THE PHOENIX WOLF (Book Three chronicles of HER GRACE)

CHAPTER 4*Something is wrong*

      Aloysius and his brothers ran around the expanse of the mansion, playing out in the cold weather while Allison and their father stood in the yard watching their kids laughing and playing with no worries. 

It gladdens the parents seeing how the twins had warmed up to Paige, their adopted son in the years, making the elder feel like their biological elder brother. 

Without being told that Paige is of different roots one would think the boy was Allison's and Alistair's biological firstborn child as the young alpha bears few resemblances to the Alpha couple, I mean if one doesn't look closely or look for distinct futures in his face you wouldn't notice the slight differences that tells him apart from the family. 

And the kids, especially the twins, never treated him differently, even though they know how he became a member of the family. They loved him equally, most especially Alexius, Paige is his favorite amongst all his siblings. 

Ever since the first day the young Alpha joined the family, Alexius had taken a special liking to the Alpha, clinging to him everywhere he went. Despite the age gap between them, Alexius always stuck to the young Alpha like glue. Most days it takes their mother to warn him off the young Alpha's back or his twin brother, who he often cannot deny anything. 

Today, however, Paige had unfinished paper-works to complete, and he also needed to supervise the pack warriors' midday training. The young Alpha left the Royal mansion before his siblings woke up to avoid Alexius throwing his usual temper tantrums if he refuses the young one from going with him. 

As expected, when the young boy woke up, the first person he asked for was his big brother, Paige. Where did he go, when is he coming back? He bombarded his mom with questions and didn't stop until Allison assured him the young Alpha only had to run a few errands.  

"What did Lupa and Marz have to say about his dreams?"

 Alistair asks his mate, their eyes set on Alexius.

"They've tried reaching into his subconscious, but can't really pick up anything. It would have been much easier if they were thirteen and he had his wolf, they would have connected with his wolf to see if he knows anything about the source of Alexius' dreams. They think we should reach to the chief priestess."

Allison explains to her mate with a sigh, and the Alpha released his breath in exasperation. 

"Hmm, I also went to see the seer, yesterday, she has a few ideas of why he is having such nightmares suddenly. she thinks he might have met with someone who caused the nightmares or they might be premonitions. She thinks he has the give of premonitions but we cannot be sure about that yet, as he cannot really give details of his dreams and ends up forgetting them when he wakes up."

Alistair offered, sharing with Allison the outcome of his trip to the old seer, who was a long-term friend of his.

"I don't think our son met with anyone, they are always cooped up in the mansion. Ever since Jared and Brandon moved to the west wing, Micah and Crystal have now lived on the third floor. They don't go out as much as they used to. The last time they went to their grandparents, Alexius clung to Paige the entire day. So how could he have met with someone and you know we don't allow the kids near visitors?"

Allison interjects, and Alistair tilts his head, seeing reasons with her.

"Do you think, they might actually be premonitions. His nightmares always send him to spiral into fear and shock. They are not good if they are premonitions, It can't be good."

 "I want to believe otherwise, but you might be right. If they are premonitions, then it's a bad one. If they aren't that means someone is trying to mess with my pups and whoever that his I am going to have their head hung on a stake."

Allison threatens with a low snarl. Eyes focused on her kids, as rage slowly bubbled in the pit of her stomach and her mate clasp her hand in his, hugging her from behind.   

"I won't let anything happen to them, baby, not on watch. The seer says if the nightmare persists, we should bring him to her, but what do you think. Should we go to her first or the chief priestess?"

 Alistair asks, and Allison heaves a breath. 

"Whatever you decide, I just want his nightmares to stop."

 Allison mutters under her breath and the Alpha nods against her neck.

"We should wait a few days then before taking him to the seer. Maybe she can find out__"

"Mama, Papa."

 The scream of their little girl rings through the yard, breaking Alistair's conversation with Allison, and the two mates sprints along the yard to their pups.

"What happened?"

 Allison asked in panic, picking up her limp son from the arms of his twin brother.

"We were playing just now, Alexius told me he needed a drink, and feels weak. I was still telling him to go in and rest and the next thing I see, he collapsed."

Aloysius rushes out, bouncing from one foot to another, his eyes brimming with unshed tears as he stared at the unconscious body of his brother in the mother's arm.

 "Call the pack, doctor. Call doctor ken, now."

Alistair almost shouts, taking the boy from Allison as he sprints into the house, and Allison guides the rest of her pups into the house, her heart beating hard against her ribcage.. 

Alistair quickly laid the unconscious boy on the bed, his hands on Alexius' forehead to feel his temperature, and he checked all over his son's body. 

"Son, can you please watch over your little one's, I need to check on your twin, please don't let them leave their room, okay?"

 Allison instructs Aloysius, and the boy nods, leading his siblings into the room, turns the lock and has them settled on the bed.

Allison backtracked to the twins' bedroom, while mind linking Doctor ken to get to the mansion as fast as he could. 

"Have you called him?"

Alistair asks the minute Allison steps into the room and the mother nods, rushing to her son on the bed, as her mind raced through reasons he would suddenly collapse like that, all of her pups never had health complications. 

Alexius didn't, so why did he collapse, her mind couldn't provide the right answers. 'was it related to the nightmares?'

 She asked herself, as her hand brushed through the boy's hair. The only reason she tried not to freak out was because Lupa and Marz assured her that her son was still alive, so she held on to that.

"What happened to him?"

Ken asks, rushing into the room, Allison had told him through the mind link where to find them, so it wasn't hard for the doctor to locate them. The first thing he did was feel the boy's temperature before anything.

 "We don't really know, we were all out in the yard, Alexius was playing with his siblings and the next thing we heard was their scream. He had collapsed."

 Allison explains and doctor ken nods. 

"His temperature is normal, I'll run a minor test on him right now, and also draw his test for further tests."

 Ken informs, he feels for a pulse on the boy and sighs when he found one. Without wasting time, Ken brings out his stethoscope and sphygmomanometer to test Alexius blood pressure and listen to the sound of his lungs and heart for any galloping sound that might show if the boy's muscle is over-worked.  

"Help me turn him on his back, please."

Ken says, and the Alistair wastes no time as he turns his son on his back for the doctor, after repeating the same action, ken sighs and detached the sphygmomanometer from the boy's arm. 

"What happened, do you know why he collapsed?"

 Allison rushed out as doctor ken settles his parameters on the bed-stand. 

"Right now, he has a pulse, which seems stable at the moment, his heart rate and blood pressure are also normal. I don't want to jump into conclusion of why he collapsed because he seems pretty fine now, but it might be to a few reasons. Perhaps his brain wasn't getting enough oxygen, or shock, which can cause a drop in his blood pressure at that moment."

Doctor ken explains to his best at the parents' nod.

"What did you say they were playing with before he collapsed?"

Ken asks, both Alphas.

"He and his siblings were just running around in the yard, but Alexius occasionally stopped for the little ones to jump him and catch up with him."

Allison explains, and the Doctor nods, writing a few things on his notepad. 

"It might be due to shock, but since he waited for his siblings to jump on him, that shouldn't have surprised him into shock. Other causes of a sudden collapse are because of emotional stress, like fright, anxiety and pain. Tell me, has he been experiencing anything lately that can cause him to a have a sudden fright or anxiety?"

Ken asks, and the parents nods simultaneously as their eyes met.

"Yes, Few weeks after he turned Eleven, he's been having these nightmares and they are frightening. He wakes up in the middle of the night screaming and trashing all around. Sometimes its proves difficult to pull him out of it."

 Allison explains, and the doctor nods, writing a few points again.

"That might be the reason he collapsed. Perhaps he remembered a memory from his nightmares, which caused the fright, hence why he collapsed. But I will do a blood test on him, to be sure. There is no underlining ailment we are missing here. In the meantime, I'll run an IV-drip for him."

Ken tells the couple and they nod and watch as the doctor does as said. 

"That should do it for now. You have nothing to worry about, his airway is clear and breathing his normal. The IV contains 1ml of norepinephrine. It will keep his blood vessel pumping at a normal rate. He should be awake in the next three to four hours, but make sure you monitor him. I'll be back to check how he is doing and let you the result of the test."

Ken states, regulating the IV flow, he did a round up check on the boy, one more time before packing up. The parents sighed in relief at his words, Allison pecks Alexius temple before standing up from the bedside to the see the Doctor off. 

"Thank you for responding to my call on time. It scared his father and me."

Allison mentions as they stepped out of the room.

"You're both my Alpha, I can never not heed to your call. Put your mind at ease. He would be fine, but try to find out why he's having nightmares. If the nightmares persist and fright is the reason he collapsed, then this might happen more often than normal."

Ken advised, and the parents nod.

"We are working towards that."

Alistair comments as they stop in front of the elevator. 

"Thank You."

 Ken says, bowing his head in respects at the ding of the elevator. The doctor had just stepped one foot in and the Alphas turned on their heels when the shrill scream of the triplets echoed through the Alphas ran towards the triplets' room with the doctor in tow.

Allison was the first to knock. The door opened and barged in to the sight of Aloysius jerking uncontrollably on the floor of the room. 

"Quick, grab the pillow. Alpha, don't restrain his movement, he is convulsing. Help me get him out of his clothes, please get his siblings out of the room."

 Doctor ken rushes as his bag lands with a thud on the floor and rushes to Aloysius' side. Both parents scurried around the room to get the triplets out and help the doctor. Alistair tears apart the boy's clothes, and Allison was quick to grab the soft pillow on the bed for the doctor. 

As soon as the clothes were off the boy, Ken rolls him on the side to keep his airway clear with a pillow underneath his head.

"Has he ever had any cases of seizures before?"

 Ken asks, looking at his watch to check the start of the seizure to its time length.

"No, none of them has ever had any health complications, not even a minor headache."

Allison responds and the Doctor nods. Doctor ken fishes his phone out of his pocket and dials a number. 

 "Yes, hello, Bridget? Drop whatever you're doing and fetch me any drug in containing ethosuximide, and also phenobarbital, with injections, yes, and syringe. Bring to the Alpha's mansion immediately."

Doctor ken orders and the lady on the other side of the hangs up, racing towards the pharmacy for the drugs. Ken turns to both Alphas who had worry etched on their faces as they watched theirs spasm and jerk on the floor.

"It will stop, who can't restraint his movement or try to hold him down, it would only worsen his situation. Right now. Once he's calm, I'll have to move them both to your medical room and monitor them."

 Ken explains and both alphas nods, but deep down they knew this wasn't just a medical issue. Someone was messing with their sons, and they need to know who and how. 

It makes no sense that one collapses and the other brother is convulsing right after, something is wrong somewhere and both Alphas would stop at nothing until they find out what and who. 

Yet they stayed calm for the sake of the triplets and let the doctor do his job.