"Get the coven on the line!"
"I need a cure for this!"
"Where's the knife?"
"Here!"
"Get working on it!"
"I need two bags of Gifted O Neg, stat!"
I watched as Sarah wheeled her straight into surgery, waiting in the halls, anger, desperation, and a touch of deja vu ringing around in my brain.
I couldn't take this. I couldn't believe my brother tried to kill the woman I love.
"Axel and some soldiers are escorting Charlie straight to the Ice Pack," Orion told me softly, waiting for me to lose it.
"Get me Kaden on the line," I said, my voice desperate. When he didn't move, I snarled at him. "NOW!"
--------------------
I sat in one of those plastic chairs lining the hall, my elbows resting on my knees, my hands in a praying position, my forehead resting on my fingers.
I was praying. Praying to a Goddess I had lost belief in. Praying for my wife to come back to me. Praying for the Jadis coven to find a cure.
Just praying.
My Mother, Mila and Orion were in the waiting room a few feet away. I could hear Mila comforting my sobbing Mother, and Orion pacing the floor.
I desperately wanted my mate to walk out of those doors and envelope me in a hug, whisper to me that everything was going to be alright.
The Jadis coven had been toiling here and in other places, looking for a cure, which Jakob promised me they could find.
"This cure looks like one we've seen before many times. I'll have to consult with Carter Hamilton first," he had said before hurrying out of the hospital.
I heard a phone start ringing in my mate's room, and Blake answered it. "You did? Oh thank god. Get over here with the ingredients, we'll make it here. She's only got a few more hours left."
My wolf whined deep inside of me. A few more hours, and my reason to be alive will be dead. The light in my life permanently snuffed out.
I couldn't take the waiting. It was agony.
I could feel the pain Taylor was in through the bond. It was nothing she hadn't felt before, but it still hurt.
I waited anxiously for almost an hour before Jakob showed up, running down the hall with a cloth bag in his hand.
I shot to my feet and tried to follow him into the room, but Sarah blocked me, shoving me back into the hall.
"Let us do our jobs," she said to me. I tried to muscle past her, but Orion grabbed me by my shoulders and pulled me back.
"You heard her, man. Let them save her," Orion said to me. I shrugged him off and stood there in front of the door, refusing to move until they told me she would be fine or... until she died.
I waited for another painstakingly long twenty minutes before I heard footsteps, and the door opened.
Sarah stood in front of me, looking pale and exhausted. She sent me a tired smile. "She'll live. The cure worked." she stepped aside and I entered the room, hurrying over to Taylor's side.
I took her hand in mine, my finger brushing the ring on her hand.
I looked up at Blake and Jakob, relief and gratitude swelling in my heart like a forest fire. "Thank you," I said, sincerity rolling off of me in waves. They nodded to me and left the room, giving me a moment alone with her.
"Please don't leave me," I cried again, lowering my face to her hand, kissing the top of it.
I ran across the field, boyish laughter and giddiness lifting my heart. "Hurry up Charlie!" I called behind me.
"Wait up Evan! I can't run that fast!" my ten year old brother cried from far behind me.
"Boys! Dinner's ready!" Mom called from the back porch.
"Coming!" we called in unison.
"Race you there!" I challenged my brother. He whined.
"That's not fair, you always win!"
"Because you're slow!" Charlie stuck his tongue out at me.
"You're older, and taller!"
"Exactly," I said, standing tall and proud with a smug grin on my face. "I'm better."
"But Evan-"
"You talk too much, let's go!" I took off, racing across the field, back towards home.
Suddenly I was watching the younger versions of myself and Charlie mess around at the dinner table as our Mother served us dinner. Dad was a no-show, as usual.
"He's not a kid anymore, Evan," I turned to see Taylor standing in the hallway in her wedding dress, watching my brother and I punch each other playfully.
"I don't want to lose him." I said desperately. My mate's somber eyes met mine.
"You already have."
Her words echoed, and everything around me faded away slowly.
I jolted awake, and found myself back in Taylor's hospital room. She was still unconscious on the hospital bed.
You already have.
Taylor's words in my dreams troubled me deeply, and I didn't understand why. Surely my brother could be saved?
No, I realized. Taylor had been right. Charlie wasn't Charlie anymore. He'd given over to darkness, and my brother had died. What was left was a shell.
A shell that had tried to kill my wife. My Luna.
I had to make him pay. I had to make an example out of him. I had to make sure no one ever tried to kill Taylor again.
I left Taylor's side, walking to the waiting room, where I found my Mother, Mila and Orion still there.
They all looked up when they heard me coming, and Orion stopped pacing.
"How is she?" Mila asked.
"She's better, still unconscious," I said.
"What's going to happen to Charlie? Is Kaden-"
"I asked Kaden to wait for me before we interrogated him." I replied. "As for what's going to happen to him, I'm going to have my way with him, and then leave him in a solitary cell to rot in for the rest of his miserable life." I added.
My Mother choked on a sob, and I approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Mila rose to her feet and left with Orion, giving us some space. I knelt down, looking my Mother in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I wish it didn't have to come to this. But he's the enemy. He's not your son. Charlie's dead."
Tears streamed down her face and she nodded, trying to swallow down the sobs threatening to escape her mouth. "I know," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I know." she broke down into sobs, and I held onto her, letting her cry.
-------------------------------
I sat in Taylor's hospital room, watching her as she slept. My ears could pick up the sound of her heartbeat, and the monitor confirmed my hopes; it was going strong.
The monitor stuttered for a moment and I looked up, my attention brought fully to her. She moved in her bed and I shot to my feet, ready to call for Sarah at any given moment.
Instead, Taylor's eyes opened, and she looked around, clearly distressed. "Thomas?" she whimpered. My heart broke for my mate. She'd been dreaming about him again.
"Hey, baby, it's me, I'm here," I said to her, and was at her side in an instant, stroking her face with my hand.
She looked up at me, and it seemed she finally registered where she was. "Evan," she gasped, looking around. She tried to sit up and I was quick to help her, moving the bed so it would prop her up.
"What happened?" she asked, looking around. Suddenly, she gasped again, her eyes shooting back to me. "Charlie, he-"
"You're safe now," I cut her off, holding her hands in mine. "He can't hurt you anymore."
"How long have I been out?" she asked me, confused.
"Not long. A few days." I shrugged, and her eyes widened. "The Gemini coven managed to find a cure for you."
"What happened while I was out?" she asked.
"While you and I were getting married," I grinned at the sound of that, and she did too, looking down sheepishly. "Ariel managed to get the Council to unanimously vote to aid the Gifted in the war. I just got off the phone with Jemma's Beta, some of the Ash Pack and Ariel defeated a squadron of rogues trying to destroy a human town." I added.
"Did she shift?" Taylor asked, and I cocked my head to the side.
"She did, why?"
"I felt it. In my dreams, I felt that feeling again. I haven't felt that feeling in a long time. I wonder why..."
"You are second in line for the throne." Taylor's head shot up, and we both looked at Jakob, who was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his shoulders.
Jakob uncrossed his arms and entered the room. "What are you talking about?" Taylor asked him.
"You are the second most powerful Gifted." Jakob explained. "I've seen the way it works in packs, before a Beta is actually made. You sense her shift and when she's in danger because if she dies before she produces an heir, you become Queen, and your line becomes the royal blood."
"I don't understand," Taylor was dumbfounded. "Isa is Ariel's Beta. I knew I was the second most powerful but..."
"By choice." Jakob nodded. "But I'm guessing that your lineage has something to do with it."
"What?" Now I was confused. "Her lineage?"
"It's clear that the Gifted are more than just wolves. Clearly your level of power means something. Maybe it has something to do with your ancestry. Your capability to lead was decided by your blood, your powers make you capable of protecting your people." Jakob shrugged. "We're not quite sure, but Sarah has a working theory going."
"So they might be right, when the wolves call us dirty bloods," Taylor said, her eyes downcast. "We're dirtying the line of the Alphas."
"That's not true," I said harshly.
"If anything, you're strengthening the line of the Alphas." Jakob retorted. Taylor didn't look reassured.
Jakob's phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out, glancing down on it. "Ah, duty calls," he pointed at Taylor. "Get better soon. I'll see you around."
He sauntered out the door and left. I shook my head, growling slightly. "Witches," I grumbled. "Always so mysterious."
"I can't wait to get out of here," Taylor said impatiently.
"I'm tired of waiting in a hospital for you to wake up," I said heavily with a sigh. Taylor sighed too.
"I don't try to get in here."
"You were right about Charlie." I said, feeling pain in my chest.
"I wish I hadn't been."
"I do too," I said, feeling sadness and anger boil in my veins. How did I lose him? How did this happen?
The door opened and Orion entered the room, Axel right behind him. They both nodded to me, and I stood, inhaling deeply.
"I have to go," I said to Taylor, and she looked up at me.
"You're leaving?" her voice sounded so small, so vulnerable, I almost stayed.
"I have something I have to do."
She glanced at my best friends, and then back at me. She realized what I was saying, and she gasped.
"Oh no, Evan, don't do it." she begged me, trying to get out of the bed. I was quick to push her down gently holding her down.
"Baby, I have to do this. For me. I need answers." I said to her.
"At what cost?" Taylor asked me, desperation in her eyes. "What will it cost, Evan? Are those answers really worth your soul?"
I cupped her face in my hands, relishing the feeling of her smooth, soft skin against my fingertips. "I'll be back before you know it, soul intact. I swear it." I promised her.
"Please don't go. Don't leave." her voice broke, and she stared at me with shattered eyes. My heart hurt for her.
"It's okay, baby, they'll be here, they'll take care of you until I'm back."
"Don't leave yet," she begged. I turned to my Beta and nodded to him. The two men left the room, and I turned back to Taylor when they closed the door behind them.
"I'm coming back," I promised her.
"Just leave him there, Evan. Just leave him there. Just let it be," she said. "Or have Kaden handle it alone. Don't leave me here."
I climbed into the hospital bed and held her shaking body in my arms, stroking her black hair, holding her head against my chest. I couldn't leave her when she begged me to stay.
I just couldn't.
But I had to.
She fell asleep in my arms and I untangled her limbs from mine, leaving the room quietly. Orion and Axel were waiting in the waiting room, and Axel stood up when I entered.
"What's it gonna be?" he asked me.
"Don't let her out of your sight. I'll be back in a day. She's in a fragile mental state right now, try not to break her." I said to them.
"Should you leave now? If she's fragile, she needs you. Kaden can wait a little longer-"
"I've waited long enough," I cut Orion off, glaring firmly at him. "Just... just take care of her. Please." I added, leaving them and leaving the hospital.
||Taylor's P.O.V||
"I want to go home," I whined, huffing in irritation at Axel, who sent me a bemused look.
"Doc says you have to stay. Evan says you have to listen to the Doc." Axel told me.
"What does he know? He left," I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest, and looking away. "He always leaves," I muttered under my breath, irritated.
"Aw, c'mon Taylor, this is different." Axel protested. I deadpanned him, and he groaned, throwing his hands up in the air. "I give up with you." he grumbled out.
"Taylor!" the door swung open, and Emmy ran into the room, hurrying over to the bed. "You're okay!"
"Hey kiddo," I greeted, immediately feeling happier seeing her face. "How are you?" sadness and worry swirled in her blue eyes, and for some reason she tilted her head down, looking guilty. "What's wrong?" I asked her, concerned.
"I knew he was a bad man. I heard him saying mean things about you on the phone, but I didn't say anything. I'm sorry, Taylor." Emmy's eyes welled up with tears, and she began crying. "I was scared."
"Oh, come here baby," I cood, opening my arms for her. She climbed up onto the hospital bed and cuddled into my chest, sobs shaking her body.
I saw through the glass in the door that Axel and Anna were talking just outside. Axel was asking about Emmy, and Anna said Emmy's sleep had been filled with bad dreams. She brought her here to convince Emmy I was okay.
"I'm okay, sweetie, I promise." I whispered, stroking her blonde locks away from her tear stained cheeks. "I was just sick for a little bit, but Dr. Sarah made me all better. See?" I stuck my tongue out at her and crossed my eyes.
She laughed, but didn't sound convinced. "I'm sorry you were scared, Emmy. But I'll make it up to you. How does a Disney movie night sound?"
She cheered up slightly. "Frozen?" she asked in a small, hopeful voice. I nodded enthusiastically.
"Whatever you want. It'll be our special night. And we'll do it every week, how does that sound?" she grinned up at me, her tears forgotten.
"Great!"
||Evan's P.O.V||
I drove into the gated area around the Ice Pack house, my hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. I was dreading every second of this.
I needed to be the Star Alpha. I couldn't be the man Taylor wanted me to be right now. Now, I had to be the monster again.
Why can't I just be both? I wished desperately.
Because she'll never let that monster take control. That dark voice inside of me whispered.
Maybe that's a good thing, I shot back bitterly.
I drove up to the pack house, turning into the parking lot. A car went speeding past me, the sound of tires of asphalt squealing loudly.
I parked and got out of the car, walking over to Kaden, who was standing in front of the lot where the car in question had been parked.
"What was that about?" I asked, jutting my thumb over my shoulder.
"A rogue gave Ariel a breakthrough," Kaden replied, and I knew that was the end of the conversation. Kaden was one of my closest friends, but sometimes, he barely spoke a word.
We walked in silence into the prison, passing the gates and the fences lined with barbed wires at the top. We walked down the levels in silence until we stopped in front of an interrogation room.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kaden asked me, looking at me with no emotion in his eyes.
"I have to do this." I said somberly, nodding firmly. Kaden shrugged and nodded to the guard posted at the door. The guard typed in the code and then slid out the lock, letting us in.
The room was dark, and Charlie sat in a silver chair, handcuffed, a silver table bolted to the floor in front of him.
There were two chairs on the opposite side of the table, and I sat down in one, feeling all kinds of emotions boiling in me.
Rage, grief, betrayal, you name it, I felt it.
It was one of the worst emotional trips of my life.
Charlie looked up at me, and I knew then that my brother was truly gone. The facade was over, and he stared at me with hard, dead blue eyes, a cold sneer on his face.
His blonde hair was stringy, plastered to his pale forehead, and there were bags under his eyes.
"Good to see you, brother," Charlie sneered.
"My brother is dead." I replied coldly, shutting off my emotions and letting that inner monster take over.
Charlie smirked. "Oh yes. They did kill Charlie. Slowly. Deliberately. Painfully. It wasn't pleasant."
He was attempting to get a rise out of me, but it didn't work. I was not weakened by Taylor like he had thought.
She had made me stronger.
"Who helped you? I know you had someone on the outside. Who was it?"
"Like I'd ever tell you," Charlie laughed maniacally.
"I'd love to put you out in the yard and tell people you're the Alpha's brother," I said, cocking my head to the side. "Or perhaps spin a little story about you and some disgusting act towards a child. I'm sure you'd be dead by morning."
Charlie glared at me, a glint of anger in his eyes. "You can't do that. That's against the law."
"You're right. I can't," I shrugged. "I have no control over rumors that inmates spread among each other."
"You think you're above the law because you're an Alpha?" Charlie spat, lunging forward at me. The handcuffs were chained to the floor, and I didn't flinch when he moved. "You think you're entitled to anything? You'll learn soon enough."
"Seems it's you who's been taught a lesson." I replied.
"Oh yeah? And what's that? The almighty authority of an Alpha?" Charlie sniffed. I smirked and chuckled darkly.
"No. Taylor warned you never to underestimate her. How's your ribs?" I asked innocently. A growl escaped Charlie's mouth, and I smirked.
"If you somehow managed to escape, Taylor would hunt you down, teach you another lesson. Seems like you need it," Kaden smiled unpleasantly, and I wanted to laugh.
Charlie was enraged. "That bitch will learn! When she's strapped to another table and I'm given her power, she'll learn!" Charlie yelled.
"The Good Doctor," I mused, arching an eyebrow at my brother. "So that's who helped you."
"She'll do to her all the things Taylor sees in her nightmares," Charlie spat. "And then, she'll let me do the honors of shattering every bone. In. Her. Body."
I prided myself in not making a move, but really, I wanted to lunge across the table and destroy him.
"Good luck with that. Seems that Ariel has other plans," Kaden drawled, heading towards the door. "Have fun watching this all unfold while you're in your little cell."
He banged on the door and the guard opened it. I rose to my feet and left the cell. I knew Charlie was waiting for me to turn around, to say something, because he wanted to shoot back and have the last word against me.
But I said nothing and left, and the door closed behind me, the sound reverberating in my skull.
My brother was dead.