Book 2: The Alpha Who Cursed Me

Chapter 18: Where there is light there is darkness

Tyee drops Jayden and I off at the hospital. He won't let me go. Scared and confused Lena agreed to let him stay by my side. And I promised not to take him into an exam rooms.
Tyee had to leave briefly to go set traps and check on the border patrol.
"Jayden guard our girl for me little guy." Jayden nods sitting up taller on my lap as Tyee bends down and kisses my forehead. "I will be back soon. I promise. I have to meet Alo and finish protocol." I nod tears pooling behind my eye lids. I flutter my eyelashes to keep them from dropping. As Tyee walks out the door Lena walks into the waiting room with two guards. I know they are there for safety reasons but it still makes me shutter.
Lena explained that Leia was ok. And was in the process of getting stitched up and would be here shortly.
I kept staring at the door hoping for better news about Alpha Kai. Sensing my anxiety baby Jayden touched the side of my face and a snapshot popped up. But this time it flickered through a series of pictures like a flip book. I couldnt stop the tears from falling. "This is it isn't?" I said to no one in particular. I knew this moment was coming but I'm still not prepared. I thought we had more time.
"Please." I cried out softly
"Please... wait." It was almost like a question. But I knew in my heart of hearts there was no stopping this destiny.
My rocking back and forth put Jayden to sleep and Lena took him and placed him in his car seat. Bounce her knee to curb her nerves. Baby Alo loving the motion. He eventually went to sleep as well. We set there for what seemed like forever.
Finally Tyee, Mama Pen, and Alo Sr. showed up. " No sign of Alpha or Luna yet?" Alo asks rhetorically.
All of us in our own head about what could be going on. All coming to our own worse case scenario. Minutes seemed like hours and hours seemed like days. Not really knowing what to say. Or do. We sat there. Mama Pen stopped 3 nurses while we waited with no updates. A hour and forty five minutes late. Leia came walking through the door.
We looked up at her. Sighing a little bit of relief.
"What's the update?" Leia asks
"Mama Pen found out that Kai is in surgery. Doctor says they are trying everything......... But Leia."
Tyee stood up. "As your Gamma. And your personal guard. Leia I need to tell you. That as Luna. While Kai is healing. By laws state with no heir. You will be acting Alpha."
The silence was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
"I need to get to work." Leia says stiffly
"What?" I exclaimed!
"Leia you are also wounded." Mama Pen says.
"I know Mama Pen. But if not now then when?" Leia says with a serious face.
Turning to Alo and Tyee. Leia orders.
"Effective tomorrow all surviving rogues will be questioned. Only keep five of the trustworthy ones. Everyone else dies swiftly."
"We work on actual enclosing the pack house and surrounding community. I want a visible border with cameras and patrols.
We have a week before the royal council shows up. I want this almost if not completed by then. We will have a massive ceremony for the fallen. But first let's get through today." Leia says.
"Spoken like a true leader." Alo states.
Only I, her sister notices how she is almost robotic with her answers. Every nod and every order taking more effort then the last.

It was a proper day for a burial day. The weather was mild and the mood was somber on Sunday. We laid to rest 6 members of our beloved family. Half were warriors whom had fought very bravely.
Gem was among the dead.
Yes Gem.
Gem brought the fight to our front door.
Even though in the end she betrayed her pack. She was born here. Raised here. And ultimately died here.
She poisoned herself after realizing she had been exposed as the trader.
My heart went out to Sabrina.
Gem was her answered prayers. After Gem's mother died Sabrina adopted her. And raised her from a very young age.
Sabrina apologize with every ounce of energy she had left after she cried her heart out over losing her daughter.
My sister and her became really close after that.
During the end of the ceremony the doctor came to talk to Ms. Penny. 20 minutes later she came back red faced and visibly tired.
"Leia they need you at the hospital." She called out.
"Why? Is everything ok with Kai?" My sister asked trying not to appear anxious.
"Leia please just go. Now honey."
Tyee and I walked with her the short distance to the hospital. Tyee being the pack Gamma and personal bodyguard to the Luna knew that he needed to come along.
The walk to the hospital is silent.
Doc Hudson met us at the door. He explained that he needed to check Leia's wounds.
Then she meet us over at the ICU. We all waited outside the room until Leia showed up.
Inside Kai laid there.
Quietly.
So quiet that if the beeps from the machines were not going off every few seconds. I would've thought he had passed away already.
"Alpha Luna Leia I asked you here because Kai is only being kept alive until you make the decision."
"What decision?" Leia asked quickly.
"The decision to pull the plug on the life support. Kai died during surgery. But we were able to bring him back. But since then there has been little to no brain activity. Mama Pen came and said her goodbyes already. Now it's your turn and your decision."
"What?" She said as if she didn't understand at first.
"What the fuck!
Why are you just now telling me. After surgery they made it seem like he was just resting."
Leia says with a growl. Visibly upset. I can tell by the way her hands are shaking at her side that Sky is helping keep her in control of her emotions.
"Why are you just now telling me this? I thought you were able to heal him?"
"We were Luna. But he lost some much blood that his body hasn't recovered. Even his mate mark is starting to fade."
"I guess that makes sense why my healing process has been slow. When one's mate is killed. Or when you have been marked and then rejected. Everything slows to human speeds. The healing process is the first thing that you notice. I always assumed it was because I was shot with the silver tipped arrow. Not once did it crossed my mind that Kai was dying." She says a little bit more quietly this time.
" Doc one more day won't make a difference. Right? I need to sleep on this decision. You're talking about giving up my mate. My other half of my soul. And I haven't been mated for long." The somber timber of her voice is breaking my heart.
Goddess why now?
My poor sister.
Her heart hardening by each passing moment.
"No Luna one more day won't make a difference. But I must tell you that the longer you wait the harder it will be on you. And we need you well for when Kai goes, you will be our leader. My concern is your well-being. For you will be our Alpha Luna. And Kai wouldn't want this to take the both of you. By mourning and grieving his loss it could destroy you in the process if we take too long. From here on out, you'll be our future. Let me leave you to it. And I will see you in the morning." Doc Hudson says as he leaves the room.
After a few quiet moments my sister pulls up a chair next to her mate. She rebraids his hair. While attaching his favorite feather back in place she silently cries. The only true indication of her cry is the shutter of her body as she sits there mourning the love of her life.