I had never seen Alex fight. Training sessions hardly counted seeing as he was never truly serious. During the vampire attack in which my powers had awakened, I had not been focusing on him… My loss, I know!
And this time was no better. I would not be able to lend a helping hand, or support him in any way, much less observe him fight.
As the only daughter of two proud warriors, there was so much for me to learn still… and boy how much a part of me wished he’d be the one teaching me!
After he announced that there was a rogue attack, and left to fend the intruders off, not before telling me to stay put, I remained in bed, thinking, fretting, worrying about him, and everyone I knew.
A pity-party and ten minutes later, I carefully left the bed, and headed straight to the bathroom for a shower which I hoped would soothe my deliciously aching body and frayed nerves.
To be honest, it helped… though my mind never stopped conjuring scenarios which were utterly horrible.
As I was about to finish, I came to a simple conclusion: A world without Alex would be a world where I wouldn’t want to live. After all, he might have hid the truth from me, but he didn’t do so with the intent of hurting me. I wasn’t fine with it, but I could understand his reasons somewhat. And if I were to be totally honest with myself, I wasn’t just falling for the man, I was probably already in too deep… and that wasn’t an issue with me.
Alexander Bad wasn’t as bad as per the rumors, and I was glad I was the woman who got the chance to unravel him, bit by bit, layer by layer.
Besides, what a magnificent lover he was!
And no, I wasn’t thinking about his bedroom skills only. For an alpha who had a reputation to uphold, he never shied away from showing his feelings to me, even in public.
He cared for me, explained things patiently for me, made sweet torturous love to me, and even neglected his duties for the entire duration of my heat.
If that wasn’t love, I didn’t know what was.
I emerged from the bathroom, refreshed, and a little bit pink-faced… and oh so in love with my mate.
Though I knew we would be facing many obstacles, I was hopeful for our future together. We were a fated pair after all.
I didn’t feel feverish anymore, and decided it would be safe of me to venture outside his wing, seeing as my heat had definitely come to an end.
I was no longer in a mood where I could just stay put. I needed to be physically closer to my mate, to make sure he was alright. He had headed out to fight roughly 30 minutes ago, and I was beyond worried, and past the point of caring for my well-being.
I found a pair of jeans of mine neatly folded on a chair, and put them on in haste, before opting for one of his shirts. It was meant to be comforting, but only served to fuel my urgency to see him, to know he was alive and well, safe and sound.
I did my hair in a ponytail and then finally left our love nest.
The alpha floor was empty save for two fighters guarding the door. They weren’t surprised to see me, but did object to my leaving the alpha’s wing, as to be expected.
“We are sorry but we cannot let you pass,” one of them said.
“Orders of the alpha,” the other supplied without blinking an eye.
I pinned them with a frosty glare before saying, “Our alpha, my mate, is out there, fighting for the pack’s safety. I can’t and won’t stay cooped up here.” I paused before adding, “And you two should not have to babysit me.”
“You have to understand, Luna, that it is not our intention to keep you from the alpha, but your safety is our top priority.”
I debated over what to say for a while before opting for a simple, “Come along then. I’ll take full responsibility.”
I sensed their hesitation as they looked at one another. And before long, they were nodding in silent consent.
Upon reaching the first floor, I was met with chaos.
Pack members, whom I barely interacted with but whom I knew not to be fighters, were tending to other injured members, no doubt trying to do their best, despite being under no one’s supervision.
The injuries might not look fatal but the fighters were in pain, if their groans were any indication. And there were quite a few of them.
I wished I knew enough to take the lead as a Luna ought to, but I didn’t.
The pack healer must be overwhelmed, I reasoned, feeling a bit queasy as the pungent smell of blood hit my nostrils.
My feet led me further away from the scene, out of the messed up living room, to the entrance of the pack house, the guards trailing close behind me. My worry increased with each step I took, and it was hard for me not to break into a run so as to find Alex.
I was expecting more of a melee… I found mayhem instead.
Stepping outside the pack house was enough for me to catch sight of him, my alpha, my mate. He stood tall, barking orders left and right, despite his bloodied back.
I was relieved he was still of this world, and a part of me was proud too. But I was also annoyed.
He was injured, and not tending to his wounds… why wasn’t I surprised?
As I approached him, he turned around, and pinned me with a soft gaze, “You talked your way out of there, little wolf, huh?”
“I sure did,” I answered cheekily. Then, with worry coating my words, I said, “I don’t see Luc or Trevor.”
Both his beta and third in command had become somewhat friends over the past few weeks.
Pain flashed in my mate’s eyes, and my breath caught in my throat before he had even said a word.
“Trevor was gravely injuried. He’s fighting for his life as we speak. Luc is at the clinic, keeping watch.”
I hung my head low for a moment before saying in a firm and resolute tone, “I’m going to the clinic.”
I headed to the clinic in a rush, the babysitters still trailing behind me.
My eyes found Luc’s the moment I entered the austere building. His eyes were void of emotions, and his face impassible. And it was precisely because of his poker face that I was worried. He didn’t even have the heart to bark a joke or anything. He merely looked at me and nodded curtly in acknowledgment. He was that grim and then some.
I felt his pain and worry. It was suffocating. And I could barely breathe through it all.
I decided to enter the room which he guarded diligently. Luc looked at me, his gaze questioning but didn’t really stop me.
“I don’t know how just yet but I think I can help,” I told him sincerely.
He seemed to ponder the risks and the benefits that could come out of my intervening, before he stepped aside, silently allowing me to go inside.
I thought I was prepared to see a gravely wounded Trevor, but it turned out I wasn’t ready at all. He laid on his back, face ashen and scrunched up in a pained grimace, a gaping hole in his abdomen which a couple of healers were trying desperately to work on.
“Why isn’t he healing?” I asked in a tone that bordered on the hysterical.
“It is because he has been injected with wolfsbane, luna,” the seemingly older healer told me with deference, and a hint of annoyance too.
I could understand her annoyance if I were to be honest. Very few pack members knew me to be a born healer. Besides, I believed I could help but had no clue how to go about it yet.
I went nearer to the bed and received a questioning gaze which I chose to ignore.
“Put your hands over the wound,” a faint voice let out inside my head.
I chose not to question it and do as I was told, despite the angry growl of the younger healer.
“What are you doing, Luna?”
I didn’t even spare him a look. I was on a mission to save Trevor, and nothing and no one would stop me.
No sooner had I obeyed the foreign voice, images flashed in front of my eyes, images of torn flesh and blood. And then, a green light began to emanate from my hands. The healers stood stunned for a moment there before withdrawing their hands and tools, almost as if scalded.
I didn’t stop when Trevor let out a sigh, or when his face went from that of a person in pain to that of a person relieved to still be breathing. I didn’t know how to stop to begin with, and I also didn’t want to stop. Trevor had grown to be a friend – a dear friend. And I wanted him to be back in top shape. As if the rogue nightmare didn’t occur.
Black dots began to crowd my vision but I held on until his flesh was back to normal… and then, and only then did I allow myself to show weakness. I let out a heavy sigh.
“Good job, partner,” the voice praised me.
“Partner?” I echoed after her mentally even as my consciousness began to fail me.
“Yes. We have no time. You’re going to pass out. But I’ll still be here when you wake up. Ask me all the questions you want answered then.”
I nodded. And with that, I fell forward, unconscious, right into Trevor’s awaiting arms.