Everything hurts. My head is pounding, and I can't move. I try to take a deep breath, but it feels like something is down my throat. I start choking on whatever it is as I try to open my eyes. It's like my body isn't in my control. I try to lift an arm to get whatever it is out of my throat, but it doesn't move. One of my eyes opens slightly, and the room is too bright, so I close it back tightly. The pounding in my head intensifies and a sharp pain shoots up my back.
"Alaina?" I hear that familiar voice say. "She's awake, come get this tube out of her throat, she's choking on it!" Mason orders as he comes and grabs my hand. I try to squeeze his hand to let him know that I am here, that I'm okay, but my arm still won't move. "Can you hear me, Red?" I think I nod my head, but everything hurts so much that I'm not sure of anything besides that at this moment. "Oh, thank God," he breathes. I can feel his head leaning against mine, his breath fanning across my skin. "I was so scared. When we finally got to you, you were covered in blood and your face was so swollen that I could hardly recognize you. You weren't moving as they continued to just beat you. I thought I lost you, the only thing that I held onto was your wolf calling out for mine. If she was still there then you were fighting too." I feel wetness suddenly running down my cheek by his head. He's crying. It must have been bad if an Alpha is openly crying, mate-related or not.
'Mason,' I speak into his mind. His head jerks up and I can feel his eyes on me. I want to open my eyes. I want to look at his beautiful face, but it hurts so much to move anything. My eyelids even feel heavy. His presence seems to ease some of the pain, but not enough.
"I'm here, Alaina!" he speaks, relief flooding into his voice. "Are you okay? The doctor is here to take the tube out now, so you'll stop choking on it, okay? It's been helping you breathe easier while you healed." I don't do anything as I feel the doctor start to pull the tube from my throat. I hear a machine kick off as I start coughing and gagging as the tube is removed. I hear them talking quietly to each other and then the door shuts. The only thing keeping me going right now is I can still feel Mason's hand in mine. "Red? Can you talk to me?" he pleads.
I tried to open my mouth to speak, but my face feels so tight that I can't move. I guess all of the swelling hasn't gone down yet. How long have I even been here? 'Mason, everything hurts,' I whimper softly. 'Please, make it stop,' I plead as I try to fight the pain to move around. The warmth from his touch leaves my hand and I'm about to complain but then I feel him lie beside me in the bed. He's extremely gentle as he wraps his arms around my waist, careful to avoid touching my back at all, and lies back against the pillow. I relax as much as I can into his touch, letting his scent surround me and ease the pain slightly. It's not great, but it's better than before.
"I'm here," he says, kissing the top of my head. Just being in his arms makes relief flood through me. If I'm here with him, then they got there in time before the Rogues could get me out of the territory. "What hurts," he mumbles into my hair.
Everything.
Everything hurts.
But parts of me feel numb and I don't know if that's from whatever medicine they've been pumping into my body or if my body just can't handle that much pain, so it's shut down. I try to open my eyes again, but it's still too bright. Turning my head to hide in his shoulder, he loosens his grip. My neck feels stiff from not being used and it sends a shock of pain down my spine.
"The lights? Are the lights too bright?" he asks worriedly. I manage to nod my head before he gets off the bed to turn them off. The second I feel him move away, the darkness starts to creep back in.
No. No, I don't want to go back there. I want to be with Mason! No matter how hard I try to fight, it seems to be no use. The darkness overtakes me and everything around me slowly disappears back into nothingness.
***
"Leave the fucking lights off!" I hear someone gasp at the demanding voice, and they mumble something about having to check her. "I don't care. The last time she woke up she couldn't open her eyes because it was too bright in here. When she wakes up again, I want to be able to see her eyes. So, they stay off!"
It's Mason talking, that much I'm sure of. I lean closer to his voice, wanting to feel him but all I feel is the bed beneath me. Everything that happened comes flooding back. The Rogues attacking me, me being in with the pack doctor and everything hurting. I'm still hurting, but nowhere near as bad as the last time I remember waking up which is a good thing. My face feels less tight, but my limbs still feel pretty heavy.
"Alpha, I can't check her to make sure she's healing properly in the dark," a small voice explains. I can hear the fear in their voice, and I don't blame them. I can hear the rage in his voice. But behind the rage, I can hear the fear. Fear for me.
"I don't care, you make it work," Mason snaps. I want to reach out and touch him, but my arm won't cooperate.
"Mason, let the doctor take care of her," someone else speaks sternly. "I get that you're worried, son, but if you don't let him make sure she's healing the way she needs to be, you are going to cause more damage. Just back away and let him do his job." I can hear the power behind his voice, so I can only assume that it's Randy. Mason sighs and I feel him move farther away from me. No! Come back! I try to reach out to him, but nothing happens. I groan inwardly at my lack of control over my own body. "Why don't you go take a run? I'm sure you and your wolf need it right now. Alaina is in good hands," Randy continues.
"No, I'm not leaving her side until she wakes up. As much as my wolf wants out so he can run, he wants to be right here even more. And so do I, Dad." Pain fills his voice and it breaks my heart. "It's killing me to see her like this. This is all my fault." His voice cracks slightly. He's going to cry again. No, I'm here. I'm okay. Please, don't cry, sweetie.
"How is this your fault? She was attacked by Rogues sent here by another Alpha. You've done nothing wrong here. Dylan has. He has no right to try and take your mate away. Not to mention the fact that he's been consorting with Rogues, which is unacceptable in itself."
"She begged me to let her be alone for one day. She figured that because she just got introduced to the pack that it would be fine. She wanted one day with her mother without guards breathing down her neck, so I let her go with Brandon or anyone else. If I had just made her take Brandon or anyone this wouldn't have happened. She would have had help fighting those assholes off." He takes a deep breath before delivering the line that crushes me. "Diane said she was trying to contact me through our mind-link but I couldn't hear her. I could feel her through the bond, but I couldn't even sense that she was in trouble. She felt completely fine to me while she was being beaten senseless, Dad."
He's blaming himself for my stubbornness. I did beg him to let me go alone, a decision I'm regretting now. I just wanted some time with my mother and I knew he had people watching me even though I asked him not to.
My mom!
Where is she? Is she okay? Some many questions fill my head right then. I need to know. Focusing on my wolf, I try to use the link again to talk to Mason, but my head just starts pounding. After the pounding subsides, I try again.
'Mason?' I get out. I hear his gasp and before I know it, he's back by my side holding my hand in his. I hear the disgruntled sound coming from the doctor, but Mason ignores it.
"I'm here, Red," he speaks softly. I hear the doctor say that I'm healing wonderfully, but it will be up to me when I wake up now. "I really need you to open your eyes for me, my love. I don't know how much longer I can go without seeing those gorgeous blue eyes of yours. I need to hear you talk to me." The vulnerability in his voice is unmistakable. He needs this, so I will try my best.
I can't get my arm to move, but I can try to say something. "I…" I start but stop because of the dryness in my throat. It hurts to talk, but he needs to hear me. I can push through a little more pain if it will give him some peace of mind
"Oh, Alaina!" I hear him whisper as he leans closer to my face. I hear the door open and shut and then the room fills with nothing but our breathing and the sounds of the machines around me. "Can you try again for me? It's just us now, they left."
I take a deep breath and prepare myself the best I can for the pain I'm about to feel from doing this. "I… love… y-you," I manage to squeeze out. My voice sounds raw and it feels like a fire hot rod was stuffed down my throat, but I can feel his happiness through our bond.
"Please open your eyes," he begs. I pry my eyes open and thankfully find the room dark. I stare up at the ceiling as my eyes work to adjust to the darkness. "Oh, there are those beautiful eyes that I've missed so much." He runs his fingertips along my cheekbone, skipping over a part that I do not doubt there is a cut. I search the darkness for his eyes, but the movement causes my head to start pounding again. I squeeze my eyes shut again, trying to fight off the pain. "No, please don't close your eyes again. What's wrong, Red?"
"My…" I can't get the words out verbally. So, I go with my other option. 'My head! It won't stop pounding,' I whimper. He moves away slightly but doesn't let go of my hand.
"Do you think you can swallow this medicine? Doc said you would most likely have a really bad headache when you woke up due to being under so long with the medicine and that I'm supposed to give you this. If you can't swallow it, I'll have him put it through your IV." I open my eyes to see what he's holding. The idea of swallowing anything sounds awful right now, but if it will make this go away I'll do anything.
Pills. I hate pills… but I will suffer through them if it makes this go away. I nod my head and try to sit up. "Easy," he says as he helps me into a sitting position. Some of the pain eases as he touches me, but the pounding just gets worse with each movement. There's no telling how much pain he's in. I hear that mates can feel part of what the other mate is feeling. If I'm in this much pain, does that mean Mason is too? "Open up, Red," he whispers as he puts the pills to my lips. I let him slide them inside and then I take a drink of water he's picked up and swallow. It hurts, and it feels like the pills take forever to make it down my throat, but eventually, they do.
'Hold me,' I say, looking at him. He nods his head and crawls onto the bed, sitting beside me. He gingerly wraps his arms around me and pulls me to his chest. The pain dulls and I manage to relax some, but I can still feel the sting on my back. I push the thought of my gashes on my back out of my mind. As much as I would love to just enjoy him holding me, I need to know what's happened. 'Is my mom okay?'
"She's fine. She's back at our house with Brandon now," he answers back as he runs his hand up and down my arm. "Speaking of Brandon, you won't be going anywhere without him if I'm not around, do you understand? I will not risk almost losing you again because you are being stubborn. This isn't negotiable, it will happen, or I won't let you out of the house anymore. Okay?" I simply nod my head. I don't want this to happen again, that's for sure. Brandon is my friend, and if it will keep me safe and Mason from being distracted, then so be it.
'The Rogues?'
"Dead," he answers quickly. Anger is still in his voice as he thinks about the situation. "I killed two of them. One of them already had a broken nose by the time I got there. I'm assuming that was your doing?" I nod my head. "I left one alive for now. He's in the cells under the pack house. I'm going to get as much information out of him as I can before he dies." There is a pause. "When I saw you lying there like that… covered in your own blood and not moving, I lost it. I have never experienced that much rage before. I was so scared I had lost you and I only just found you. I love you so much, Alaina. I can't lose you," he whispers against the side of my head. I sigh at his affection and lean further into him.
"I love you, too," I whisper to him. It doesn't hurt as much as before to talk, but I'm assuming that's because of the water I had. It's still raw, but it's bearable. Mason needs to hear me talk to him right now, he needs to know that I'm okay and if talking to him is what will help calm him down and get his mind off the memory of my bloody, beaten body, then I have no other choice.
"Does it hurt to talk? Your voice is really raspy." I can't help but smile at his worry. As much as I don't want him to worry about me, hearing him worry about something as small as my voice is somewhat comforting. I'm alive, I'm awake, and I think he has the right to be worried right now.
"It's sore, but I think that's just because I haven't had anything to drink really and I had that tube down my throat." I start coughing after I finish my sentence and can't seem to stop. A sharp pain shoots through my side and I would gasp if I could manage to catch my breath. I'm going to go ahead and assume that is those broken ribs. After a couple of minutes of coughing, and Mason rubbing soothing circles across my back, I stop, but I can't bring myself to try to talk anymore. 'I'm sorry, I'm just going to talk through the link,' I explain looking away from him. I keep my gaze away, not wanting to see the sad frown I know he's got on his face right now.
"It's okay, Alaina," he whispers as he cups the side of my face and turns my head towards him. I fight him slightly, but the pain from that isn't worth it so I just let him look at my face. "You talk however you need to until you get better. I'm just glad you're awake and able to talk period," he explains as he presses a firm kiss to my head. I nod against his lips and slowly roll onto my side so I can rest more against him. The pain shoots through my ribs again, but my back feels better getting off the cuts. I look up at his face and search for any answers that could give away how bad off I am, or even how long I've been in here, but his face gives nothing away. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he chuckles.
'How long have I been in here?'
The smile that was starting to form on his full lips immediately fades at my question. If that look tells me anything, it isn't good. With the amount of pain I'm still in, I don't imagine I've been here long. "You've been here for about a week now. You woke up two days ago and started talking to me, but when I went to turn the light off… you passed out again," he whispers.
A week? How is that even possible? If I've been here a week then I should be more healed than this, if not healed completely. Why aren't I healing? I dig into my mind to feel for my wolf, but she feels weak as well. Whatever is going on, it isn't good.
'How bad are the injuries? If I've been in here a week I should be more healed than I feel.' I can tell he doesn't want to talk about any of this, but I need to know. Something else has to be going on for me not to be healing. My mind wanders back to how I couldn't smell the Rogues until they were right on top of me. Did they release something into the air without me knowing? Could they have had some help from someone else? My mind immediately shifts to witches, but there hasn't been involvement with witches in… shit I don't even know how long. I push those thoughts aside because witches are nothing more than a story barely even told anymore.
He lies beside me silently, just staring at the wall. I slowly reach up and run my fingers along his jaw to bring his attention back to me. 'Mason, I need to know what's happening. What all was hurt?'
"Your nose was broken. Three ribs broken, one just fractured. The arm you're raising right now," he grabs my arm and kisses the inside of my wrist before continuing, "was broken, but it's healing up nicely, and your leg was broken. There was damage to your windpipe, which is why the doctor decided to intubate you so you could breathe." He shakes his head, and I can see black swirl in his eyes as his wolf surfaces. "They did a real number on you, Red," he growls. He tightens his hold on me, too tight. Another sharp pain shoots across my ribs and I can't stop the gasp from escaping my mouth. He immediately loosens his hold and looks at me with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispers into my hair. I nod and just relax as I wait for the pain to pass. "I'm going to have to remind myself that you're very fragile right now."
'Mason, does the doctor know why I'm not healing right? Even with all of that damage, I shouldn't be in this much pain. Especially since you're by my side. My wolf should be healing but she feels weak too,' I explain as I stare up at him. I have no doubt of the fear in my eyes. If something is wrong with my wolf, what will that mean for me? And what will it mean for Mason? She's still in there obviously, but just how weak is she? I haven't tried to talk to her yet, part of me is scared of what the answer will be.
"He doesn't know." That's not good.
'Mason, when I was out there,' I start and watch as his eyes darken further, but he keeps his hold light on me thankfully. 'I couldn't sense or smell those Rogues until they were right on top of us. I was running and there was nothing. Then I heard a twig snap and I tried to smell to figure out what it was, but I couldn't smell anything. Then there was a wolf behind me. I have no idea how long he was following me or how he got so far into the territory, but he did. While I was watching him, two more came out of the trees. I didn't smell them either.' I pause and lick my lips as I try to think of the proper explanation for this. 'It was like something was interfering with my wolf.'
Mason watches me closely, taking in every word. The confused look on her face lets me know everything I need to know. He doesn't understand that either. Which means nothing good can come out of that happening. The best we'll be able to do is hope that it is a one-time occurrence. A fluke. I feel fear seep into every fiber of my being as I try to imagine who would be willing to help Dylan get me back that much. Dulling my senses is deadly for me. If Dylan wanted me back alive, dulling my senses – and sending Rogues after me – doesn't seem like a smart plan. I push deeper into Mason's chest and push all thoughts from my mind.
'Can I go home? I want to sleep in our bed.'
"I will never get tired of hearing you say that," he whispers happily. "And I don't know. I can get Doc back in here to check on you, but you can't go until he says so. He wouldn't even listen to me when I told him to just treat you from the house. I figured you'd feel better waking up at home than in a hospital bed. If he were anyone else talking to me that way, I would have beat his ass."
'What do you mean?'
"He's been the pack doctor here my entire life. He helped deliver me, so he gets a free pass – to an extent. He was really good friends with my dad, so he's practically family," he laughs softly. It sounds so good to hear him laughing. He needs to laugh more. Maybe that's something we can both work on. Alpha or not, I want him to be able to feel free enough with me to laugh all the time. "I just asked him to come back in here and check on you. He's going to make me get out of the bed with you though."
I reach up and grab his arm and hold on tightly. If he moves, then the pain will come back. 'You help dull the pain. Don't go,' I say looking up at him. He smiles sadly and nods his head as he mumbles, "I'll stay right here." I nod and close my eyes as I take in his scent. My wolf begins to stir for the first time since I woke up. I sigh in relief and focus on her.
'Are you okay?' I ask her. I know I'm doing okay – at least compared to the state I was in a week ago – but is she okay?
'I'm okay, Alaina," she whispers back. She sounds weaker than normal, but she's at least speaking to me now. 'You took most of the damage because you didn't let me help,' she adds. I close my eyes and send up a silent prayer that we are both okay. I don't know what I would have done if something bad had happened to her. I've heard stories of people getting so hurt that their wolf died, leaving them empty. Your wolf is a part of you, losing it would be like losing a big part of yourself. If losing your mate feels like a piece of you is gone forever, losing your wolf would be way worse.
The doctor walks in followed closely by Randy, Emma, and my mother. I smile weakly at them from my resting position on my mate's chest. The doctor walks toward me and smiles. I can see the relief in his eyes to see me awake. "It's good to see you awake, Luna. You had us all worried there for a second," he says, bowing his head to me. I smile in acknowledgment of his respect and wait for him to explain further. He gives Mason a pointed look and raises his eyebrows. "Mason, I'm going to need you to get out of the bed now. Didn't I already tell you not to climb up there with her anyway? Her ribs are broken, and she has three gashes across her back stitched up that are slowly healing. You crawling all over her isn't going to help." I expect Mason to be glaring at the man, but instead, he's smirking at him as he slightly tightens his hold on me. I lean further into his side and fist his shirt in my hand, refusing to part from my mate's side.
"I'm not moving. She said me holding her is helping dull the pain. So, you'll just have to do this with me right here, old man." The doctor looks at me with raised eyebrows and I nod my head. He shakes his head and rolls his eyes as he lightly pops Mason upside the head, causing everyone in the room to laugh or smile. I look around the room and my eyes lock with my mother's. She looks so sad and worried. Once she realizes I'm watching her, she walks up to the bed and leans down to kiss my head. I reach one of my hands up and wrap it around her neck so I can hold her close.
She's okay.
I was hurt, but I was hurt protecting her and my pack. That's good enough for me.
"Oh, my baby," she whispers as she holds me close. "I was so worried. We all were," she pulls back and smiles at me and Mason. 'He really loves you, you know that?' her voice rings out in my mind. I smile and lean further into his side.
"Well, everything seems to be healing just fine, Alaina. I don't know what caused your healing to be so delayed, and even now it's slower than normal, but it's at least healing." I watch as he moves down to my leg and gently rubs his hand up my left leg. I jerk away and hiss as a sharp pain shoots up my leg. "Just as I thought," he mumbles as he moves up closer to us. "The only things that I can see causing you any problems is your leg, your ribs, and your back. Your back should heal in a day or two tops. When it was evident that you weren't healing the way you were supposed to, I went ahead and stitched them close. You have three cuts ranging from your shoulder to the middle of your back. Just be careful not to get them wet until it's completely closed." I nod my head and try to hide my smirk.
'I guess that means sponge baths until I'm all better, sweetie,' I speak straight to Mason's mind. He squeezes me gently, but I can hear his soft chuckle and when I look up at him, he's smirking too.
"Now, it hurts to touch your leg, but have you tried to stand up on it or move it around?" I shake my head, suddenly afraid that it was going to hurt if I did. "Try to move it for me," he instructs as he moves back down the bed. He lifts the blanket completely off me so he can see my leg better. Mason's growl vibrates against my side. The doctor looks up at him and says, "Don't you growl at me boy. Do you want me to help your mate or not?" Mason stops growling but holds me as close as he can without hurting me.
I try to lift my leg, but another sharp pain causes me to stop and cry out softly as I quickly lie it back down. I close my eyes tight as I try to ignore the pain, but it isn't easy. I turn my head further into Mason's side and focus on him instead of the pain. The doctor sighs and pulls the blanket back over my leg.
"I don't want to put a cast on it because if you shift it's going to break the mold anyway. I'm going to let you go home, but you can't walk on that leg to do anything. Until it starts healing properly, you need to keep your weight off it. If you risk walking on it before it's healed, you can risk breaking it again. It shouldn't be too long before it starts healing since your body is already starting to heal itself, but until we know for sure I just want you to be careful. I'm running some tests on your blood now. I'm hoping I can find out why your healing is off. I'll let you know if I find anything." Well, that sounds awful. I nod my head and take a deep breath. I can still feel the twinge where my ribs hurt with every breath, but it's manageable for now.
I can't walk, but at least I can go home.
The doctor studies my face closely, his eyes perplexed. "Are you not talking because you can't or because you don't want to?"
I open my mouth to explain, but when I try to say the first word, another coughing fit hits me. Great, here we go again! The doctor raises his hands in understanding, telling me to stop, and smiles sadly. "Just drink some water and your voice should be back to normal by tomorrow or the next day. It's raw from the tube and the trauma you received during the attack." I nod my head, thankful werewolves have another means of communication until I'm able to talk again. "If you don't have any questions for me, you're good to go, and I'll drop by your house in about a week or so to check on you. If you need me before then, just give me a call."
Mason nods his head and plants another kiss against my head. We all say our goodbyes to the doctor as he leaves us alone with our parents.
"I'm glad you're awake, sweetheart," Emma speaks as she grabs one of my hands and squeezes. "It's always hard seeing one of your children in here, and I've come to think of you as a daughter to me." I smile and glance over at my mom. She looks hurt by the fact that someone else was calling me their daughter. Emma has been there since my mother sent me away… but even if I think of Emma as family – which I do – I have my mother back. I smile at my mom, and the pained look disappears as she smiles back softly.
"I'm glad you're better, Alaina. Mason has been a handful with you in here like this," Randy says with a kind smile. He and Mason are so much alike. Neither of them seems to like to talk a lot around other people unless it's necessary. I smile at all of them, saying thank you through the link before turning to Mason.
'Take me home.' He smiles and kisses my lips, causing my wolf to purr.
"As you wish, my love," he whispers against my lips and carefully gets up from the bed. Mason tells everyone to leave the room so he can help me get dressed. They all move forward one by one to kiss me on my head and tell me how happy they are that I'm awake before heading out of the room. Mason helps me sit up and hang my legs over the side of the bed. I can feel a pang of pain, but it's not as bad this time. I guess that's a good sign.
I pull the hospital gown over my head to find I'm only wearing a bra and a pair of panties underneath. I look up to see Mason staring at my body lovingly. His eyes darken the longer he looks, and I know what's going through his mind because the same thing is going through mine. "It's going to be hell until you're healed," he growls, confusing me. He must have caught onto the look on my face because he smiles and steps closer to me. His hands run lightly up my sides and back down until they're resting against my waist. "I can't make love to you until you're healed. If you're hurting and in pain, I can't do that to you, now can I?" I look up into those gorgeous amber eyes and nod my head smiling. His head falls back as he laughs out. I smile up at him. My favorite sound. When he looks back down at me, his eyes are alight with laughter and a bit of mischief. "I've already turned you into a sex-crazed woman, haven't I?"
Again, I nod my head smiling sweetly up at him. He laughs again and kisses me briefly.
I know what I'm doing, and I'm hoping that even with the pain, he will just give in and give me what I want. I'm in pain, but I need to feel him against me. I need him to help heal me in every way. "Stop looking at me like that, Alaina!" he scolds. I pout up at him instead until he groans and presses a hard, wet kiss against my lips. I smile into the kiss and tangle my hands into his hair, but Mason pulls away and rests his hands on the bed beside me. I huff but figure I have time to get him to come around to my side. "You're going to be the death of me woman!" he exclaims before he helps me pull my shirt down over my head.
My laughter rings out, but I quit my teasing…
For now.
***
After getting completely dressed, Mason carefully lifts me into his arms and walks out of the room. I wrap my arms loosely around his neck and play with his hair as I do my best to distract myself from the pain shooting through my ribs with every step. His hair is starting to curl around his ears. He's going to need a haircut soon if his hair keeps growing so fast, but then again if he were to grow it out there would be more for me to run my fingers through. More to grab onto when he… no, I can't think like that right now. I need to save those thoughts for when we are at home and I can try to get him to follow through with them. I can handle a little pain if it means the pleasure that comes from Mason touching me.
Brandon and Jason are sitting in the waiting room watching the small TV mounted on the wall when we walk into the room. As soon as they hear us, they're on their feet and the TV is turned off. I smile weakly at the both of them. I've only been around Jason a handful of times when he was running in or out of the house. I can't help but stare at his eyes for a second. The bright green color really stands out against his dark skin. He's tall, about the same height as Brandon, and well built. I can see why Mason decided to let his best friend become his second in command. Being a Beta is an important job. You can't be weak to do it.
"Alaina," Brandon's voice pulls my attention off Brandon, "you scared the hell out of me! What were you thinking trying to take on three Rogues by yourself?" he asks, crossing his arms over his chest. I shake my head and smile at him. Mason growls lowly in warning, but I just squeeze his neck. Brandon has easily become my best friend in this pack. He has a right to be upset. I shrug my shoulders and turn my attention back to Jason. He bows his head, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Luna, it's good to see you awake and going home," he says. I nod my head in agreement and turn my attention back to Mason who's smiling openly at me. He leans in to press a quick kiss against my cheek before turning his attention towards the door. The two wolves fall in step behind us as we head out of the building. As soon as we step off the steps, someone comes sprinting out of the woods straight for us. I tense up slightly, but quickly relax when I realize he's a pack member. I try to play it off like it was nothing, but I can feel Mason's eyes on the side of my face. The small squeeze of reassurance is unneeded but appreciated.
"Alpha, Luna," he gasps as he bows his head. I can see the strain on his face as he fights to stay on his feet. He's young, no doubt fast so that's why he was sent for… whatever it is he's here to tell us.
"What's going on?" Mason asks in a serious tone. I look at Mason's profile as he waits for the boy to talk. His jaw is tense, and his eyes have a slight squint to them. God, he's sexy as hell when he's in his serious Alpha mode. And since he's usually in that mode, bonus for me.
"The prisoner," he breathes. My head jerks back to him as I fight to keep my breathing even. "He's started talking," he finishes and works to catch his breath.
My eyes widen at the information. I was expecting Mason or Jason to have to work him over well to get anything out of him. Rogues hate packs. They hate everything they stand for. So, any Rogue that isn't killed instantly isn't going to give away anything without a fight. Not unless they want something in return that is.
"He said he will only talk to you and tell you everything you need to know if the Luna is there with you," he finishes as he lifts his eyes to look at the two of us. Mason growls at the boy and I can't help but feel sorry for him as he shrinks back and quickly lowers his head. We all know that growl isn't directed at him, but at the Rogue scum waiting in his cell. I even have to fight the urge to lower my head in submission.
Mason looks at me before looking back at the boy again. 'We need this information, Alaina. But if you're not comfortable going into the cells to see that monster then I will take you home and have Brandon stay with you. I can handle this. He'll talk whether you're there or not.'
I take a deep breath and take in his words. Am I ready to look at the face that caused me so much pain? I don't want him to think that he's won anything because he hasn't. I won't let him have the satisfaction of causing me any more pain or fear. I can't deny that the attack has rattled me. I'm not sure if it was because I got beaten so badly, or because of whatever was interfering with my senses, but I'm rattled. However, the pack needs this information, so whether I'm rattled or not, I'm going.
'I want to go and look that bastard in the eye while he gives away the information we need. He needs to know that he hasn't won anything. I'm alive and he's in a prison cell. He's won nothing but his own death,' I speak strongly through the link as I look at Mason. Mason smiles slightly and nods his head.
"That's my girl,' he whispers in my ear before nodding to the boy and starting to walk in the direction of the pack house. I pull myself closer to him as I work up the nerve to keep the straight face I will need for this. I glance back over Mason's shoulder to see Brandon and Jason following close behind. I nod my head once before turning my attention forward.