Unwilling Mate

Chapter Eight

Jasper had received a mind link from Keidan and was already moving people from their homes to the safe houses on the outskirts of the town. The warriors were already on the move, when Riley vaulted over the outside gate. Jasper was standing there with a simple blue sun dress from Riley’s closet. He averted his eyes, as she shifted and quickly got dressed. She threw it over her body, her long hair, still slightly damp and frazzled.

“The Alpha is on his way, he’s cutting down the east side of the forest to give the pack more time to evacuate the women and children.”

Mate is hurt! Riley felt like she had been kicked in the chest and sucked in a deep breath, despite the tears welling in her emerald eyes. She tried to mind link Keidan, but the connection was blocked.

He’s coming. Mate is coming, hold on! Namira howled, and then she saw him, vaulting over the east gate. He shifted, there was a very ugly claw mark over his chest that was bleeding profusely. Jasper looked at Keidan and growled deep in his throat.

“Get the Alpha to the doctor. Ready formation men, we are going to teach these assholes that we mean business and no one f***s with the Alpha!”

Keidan started to fall, when Riley moved and allowed him to prop his weight on her. He stared into her eyes and weakly wiped the tears. “No crying. It’s not allowed.” Keidan’s wound was starting to heal, but it was slow, which was strange. Some other men arrived and as Keidan collapsed, they caught him and started carrying him away.

“Luna Riley, you need to go to the safe house. It’s for your safety.” Riley stared at Alice in complete disbelief and growled. “How dare you suggest I leave his side. I am your Luna and I’m going with Alpha Keidan!” Alice looked wounded by her words and a look of guilt, flashed over Riley’s face. She didn’t have time for that.

“Luna, what do you suggest we do? I’m kind of new at the whole beta thing and this is beyond our expertise..”

She stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder at Jasper. “They attacked our home, your Alpha unprovoked. Ready the snipers, find the one that looks like the leader of the operation. Bring them down with wolfsbane as for the rest. Use our wolves, guns with silver bullets if you must. Bring them alive if possible, otherwise kill them. Kill them all.” Jasper was suddenly afraid of their new Luna. Riley looked really scary just then and he knew, that if Alpha Keidan perished because of this… she would show absolutely no mercy.

Riley got to the hospital a few minutes later and was haunted at the door. “My Luna, Keiran’s heart was injured during his attack and has lost a lot of blood. We’ve got him in surgery now, but I’m afraid the situation is critical. We have reason to believe what attacked him was no normal wolf.” Riley stood there in shock and sighed. She sat down in the waiting room, absolutely defeated.

A couple of times she could feel a throbbing pain in her chest, but it would begin to subside before kicking up again. She began to feel like this was torturing her, just as much as Keidan. Several hours later, the doctor came walking out with a grim look on his face.

“He wants to see you.” It didn’t bode well for Riley and on numb legs, she could do little but wobble behind the doctor as he led her to the room. Namira had long since gone silent, blocking her and refusing to speak a word. A sickening feeling washed over her, was he gonna make it? She could feel an ache in her chest that subsided, but refused to go away.

Keidan laid in a hospital bed, he looked deathly pale, blood crusted in his hair and down his arms. He looked so weak laying there, his face was stained with tears.

“Riley. My heart is imbedded with silver shards, I’m in so much pain… the attack. I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough. It’s too late they can’t fix it. I love you.. and I have to save you from the pain of losing me. So… come here.” Riley stumbled across the room and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Something splintered when I got hit, but this is going to hurt you but not as much as it’ll hurt if I don’t.” He wheezed. Riley drew his lips in for another kiss and pressed her forehead against his.

“I, Keidan Woods, of the Silversin Pack reject you Riley Hawthorn as my mate now and forevermore.” He rasped, Riley felt her chest lurch and felt like she had been kicked in the chest repeatedly. She sucked in a sharp breath. When she gathered up her breath she let out a soft sigh. Tears were actively streaming down her cheeks. “I, Riley Hawthorn of the Silversin Pack hereby accept your rejection.” She could feel the pull of the mate bond stretch and then snap completely. She sucked in a deep breath, and Keidan looked more sad than anything. She laid her body over his and kissed him again, he kissed her back weakly and when she pulled back and noticed his eyes had fallen shut and the monitors stopped showing vitals, Keidan had stopped breathing and her knees hit the floor and she couldn’t help but sob uncontrollably.

The doctors pulled her to her feet and examined her carefully. “Get me a sedative!” He declared. Riley couldn’t bare to stop her tears and she still hurt, but this time the pain was manageable. Her heart was still broken, but there was a fact that couldn’t be ignored.

Keidan was dead.