An Alpha's Revenge

Sacrifice

LOGAN

The bullet tore through the fur of his arm, he growled but kept moving and launched himself at the human who's eyes had widened in primal fear as Logan charged towards him.

The man crumpled to the ground and Logan span towards J, relieved he'd saved her.

Relieved she was going to be ok.

But she wasn't.

*

J

Every breath burned. Every movement sending more of her lifeblood pouring from her chest. She cradled her arms around her stomach as best she could manage but the bullet that had thudded into her chest had stolen her breath - her life.

Her cub. Her poor, poor cub. She'd never live to see her born. To see her grow up into a strong, intelligent alpha. Because J knew. Knew the cub growing in her would be strong. Beautiful. Hers.

Yet now that would never happen. And all Logan's hard work to get better would be undone by MSA. J would have cried if she'd been able. Instead, she choked on the cloying blood trickling up her throat.

As her breathing turned wheezy and darkness began to draw in, J could only hope that her end would be quick and that, maybe one day, Logan would forgive her for breaking her promise.

*

LOGAN

His howl broke through the screams of battle. Enemy and friend alike turning at the sound. It wasn't the feral edge or the anger that stopped them but the depth of pain in that one singular howl.

Logan dropped to his knees beside J, cradling her close to him even as he felt her slipping away. Their mating bond was dimming, fading as J's life - their cub's life - ended.

Grasping at her tightly, Logan did what he'd heard Cassidy had done for Jake and he searched for that mate bond - for the flicker of the link that existed within him and began pouring his strength, all of it, down that bond and into J.

He clung to her as he remembered her smile, her laugh, her strength and kindness even in the face of all that she'd seen.

He thought of the first time he saw her, dancing free in the moonlight. Of the first time she saw him. Of their first night spent together in that forest.

Of the pain of walking away from her and the primal need of his wolf trying to find her again.

Of the relief at seeing her face as she brought him back to himself. Of the honour of being her mate and the pride in taking her to their packlands. His guilt at his actions - the ones that would haunt him for the rest of his days.

The unbridled ecstasy he'd felt at knowing that he was going to be a father.

And his hope, his hope for a future for them and their cub.

He'd lived a life full of love thanks to J.

And he knew the world was not finished with her yet.

He knew in his soul that he could save J and bring her back to him. Just as surely as he knew that he couldn't save both J and their cub.

But it had never been a choice. It never would be. It was never a choice between them.

Logan felt the mating bond flicker between them.

They'd agreed. The cub comes first. But he would not sacrifice J or deprive his cub of her mother's presence in her life.

No. The world would not keep turning without his Jos' and his daughter in it. His world could not keep turning without her.

He'd lived a varied life. He'd done everything he'd ever wanted beyond watching his daughter grow into the beacon of strength he knew she would become. And he knew, deep in his gut, that he would never see that little girl grow up. Would never witness his mate grow even more beautiful with age. He would miss every birthday, every grazed knee, but he would do it for them.

Because it wasn't just him that couldn't live without J. The world wouldn't be as bright if she didn't exist.

So he would trade it - he'd trade his entire world to save them.

And so, Logan poured every last drop of his strength into the mating bond.

Every thought, every memory, every wish and every promise. Every year they'd have had together, every look or touch between them. He gave it all.

As his body weakened and his wolf whined at the agony spearing through his limbs, as he gave every ounce of life he had left to his mate and his cub, Logan leaned down and planted a small chaste kiss to J's forehead.

It was his honour to save J's life and help bring his brilliant cub into the world.

Even if he had to die to do so.

And as the world closed in around him and his heart stuttered and fell silent in his chest, he knew that there would never have been a more worthy sacrifice than this; than them.