Xander’s POV
The stillness in the room was suffocating, heavy with the weight of despair. Alison’s pale figure lay motionless on the bed, her breaths shallow and uneven, each rise and fall of her chest a fragile tether holding her to this world. Her once radiant glow was replaced by a ghostly pallor, her warmth stolen by the venom coursing through her veins. I sat beside her, gripping her icy hand, feeling the emptiness in her touch as if the life we once shared was slipping away.
I closed my eyes, bowing my head, my voice barely a whisper.
“Moon Goddess,” I began, my words trembling with desperation. “If you’re listening, hear me now. Don’t take her from me. Don’t punish her for my failures. I know I let her down, I allowed this to befall us, but please… spare her. She’s too innocent, a light in my darkness. Take my strength, take my life if you must, but leave her to shine a little longer in this world.”
Cain, my wolf, howled within me, his grief a sharp blade in my chest. He wanted vengeance, justice, blood but none of it was enough for me if Alison didn’t survive.
I looked down at her face, so still, so quiet. Pressing my lips to her forehead, I whispered, “I’ll find whoever did this to you. And I’ll make them pay. I swear it, Alison. You will have justice.”
Suddenly, the door creaked open. I whipped my head toward it, my senses on high alert. Darius, the pack’s trusted physician, entered with his leather bag in hand. The man looked every bit his age, gray-haired and hunched, but his sharp blue eyes carried decades of experience. He wasted no time, nodding briefly to me before approaching Alison.
“Alpha,” he greeted, his tone professional, though I caught the faintest waver of concern beneath it.
I shifted to give him space, reluctantly letting go of Alison’s hand. As he leaned over her, his brow furrowed in concentration, his hands moved deftly, checking her pulse, inspecting the faint bruising on her arm where the Wolfsbane had likely been injected.
“How is she, Darius?” I asked, my voice hoarse. The room felt too quiet, the only sounds were her shallow breaths and the occasional rustle of the physician’s tools.
Darius straightened, his expression grim as he turned to me. “She’s been poisoned with a highly concentrated dose of Wolfsbane, Alpha. It’s a miracle she’s even breathing right now.”
My stomach clenched, and my fists balled at my sides. “What do you mean?”
Darius sighed, his face etched with years of wisdom and regret. “Wolfsbane of this potency should have killed her out away. The fact that she’s still alive… it defies everything I know.”
“Then you can save her, right?” I pressed, my voice rising with desperation.
He hesitated, glancing back at Alison. “Alpha, only those with Alpha blood could stand the chance of surviving a dose this lethal. Without that blood lineage, her body will eventually succumb. At best, she has a week. Perhaps two.”
The words hit me like a wrecking ball, knocking the wind out of my lungs. “No!” I bellowed, slamming my fist against the nightstand. The wood splintered under the force, but I didn’t care. “You’re not giving up on her! Do you hear me, Darius? You will find a way to save her!”
Darius flinched but held his ground, his expression softening with sympathy. “Alpha, I will do everything in my power, but the odds are slim. The poison is relentless. I can only try to keep her comfortable.”
“Comfortable?” I spat, standing abruptly. “I don’t want her comfortable; I want her alive!”
Darius sighed again, his shoulders sagging. He reached into his bag and pulled out a vial, setting it on the table. “This is a suppressant. It’ll slow the poison’s spread, but it won’t stop it. I’ll administer it now, and I’ll stay close in case there’s any change.”
I couldn’t respond, my throat too tight with emotion. As Darius worked, injecting the suppressant into Alison’s arm, I sank back into the chair beside her. I reached for her hand again, clasping it between mine.
“She’s strong,” Darius said softly, almost to himself. “I give her that, she is stronger than most.”
“She has to be,” I murmured, more to Alison than anyone else. “She’s my mate.”
Darius packed his tools and offered a respectful nod before leaving the room, the door clicking shut behind him. The silence returned, heavier than before.
I leaned closer to her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Alison,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Please, fight this. Don’t leave me. I know I’ve been a stubborn fool, and I haven’t always done right by you, but damn it, I need you. I can’t… ” My voice broke, and I took a shuddering breath. “I can’t lose you.”
Her stillness was unbearable. I rested my forehead against her hand, her skin icy against my fevered touch.
A sharp knock at the door startled me. I didn’t move, my focus still on Alison, until the door opened, and Beta Luke stepped inside. His usually confident demeanor was replaced by something raw.. grief, perhaps, or anger.
“Alpha,” he said quietly, his gaze darting to Alison. For a moment, his eyes shimmered, but he blinked back the tears.
“What is it?” I asked, my voice rough.
Luke stepped forward and held out a small device. Alison’s phone.
“We found this in her car,” he explained. “There are messages… A whole lot, actually, it was all from Alpha Kendrick.”
The mention of that name sent a rush of fire through my veins. I snatched the phone from his hand, my jaw tightening as I scrolled through the texts. The last messages hit me like a thunderclap:
Alison: “Meet me tomorrow. First light. What you say would determine my decision.”
Kendrick: “Good choice. I’ll be waiting.”
My grip on the phone tightened, my knuckles turning white. “So Kendrick did this,” I growled. The anger in my voice was palpable, a storm brewing just beneath the surface.
Luke nodded solemnly. “It looks that way. What do you want to do, Alpha?”
“What do you think?” I snapped, rising to my feet. “That bastard just declared war. He doesn’t get to poison my mate and walk away unscathed.”
Luke’s expression hardened, his Beta instincts kicking in. “Understood. I’ll prepare the warriors.”
“Make sure they’re ready by dawn,” I ordered, my tone ice-cold. “If Kendrick’s behind this, I’ll tear his entire pack apart with my bare hands.”
Luke bowed and left the room, leaving me alone with Alison once more.
I turned back to her, my rage momentarily giving way to despair. “Did you hear that, love?” I murmured, taking her hand again. “I’m going to make him pay for what he did to you. I swear it on the Moon Goddess herself.”
Her hand remained limp in mine, her face still devoid of the light I loved so fiercely. I leaned down, pressing my lips gently to her cold knuckles.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I whispered against her skin, my voice breaking. “Do you hear me, Alison? You’re not allowed to leave me. Not now. Not ever.”
The room was silent except for the sound of my breathing and the faint hum of Alison’s heart monitor. I stayed there, holding her hand, silently praying for a miracle.