Alphas War

Chapter 58

Several agonisingly slow days passed and I finally found myself standing in the window, watching the sun begin to descend on the afternoon of the full moon. It had been over two weeks now since I had lost the man I loved and with each day, I hoped the pain would diminish slightly but it never did.

"Hey," I heard Chris mutter from behind me. In the reflection of the window I saw him lean against the wall, his arms folded and his eyes locked on me. "Are you okay?"

I didn't have an answer. Was I okay? Today would be the day I would either be reunited with my husband or the day I lost him all over again. My mind felt like a tornado, swirling around and covering absolutely every possibility before whipping it up and tossing it around for a while.

My head has started to pound from the stress. I didn't know what I would do if he didn't wake. I was so so hopeful that he would and it had been all I could think about for days. I imagined every second of our future together and how happy we could be again.

I couldn't bring myself to imagine him not waking.

I shrugged in response to Chris's question. "Do you think he will wake up?" I asked him, keeping my eyes locked on the sun gradually descending in the sky.

He took a few steps forward and stood beside me with his back to the wall once again. "I really hope he does."

I frowned. "So do I," I told him despite the obviousness of the statement. "But that doesn't answer my question."

He sighed loudly. "Honestly?" He asked and I nodded. "I think it's been weeks now and I would be very surprised if he miraculously returned to life after weeks of being dead."

The tears dripped from my eyes. I knew he was right. It was an absolutely ridiculous notion to think he would simply raise from the dead and if it hadn't have happened with my father, I wouldn't believe it for a second. It was totally unbelievable and yet, I had convinced myself it was not only possible but that it would happen. He would come back to me.

"I'm sorry Ella."

I shrugged. "I know it's basically impossible," I told him.

He sighed. "Ryder told us..." he trailed off for a moment before clearing his throat, "he told us what you're planning to do if he doesn't wake up."

"If you're about to try and change my mind then don't bother, you won't," I said, finally turning to look up at him through my tear filled eyes.

"I already know there's no point," he said with a shrug, "but we're here for you, always. And if you change your mind the you'll always have us. You're still our sister."

"Except I'm not."

"Ella we love you," he said, reaching for me and wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Promise me you'll at least say goodbye, if he doesn't wake up. Please?"

I nodded, throwing my arms around his large shoulders and letting him hold me for a moment. I'd done my best to distance myself from everyone even more over the past few days, thinking it would be easier that way. But feeling someone hold me and comfort me felt so nice after so much time alone.

"I promise," I whispered, nodding my head.

"Ella?" A frantic sounding Tyler suddenly called and I turned to see him and Ryder standing in the doorway, Liam and Dean not far behind.

"What's going on?" Chris asked before I got the chance.

"The territory is surrounded," he answered in a growl. "There are humans everywhere with weapons. They're looking for El."

My eyes widened. It took me so long to fathom what he had said that the others had burst into debate on what we should do. I couldn't focus on a single word they were saying. All I could think about was my family.

They were here to kill me. And that meant killing my baby. And Zach was meant to wake up tonight. He would wake up to find his wife and child dead.

"Ella," Chris shook my shoulders gently as the tears fell. I'd thought I was safe. I had a plan to wait until tonight and either be reunited with him in life or in death. Either way my family would be together and now all that would be ruined. "Ella!"

A hard shove against my shoulder pulled me from my state and I looked up to meet Chris's panic filled eyes. "Did you hear what Dean said?"

I shook my head. I hadn't heard anything any of them had said. "You need to leave Ella. If they find you they'll kill you. You need to get yourself and your baby out of here," my father repeated sternly.

I stared, gobsmacked. "But the pack? They'll think I've abandoned them."

He shook his head. "You're protecting their future Alpha. You need to get that baby as far away from harm as you can."

I shook my head instantly. "Zach," I said, my voice cracking. "I have to be here, what if he wakes up?"

Liam approached me, throwing his arms around me. "Go to the cottage El," he whispered in my ear. "The one where your parents used to meet. It's far enough away that they won't find you there. If he wakes up I promise I'll tell him where to find you."

My tears soaked his shoulder. This wasn't how today was supposed to go. "And what if he doesn't?" I forced myself to ask, my throat raw.

He frowned, kissing my forehead. "Then we will come and get you when it's safe."

"What if they kill you?" I sobbed. I couldn't leave everyone I cared about to be attacked while I ran. I didn't even want to live and I was the one being saved while everyone else risked their lives.

"We'll be fine," he stated confidently, "once the moon rises we will be even stronger and a lot harder to kill. If anyone gets injured they will heal. We will all be fine."

I shook my head again. "I should stay. I can just stay in the house and-."

"Ella, it's not safe. They want you dead," Dean interrupted with a shake of his head.

"I don't care," I told him.

"Well I do!" He barked. "Leave. Now."

"El listen to me," Chris took my arm and turned me so I could see him. "Zach can't wake up to find you dead. Okay? We might be getting him back, we can't lose you now. Please just go, we will sort everything I promise. Just go somewhere safe and wait for him to come and find you."

I knew he was right. After weeks, this could be our chance to be together again. All I could do was nod my head before turning back to Liam. "I'll be there," I told him, tears in my eyes as I turned and shot out the back door.

Outside, the territory was alive with pack members, all of them heading in different directions. I imagined the priority of most people would be to find and protect their loved ones.

I headed away from the front of the territory where I knew the attackers would be most concentrated and started heading up the mountain. The shouts and screams of the angry residents of Ridgeview could still be heard as I approached the clearing and crept around the edge, wary of being out in the open.

My mind was fogged with thoughts of whether Zach would awake or not. There was so much to tell him and I wanted him to hear it all from me, not from whoever ended up being there when he woke. It should've been me. I should've been at his side.

Silence descended on me as I moved far enough away from the pack, the only sound being my footsteps as I snapped twigs and crunched leaves beneath my boots.

It was a long and tedious journey to the cottage and the lack of food and sleep was seriously catching up to me as I trudged exhaustedly through the woods, alone and paranoid that I was being followed.

My stomach growled for food and my legs crumpled beneath my weight. I leant against the nearest tree, willing any strength I could muster.

Darkness began to envelope me and a thick fog settled over the woodlands, clouding my already limited vision. I knew it wouldn't be long before I would be transformed into a wolf and hoped that I would regain some strength from the moon.

I made the decision to stay out until the moon reached its peak, still several miles from the cottage. I settled against the trunk of the tree, relieved to be resting for a moment to catch my breath.

I was exhausted and light headed and all my limbs felt weak as the world turned black and my body slid sideways, crumpling to the ground.