Crowned Wolf (Original)(Completed)

Forty-Eight

 Luke takes in a deep breath shakily. The faint scent of the summer breeze and wild flowers hang in the air and it makes him shiver. Even after months, he can remember how it felt to be wrapped up in that scent, to inhale it throughout the night and at majority of the moments in the day. He remembers the warmth that scent brought, the joy and the purpose to living. It still brings it only now, it's tainted with a kind of sadness that makes it hard to want to exist.

He normally would stay as far away as possible. The necklace he wears is enough to get him through the days, to remind him of his true purpose but also to remind him to survive for his other purpose. Most of the time, he wouldn't even mention her name. His ex-pack knows this well. The mere mention of the name would set him on edge, and gone was their protective but fun alpha. All that was left for the remainder of the day was the quiet, depressed alpha who can barely find strength enough to eat.

When Audrey mentions her, it's different. Audrey knows his story and knows how much it hurts both him and his wolf. And even if she hadn't met her, Audrey still considers her a sister and looks up to her. She constantly reminds him about her and for some strange reason, it isn't painful to talk about her with Audrey.

In times needing concentration and absolute focus though, being near her or mentioning her is taboo. Luke can't find strength in him to do anything if he's distracted by the memory of his mate. He prefers to keep her safe at a distance safe enough that he doesn't have to worry about picking up on her scent and he can focus on the tasks at hand. And the time needs concentration and absolute focus. Yet, he's standing outside the door to her room because he doesn't know what's going to happen in the next few days. He might not ever get to see her alive again.

"Alpha Luke," Jeremy, the now Moore wolf pup who broke border patrols and allowed the first intruder to enter the Moore lands, calls out to him. Luke growls as a warning, still pissed as hell for the pups' lack of responsibility. He knows Blaze and Jasper will seriously punish both Jessie and Eric for their major screw up but he wished he had gotten there in time to get all three. He would've torn them to shreds. Instead, he's stuck with just Jeremy and the pup is already terrified of him. Luke hasn't even come up with punishment yet. He knows it's going to hurt though.

"No one comes in for the next five minutes." Luke demands, pointing to the floor. "Sit there and then knock when time's up. Don't know a second before unless there's trouble."

"Yes, sir." Jeremy slides onto the floor and stretches his leg out, refusing to meet Luke's eyes. He can see, without having to be connected to the pup's mind, that Jeremy is truly guilty for his mess up. He blames himself for the Iota's death even though the attack he let happen occurred earlier than that attack. Still, he should be guilty and Luke lets him wallow in it.

Turning his back on Jeremy, Luke pushes open the door. Her scent is stronger, hitting him like a wall of cement and falling on his shoulders like a load of wood might. It sends waves of pleasure through him and makes him shiver with need. He desperately wants to clutch her to him, have her melt inside so that no one can hurt her and she'd never leave him. But he knows it's not possible.

She's propped up, laying against a few pillows with her blonde hair flowing out around her. It's grown at least a foot since the last time he saw her and someone was taking good care of it. There's not a tangle in sight as it lays over her shoulders and onto her bosom. Her skin is healthy. It isn't as pale as before but it isn't as alive either. It's as white as snow, soft with a kind of deathly glow that makes her as beautiful as she is when she's tan with flushed cheeks. Her hands rest on either side and the oxygen mask gives him a small view of her pink full lips. Every other second it fills with fog before clearing up to give him a view again. She's dressed in a simple hospital gown, one that closes completely but most of her is hidden under silky sheets with a thick comforter folded up to her knees. An IV sticks out from one of her arms, allowing fluids to flow to keep her alive.