Color Blind

Chapter 26

"Aiden....Jason.." Skylar's mother whispered, as she opened the door.

Aiden bored his regretful gaze down on Mrs. Hayes. Her weak smile failed to cover the dispair that overtook her beautiful features. Her eyes, whose color matched Skylar's perfectly, lost the shine and sparkle Aiden came to know and love through out his youth.

He knew no words could comfort a mother who lost her only son. Aiden reached down and embraced his friend's mother into his arms. Jason stepped in, nodded towards the rest of the beta wolves that were protecting the vicinity and closed the door behind him.

"Aiden....thank you..." Mrs. Hayes forced the words through her welling tears and embraced Aiden deeper into herself.

"I..am here, for you Mrs.Hayes. I am here..we..are here for all of you..Skylar was our brother..my brother." Aiden struggled with the words that came out of his mouth as he pulled away from Mrs. Hayes. The pain of looking the mother of a fallen member of his pack was too much to bear.

Aiden clenched his jaw and tore his gaze away from Mrs. Hayes as Jason stepped in to send his condolences. His time was running out. Aiden felt the heat of the toxic serum begin to work against his powerful system. Every second was a bit more excruciating than the last. Swallowing deeply, Aiden dug his fingers deep into his increasingly damp palms, in an effort to keep from grunting out in pain.

This was not the time to be weak. Aiden refused to succumb to the poison. He needed to be strong for the Hayes family...as Skylar would have wanted, and expected.

"Mrs. Hayes.... May I go up? To see Claire and Isabella ?" Aiden's gruff voice, caught Jason's attention immediately. Mrs. Hayes nodded quietly towards the staircase and Aiden excused himself, while Jason followed close behind.

"Alpha, you don't have much more time, we need to get you to the safe house before-"

"Before my blood is on your hands Jason..?" Aiden whispered fiercely, turning to face Jason once they were out of hearing range.

Jason's expression darkened with regret and he lowered his head in shame. Aiden was not a man of many words, but the words he just spoke rang loud and clear. Aiden swallowed hard, and unintentionally let out a pained growl before he turned back and started towards Claire and Isabella's rooms once more.

"Claire..? Isabella...?" Aiden called quietly, nudging Claire's room door open.

Neither of the girls responded to his soft call, but their scent was very present behind the half-open door. Without another word, Aiden cautiously placed his hand on the oak wood door, pushing it completely open.

In the corner of Claire's very pink room, sat Isabella and Claire. They had both of their backs facing the door and Claire was cradled in Isabella's arms. Aiden didn't have to see their faces to know how lonely the girls were feeling without their big brother.

Aiden quietly turned and gestured for Jason to remain at the door, while he stepped closer to the girls.

"Hi Izzy....hi Claire.." he greeted just above a whisper as he took a seat on the floor next to Isabella. While he was doing so, his arm brushed against Isabella's bare skin and goosebumps shot up through her arm like wildfire. A fiery blush hastily colored her cheeks, and she dropped her eyes to sleeping sister in her arms.

"S-she's sleeping, she hasn't been able to for days....but I finally got her to sleep," Isabella explained in a shaky voice.

Aiden dropped a tender look at the tiny figure in her arms. A pang of guilt blasted through his entire being. If it weren't for the ongoing war between him and his father, if it weren't for him leaving Skylar alone....none of this would have happened.