Leto's Blessing (completed)

Waking up...

Maya's POV

Beep...Beep...Beep... I heard in my ears. It was bugging me enough that I fluttered my eyes open to find out what it was and yell. Only to realize I was in a hospital bed. Machines and wires hooked up to me. I glanced around to see a sleeping Elder Braun.

"Hey." My voice was raspy and felt like lava was erupting from it.

Elder Braun's eyes snapped open, and a smile spread across his face. "Kiddo!" Hollering like a kid. Leaning forward he gently grabbed my hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit.." I rasped. A hand going to my throat. Elder Braun reached over and grabbed a white paper cup, leaning forward he placed it to my lips. I let the glorious water flow down making the fires of hell stop.

"You had us worried. " he said placing the cup back on the table.

"Are my babies safe?" Couldn't help it they were my first thought.

"Of course they are." Elder Braun chuckled.

The door behind him opened to have a woman with a doctor's coat and Alpha Gene behind her.

"Yay! I was worried you wouldn't be awake." The woman smiled warmly. "I am Dr. Tanner." Walking into the room, she shoved Elder Braun's arms out of the way as she scooted in and checked me over. Once satisfied she said, "You have a concussion, your back where the pistol was is severely bruised and you have several broken ribs. Surprisingly everything else seems to be in order. If you were a normal wolf I would say you would be out tomorrow. I suspect you will be here at least a week." She glanced at both Elder Braun and Alpha Gene. "You can ask questions but if she looks tired you boys let her be!" She snapped. Looking at me she added, "I will have some food brought up for you." Then she turned on her heel and walked back out the door to close it tightly behind her.

"Thank you guys for coming to save my ass." I sighed. "Where did you put my in-laws?" I asked looking back up at them.

"They are dead." Alpha Gene spoke, with no ounce of remorse or hint of emotion.

I looked up at him with wide eyes. "Dead?" I gulped.

"Also it wasn't us to save you," Elder Braun started. "The wolf tree did." He chuckled.

I noticed Alpha Gene glance dumbfounded at Elder Braun. "Wolf Tree?" He questioned.

"Not my words," pointing at me "hers." Elder Braun laughed harder.

"Seriously" I gruffed. "One mention and now it is a constant reminder." I shook my head embarrassed. Glaring at Elder Braun I asked "Are you still in high school" I ground out.

"No, kiddo way too old to be there." Still laughing Elder Braun answered.

"Anyway as Elder Braun said, Joe managed to get there first. Do you know what Southern wolves are?" Alpha Gene asked.

I shook my head. "No idea."

"Southern wolves are an offshoot, of a werewolf. They were separated from the general population at some point. Causing their stubble changes to occur. Much like rogues but a far more feral version." Alpha Gene stopped to make sure I was keeping up. "Anyway, they stay within family groups. All of them are as powerful as a beta or higher depending on the bloodline." Again he eyed me. "Anyways, I doubt you knew that your in-laws were Southern wolves." Again you could see him analyzing me.

"Don't they give off a wolf scent?" I asked.

"Oddly a Southern wolf does not. Their only trademark to us is all black eyes." The analyzing look still there.

I stopped for a minute, Going back through my thoughts of times with Mario. Suddenly a flashback hit me.

***flashback start****

"I am sorry!" I screamed raising my hands as he let his hand fall, cracking my ribs.

"I told you countless times never to touch my phone. Don't look or answer it!" I felt another blow land across my face. As I looked up I saw eyes not white just all black and soulless.

****end flashback ****

I sucked in a breath. I heard the heart monitor escalate. My eyes snapped to Alpha Gene's. "I remember seeing those eyes on Mario..." my voice trailed off.

"Well, likely he is not dead." Elder Braun became very serious. "If they were trying to gather the kids as I suspect, then Mario is alive and well." Looking at me he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Joe said the little girl had black eyes too. My guess is his mate was another wolf. Possibly a Southern one as well." He sighed. Looking to Alpha Gene, "How do you want to handle this?"

I could see, Alpha Gene thinking about it all. Finally, he spoke after a few minutes. "We will put the wolf tree," he glanced at me with a smirk "on the payroll. He will be her new guard. Do a blood bond with the three of us so that he can mind-link just us. That way I don't have to ask him to submit. That would decrease his power." Turning directly to me. "I understand you had no clue about this or these turn of events. I will find one of our historians to explain in more detail how things came to be and why they are different." Nodding to both of us he added. "I will send in the wolf tree." There was a deep chuckle and he turned around to leave.

I was laying in a hospital bed, having been beaten to a pulp. Both of these insufferable men seemed to think my comment was hilarious. I was mortified. What if they said it in from of him? I sunk in my bed not wanting to know. A thought struck me out of the blue, Mario's family had never been to the ranch that I knew about. We had always met in town. "Where are my jeans," I squealed.

"I don't think he will care if your in a hospital gown," Elder Braun chuckled.

"No damn it, there is a note in the front pocket of my jeans." I snapped.

Elder Braun rushed over to a bag on a far table in the room. Rummaging through it he found it in the second pocket. Coming back to me he handed it over. I looked with dread in my eyes the way it was written. My stomach fell to the floor. I knew in an instant it was Mario's. He had been the one to write this. He had left it on the gate. I don't think he realized how many wolves worked there now.

"s**t," I looked up at Elder Braun. Tears in my eyes as a whirlwind of emotions hit my heart all at once. Anger, betrayal, sadness, surprise, excitement, and everything in between.

Alpha Gene and Joe walked in the door at that moment. Their eyes darted from the letter to me and then Elder Braun.