A Hale Love Story

Lunatic

Kenzie's POV

I drove fast finally pulling up outside the motel and jumped out pulling the seat forward for Lia to climb out while I raced around to the passenger side and opened up the door leaning in and cupped Derek's cheek.

"Derek...hey" I called praying that he'd open his eyes. "Derek can you open your eyes for me...squeeze my hand" I put my hand in his but he was out cold still so I pulled him out wrapping his arm around my shoulder and held him up against my side as I walked us inside seeing Lia waiting near the door looking worriedly at Derek as I opened the door and we headed inside. "Lia I want you to go to your room-"

"But mommy-"

"Baby please, your Dad wouldn't want you to see him like this" she huffed and stomped off to her room closing the door as I gently lowered Derek down on our bed on his stomach so that I wasn't inflicting any further pain on his back since it seemed like that was where the injury was.

After making sure Derek was settled I ran into the bathroom and ran a wash cloth underneath some warm water before grabbing a bowl and filled it before I went back out placing the bowl of water and wash cloth onto the side table before I got to work stripping Derek out of his clothes as gently as I could leaving him just in his jeans laying on the bed and I glared at the five claw marks that tore through Derek's back that could only come from one thing...the Alpha.

I began to clean out the wound seeing as it was nearly covered in the black goop that came out when our bodies were trying to heal themselves and once I was done with that I could do nothing but sit back and anxiously listen to his breathing and his heartbeat to ensure they were still there.

"Mommy?" I looked up quickly wiping the tears away seeing Lia poking her head out of her room.

"Hey" I said trying to keep my voice even so as not to scare her.

"Is daddy okay now?" she asked and I frowned gesturing her towards me, I'd covered Derek over with a blanket and he was no longer covered in blood so I pulled her to sit in my lap.

"He will be, he just needs rest" I told her cradling her against me as I returned my eyes to Derek watching his back rise and fall with each deep breath.

"Why is daddy hurt?" Lia whispered against my neck and I hesitated for a second as I tried to come up with a plausible way to explain Derek's condition to her but I realized I couldn't lie to her anymore.

"There's a bad person out there Lia-"

"The same person who hurt Aunty Laura?" she asked cutting me off.

"Yeah baby girl, your Dad's been looking for them and last night I think he found who it was" I explained carefully trying my best to word it in ways she'd understand.

"Is daddy gonna be okay?" she asked and I turned my attention back towards Derek when she did.

"I think so, he's got a strong heartbeat and if there's one thing I know about your Dad it's that he's stubborn and he'll always come back to us, there's never a doubt in my mind that your Dad would ever give up without a fight okay" I told her and she nodded but didn't seem as satisfied. "You listen...tell me what you hear?" I told her and watched her face suddenly take on a very concentrated look as she focused on Derek.

"His heartbeat" she smiled and I smiled back.

"Good girl" I praised pulling her closer.

The next few days were touch and go as I took care of Lia reassuring her that Derek was still okay despite not having woken up yet and I continued to clean out the wound on his back as it healed to keep infection away and it was almost fully healed but all while doing this meant I've barely slept meaning I was exhausted but I couldn't rest not until I knew my mate was okay and that wasn't going to happen until he's awake.