Page 46 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

They walked as they talked, entering the clinic and going straight to the waiting area off to the side. Sam hadn’t been inside the clinic yet, but it looked like any other doctor’s office really. The only difference he could see was that instead of one big waiting room, Vaughn’s was divided into three separate sections.

“You guys get settled in here. Sam, stay with them, okay?”

Sam nodded, even though he wanted to go back and sit with his dad. Nana’s significant look told him it would be a bad idea so he sat down on the loveseat and the kids crowded in around him.

A few minutes later, Vaughn’s mother, Joanne, came in and immediately began petting the kids. She leaned down and pecked Sam’s cheek then rubbed his hair. “Stuart’s back there with Vaughn looking your dad over. He’ll be fine. They’re going to give him something for the pain and to help him relax a little, but for now, we just have to wait for the spasm to end. Then we’ll let Nana fuss at him for climbing that ladder.”

“How’d you know that?” Sam asked.

“Vaughn told us. Nana’s going to get us all a snack, and once the meds have kicked in and William’s pain has eased a little, we’ll all go back and see him. Sound good?”

The kids nodded, obviously understanding the nuances that Sam missed. He trusted Vaughn to take care of his dad, though, and found that he was actually a lot calmer waiting with the kids snuggled around him.

There really was something to this pack business. Sam leaned down and brushed his cheek against Natasha’s hair then let out a small sigh.

“It’ll be okay, Sam,” Natasha whispered. She patted his leg gently.

“I know. I’m glad you guys are here.”

“Course we are,” Ben grumbled. “We’re not leaving you.”

Sam grinned and reached out to squeeze Ben’s arm. Man, these kids got him right in the feels already. He’d handed over his heart to them the moment he met them. “I don’t know what I did without you guys.”

Jack huffed. “Didn’t have a pack, that’s what. Who wants to not have a pack?”

Who indeed.

It took about ten minutes for Nana to make it back with a bag of fruit and some crackers with hummus dip. Ben got a protein shake and the other kids got bottles of water. “You’re kinda magical,” Sam said once she’d pulled up a chair and settled in beside them.

“Pfft,” Nana said. “I’ve been dreaming of this since Vaughn hit his teenage years. Being a grandmother is the best job on the planet. I take that back. Being a great-grandmother is the best.”

She grinned at him as the kids tore into the snacks, and Sam waited for Vaughn to make an appearance. When he finally did, it was with a big smile at the sight of them all sitting there in the waiting room. He greeted them all then leaned down and kissed Sam gently on the lips. It was over fast. He straightened again. “Okay, we can go back and see him now. But you have to be really gentle. Only touch arms and legs. No pulling, and Ollie, no trying to climb on the bed with him. Understand?”

Ollie nodded and reached up his hands for Vaughn, who scooped him up and tucked him against his chest. Vaughn led them back to the exam room where William was lying with his legs propped up on pillows. His face was no longer pinched with pain and his color was back to normal. “How you doing, Dad?”

“Better. For a vet, he’s a good doctor,” William said. But he had that snarky tease to his voice that Sam knew meant he really was feeling better.

“Well, I seem to remember Mom calling you a filthy animal every time you made a mess in the kitchen so you can understand why I thought a vet might be the best bet for you.”

William chuckled and reached out to pat Sam’s arm. “She’d be royally pissed at me right now.”

“She would. You know better.”

William sighed and gave his arm a squeeze, the only apology Sam would get but he’d take it.

“Now why don’t you introduce me to all these kids hovering around? Then I think we need to talk.”

Sam made the introductions and the kids all brushed up against William, softly checking on him and leaving him with their scent. Ollie turned shy on them, but did shake William’s hand when he offered it.

“Okay, guys,” Joanne said. “Nana and I are going to take you back up to the house. We need to get dinner started and we’ve got some other fun stuff to do, too. Sam and Vaughn will be up soon.”

Ollie looked ready to revolt but Nana saved the day once more. “Ollie, I really need a big boy’s help with dessert. You think you’re a big enough boy to do some stirring for me?”

He scowled, obviously smart enough to know she was up to something, but not quite willing to resist the urge to help make dessert. “But I don’t know the big hands yet and I want to know when Sam will be back.”

Sam made a mental note to move telling time up on his homeschooling list as he took out his phone and opened the timer app. “Okay, buddy, I’m setting this for one hour. Alpha and I will be there by the time it goes off, okay?”

Ollie looked doubtful so Sam stuck out his pinky finger. Ollie eyed it suspiciously.