you safely, my lady."

"Ooo, you're my knight with the shiny armor." Jen giggled.

"That's right, beautiful." Matt smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist to help support her, and began to walk with her in the direction she pointed. She rambled the entire way there and when they finally got close, Matt froze at the sight of a big man standing in front of the door she indicated, arms folded across a wide chest. Matt swallowed hard as he continued forward.

"Hey!" Jen waved at the man and giggled when he lifted a lip at her and snarled.

Matt stopped moving forward, and when Jen realized he was nervous she stepped out of his hold and pointed, "Matty, don't be nervous, that’s just Splender." She turned and blew the man a kiss. "He's just grumpy."

Jen continued forward and when she reached the guy, she grinned big and pulled him into a hug, which looked awkward because the man remained stiff as a board.

"Hey Splender, how ya been?" Jen said as she relinquished her hold on him.

"It's Skender," he growled, "and what are you doing with that?" Skender pointed to Matt with a growl worthy of Decebel.

"Oh, that's Matty. He's my new friend, right Matty?"

"Uh, well yeah. But just friends, man, and I just wanted to make sure she made it back okay, so I'll just be going then. Bye Jen," Matt spoke rapidly and began backing away. He gave her a final wave and turned to hurry on his way.

Skender turned his scowl on Jen. "You had better get back in there before Decebel finds out you were gone with a guy."

"Oh, Slender, quit being a worry worrier." Jen stumbled forward and Skender caught her. He reached back and turned the knob on the door to her room, gently pushing her in.

"Go to bed and stay out of trouble," he growled again.

"What is it with you wolves and your bossy beingness? It gets old, you know. Hey Spender, is the room spinning or are you spinning? If it's you, could you please stand still." Jen was wobbling on her feet.

Skender took her by the hand and led her to the nearest bed. "He is going to rip my throat out with his bare hands," he was mumbling under his breath as he eased her to the bed and stepped back.

"Naw, he won't rip your throat out." Jen's inebriation did not keep her from understanding he was talking about Decebel, although her words were very slurred. "He won't be that quick about it. Geeze, Snipper. Don't you know him better than that? When he's in grouchy bear modehe wants to inflict pain. I see it every time he looks in my inspection, wait, that's not right. When he looks to my…well whatever it is ends in 'tion'. The points is pain. 'K, now stop spinning."

Skender went to the door to leave, but turned back before he closed the door behind him. "You going to be okay?"

Jen gave him a thumbs up. "I am better than good, Spenster. I'm fantabulishisness." Skender shook his head as he closed the door.

Jen stood up and wobbled over to the stack of clothes lying on the other bed. For some reason a shower seemed like a splendid idea. As she reached for her clothes, she noticed a lump under the covers. She leaned forward and poked the lump, there was a grunt and then nothing else. Well, she thought, it's a lump and although she should probably investigate she figured the lump would still be there when she was done with her shower. Nodding her head in agreement with herself, she headed off to the shower…without the clothes she had picked up and set down while she poked the lump.

Chapter 23

Fane paced the waiting room of the ICU while Decebel and Vasile played cards. He looked in their direction and growled.

"Fane, it's not that we don't care, but this room would get rather small if all three of us were pacing, and the cards keep our minds busy. So keep your snarling to yourself," Vasile growled back.

"It's just driving me crazy," Fane admitted. "The constant waiting, the not knowing. I can't pick up any of her thoughts, it's making my wolf very restless."

"The doctor must have sedated her, which is a good thing since she was in so much pain. She will be fine, Fane. You know I will do anything in my power to keep her safe and get her well."

"I know, thank you," Fane told his father.

Logan's phone vibrated, indicating he had a text message. He picked it up and looked at the lit-up screen.

Cme to 4th flr. Use staff elevtr 2 avoid wt rm, I will buzz u n the doors.

Logan stood up and put his phone in the pocket of the lab coat Dr. Steele had left for him. He grabbed the keys to the car the Coldspring pack had loaned him and headed to the fourth floor. He couldn't help but be nervous with Vasile and his wolves still in the hospital. When the elevator doors dinged and opened, he stepped out and immediately froze. One of Jacque's friends was standing in front of the doors that had the words ICU on them, trying to figure out a way to open them. If she was trying to sneak she was very lousy at it. He crept up behind her, his wolf helping him be silent while he stalked his prey. Just as the girl was about to turn around, Logan placed his hands on the point between her neck and shoulder and squeezed. She crumpled like a house of cards. He caught her before she hit the floor and the only thing he could think to do was put her in the elevator and hit the button that would take her back to her floor and hope she would be okay. He placed her limp body on the floor of the elevator and pushed the button to her floor and watched as the doors closed. That was a development he had not been expecting but he couldn't worry about it now. He walked back to the ICU doors and heard a loud buzz and the doors opened. Directly in front of him was the nurses' station, a circular desk that gave them a clear view of every glass-encased room. Dr. Steele stood waiting in the doorway of a room directly to his right.