Chapter Twenty-Two #2
“Because I love you, and I want to know everything I can about my mates. All three of you.” Megan froze as Erubus nipped my neck as he started back into the trees.
What’s wrong? I turned my focus to Megan for a second.
He wants to get to know me? She sounded confused.
I furrowed my brows. Yes…Why are you reacting like this? I thought you spent time together.
She nodded. We did, but I thought he was here for Nix and was nice to me because of her.
So what? You expected to be a fifth wheel in this bond? I would be with Rowan, Nix with Erubus, and you would just be here, by yourself?
She thought about it for a second and then nodded. Yes, that’s exactly what I thought this would be like.
He loves you too; you fool. Nix called back as she turned and ran after Erubus. I’ll stay up front for a while. I have the better nose.
That’s fine, but if we need to use magic, I’ll join you. I called back and settled next to Megan. You are foolish Megan.
She settled next to me. No one has ever wanted me for me. Even my mate wanted Nix over me. She looked at me. How was I supposed to know he actually liked me?
I laughed as I ruffled her fur. Love is weird. But we will work through it all together. I mean, we have already been through the worst possible scenario when it comes to a mate. This should be a cakewalk.
My words echoed through my mind, and I felt my stomach clench. A weird feeling settling like a pit. I shook it off as Erubus ran back to our side. “I caught a scent. Come see if it is your friend.”
We ran together until we made it to a small clearing. A few splatters of blood were around, and it looked like there was a battle. Broken branches, debris and trampled bushes were found all over. But it was Cass’s and Aurora’s scent that filled the area. “It’s them.”
“Follow me.” Erubus turned and ran across the clearing and through a gap in the trees, and Nix followed.
The blood scent was everywhere we ran across. And something else.
Fear.
Cass was terrified as she ran from this clearing. Not for herself, but for the pup that was growing in her belly. I could hardly scent it. Maybe a month or so along, so new, but she knew, and she was trying to save her pup’s life.
“Erubus.” Nix called as she realized at the same time I did what we were smelling. He caught something in my tone because he glanced back with a knowing look.
He nodded once, but turned away and kept running. “I smelled the pup. We have to hurry.”
We pushed harder as we followed the two scents. Every puddle, every fresh scent, was a punch to my stomach. My mind was starting to lose the level headedness I needed in this scenario, and I was starting to spiral. I couldn’t lose my best friend.
Not like this.
Megan pressed closer, trying to calm me down, but the next clearing had me rolling.
My paw caught on a root I missed when I saw the carnage.
“No!” I screamed as I pushed forward, shifting from Nix into my own body, stumbling over to one of the blonde-haired bodies.
This one curled around her stomach. “Cass.” I reached for her, but I stopped myself.
I could smell death on her skin. “Cass.” I whispered as I picked her up.
Her eyes fluttered open for a second. “My pup…” Her eyes were full of hope, but I could see the devastation hiding behind it.
I just shook my head and she released a horrible howl before she passed out. My heart broke as I turned to my mate. He was standing over Aurora’s body. I growled, but he just shook his head. “She’s already dead.” His voice cut through my anger instantly.
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “No heartbeat. Just a broken necklace.” I nodded once before I walked over to him and climbed on to his back.
“Bring us home. She is weak, and I don’t want her to die.”
My father already had the pack doctor waiting for us as we ran into her room. “Give her to me.” He held out his arms, and I handed her to him. He placed her down onto her bed and cut away her clothes.
“What happened?” My father leaned against the wall by the door. I turned with a growl, and I lunged for him.
“You did this.” I screamed. I saw in his eyes, as his gaze met my own, that he agreed with me. “She shouldn’t have been out there all alone and you know it.”
“This was her job.” He tried to say, but I interrupted him again.
“That’s bullshit!” I screamed again. “This is Cass, for Goddess’ sake. Don’t tell me whatever bullshit you fucking spout when another pack member is fighting for their life.”
My dad pushed up from the wall. “I-” But the door pushed open and Greyson walked straight to the bed.
“Stop it.” His voice was level as he dropped to his knees next to the bed.
“See, even Greyson doesn’t want to hear your bullshit.” I tossed out, but Greyson looked up at me.
“I was talking to you.” The words were like a slap.
“What?”
“You are looking at my mate like she is still the weak little friend you had growing up.” He looked down at the woman in the bed.
“But she isn’t.” He pushed a strand of hair away.
“You gave her the avenue to become stronger, Amy. And she spent the last few years honing it.” He looked back up at me.
“When you were fighting for your life, no one questioned you or your duty because you are an Alpha. Well, Cass is a Gamma, and she is the best fucking tracker we have ever had. Stop diminishing her.”
I stumbled back a step. “I wasn’t.” I tried to push back, but he just looked at me with devastation in his eyes.
“You were. So stop it.” He looked to the doctor, who had finished cutting away her clothes, leaving her in some boy shorts and a sports bra. “How is she?”
The doctor hesitated as he inserted an IV port into her arm. “The pup obviously returned to the Goddess, but something is going on, and I’m trying to figure it out.” He pulled out a vial of blood from the IV and frowned. “Interesting.”
“What is?” My father pushed up off the wall.
The doctor turned and handed him the vial. “I had thought with her injuries that she was injected with silver, or wolfsbane. She shows no sign of healing, so I was concerned.” He looked from Cass’s body to the vial. “But…” He trailed off.
“But what?” Greyson’s voice trembled.
The doctor pointed to the vial of blood. “If there was silver, or wolfsbane in her blood. We would smell it, but we would also see it. Inside the vial there would be a distinct separation of blood, and the contaminant, yet there’s nothing.”
“Then what is going on? She isn’t healing.” My father pointed to the heavily injured Cass.
The doctor looked slightly uncomfortable. “I don’t know what is going on.”
“It’s Cass.” My words were a soft whisper in the room, but everyone turned to look at me.
“What did you just say?” The doctor looked confused.
“Cass is the reason she isn’t healing.”
“That doesn’t make sense.” He pointed out.
But Greyson nodded. “She is right.”
I nodded. “Cass would have told her wolf to focus on saving the baby. She would have made her promise.”
Greyson let a tear slip down his face. “Foolish woman.” He kissed her temple. “Come back to me.” His prayer was soft.
“Is that possible?” My father stepped closer to the bed and looked down at Cass.
The doctor seemed to consider it. “While normally, I would say no, this might be an exception.” My dad turned with a confused look on his face.
So the doctor continued. “Normally, if a wolf miscarries, much like a wild wolf, she moves on quickly. She might nest for a bit, or be restless, but the wolf would move on, and try for another, probably starting a new heat within the month. If it's an attack like this, the wolf would save the human, and then console her until she was ready for a new heat. But obviously this isn’t happening.”
“She would have convinced Nora to save our pup.” Greyson’s voice was hollow. “She was so excited when she figured it out, she ran to see Amy to see if she was right.”
I stepped back into Rowan's arms. “She came to me yesterday to hang out.”
He nodded. “Yeah. She was a little disappointed, but then your dad called for a tracker.” He looked up. “She said she would see you after.”
“Why did she volunteer if she was pregnant?” My dad asked.
Greyson smiled as he looked down at his mate. “She said she wanted to finish this, so that we could raise our pup here, at home. Instead of the Agora.”
“But why would it matter?” I cried. “She had so many other ways to help, she didn't have to do this.” I shook my head. I just didn't understand.
Greyson looked up at me with a sad smile.
“You know what I heard for the last four years? Every day when Cass was struggling, she would always say that she wanted to be more like you. ‘I have to be like Amy’.” He shook his head.
“I tried to explain that she didn't have to be like you because I loved her as she was, but she kept saying that she had to be like you because she wanted to be someone that she could look up to. Someone that our pups would look up to and the only person that she ever looked up to you was you.”
Rowan clutched me tighter to his chest as he felt my body trembling against his. “No.” I fought back against Greyson's words. “I'm not someone to look up to.”
“Come on, Amy. You're an Alpha, you're an amazing person and have always stuck up for Cass.
She absolutely loves you. You're her best friend, of course she wanted to be like you. You risk it all for the people you love, right?” I nearly dropped to my knees, but Rowan caught me.
Greyson looked at me. “I don't blame you. I swear to the Goddess that I don’t.
I know my mate made her own choices and I know that if this happened, it's the Goddess’s path.
I'm just devastated that my pup is gone and my mate is in this bed. I know that I have to go out and still fight to keep our home safe.” Greyson stood and he looked at the doctor. “Is she stable?”
The doctor looked down at Cass and sighed. “She's showing no signs of fading, so, yes she’s stable for now. I'm going to monitor her for the rest of the day to ensure she makes it.”
“What are you thinking? What are you going to do?” I stepped out of Rowan’s arms. Greyson looked back at me and I could see the anger, the hatred burning behind his eyes.
“I'm going to go kill the person who hurt my mate. I'm going to kill the person who killed my pup.” Another tear trembled at the edge of his lashes.
“She's already dead.” A weak voice came from the bed.