Finding Forgiveness: Poconos Pack, Book 1 Read Online Free

contain sodium nitrates. Dave can’t eat them at all or he runs the risk of getting sick.”
    Ben nodded. He’d see to it that Dave never touched another fucking hot dog as long as he lived. “What else?”
    “We’re not sure. Even eliminating most of the sodium nitrates from his diet doesn’t seem to have lessened the severity of the migraines. Common triggers can be controllable things, like reducing stress levels, avoiding certain foods like alcohol and aspartame. Or they can be uncontrollable, like weather changes. With the severity of Dave’s migraines the most we can hope for is to reduce their frequency and the intensity with which they strike. All I know for certain is he’s got to be under more stress than he’s letting on.”
    Ben felt that right down to his soul. “Which means it’s my fault he’s in the hospital right now.” He’d done more than stress the Beta out. He’d essentially pointed the gun at Dave’s head and pulled that particular trigger.
    “Damn straight,” Rick growled.
    Ben accepted that. He closed his eyes, the pain of what he’d forced his mate to suffer washing through him. “This has been going on since he was fifteen?” When the doctor nodded again Ben damn near moaned like a wounded animal. “When can I see him?” He had a lot of making up to do. It would serve him right if Dave wanted nothing more to do with him. He’d treated the man like shit for all the wrong reasons, when he should have been trying to help him through his suffering.
    Damn it. Once again the memory of his father had tainted something that was supposed to be good. How could he have been so stupid?
    “Dave doesn’t want you at the hospital, and I agree with him.” Ben accepted the doctor’s words. He’d have to wait until Dave returned to begin making amends. “You could inadvertently add to the stress. Right now I’ve got him on tranquilizers, pain relievers and anti-nausea medication, and we’re monitoring him due to the increased risk of stroke. He’s been rehydrated intravenously.”
    Thank God he was sitting down, because he was shaking so badly there was no way his legs could have held him. “What do you mean, stroke?” His voice was shaking. Holy hell, this was a lot more serious than Rick and Belle had let on.
    “Dave’s official diagnosis is status migrainosus . The blood vessels in his brain are dilated, which increases the risk of stroke.”
    He put his head between his knees. In about two seconds he’d be joining his mate in the hospital.
    “We’ve got things under control but I don’t need his treatment disrupted. He’s calm, the pain is manageable and he’s conscious.”
    “Are you sure I can’t see him?” If anything happened to Dave ( anything more, his conscience growled) he’d never forgive himself.
    “He specifically requested that you be kept away.” Ben winced, his wolf howling in despair. “I’m sorry, but you two aren’t mated. From what I understand you’ve denied the mating several times already.”
    “My father was an alcoholic. A rotten one. I thought…” He sighed. “It doesn’t matter what I thought. I should have known.”
    “You should have asked.” Rick sat behind the desk, the fury gone from his face, replaced by concern. Rick was one of the few who knew about Ben’s childhood. One of Rick’s first official acts as Alpha had been to Outcast Walter Malone.
    Ben could already feel the soothing balm of Rick’s acceptance, knew the Alpha had begun to forgive him. The way Belle was studying him, he knew he’d have more explaining to do to the Luna and the rest of the Pack leaders. How would he explain to them about the hell his father had put him through? There were few scars on his skin, but there were more than enough scars on his soul.
    “We’ve been doing what we can to keep Dave healthy, but you need to stop pushing him.”
    “Yeah. I get that.” He scrubbed the back of his head before sitting up. “What’s his treatment