The Alpha and Omega

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

~~~~~Dani~~~~~

Nashoba collapses in the kitchen floor holding his chest. I feel the pain surging in his body. I watch Earl who is immediately kneeling beside Nashoba. Linda continues to stand between all of us.

Billy holds me behind him and the woman who had came out of nowhere squats between Linda and Earl on the balls of her feet watching Nashoba closely. But, Nashoba is out. He is barely breathing and his face is blood red.

Earl smacks his hand roughly, but not hard, against Nashoba's face. Then I feel everything go still in Nashoba's body. The pain is gone. My eyes widen and I yell "Earl! Help him!"

Earl glances at me and then puts and ear to Nashoba's chest listening closely. Then he pulls back up sitting on his knees and cups his hands together. He pushes down hard on Nashoba's chest and then squeezes his nostrils together leaning down and blowing air filling his lungs. He repeats this process over and over again.

After three minutes of this Nashoba's pain returns. I feel it physically and emotionally. Nashoba's lungs inflate with urgent desperation and then Earl stops. He puts his hands on his knees and sits up. Nashoba however does not. He remains laying on the ground.  He is breathing now, but the pain in his chest remains. Lingering red hot in his heart.

I had caused this and I knew it. I watched Billy and then asked "What happened to him?"

Earl glared at me "You gave him a heart attack. It's complicated really. Ask him when he wakes up."

I growled low and then said "I can't wait! I want to know now!"

Earl slowly rose to his feet and hissed before growling though his was much deeper and much, much louder. Earl slowly answered "Ok here's the quick version. Alpha's control packs. Alpha's by blood relation are much more susceptible to death when their mates drive them away. Only a few I have met that don't die within the first month or two. And, if they survive two months they will either live a greatly lengthened life or a greatly shortened one. They will either get stronger from the pain or be permanently weakened by it.

"Nashoba is one that cannot live without his true mate. He and his wolf will do whatever it takes to win you back. They will kill anyone. Do anything to prove that they are worthy to be your mate. Nashoba will be bent to your will. You saw it the other night. He was hesitant to go Alpha on you. Had he been Koi he would have immediately bit you and probaby scarred you to prove a point. Nashoba is passionate and strong, but without you he will most certainly die. Do you understand?"

I stared at him looking apalled. The person Earl was describing Nashoba to be soon wasn't like the Nashoba I knew at all. In fact the Nashoba he described made a shiver run down my spine. I looked at Billy slowly. How could I ever sign another persons' death certificate. Especially a fellow werewolf...A werewolf who is my Alpha and my mate.

Billy watches me and I growl saying "He sealed his own fate. He knew he had a mate, and he went off and got drunk. That's why we even ended up here. He gave in to another woman. I hate him. The pain he experiences will be equal to mine." I cross my arms stubbornly. Earl looks extremely pissed Linda looks frustrated, but not mad. Billy is obviously in a neutral area.

Earl is about to go on a rampage, but Linda grabs his arm. She pulls Earl after her. The old man doesn't looks threatening when he is smiling, but when he is angry the vampire inside him is obvious and wants to push forward. Wants to kill everything around it. I listen to them bickering all the way up the stairs and then Billy says "Well I guess I'm on first watch. Zalia I'll come and get you when my time is up."

I look around for who he is talking to and realize, the woman who had appeared to help keep Mingan back first, is still here. Zalia just nods and then asks in a low voice "You want me to help you get him back in the room? She can only limp. Don't think she'll be able to carry him."

Billy nods and then they start towards Nashoba lifting him together and moving in sync down the hall towards our room. Nashoba probably isn't receiving quality care right now, but it isn't like we can just send him to a hospital. He's a werewolf. They would say normal wasn't normal and sooner or later someone would find out. I follow them slowly sitting down on my bed and watching Billy and Zalia as they settle Nashoba into the bed.

Zalia flips her hair out of her face and then looks at Billy saying "I'll be in the next room. Just look through the hole if you need me. Nashoba opened it up for you." She turned and was gone without waiting for an answer or comment.

Billy pulls a chair up beside the bed and sits down. I lift the thin sheets of the bed pulling them over me protectively and rolling onto my side. I close my eyes staring at Nashoba's dark naturally tanned skin. I slowly drift off with a loud yawn.

During the night I hear someone entering the room and open my eyes slowly to see who it is. Zalia stands in the doorway watching Nashoba with dark eyes. Darker than the other vampire's eyes anyway. I watch her walk towards the bed and I am about to jump up when I see her tap Billy on the shoulder. He jolts to his feet. He had obviously been sleeping.

Billy looks up slowly and mutters a few words to Zalia before standing and leaving the room as quietly as his big, muscular frame will allow. I listen as he heads up the stairs and I hear the quiet shutting of a door. This makes me curious. Almost everyone lives in this house, but yet there seems to be an endless amount of doors and rooms.

I look hesitantly at Zalia. Her eyes are alert, but she's calm. Like always the woman is calm. But, she isn't like the others. She still has that wild air to her. Like she can't wait for the excitement of the hunt. My thoughts start to wander and with my wandering thoughts comes sleep.