Alpha's Girl ~ Owen Grady

|Thirty Eight|

"STOP THE TRUCK!" I scream as I scramble for the door handle.

Claire jumping in fright as she panics and leans over to grab my shirt in her shaking hands in attempt to stop me. "Are you crazy!"

I don't even flinch at her harsh tone as she slams on the breaks and sends us all lurching forward. Tires screaming in protest as the rubber burns against the cooling road beneath us. Claire's nephews crying and sobbing as they are thrown around in the back like a sac of potatoes, with the doors still wide open.

"LET GO!" I sob as I pull my shirt from her grasp and jump out of the still halting vehicle. My boots slamming against the ground as I almost topple to the floor, my knees aching and giving way at the sudden impact. 

I didn't care!

Solo, my baby, meant more than the world to me. He represented a major part of Owen and I's relationship. He represented the road to our married life. I wasn't going to sit and do nothing as he fights for us. Risks his life against the creatures that Owen has attempted to bond with.

"Solo!" I scream as my legs begin to carry me towards his fallen form in the middle of the open road. Delta thankfully having raced off to give chase to something more worthwhile.

Racing past the back of the truck, my vision turning blurry from the tears streaming down my hot face, I barely notice the young boys jumping down and running behind me. My sole focus on Solo as he barely moves in the moonlight.

"Please be okay. Please be okay!" I sob as I drop to my knees, the harsh ground scratching my knees as I gather his large body in my arms. Blood soaking into my clothes as I hold him close to my chest. His head falling into the crook of my neck as I grip his smooth fur in my bloody hands.

"Please... please be okay!" I wail, not caring about the three figures stood behind me, watching as my world crumbles in my own quivering hands. My heart squeezing in agony as Solo gives a pained whine in my arms as he attempts to snuggle further into my hold, even still he tries to comfort me as he slowly licks my neck once. The effort it takes him is obvious whilst he begins to relax in my arms. 

I'm momentarily distracted when I hear the low rumble of the Scrambler Owen rides. A sob of relief bubbling past my lips as I see his sculptured face when he turns the corner. The shadows of the night highlighting the stress evident today is  causing us all. His eyes widening at the catastrophic scene before him. His strong legs propelling him from the bike once he slows enough to launch towards Solo and myself on the ground. His strong arms encasing us both as he looks over me first to make sure I'm not injured. 

His eyes rapidly scanning my runny nose and streaming eyes as I sob. Holding Solo close to me, Owen notices my hand that is wrapped in my bloody shirt, his jaw grinding as he gently pries my hand from Solo's fur. 

"Don't!" I blubber, rapidly shaking my head as I pull my hand back and wrap it once again around my suffering dog, "It's- it's just a scratch," 

"Don't lie Zoe, that's more than just a scratch! You're finger-" 

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" I scream. My voice taking on an hysterical pitch to it as I grip Solo tighter. His breaths slowing as he pants against my neck, "It doesn't matter now" I cry. 

"Zoe..." Owen cautiously says. His own voice breathless as he holds us close to him. I could feel small tremors of his shoulders as he held back his own tears whilst he asked Claire to take the boys into the cabin of the truck so we could have a little privacy, "Zoe, you need to let me see you're hand," he pushes. Stroking Solo comfortingly with one hand and motioning for me to show him my hand with his other. I shake my head once again with my eyes shut tightly and bite my lip in attempt to stop more tears from flowing. So that I can take a deep breath and scratch Solo between his ears, just where he likes it. 

"He protected us," I mumble into his dark fur as I placed a kiss on Solo's head. His eyes shut and his pants heavy as Owen soothes him with comforting noises and rubs his ears softly.

"He's always protecting you for me," Owen whispers, kissing my sweating temple and taking a deep breath in attempt to stop the tears that now slowly roll down his sharp cheek bones, "It's what he's done ever since he snuggled into bed with you when he was a pup," his voice breaking as he takes in the amount of blood covering us all. Neither of us could tell if it were from Solo or my hand. The pain numb because this heartbreak is worse than any physical wound I could ever have. 

Clutching Solo, I listen to a small whine he emits. The pain filled noise burrowing deep into my soul where I know it will haunt my dreams that I couldn't do anything to stop his pain. That as the movements of his breath eventually slowed beneath Owen and I's hands as we held him tight and made sure he never felt alone as his final breath escaped him. The warm caress against  my neck stalling to a halt as he relaxes against the agony he once was in. His weight suddenly heavier against my aching chest as I sob uncontrollably into Owen as he holds us tighter in his arms. Our small family sitting in the middle of the dark road helping such a huge character of our lives pass peacefully into the night. 

As we hold Solo tightly to show him all our love; even when he dreams peacefully evermore. Because I want someone to hold me, even after I'm gone, just to make sure I get to where I need to be.