Page 3 of Alpha's Redemption

“No, she’ll pull through.” I look over at Emily with tubes hanging out of her—she can live without legs. And shewillpull through. I have to believe that. I have to hang onto that.

We’re ushered out into a waiting room while she’s prepped for surgery and taken away. For hours, we waited, desperate for any news about Emily.

All other issues suddenly seem small in comparison. It’s hard to believe that just a short time ago, I was fighting publicly with my father, challenging his title. Macey paces frantically, and I’m surprised she hasn't run tracks into the floor. Zoe stares off blankly, biting her fingernails—a terrible nervous habit she has—but I let it go. I just sit still, numb to everything going on around us. After what feels like eons, the doctor comes down the corridor, and we all jump to our feet. He holds out his hands, and we wait to hear what he has to say.

“She is stable. They are moving her to one of the wards soon, but the infection is moving rapidly throughout her body and putting pressure on her heart. We will be running more tests overnight, but she is a fighter,” Doctor Porter tells us, and I let out a breath of relief.

“Can we see her?” I ask, and he nods.

“Yes, just let them get her settled first. She is not responsive, as you know, and I don't see that changing anytime soon, but for now, she is stable. I will have a nurse come get you when you go in,” he tells us, and we all nod.

Macey grips both of us, tugging us to her. “Thank the Goddess,” she whispers, squeezing us tight.

ChapterTwo

Everly

We get to see Emily and sit with her for about an hour. Tubes are hanging out of her nose and mouth, her arms covered in even more. The room smells heavily of antiseptic, but I can still smell the infection running through her veins, and the IV of antibiotics hooked up to her. Emily doesn’t deserve this; nobody does.

She looks so frail, her skin pale, and I find it hard not to break down. Emily was always so bubbly—a real chatterbox. Seeing her like this is heartbreaking. I pray she wakes up soon, pray she will pull through this. I would even drink her terrible coffee. Goddess, I wish I could be drinking that horrible coffee. I wouldn't even complain if it meant she’d come back to us.

Eventually, Zoe has to leave to help Marcus, and Macey wants to go home and check on Taylor. We aren't sure if she can hear us, but they both say goodbye to her anyway. Sitting next to Emily, I hold her hand, rubbing circles on the back of it.

“You hold on, Em. Benny needs you,” I tell her. Kissing her hand, I tuck her blankets around her and reluctantly leave as well. It’s dark as I climb into my car—it’s the middle of the night—and I listen to the radio as I head toward the old commune and to Emily's mobile home on my way to the hotel. I feel mentally and physically drained, and all I want to do is go home, see Valarian, and crawl into bed beside my mate.

The commune is all mud and puddles, the rough terrain a little slippery since the storm, yet I manage to navigate through to the back where Emily's trailer is and get out. Using the key Officer Derrick gave me not long after she went missing, I use it to unlock the flimsy door.

I step inside the tiny little place she shares with her son. Toys and stuffed bears rest on the bed they share, a small TV is perched in the corner, and the walls are littered with Ben's artwork. I see two jars of her special home-made coffee and chuckle.

I also see a blue duffle bag hanging on a hook on the wall and grab it. After going around the little home looking for clothes with her son's scent on them, I carefully bag them, making sure not to taint them with my scent; I hope it will give Emily comfort in her vulnerable state. I also tidy up a little and while doing so, I find a picture of her and Ben taped to her fridge, both smiling as they stand out in the front of the school.

He’s only nine years old, and is her entire life, her world; and she’s a good mom, quirky, but that's what everyone loves about her. No one loves her more than her son, though. Emily works her ass off, and her only dream is that her son will grow up and one day become part of a pack and have the opportunities the other pack kids have.

We all wish that our kids will be a part of something bigger than us; that they’ll achieve more than us. It’s what most parents dream of for their kids; to give them more, watch them grow and succeed, knowing we got at least one thing right.

Grabbing the picture, I put it in the bag for her just as my phone starts ringing in my pocket. Valen's name pops up on the screen.

“Where are you?” he says, his voice frantic.

“At Emily's place, grabbing a few things for her room. I'm hoping something with Ben's scent will help her hold on,” I tell him.

“Head home now! A forsaken got past the borders! The border patrol has been chasing it for an hour; it keeps going to the commune. Get out now, Everly!” he orders.

“What?” I shriek, looking nervously out the open door of the trailer.

“I’m sending men to your location. Get out now!” he says, and I hurry to grab the bag. Rushing out the door, I lock it before running to my car and tossing the bag onto the passenger seat before quickly starting my car.

“Marcus is on his way!” I hear Valen say as I put the car in reverse and look around into the darkness of the night. The tires spin, yet I’m not moving! The truck only groans as the engine revs, spraying mud everywhere and up the side of my truck. I try to drive forward, but it only makes the hole deeper. I’m stuck!

“Everly?”

“I'm stuck,” I tell Valen. My breathing becomes louder as panic sets in.

“Hold on, I’m on my way,” Valen says.

“What about Valarian?” I ask, glancing at the phone on the passenger seat, though the sound is coming through the Bluetooth in the car. I don’twant my son anywhere near here if a forsaken is on the loose.

“Tatum will watch him till my father gets here,” Valen says before hanging up.

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