Alexander’s POV
It only took me a second to realize who and why I was called.
Sarah stood outside the pack house, holding a body in her arms.
“Mate!” Ghosts howled in my mind, grabbing control of my body and mind.
“They found her!” I muttered in disbelief. “Emily’s mother managed to find and save her.”
Ghost shifted, responded to Sarah’s frantic cry for help, and swept through the sea of rogues.
My lips released another howl that shook the air and summoned all the wolves to come to my aid.
The rogues were diving toward Sarah at an incredible speed in an attempt to reach Emily; their famished expression sent shivers down my spine. Their only goal was to get hold of her and destroy her.
The heads of my parents jerked in my direction. They appeared relieved for a brief moment upon witnessing me approach Sarah. My call was answered, and the groups of wolves gathered together with short, urgent howls.
My parents’ thoughts were audible to me while they gave their next orders.
The wolves advanced toward the pack house as a group, driving the rogues away from our direction.
“Willow is awake,” Ghost whispered, but I sensed he was hiding something significant from me.
Before I could ask what, a group of rogues tackled us to the ground and grabbed Ghost’s hind leg.
Ghosts wailed in agony as we struggled to fight them off. With some effort, he was able to free his leg and get to his feet again.
Four of them stood in the way of reaching Sarah.
Ghost growled at them, radiating frustration, annoyance, and fury. He was blinded with rage. He charged forward, and they all leaped upon him simultaneously.
Ghost did not back down; instead, he battled valiantly and ignored the agony that shot through him when one of the rogues embedded his claw in our back.
There was a whine and then a growl. Luke’s gray-and-brown wolf managed to grab the rogue from behind and toss him aside.
“I will handle them!” Luke’s voice chimed inside my head. “Go to Luna! Help her!”
Ghost nodded and pulled away from the fight. He brought five more rogues down before we reached Sarah.
When we were only a few feet away from Sarah, Ghost eased his pace and returned control to me. My shift back to human happened quickly.
Sarah had wrapped Emily in a worn-out blanket to conceal the extent of Emily’s wounds, yet I could see straight through Sasha’s attempt to conceal Emily’s injuries.
Sarah let out a broken sob when I approached her, and my eyes narrowed. The concern was evident in her eyes. There were marks of dried tears and scarlet lines that scorched the sides of her face. It seemed like she was crying.
I came to a complete stop and looked down to see Emily curled up in Sarah’s arms.
I let out a gasp upon seeing my stunning mate’s face colored with dark and blue marks.
Emily remained motionless, her heartbeat a faint, soft thumb, and her breathing shallow.
Knowing what that meant caused my heart to shatter into a million pieces, and unwelcome tears started to well up in my eyes.
I went limp and found myself in front of Sarah on my knees.
I was without words.
How could they do this to her?
How on earth could they subject someone to such torture?
How could anyone break her beyond repair?
That was not human!
This was completely insane!
My feelings of shock and sadness were abruptly replaced with anger.
I desired revenge.
I wanted to kill the son of a b*tch and make them pay for what they did to Emily.
“Did Xavier do this to her?” I asked with a raging rage coursing through every fiber of my body.
I was about to explode and lose my temper. I was going to let go of all the unfiltered, raw feelings I was holding inside.
There was a sudden change in temperature in the air, and ice started to form all around me.
Sarah shivered, her eyes widening with terror. Unwillingly, her eyes were moving to the sky. Above us, dark, ominous clouds were gathering and obscuring the sky, signaling an approaching storm.
Lightning roared across the sky, and a chilly breeze sliced through us, revealing signs of an impending snowstorm.
“Take her, please!” With her eyes beseeching, Sarah whispered in desperation. “Her only hope is you!”
I shook my head.
Fear gripped me.
I was terrified that if I touched her, I would break her.
I feared that while she was in my arms, I would witness her final breath. Emily’s eyes had retreated into her skull, her hair had lost its natural luster, and her skin was pale and translucent. Her eyes were dimly lit, and the bottoms of them were covered in huge black rings.
Sarah took a step toward me, bent down carefully, and gave Emily to me.
I wanted to object, but I was unable to.
“I will keep them off,” Sarah softly said, pointing to the group of rogues approaching us. “Use your mate bond to heal her. Save the queen of the pack, my daughter, your mate!”
With wide eyes, I nodded slowly. I wasn’t sure what she meant by using the bond. Emily requires a medical doctor. One that might just save her life!
I started scanning the sea of fighting wolves around me in search of a doctor.
My parents, Sarah and Luke, had surrounded me, keeping the rogues at bay.
I drew Emily up against my chest. Her breathing was excessively shallow, and her heartbeat was slowing even further.
Oh, Goddess, please assist me right now. Tell me how to save her!
“Emily, sweetheart,” I said, brushing stray hair off her cheek. “I came to find you. I am here. Do not leave me, please. Fight please!”
Emily’s heartbeat became even more erratic. Her breathing was hardly audible, and her face was gradually turning blue.
“Look at me, Emily!” I screamed out in despair. “You must stay with me! We just found each other! I want to spend my life with you! I love you!”
Everything slowed around me. It seemed as though time had stopped.
The growls faded into the distance, becoming background chatter. I had lost interest in the things going on around me. My focus stayed on Emily.
“No! No! No!” I let out a desperate cry. Emily’s eyes rolled back into her sockets. “You can’t!” I gave a frantic shout. “I will not lose you!”
Panicking, I laid Emily down on the ground. I had no idea what I was supposed to do!
Ghost howled in my mind, not liking what he was seeing.
We felt helpless!
My hands were in my hair, and I was pacing up and down like a madman.
“What do I do?” I yelled. I have never felt this weak before!
I suddenly stopped and looked down at Emily. There was only one thing I could think of.
I took a chance in those desperate milliseconds before Emily’s heart stopped altogether and she released her last breath.
I lifted her in my arms and brought her up to my chest, extending my canines and sinking them into her marking spot.
Could this insignificant deed save Emily?
****