A Rose Among Thorns- Book 2 in the Corvale Pack Series

Chapter 14

A Rose Among Thorns

Chapter 14

Joseph

Tabitha coughed again, and more foul-smelling black liquid flew across the table, all over many of the alphas and their mates, who sat frozen in stunned silence. Her face an unnatural shade of grey with black-stained lips, her hair clinging to her soaked neck. She stared up at me and I saw several blood vessels pop and her eyes turned bloodshot.

What the actual hell had just happened?

Julie was the first to move from her position in the corner of the room, who yanked her chair backwards, grabbed Tabitha under the arms and tugged her towards one of the doors. Oscar heaved himself from his chair and limped after them, forgetting his cane.

"Alpha Stark..." Tristan stared at me in shock and grief, and I suddenly remembered the plan. She was supposed to be my mate, and she was...

Another scream echoed down the halls of the manor, and my hands shook as I fought back painful memories. I can't, not here. Not now.

"Your highness, we must go." Erick grasped my hands, pulling me towards the exit, leaving the alphas without another word.

He pushed me into the first door along the winding corridor, a small toilet with Tabitha crouched over the bowl. Julie wrapped her arms around me, teary-eyed, and I held her as tightly as I could. Someone tried to kill her, the only thing that had kept her safe was the switch.

I was such an idiot, how could I be so stupid to assume that we were safe? She wouldn't be safe until every last enemy of the pack was destroyed. I buried my face in her hair, inhaling her scent to bring me back to Earth

"What happened?" Erick asked, crouching down next to Oscar, who hovered over my Beta.

"Come on, you have to try..." Oscar shook her shoulder, and she shuddered before heaving again. The sound of liquid hitting the porcelain made me cringe.

She clutched her stomach," I can't." She gasped.

"Come on, it's just us five." Oscar voice was soothing, but I could detect a hint of worry in his young voice.

With a shaky hand, she pulled away from the toilet, the other reaching out towards us. Oscar quickly grasped her hand, and Erick her shoulder.

"Joseph, quickly!" Julie quickly released me and grabbed her leg, and I barely had time to keep hold of her arm before everyone's outlines began to blur. I felt the wind rush past us, and I almost lost my grip. I blinked and we were in the forest, in front of that old wooden building I remembered from last week.

"Alpha, carry her. You're the fastest." Oscar peered around in the dark.

"Where are we?" Erick asked, as I pulled the sickly girl into my arms. She was barely heavier than my eight year old nephew...

"The lab. Quickly, there isn't much time." Julie grabbed the doctor's arm, and slung it over her shoulders, taking most of his weight as they moved towards the lab.

Tabitha attempted to sit up, but another wave of sickness hit her, and it soaked my dress shirt.

Once inside, I placed her on one of the gurneys, sitting her up. Oscar ripped his jacket off, reaching for some gloves.

"Erick, how long has it been?" He asked, grabbing bowl and pressing it into her hands to catch the next wave of black fluid.

"Just over two minutes." He said, looking just as confused as I was.