If Only

Chapter 23 - Not Your Fault

And Lizzy and I, well, we were one and the same. We couldn't take our minds off of it. Sammy was close with us all, but there was no denying that the three of us had spent the most time together. Lizzy had been the first person Sammy met, and then she was introduced to me.

At the time, I had been doubtful about what Lizzy was describing to me about Sammy. She was going on about a connection that she felt, like some type of invisible string that was tied to her, the same type of connection you feel for your pack. But when I finally met Sammy, it just seemed to make sense.

Neither of us understood it, but a lot of being a lycan meant you had to listen to your instincts, so that's what we did. Nobody could have put together what it meant, but from the moment we met her, we knew that she was important. Somehow, in some way, she held significance to us. And now we know why.

Yet, all of that, and we hadn't been able to piece together what she had been going through. Looking back, it seemed so obvious. The way she started to pull away from us all, the constant long-sleeves, never eating... the list was endless. We all knew that Tyson treated her poorly, but we didn't know how far we could push her to end things without crossing any boundaries.

Really though, that was exactly what she needed from us. The first major thing our Luna had needed from us, from her pack, and we had failed her. The thought not only filled me with shame, but also anger.

Just thinking about that asshole, nearly pushed me to a force shift. Stopping Greyson from killing him earlier had been one of the hardest things I had ever had to do. Because every part of me wanted to do the exact same. But Lizzy and I held Beta status for a reason, we needed to be rational. Level-headed. And in that moment, we knew that Greyson being with Sammy was more important than getting revenge on Tyson.

The fucker would be six feet under soon enough.

"I'm going to go check on them," I told Lizzy, standing up as she released her hand from my grasp, the sparks sizzling out.

"Okay," she responded with a small smile, and my heart that she carried in her hands seemed to swell. I leaned down towards her and kissed her, every ounce of our emotions pouring into one another.

I pulled away reluctantly, heading up the stairs towards the Healer's Den. I tried to steel myself, knowing the sight I was about to see. I knocked quietly three times, waiting a moment to allow Greyson to catch my scent and refuse my entrance if needed. But he remained silent, so I took that as an answer to open the door.

I looked down at the bed, my jaw clenched as I saw Sammy sleeping. Every time, it felt like getting my breath taken away. She just looked so... broken. Every part of her seemed to be bruised or cut or beaten. I glanced towards Greyson, the turmoil on his face something even he couldn't hide, his focus entirely on Sammy.

I couldn't possibly imagine what he was going through. Your mate brings about all of your protective instincts to their full extent, every fiber of your being wants to keep them safe. Not to mention the fact that Greyson is an Alpha, so those feelings were bound to be heightened in the first place.

But to then find out your mate was human, it had to dial those instincts up even farther. We didn't view humans as below us, no decent lycan did, but they simply weren't as resilient as us. It seemed so easy for them to get injured or hurt.

And now, seeing her like this. So abused and beaten that she had been on the verge of death. No... I couldn't imagine there was anyone in the world who could understand how Greyson felt right now.

"Nia said the drugs are about worn off. She should be waking up sometime soon," I linked him, not wanting to wake up Sammy with our voices. He nodded in response, paying me very little mind.