Alpha Reaper's Point Of View
I can sense that whatever Drew has discovered is worrying Reed. Reed isn't someone to kick up a fuss unless it is necessary, so for him to fetch us in such a frantic state worries me. I can feel that his wolf is antsy, which is causing mine to feel on edge. My connection with Reed isn't just one of a bond between an Alpha and a Gamma but it is a bond shared by twins. I have always felt his emotions more when they are stronger.
When the world abandoned me, Reed found me. I would never be able to repay his kindness, I would never be able to sacrifice what he has for me. A part of me feels guilty for keeping secrets from him. I can feel his frustration at tolerating Alexander, his sadness at not being able to protect me. He can't get over that his best friend betrayed him and caused his sister harm. However as time passes and my bond cements with Alexander, his resolve is beginning to disappear.
As we approach the Pack hospital which is attached to the back of the main pack house, I can feel Reed's steps quicken which has caused all of us to keep up with his pace. I steal a quick glance at Leyla who is equally as concerned at Reed's erratic and frantic appearance. I can't help but steal glances at my child, she's beautiful and strong. My heart is filled with love but equally filled with regret at not raising her. All I can do is embrace the present and hope for a better future. One where I may see my child grow further into adulthood.
The power she is displaying is incredible. She truly was blessed by the goddess. As I spent time with Alexander when we have finished training we will often treat to my office where I will question him about Leyla and what her upbringing was like. He told me the times he would spend playing with her and Ryan. He told me about Nona and how she was extremely close to the woman who raised her. He reassured me that she was loved and he always thought she would make an excellent Luna.
Other times we would spend talking about the Mallapers and he would ask me about my pack members, in which I would tell him about the corruption that is hidden across the Kingdom. My pack housed many rejected wolves, many of whom were Omega's or slaves. I explained to him the abuse some of them suffered until they were rescued by my pack. When I explained their pain, I would see him furrow his brow or his eyes would look down in disappointment. I would look at his face which would show nothing but shame for what he allowed to happen across his Kingdom.
Alexander would share with me his shame for what he did to me. Often he would apologise endlessly into the night never expecting forgiveness because he too could not forgive himself. As each minute and second past he didn't realise my cold heart was slowly melting. As each day past I found myself forgiving him. However the words were stuck in my throat so I would try each day to show him with my actions that I was giving him a chance to right his wrongs. I always remember my mother saying that actions speak louder than words.
My thoughts were interrupted by Reed pushing open the double doors that led to the small pack hospital. The place usually held no scent other than disinfectant, but today there was something more that was lingering in the air. The smell was disgusting, it smelt like burning flesh and sewer. My nose wrinkled in detest. Both Alexander and Leyla held the same look of disgust as we made our way through the small ward.
Alexander was quick to bring his arm to his nose. "God, what is that awful smell." He spoke. I looked at Leyla who was wrenching, I could see how she was trying to hold back as she started gaging on the air that filled the room.
I quickly turned to reed who was pinching his nose. "Evacuate the premise immediately, if we are all reacting like this, imagine what the sick must be feeling like. Get them to the opposite side of the house." I instructed Reed.
"Drew is in the lab. I'll get on it right away." Reed responded.
"Make sure no one enters here either. Tell the nurses and doctors to take what they need and go. If they need anything else tell them to mind link you and we can make arrangements." I say as I try to heave down the sick that is wanting to escape my mouth.
"Got it sis." Reed turns in the direction of a small crowd of medical professions and starts gesturing with hands that were flying all over the place. It wasn't long before they started scurrying away in different directions, grabbing utensils and medical equipment as they evacuated the area. Reed was busy pushing out beds of patients who were clenching their stomachs or passed out.
I quickly stormed the small laboratory where blood samples were usually examined. In there stood Drew, his ginger hair tussled and pointing in different directions like he had been tugging it in frustration. His mouth covered with a facial mask and his eyes were protected by goggles. His body frantically moving from the microscope to a notepad then to a computer. His fingers tapping away at keys and then shifting to a pen.
As I watched him work away, my wolf reached out to his and automatically a sense a dread and anxiety was washed over him. Leyla quickly grabbed some face masks and eye equipment and passed them to me and Alexander. All of us were quick to place them on our face.
"Drew, what is that smell?" Leyla mumbled through her face mask.
Drew quickly looked up and saw the three of us in the small laboratory. His breaths were deep and laboured as he powered through the strong smell of burning flesh. "That is the smell of that poison you gave me."
"But it never smelt like that before?" Alexander questioned.
"Well that's because it had nothing to react to." Drew replied.
"Explain." I said in a questioning tone.
"Well you remember I took both of your blood's yesterday?" Drew gestures to me and Alexander. All of us give him a quick nod in response. "Well I couldn't work out what the composition of the formula was. It's highly complex. They have somehow managed to rearrange components in the structure of silver and wolfsbane and direct it to focus on the mate bond." He explains.
"But what has that got to do with our blood?" Alexander inquires.
"You two are true mates? Yes." He gestures to us and again we nod. "Well I wanted to see how the poison would react to your DNA. So I mixed both your blood with the poison and this is the reaction. That smell, is the attempt at that poison diminishing your bond. That burning smell is the smell of a bond being broken. That smell of sewer is the after-effect of a bond being broken." Drew explains.
My wolf growls, her irritation and anger at the thought of someone trying to tear her from her mate again. I can feel her pain and I can feel Alexander's wolf reflect the same emotions. Both of us feeling the threat, even though the blood isn't connected to our bodies.
"Have you worked out how it is breaking the bond?" Leyla questions as she covers her mouth with her hand.
"Imagine a thread made up of strings. The strings form the bond that is interwoven to create that thread. Now imagine an acid that burns the strings one by one, until that bond is burned and decimated. It attacks it on a microscopic level till there is nothing left. That is what the smell is." Drew huffs out.
"But how is that possible?" I furrow my brow.
"I don't know how it is possible, but it is. It destroys the bond, it's like it's burned by recognition. I believe that is caused by the silver components. The wolfsbane almost works as a sedation but at the same time it attacks the wolf at the same time. As much as it is disgusting that someone has created something like this, the science behind it is incredible and years in front of our time." Drew explains as he shakes his head.
"Is there a way to repair the bond?" Leyla questions.
"Well that's what I'm trying to work out. It's possible to come up with an antidote but I don't know what that is yet. It would need to cancel out the wolfsbane and silver. I would need more research on wolfsbane but the silver, we can rely on human research." Drew responds.
"Does the formula in front of you create a new mate bond?" I question.
"No it doesn't. Which means whoever created this, has also created another formula to mimic the mate bond. I took some samples of the blood that you retrieved before Alexander marked you Alpha and there are some traces of the "fake bond" in his blood. However, it is extremely diluted which means I am unable to work out what those components are." Drew replies sadly.
Silence vibrates through the room, all that can be heard is the tapping of Drew's fingers against the keyboard. There are no words for what has been created. This isn't science, it's evil and goes against everything that we believe in as wolves. A part of my heart feels relieved that Alexander was affected by the fake bond, again making it easier for me to forgive him.
His anger ripples through the bond at the fact that someone has managed to poison him. My heart is filled with pain that we have been the victims of this time of crime. It's in this moment that I stretch my hand out behind Leyla and grasp his hand and give it a tight squeeze. For the first time, I want to offer him comfort and support. As my hand intertwines in his, as my fingers lace with his, I feel his shock. I feel his wolf calm and a rush of happiness rushes through him as he recognises my acceptance.
Our moment is quickly interrupted by the slamming of the door. All of us look up and face the direction of the noise. Reed once again is stood in the doorway. His breath deep and laboured. I can see that he is trying to catch his breath while at the same time trying not to gag on the infected air. If I thought he was frantic before, the panic is set on his face.
"Quick. Your needed at the boarders. South. Quick, Intruder." He states in between breaths.
It's then that I see Alexander's eyes darken black, I see Leyla's golden eyes go amber with fire and I feel my wolf push forward and growl. All three of us storm out the room and push our way to the boarder.