Page 12 of Alpha's Redemption

“Marcus is on his way,” he tells her, and she nods. He kisses her trembling forehead as she stares off vacantly, her eyes glued to Ben and Emily.

Macey falls asleep for a while, and Zoe leaves to get coffee and update the hotel on their wellbeing. She’s been gone for about five minutes when the alarms start sounding as the monitors go off. Macey sits upright in a panic just as Ben starts thrashing, his heart rate increasing and blood streaming out of his ears and eyes as he tries to breathe around the tube in his mouth.

Nurses rush in, shutting everything off and I squeeze his hand while Macey whispers to him. Ben's eyes open with a crazed gleam, yet I see him—see the boy he once was, the scared look beyond them. He tries to speak around the tube, and one of the nurses runs out of the room, unable to watch when he gasps.

“Mom,” he rasps, the sound barely audible, and Macey breaks, sobbing while clutching his hand. The moment Zoe walks in with the coffees, she shoves the tray at Valen before rushing over, gripping Ben’s legs, and rubbing them.

“Can't you give him something to help calm him?” Macey asks the doctor, who lingers helplessly.

“We have already given him everything. Nothing works,” he murmurs, holding back his own tears.

Macey and the doctor talk, but I just can’t stop staring at Ben’s wide eyes looking back at me unblinking. Before I even think about what I’m doing, I undo his handcuff with the key that sits beside the bed and let down the guard rail on the bed. His hand flails, grasping air before I climb on the bed beside him. Ben snaps and snarls at me. He thrashes when I slide my arm under his body and sit beside him, pulling his legs over my lap.

Gently, I guide his head to rest on my shoulder with my hand on his forehead so he can't turn it to bite as he squirms—not that he can do much with the tube in his mouth. Macey reaches over, holding out her hand for the key to unlock the other cuff. Doc protests, but I hand it to her, ignoring him.

“Luna, he is dangerous,” Doc says, and Valen goes to reach for me, but I pull away.

“No!” I tell Valen when he tries to pull me off the bed.

“Everly,” he whispers, watching Ben grip and claw at my arm with his free hand.

“No, he’s scared. Emily can't hold him, so I’ll do it for her, as she would for me,” I tell him, my voice breaking, knowing she would. No matter the risk to herself, she’s part of our village, and when one falls, the rest pick up the slack.

Macey undoes his other hand and moves over, gripping my shoulder. I readjust him on my lap, turning my face into his hair and humming to him as Macey moves beside Valen. He steps out of her way so she can drag the little side table out of the way and drop the side rail on Emily's bed before walking around to the other side of it. Doctors and nurses try to stop her, but they’re already dying; what does it matter if cords get tangled?

Macey pushes Emily's bed flush against Ben's, who gasps for air. I stroke his hair before gripping his wrist and moving it to Emily's arm. He whimpers, clutching her forearm tightly, and calms; he stops thrashing completely. He may be forsaken, but he knows his mother’s touch.

“She’s right there, Ben. Right here with you,” I whisper to him. “She loves you so much,” I tell him as his breathing slowly evens out. His blood is soaking my shirt, which I realize is inside out anyway, but I simply stare up at the ceiling and just hold him. Macey rubs his back, and Zoe cries while stroking his legs in my lap. The room falls silent, the only sound, his heart rate monitor. I turn my head to look at Emily.

All the things she wanted for her son come to mind: how she worked her ass off to provide for him, never turning down a shift; how she would bring Ben to play with Valarian and Casey if she couldn’t get a sitter, just so she didn’t miss a shift. She wanted so much for him, and this wasn't it. I look at Valen, who stands there with a hand under his chin, worry etched on his face at how close I am to Ben.

This boy is not a monster. He’s a sweet boy. Emily's boy. I kiss Ben's forehead. I can’t fix this; our emergency fund can't bail them out; no cure will save him; there’s nothing we can do. But I can give her one thing.

I let my claws slide from my fingertips before digging them into my palm; my blood pools in my hand. Macey lifts her head and her lips quiver when I move him, making sure his hand remains on Emily. I pull his other hand from under him, preparing to slice his palm too. The moment I do, Valen reaches over the bed and grips my wrist to stop me. I just stare at him. He looks at Ben and drops his head. He knows what I want.

“You're not doing it. His blood could make you sick,” Valen whispers.

“It's all she wanted, and he can't pledge; a blood link is the only way,” I tell him, and he looks down at Emily, who he was leaning over. He sighs.

“I'll do it,” he murmurs, gripping my wrist. He looks up at me and releases me, his eyes on me as he slashes his palm with his claws. Ben doesn’t move or even flinch as I do the same to his free hand that’s lying limp on my belly.

Valen reaches over and grips his hand, and I stroke Ben's hair. “I, Alpha Valen of the Nightshade pack–” his words cut off as he looks up. Marcus is standing behind Zoe, his arms wrapped around her waist and his eyes glazed over; he’s mind linking.

“You sure?” Valen asks, and I see Marcus nod before Valen turns his gaze back to Ben. “I, Alpha Valen of the Nightshade pack, welcome Ben Steele and declare him the new Beta of the Nightshade Pack,” he murmurs. Marcus gasps as his title is stripped, and Zoe reaches up, cupping his cheek with her hand. It will only be temporary, but it probably still stung Marcus.

Suddenly, the mind-link opens up and our pack welcomes Beta Ben, bringing tears to my eyes. I don’t know whether he can hear them, but he will not die a rogue. Valen then does the same to Emily and I feel her tether form. Fear courses through me, knowing soon, both their tethers will sever and it will be crippling, but we can grant this wish. Doc stabs a needle in Valen's arm as he stands back up.

“Precaution,” Doc murmurs to Valen, who nods. I swallow, knowing precisely what he risked for them, yet he did, so I didn't have to.

Macey grabs Emily's hand and kisses it as we wait. About an hour later, Emily's machine starts beeping, and Doc checks it, looking at me, and so does Macey. The nurses bring paddles near the bed like they’re waiting for the time they’ll need them.

Ben's breathing slows, and his heart rate becomes weaker until I suddenly hear him gasp and stop. I clutch him tighter, whispering how much his mother loves him, how much we all love him when his heart rate monitor flat-lines. The newly formed pack tether snaps and pain ricochets through me, ripping at my heart, and my stomach twists. Valen clutches the bed, gasping and sweating until it passes.

I know he is gone.

Zoe sobs and Macey bawls; my entire body shakes as I hold him.

“Luna, we can…” Doc starts to stay, and I stare up at the ceiling.

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