Page 47 of Alpha's Choice
I leaned against the tree, the rough bark scratching my back through my shirt as I slid down. A high-pitched screeching rang in my ears as the creature fled to the treetops, the wolf chasing it from below.
Another wolf ran up, transforming into a naked man. He kneeled in front of us. It was a warrior from the Council. “Luna Emma. Let me help you to the hospital.”
I tried to stand again, but the world was spinning around me. The man sprang forward, his arm wrapping around me to hold me steady. “We’ve already linked Alpha Tobias. He’s on his way.”
Mark was standing now, looking far from steady himself. His shirt was off, and he was pressing it hard against his chest, putting pressure on his wound.
“Better put shorts on before the Alpha arrives.” Another Council wolf showed up, this one clothed. He handed the warrior a pair of shorts and a shirt. “If he saw you naked holding his mate, who knows what he would do.”
The now-clothed warrior picked me up and ran towards the hospital, the other man following at a slower pace with Mark. We reached the hospital as Tobias’s wolf arrived, a smaller wolf trailing some distance behind him.
Tobias shifted and growled at the wolf holding me, who wasted no time in handing me over to my mate. The smaller wolf shifted into an older man, who bent over to catch his breath.
“Take her to the first room after the nursing station, Alpha.” The man’s breath came out in gasps. “I’ll be there in a minute. And my best nurse is on her way.”
Tobias carried me toward the building. My adrenaline was fading fast, and my vision grew darker as I relaxed in Tobias’s arms.
* * *
Tobias
My heart raced as Emma slumped in my arms. I laid her on the bed in the exam room and scowled, waiting for the doctor.
Though he had done a good job keeping close, my brain knew he couldn’t run as fast as me. He needed a minute to recover.
But my wolf insisted I drag the man in here to fix our mate now. I paced, trying to rein in my wolf. Emma needed me to be in control.
Dr. Williams entered the room and gave me a cautious look before approaching Emma. I gave him a stiff nod and held back a growl when he reached out to touch my mate. A pack nurse ran in and went over to assist him.
One of the Council wolves stopped in the doorway. “We have another injured human out here. We’ll handle first aid on him until you check out the Luna, or more of your medical staff returns.”
The doctor called out to him. “Is he conscious? Can he give me an idea of what happened to the Luna?”
“An unknown creature attacked them. He said the Luna hit her head when the creature threw her into a tree.”
A growl slipped out.
The Council wolf gave me a wary glance. “Alpha Tobias. One of our men chased after the creature, but he lost the trail before reaching the western border. He and a few others are trying to pick it up again.”
Matthew arrived. “Tobias, you focus on Emma, and I’ll take care of everything else.”
I nodded in gratitude. My wolf wanted to hunt down the creature and tear it apart, but that wouldn’t help Emma. I needed to be here for her when she woke up.
I focused on Emma’s pale face, willing her to open her eyes. My wolf wanted to pull the doctor and nurse away from her and take her in our arms, but I fought to keep control. Times like this our wolves could be a detriment, as they ran on pure animal instinct.
Finally, Dr. Williams and the nurse stepped away from her to address me. “I want to get an MRI to assess the extent of her head injury. Her other injuries are minor, just a few scrapes and bruises.”
“When will she regain consciousness?”
“I expect within the next few hours. We’ll continue to monitor her. Once she wakes up, we’ll reassess and give you a treatment plan for the concussion. In the meantime, you’re welcome to stay with her.”
I moved to the chair beside her bed and took her hand. My wolf settled a little at the contact, but I knew the longer she was unresponsive, the harder it would be to control him.
CHAPTER24
Emma
I woke to the sound of steady beeping. My eyes felt glued shut, and I lifted my hand to rub them. It surprised me how weak I was. Just raising my arm to my face exhausted me.
