Damien POV
Today will always remain as the worst day of my life.
I felt her fear before I heard her voice, I knew something bad was going to happen but I never in my life would have thought something like this would happen to her, not now, not ever.
Aelia was hit by a driver in my truck at a stop light, the driver wasn't drunk and there wasn't anything to indicate this was an accident as they fled the scene before anyone could get a look at who was behind the wheel.
The car also had a fake license plate.
I knew it was him, one of his members had tried to kill my mate in broad daylight and tried to make it look like an accident, but I knew better, I knew exactly how he did things and he'd never get his hands dirty.
Luckily the moment Aelia left I was told, and Ezra, Morgan and Smith had to follow her in another car, if not for them she would've been crushed by the impact of the car with how fast it was going.
Ezra made it in time to pull the truck back just enough that it missed hitting Aelia.
I have never been so scared in my entire life, it's been an hour since she was taken in for exams but since she's left my side, I haven't stopped shaking.
I almost lost her.
If she died... if I really lost her... those last words I said to her, my voice raised... I would not be able to live with myself, I'd rather sooner join her in the afterlife then live a life without here in this one.
Killian will not survive this.
If I find him.... when I find him... I will make it slow, until he begs me to stop, until he can't take it anymore, even then I will not give what he wants to him, I'm going to make him suffer, just like how I suffer right now.
"Damien?"
When I see Ezra come towards me, I stand up, hoping that I can give Killian what he deserves sooner rather than later.
"Did you find the scent?" I asked, as Ezra nodded his head, making my whole body stop shaking.
I breathe out and close my eyes as I smell a faint scent coming from Ezra, it's faint but it's there, and it's his, that bastard Killian's filthy fucking scent-
"Where is he?" I peer down at Ezra, who looks away from my gaze. "Ezra... don't fuck with me, where did you put him?"
I'm so angry, I'm seething, my whole body is tensed at the thought of staring into his eyes as I hear him call my name, begging me to stop, as I take his life, piece by piece with my bare hands.
"Damien, we've got him in custody, let the council decid-"
"Council?!" I roar out, grabbing Ezra by the throat as I turn him around and smash him roughly against the wall of the hospital.
COUNCIL? He doesn't get such treatment, I'll kill him before those clowns get a hold of him and slap him with a warning, I won't stop, I won't rest until I've had my justice.
I release Ezra who was turning white and growl out, my blood was boiling, and I couldn't think of anything else then getting justice for Aelia, my sweet innocent mate, who didn't deserve this, but Killian....
Suddenly, I smell her before I see her, walking into the room behind the doctor that was doing tests on her, I went over to her to calm myself down, my heart beating rapidly in my chest as her scent touches my nose.
Sunshine... flowers, the fresh air after a rainy day, Aelia's scent, it does wonders to me when she's next to me, without her here a minute longer I would've shifted and tore this place apart.
"How is she?" I asked the doctor as I brought her into my chest, my arms around her.
The doctor- Mel, a pack member asks to speak to me privately through the link we shared as I looked down at Aelia to see that she was smiling up at me, but something was missing.
I walk with her over to the seats and gesture her to sit down, once I know she's comfortable, with Ezra in the room, I kneel in front of her and take her hands in mine, and gently kiss them as I look up at her face.
"I'll be right back, I promise, Ezra will stay with you, okay?" I tell her gently as her blue orbs look at mine, a light nod of her head.
Something was wrong, it was almost like she wasn't all there, I felt the fear the moment I touched her hands, her thoughts were everywhere I couldn't tell what was affecting her and how badly it was.
I couldn't do anything to help her, she blamed herself for many things... not just this crash.
I let go of her hands and got up and then walked outside the waiting room to where Mel was standing, just outside the doors.
"Well?" I ask, not tearing my eyes from Aelia through the glass windows. "What can I do?"
"Alpha... the Luna is technically fine, she's very lucky to be here today." Mel said carefully as I snapped my eyes to hers. "She's still in shock, it might be hard at first but you must be patient, she's been through quite a lot not only today but in the last few years."
The last few years? "What things?" I demand, my heart beating slowly as I felt the room turn cold.
Just how much had Aelia gone through while I haven't been around to protect her? The more I wondered the more I felt like I was a failure of a mate and an Alpha, did I even deserve to be asking these questions?
"I looked at her file and she's suffered from childhood trauma, an event or-"
"She was in a house fire when she was eleven." I interrupted her, my eyes focusing on Aelia as Ezra hands her a hot drink, I think hot chocolate.
"I was there when it happened." It was one of my biggest regrets... even if I tried, I could never forget that day.
"Oh... it could be that the incident caused PTSD, childhood trauma could explain why she refused to tell me anything about any other incidents that could trigger her symptoms." She hummed out.
"Her medication, has she still been taking it? I see that's she's taking quite a few medications for sleeping, stress..."
"I... don't know." I said truthfully as my chest clenched as I watched her smile at something Ezra said to her.
I knew she took something, she had mentioned that people thought she was crazy when she saw me that night in the fire, I just didn't know it was this bad.
Just what has she gone through all these years?
She never told me anything, and I didn't think enough to ask her.
I'm such a pathetic worthless piece of shit... I should have done more, just what have I been doing the past few days? I've treated her not as a mate, but something to fill the whole I made that day I saved her.
"In the meantime, I suggest you don't do anything to distress her until I can see her again about her medications, maybe even arrange for her to speak to someone about her past?" Mel said as I swallowed hard, nodding my head.
"She's a warrior, Alpha, but even the strongest of us need to take it slow and rest."
Fuck- I felt like the worst person alive.
"Thank you, for everything." I said before heading back into the waiting room.
Aelia's eyes met mine and she smiles softly as I walked over to her, unable to stop thinking about what Mel said, about her childhood trauma, something tells me that there's more.
I'm going to be patient... if she wants to tell me she will, until then I won't push it.
"Am I free to leave?" Her sweet soft voice asks as I smile down at her and nod my head as she stands up.
"Yup." I said, wrapping my arms around her and lifting her up, her legs going around my waist and her arms around my neck. "Let's get out of here."
"I can walk, Damien." She said, a frown on her beautiful face as shivers go down my body as she says my name.
"I know, I just wanted to hold you." I said, heading for the exit, looking into her eyes. "I can't?"
She stares at me face for a few moments before she rests her head on my shoulder and tightens her grip around my neck, I could feel everything she was, and in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to heal her wounds.
I wish I could take away her pain, to go back in time and fix everything, to take her away from that place and protect her the way I should have, she was too kind, too innocent to have been through so much in her young life.
Killian would have to wait, but he will get what is coming to him.
In the meantime, I'm going to be the mate Aelia deserved, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.
She's safe in my arms now, and nothing and nobody will take her away from me.