BETA LANCASTER

PART 32 - A SISTERS PROMISE

TAYLOR

"Where is she?" Yells an angered female voice as I raise my head from hands just as a raven-haired beauty storms into the heelers ward tearing back the curtain.

I growl at the interruption until I see the familiar face of Jackson Eastwood come to stand next to the female whose eyes are storming like molten lava as she looks between me and her sister's motionless broken body then back to me. I stand up slowly, unsure what to really say, especially when I see anger, true raw anger and hatred is in her eyes as she charges to where I'm standing and slaps me hard across the face.

"You were supposed to protect her!" She snarls before pushing my chest hard, making me stumble back a step. "She's not a warrior, you were supposed to protect. She never got hurt when she was with me." Harper's sister screams at me as large tears roll down her face as I do nothing to stop her attacking me.

Let her tear me apart, I don't even attempt to fight back. I deserve her wrath. Because she's right, I let my mate down.

I wasn't there when she needed me the most.

I wasn't there when two of my own fucking warriors beat her into unconsciousness that she's still yet to awake from.

I wasn't there when Ella scarred her face up with silver that just doesn't want to heal no matter what the medics try to do.

And I wasn't there when they dumped her frail body on the beach exactly where my wolf attacked Ella all those years ago.

I wasn't fucking there in time.

I'd taken Alpha Finn with me to track down Harper as soon as I had the call along with fifty of my best warriors, but she wasn't hard to find. They wanted me to find my beautiful mate's body, to torment me, to break me when I scooped her up in my arms and pushed back her bloodstained golden locks to see the damage they'd done.

No father should ever have to see his own daughter look like that.

No mate should ever have let it happen.

"Ave's calm down." Jackson says gently as he wraps his arms around his mate's body and holds her against his chest. "It wasn't his fault what happened. Deep breaths ok, it's not good for the baby to get this wound up." He whispers as Avery's shoulders sag a little, being calmed by her mate's presence before her eyes snap back onto me.

"Where are my parents?" Avery growls, but with a little less fire.

"Talking to the healers again." I choke out, my voice coming out strained.

Avery nods before her eyes slowly scan over her sister's body and I see her squeeze her mate's arm for support. "And what do they heelers say? When does she get out of here?"

My eyes drop to the floor as I try to find the words but Harper's sister deserves the truth after all as it's apparent her own parents haven't had the heart to tell her.

"They umm... they don't think she'll wake up... if she makes it through the night, she might have a chance." I whisper.

The room goes silent as I hear Avery inhale sharply and Jackson curse. I look up expecting to see her sister crying, but instead she has that same fierce look on her face that Harper gets when she sets her mind to something.

"Bullshit, you obviously don't know how stubborn my sister actually is. Conway's don't give up." She says firmly before she turns to Jackson. "Go find me a pillow or something please, I'm sleeping here tonight."

"Avery, I don't think..." Jackson begins before Avery's wolf eyes blaze in anger and he abruptly stops speaking then sighs quickly giving in to her determined look. Leaning in, he gives her a kiss on the forehead before stroking her hair. "If that's what you want. I'll be back soon."