Blame

EVERETT

A slicing pain rips through me like a dagger to the heart, and soul, and mind. And a scorching heat rushes through my body, making me clench my fists in pain in front of my Beta and Gamma.

“Alpha, what’s happening?”

“Mate. She’s… She’s hurt,” Chaos cries, distressed and heartbroken.

“She’s not just hurt. She’s… She’s dead.”

My heart is shattering into a thousand pieces. I can barely move without pain shuddering through me with a vengeance.

I need to go to Aurora. She can’t be dead, I won’t allow it. She can’t die. I promised I would protect her. I promised.

“Aurora,” I breathe out, clutching my heart and my head as I writhe on the ground.

Our mate bond has only just been solidified. It’s the most tender time for us to be apart, let alone for one of us to be hurt.

She’s at school. How is she not safe? Is it my fault? Did Nickolas and Victoria do this? Did I tip them off? I promised to protect her. I would do so with my life.

And yet…she is dying, maybe dead already. I need to get to her.

“What about her?” Lucius questions, crouching down to yank me up into my seat.

“She’s hurt. She’s…” I tune in to my waning connection to her, locating where she is so I can go to her. As I thought, she is in an ambulance, heading to a human hospital.

They’ll better treat her there at least. The doctors here might not know how to help her. Someone needs to help her. I can’t lose her. I can’t live without her. My Luna.

“Get me to the human hospital close to here. Hurry! She’s dying.”

They haul me out and into a car. I’m in agony in the back seat, aching for my mate. My beautiful mate. She’s clumsy, perhaps she is merely hurt. I hope that is true.

But it’s not. I can feel it. I can feel her, her life force drained from her body. She’s just a shell. She’s dead already. But I am not giving up. I will never give up.

It feels like the longest drive possible. The human hospital is farther than the school is from the pack, which makes every minute excruciating.

My mate is suffering, and it was my duty to prevent that. She is my duty, my heart, my life. My beautiful Aurora.

When we arrive at the hospital, the pain begins to dull. Perhaps it’s because I’m close to her now. I hope it’s not because she’s already gone and it’s too late.

I run, as fast as I can, and when I spot her friends, huddled around with horrified expressions, I hurry over to them.

“Where is she?!” I exclaim, startling them.

“She’s in the ER; they can’t find a pulse,” a girl says, tears filling her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.

She can’t be dead. She can’t. She’s my life.

“Fuck…,” Lucius mutters.

But Ace, he stays silent. He doesn’t seem upset or concerned. He almost seems curious. Like he knows something, or is waiting to know something.

We wait.

And wait.

And wait.

It wouldn’t be like this if she was in the pack hospital. I could be by her side; I could help her. I could at least quell her suffering. But all I can do is wait.

When the doctors come out, I rush inside, not knowing the outcome.

“She’s de—”

Like life itself has been thrust back into me, every ache and pain leaves my body. My heart is fixed, and I feel the beating heart of my mate, Aurora.

She’s alive. I couldn’t feel her, and now I can.

How is that possible? How is any of this possible?

I catch sight of my mate with doctors and nurses gathered around her, shocked expressions etched across their faces. I push through them, not caring about the protests, and clasp the hand of my now-alive mate.

I’m not even sure she died. She can’t have. Although some humans die for a minute before regaining life. Humans call them miracles, although us wolves have never experienced anything like that.

When wolves are dying, there’s nothing that can be done except easing their pain. Their wolf-healing genes ensure that any injury can be healed, as long as it isn’t too grave.

But Aurora isn’t a wolf. And that’s what scares me even more. She doesn’t heal like I’m used to, and she’s fragile.

I can’t take losing her, not now that I’m so in love with her that any future I can imagine will always include her by my side, my Luna.

“Sir, we need you to leave,” someone declares.

“I’m not leaving my girlfriend,” I state, clutching her hand in mine to feel her touch.

“Is there someone we should call? Family?” the doctor questions.

“No, she lives with me. I’m her family.”

She’s my family. She’s the Luna of the pack, my family. She’s the equivalent to my queen and wife.

“What happened to her? How badly is she hurt?”

“She was hit by a car. Her heart stopped for fifteen minutes, and that’s when we got her in here. A pulse couldn’t be felt.”

“But she’s alive.”

“Yes, she is. It’s a miracle. She has sustained many severe injuries. The hit damaged her spine; she may not ever walk again.

“Both her legs are broken and an arm. A few ribs also. If she survives, she’ll have to be cared for extensively. She has no family?”

“Her mother is missing. I’ll look after her,” I state firmly.

I stay with her for hours, waiting for her to awaken. I just want to know if she’s suffering. What if she never walks again? I would always care for her, but losing the use of her legs, I can’t imagine that.

But I will be here. Forever. She got hit by a car? Why? How? Even she is not that clumsy, is she? It’s because of those “friends” of hers. I know it is.

“Everett,” a small raspy voice calls out, a little squeeze of the hand in my own.

Her gorgeous green eyes flicker open, dazzling me again. She has small and large cuts over her face and neck, and most probably all of her body if I could see it.

The one person I vowed I would protect merely this morning is the person lying here in front of me, paralyzed, pained, and panicked.

Her eyes dart around the room to figure out her surroundings, but they settle on me and she sighs. “You’re here.”

“Of course I’m here, little one. I’m so sorry.”

“Why? Did you run me over?” she asks with a small pained giggle.

“I promised to protect you.”

She sighs and shakes her head at me.

“You can’t protect me from everything, Everett. You have to accept that. Some things are beyond your control.”

“Are you in pain?”

“No.”

“Liar,” I reply with a chuckle. “Seriously, little mate. Are you in pain? I can help, a bit. My touch, it will ease it.”

“Can you…lie in bed with me? I-I can’t feel my legs; I can’t move my bottom half. I’m scared,” she says.

Her words break my heart, but I attempt to keep it together, for her. She’s being so strong; I can’t be the one to break down.

“Anything for you, little one.” I get out of my seat from beside her and lift her to get in slightly under her. “How did it happen?”

“I fell into the road.”

“You’re leaving something out. Lying to me again?”

“I fell, Everett. That’s all.”

“You died briefly. It’s not a ‘that’s all’ thing. That’s serious. I can’t lose you. I can’t ever lose you. Your ‘friends,’ what happened?”

“Nothing happened. Leave it, Everett. Just hold me. I’m tired,” she whispers.

Once she falls asleep again, I leave her room to speak with Lucius and Ace, only to be stopped by her so-called friends.

“How is she?” a girl, Freya, asks.

“Paralyzed. A lot of her bones are broken. She’s tired. You should all go home,” I tell them.

“So you can brainwash her some more. Where is her family?” Jax questions like the annoying asshole he is.

“I’m her family. And this doesn’t concern you. So go home,” I state firmly, almost growling. “Or maybe you want to tell me how she ended up in the middle of the road at lunch?”

“It’s because of you. Because you brainwashed her. She backs away when anyone tries to touch her. Anyone but you. You did this,” Jax argues.

They tried to touch her. Jax tried to touch her and she stepped back. I guess that is my fault. And she is my responsibility. I’m supposed to protect her.

“You all stay the fuck away from her,” I growl lowly. “Stay away.”