ALEXANDER
My daughter stays in my arms. The side of her head is bleeding, but it is not a deep wound.
However, her Mommy was shot two times and shows no signs of healing. My heart jumps in my throat every time I look at her pale face, which is resting in my lap. I had taped her wounds to stop the heavy bleeding. Bullets didn’t hit any vital organs, it seems, and she is still alive. But she needs immediate medical care.
I can’t take her to any human hospital because I am not sure to what extent her werewolf powers are non-existent, so Levi is driving my car back to our pack.
Layla is breathing, and her heart is beating. But my breath is stuck in my throat, and my heart has forgotten its usual rhythm.
Seeing her like this is pure torture. I thought I would be happy if she left my sight and my life, but right now, that thought is stealing little pieces of my soul. It’s an intense pain that I feel in my heart every time I imagine her dying and leaving Ayla and me behind.
“Step on it, Levi!” I hiss, tightening my hold over my daughter’s back.
Both girls have started to mean so much to me, and both are injured. It’s my failure. I couldn’t protect even one of them. If something happens to Layla, I will forever remain guilty and become half of what I am.
“Theo’s pack is close, Alpha. Their pack doctor can operate on her and get the bullets out. I don’t think we can wait long enough to get to our pack. How about we take her there?” Levi blurts, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.
I purse my lips, which threaten to tremble, and look down at the lifeless face of the woman half lying in my lap. Her heartbeat is slowing down.
“Take us there. Hurry the fuck up!” I hiss. I can endure that fucker if it means I can save Layla’s life.
I wanted her to die when I found out she stole my child and kept her hidden for so many years.
But right now, I don’t want her to die. I desperately want her to live and stay with Ayla—stay with me.
I don’t understand this fear, this change in me. I want to blame it all on my lust for her, but the strong emotions overwhelming can’t be a part of my plan to fuck her. It’s something more, something so strong that it fucking threatens to bring me to my knees.
Levi turns the car towards Theo’s pack while I hold both my girls close to me. We reach there in half an hour and Theo is already waiting for us on the border in his car.
Levi shoots me an assuring look through the rearview, silently letting me know that he mind-linked a warrior to inform the Alpha heir about the situation at hand.
Theo’s car guides us into the infirmary. When Levi stops the car and jumps out, I hand Ayla to him and pick up Layla to run inside the two-story building.
Theo stumbles out of his car and approaches me. His wide eyes take in the blood on Layla’s body before meeting my face.
“What did you do?” He hisses.
I don’t stop to hear his tantrum and make my way to the female pack doctor pacing around the hall anxiously.
“She was shot. Two times. The bullets are still inside her body, and she can’t heal. “I utter in a single breath.
“I know about her lacking healing abilities. Please bring her here.” The doctor runs in the right direction, and I follow her hurriedly, my heart drumming in my ears dangerously.
“She was shot?! She was fucking shot?!” Theo yells, joining my side and softly touching Layla’s limp head.
I go inside the room, and the pack doctor enters and puts Layla down on the bed. Her blood spills out of the tight tapes, making me place my hand over her chest to suppress the flow.
“Layla.” Theo runs to the other side of the bed and pats her cheeks softly.
Nurses come rushing inside the room, preparing everything in a hurry. I take my eyes off Theo and Layla and look at the doctor, who is wearing her gloves.
“She is bleeding too much. She will fucking die at this rate. Get here already!” I hiss, struggling and failing to maintain the calm exterior that is my identity.
The doctor nods and rushes over to Theo’s side. He steps away hurriedly, letting the doctor take over.
Nurses cut her shirt from the middle before her bra follows, leaving her bare to everyone’s eyes. The grey tapes on her skin are ripped off to expose her wounds, and blood comes bubbling out like a full fucking fountain.
“You two need to step outside. I can’t treat the patient in your presence.” The doctor says in a busy tone while nurses press on Layla’s wounds to stop the blood.
“How bad is it?” Theo asks, sounding panicked.
“I can’t tell yet. She has lost lots of blood, and transfusion is not possible because she is a werewolf in the end.” She says without looking away from Layla.
My breath catches in my throat as my gaze drifts to her lips, which are becoming drier by the moment. She won’t be able to get any blood transfusion because all werewolves have unique blood types, and their bodies don’t accept other’s blood. If you are not reading this novel on J obn ib.com, some sentences are incomplete. Visit J o b nib.com to read the complete sentences for free. Many werewolves draw out their blood and keep it stored just in case something like this happens to them, but I doubt Layla ever thought about it.
“She will heal with potions,” I mumble.
“Only if her body is in the condition to accept those potions, Alpha.” She replies busily.” now, please step out.”
“You have to save her.” Theo hisses dejectedly before he walks out of the room.
“Alpha. Please.” A nurse pleads from the side for me to get out of the way and leave the room.
My gaze stays fixed on her face. She will die without any blood transfusion and healing potions. That’s why I hated her. She had always been weak and easily killable. Now, she will leave me behind and fucking die because she can’t heal.
“Alpha…”
“I will not leave the room. I will not fucking leave her alone.” My eyes flash bright silver as I look at the nurse. She jumps in her spot and rushes away to get out of my sight.
I walk away from the bed to allow the nurses and doctor enough room to treat her and stand in the corner, watching them dig in her flesh to pull the bullets out.
My stomach churns at the amount of blood she loses. My heart leaps to my throat after every moment.
‘Ayla is fine. I treated her wound. I think she will wake up soon.’ Levi informs through the mind link.
I don’t answer him. I know my daughter will be fine. I checked her wound thoroughly myself. I couldn’t be standing here if I doubted she was in danger.
‘What about Layla?’ He asks reluctantly.
‘She will live.’ I reply stubbornly.
Alpha. I think we should call Daphne here. She should meet Layla before…
‘I said she will live.’ I state, shutting him up.
He believes she will die. The doctor hovering above her unconscious and bleeding body shakes her head every other second, silently believing the same thing.
How can she die? How can she fucking embrace death after making a mess of me?
I grit my jaw and watch silently as they get the bullets out and treat her wounds. After a few hours, they are done patching her up, but her vitals are unstable.
The tired and bloodstained doctor turns to me. She pulls the mask down and opens her mouth, hesitates, and closes it.
“What is it?” I ask, retaining my calm.
“We did everything we could, Alpha. She has lost too much. We can only hope that she wakes up somehow and her body doesn’t go into shock.” She whispers, nervously exchanging glances with the other two nurses.
I can sense their fear. They know she is going to die, yet they are reluctant to tell me the truth.
“She will die,” I mumble.
“We shouldn’t lose hope yet. She still has a small chance of waking up. When she wakes up, we can give her the potion to heal her.” She tries to get me to calm down, but it’s not working.
Nothing will work except those defiant eyes peeking back at me and those sweet lips hurling insults my way. I can take anything Layla has in store, but not this kind of betrayal. She can’t die and leave me to raise Ayla alone. She wanted a happy family. How can she go back to her words and wishes now?
“Get out,” I whisper.
“Alpha, we should—”
“You have a minute. If I see any single one of you in the room after that, your murder will be on you. “I lift my gaze to the doctor’s terrified face, conveying the threat.
The three of them run away from the room, and I stroll to the side of the broken body on the bed. She already looks like a ghost.
How fucking dare she?
How can she do this to herself?
She protected our daughter so fiercely and forgot how fragile she was. She also needed to be saved. My hand reaches for her forehead, brushing the bloodstained hair away.
“How can you bail out like this? Do you think you can be free of everything if you die?” I whisper, finding my fingers shaking slightly.
Surprise crosses my face. I can’t remember if my hands ever shook for a woman.
She is dying, and my heart is saying that I need to save and protect this fragile woman who fights so madly for our daughter, the woman who pretends to be strong and ends up crying over small things, the woman who smiles the brightest and drives me crazy just by existing.
I grab the scalpel placed on the side and slide the tip down my wrist before covering my wound with my lips. This is a secret I was supposed to take to the grave. Lycan blood can heal all wounds and all pains. But I am ready to share that secret with her if it means I can save her.
The beast in me says that it’s a waste of my blood and I should be getting rid of her at this perfect time, but that thought is shredding my soul into pieces.
I sip a small amount of blood and lean down to press my lips into her mouth. She gasps for breath almost immediately, reacting to my touch like it’s a part of her muscle memory. I kiss her deeper and make her drink my blood. Her throat bobs down, taking in the metallic liquid. I sigh, pulling back momentarily.
“You will never leave me,” I whisper over her lips before I press my hungry lips onto hers again.
No matter how she is or what she is, she is mine. And from now on, she will always remain mine. I will protect her with my life. This is my silent promise to her and a vow to myself. She will never escape me.