The Alpha's Luna in a Strange Land

CHAPTER 17: MY LITTLE SECRET

**NATASHA'S POV**

We burst through the door, carrying Lord Alexander on a stretcher. I followed closely behind. Desmond had to perform CPR because Lord Alexander's heart had stopped beating. He was completely surrounded by healers who were shouting out orders to one another as they worked on their lord.

I felt a knot in my stomach as I watched them work. They were hanging various bags of liquid and injecting him with different substances that I couldn't identify. They were yelling out different stats for his vital signs that I couldn't catch.

Despite the chaos, I still held Lord Alexander's hand, refusing to let go. Guilt washed over me as I contemplated whether I was somehow the cause of his problems. His eyes were closed, and those vibrant, bloodshot eyes that had taken my breath away from the moment I saw them were hidden from me.

The healers moved around me, taking various blood samples and scanning his body for injuries. Desmond came up beside me and turned Lord Alexander onto his side, revealing a large gash that I hadn't noticed before.

Desmond looked down at me. "How many wolves attacked you?"

"Four," I said, still not taking my eyes away from Lord Alexander.

Desmond nodded. "Okay, well, I'm going to need to close him up. Then we'll have to wait for the toxicology report to ensure that there is no poison in his bloodstream. But I'm going to close his wound, Natasha, and I'm going to need you to move."

"No, I can't leave him here alone," I shook my head in disapproval.

"He'll be fine, Natasha. Don't worry about him. We will take good care of him."

I wanted to believe him, but my wolf didn't. She felt pity for Alexander and wanted me to stay by his side.

"Natasha," Desmond's voice became stern. "I need to do my job, and I can't do it with you hovering like this. Remember that Lord Alexander is my best friend, so I can't let anything happen to him. Not even death could take him away from me. Also, don't forget that he is a vampire, and we hardly die."

He fixed his eyes on me, waiting for me to get up and leave. At this point, I knew I had to let go of Lord Alexander so they could do their job. I finally released my grip on him, and one of the healers asked me to leave the room. I obeyed and walked out as she closed the door, obscuring my view.

I felt a drop of water on my hands and lifted my eyes to the ceiling to check for leaks, but there were none. Then I realized the water was coming from my eyes. I wiped away my tears with my hands and used my other hand to cover my mouth, trying to stifle my sobs, but it didn't work. I started crying heavily, feeling alone and helpless.

I couldn't bear to lose him. I had only just found him, so I couldn't lose him.

"Natasha," a familiar voice called out to me from a distance, but I didn't turn towards it. My mind was still consumed with Lord Alexander's situation.

"Natasha," the voice called me again, and this time I felt a hand touch my shoulder, drawing my attention to where I was standing.

My eyes met Zoe's concerned face.

"What is wrong, and why are you crying?" she asked, unaware of the situation at hand and curious to know.

Another sob escaped my lips, and the tears began to fall even faster. I shook my head, unable to speak. I felt so helpless right now. Lord Alexander was in that room, in pain, dying, and I was out here crying like a baby.

Zoe did her best to console me, placing her hands on my shoulders and shaking me slightly, trying to get me to stop.

"Natasha," her voice became sterner, "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on. I need you to calm down and tell me what really happened, okay?"

She placed her palms over my wet, muddied shirt.

"Natasha, I want you to breathe in and out three times, okay? Let go now," she said with a gentle voice and a smile on her face.

I followed her instructions, never taking my eyes off hers. Although I still felt scared and worried, the initial panic I had been feeling was gone now. It was like it evaporated right out of my body.

"Better?" She offered me a smile as she withdrew her hands.

I nodded, asking, "How did you do that?"

She chuckled and replied, "It's something my mom used to do to calm me down. I've never done it to anyone else before, and I'm glad it worked on you."

"Thank you," I said, still crying.

Concern returned to Zoe's face. "Can you now tell me what really happened so I can help you?"

I felt a lump in my throat as I tried to speak, battling against it to formulate the correct words.

"I ran away. I was attacked by four wolves, and Lord Alexander came to my rescue. He fought them off and got hurt in the process. But when we were coming back to the kingdom, he seemed fine until we drew close to the kingdom. Then he fainted and blood started coming out from his mouth."

Zoe looked shocked and speechless after I finished speaking.

"It's all my fault. If I had stayed back, nothing bad would have happened to him," I said, crying again.

Zoe pulled me towards her and embraced me in a hug, not caring that I had mud on me. She comforted me and held me together while I fell apart in the middle of the emergency area of the healing center.

I didn't know how long I had stayed in her embrace, but when I pulled away, my head was pounding from a headache, and my chest felt heavier than ever before. I noticed a few of the healers staring at me, and I couldn't blame them. A grown woman like me crying over a hurt immortal vampire lord was certainly a sight to see. But I couldn't help it; I felt it was all my fault.

Zoe must have understood what I was thinking.

"You need to get out of these wet clothes," she said, leading me towards a door that led to another section of the healing center. I allowed her to guide me wherever she wanted.

I left my bag outside, and I had no clothes to change into. Zoe took me to another section that I was already familiar with - the same section where I had been placed to keep Jorge away from me, where Zoe had almost been killed defending me. She took me into the bathroom equipped with showers.

"Get into the showers, and I'll bring you a fresh pair of clothes," she instructed.

I didn't argue and did as I was told. I turned on the shower and started bathing. After the shortest bath ever, I came out to find Zoe waiting with some clothes.

I quickly put on the clothes. I tried to distract my mind with other thoughts, but I couldn't. All I could think about was Lord Alexander. The image of his body collapsing into my arms played over and over in my mind, and each time, my eyes stung with tears. I had never felt more scared in my life. It felt like someone had reached into my chest and squeezed my heart. I wanted to cry, but I held myself back, knowing it wasn't necessary anymore.

"Desmond said he is going to take care of him," I said to myself, trying to convince myself to stop crying.

When my eyes met Zoe's, I saw confusion washing over her face. She wanted to ask me a question, but she held herself back to be respectful. Seeing this, I knew it was time to at least tell her the truth.

I turned to her and faced her directly. She widened her eyes in shock, perhaps wondering why I was staring at her like that.

"Can I tell you something?" I asked.

"Yes, you can," she replied, still wide-eyed, expecting me to speak.

"But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone because this is something that can tarnish Lord Alexander's image and might get him into trouble."

"I promise I won't tell anyone. It is safe with me, so go ahead and tell me your secret," she assured me.

I believed her because Zoe is not a bad person, and I don't see her as someone who would gossip about this. I had to trust her on this.

I took a deep breath before finally speaking. "Lord Alexander is my mate. My fated mate that the moon goddess has chosen for me."

I felt a weight being lifted off my chest by confessing, but I also felt an overwhelming sense of being exposed.

I watched as Zoe's confusion turned to surprise and then realization.

"First Lady," she said, bowing her head.

Her actions caught me off guard, and I hadn't expected her to address me like that.

"No, you don't have to do that, Zoe. Remember, I'm not a First Lady. Lord Alexander will be getting married very soon."

She lifted her head, confusion evident on her face.

"Cynthia can't be the First Lady now that you've arrived. You are the true mate of Lord Alexander, the true First Lady of the White Vampires."

"It's complicated, Zoe. It's not about being the First Lady. It's about his words to Cynthia. What will his kingdom think of him if he leaves Cynthia, daughter of Lord Cyrus, and marries a lone wolf like me?" I explained.

Although I trusted Zoe now, I couldn't tell her about Damien. And even if I wanted to, this wasn't the right place. As they say, the walls have ears.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone, Zoe."

"You have my word, Lady."

"And don't call me 'Lady' again. I'm not your 'Lady'."

"But you're destined to be. It is what the moon goddess has designated for you. Still, I won't call you 'Lady' anymore."

I nodded. Her calling me a lady was unexpected, although I was truly meant to be one. What I didn't understand was why I enjoyed her calling me that.

*************

**JORGE'S POV***

"Wow, so Lord Alexander is her fated mate, and he has been hiding this from me. No wonder he has been protecting her from me. I have to act quickly before it's too late,"

I had suspected that there was a secret between Lord Alexander and this wolf girl, and now I had discovered her little secret. I couldn't let this opportunity pass. I had to act fast before Alexander recovered.

I moved away from the bathroom door and made my way back down the hallway.

"Maybe I can use this to my advantage," I thought, as a smile formed on my face and a plan started to take shape in my mind.