Their Mate And Luna

CHAPTER 20

THE HOSTILE FAMILY 2

Oscar stood up to his friend and Alpha, a firm but gentle presence. "We can't, Drake. She specifically told her doctor that was what she wanted."

"I don't care! This is my pack. No one does such a thing to my members and goes free!" Drake roared again, his chest rising and falling as his wolf fumed within.

"It is still her decision," Oscar held his ground.

"We shall see about that. I want to see her. Let's go." he ordered and leaving the door ajar as he walked out. Malia followed him.

Oscar and Mabel exchanged a look.

"He's going to be madder when he finds out the murder attempt," Mabel whispered as they hurried out to join the Alpha and Luna.

"Or when he learns that his sons are her mates," added Oscar, his tone tinged with sadness.

The engine was already running when Malia joined Drake in the car. He tore out of the driveway into the road, heading straight for the hospital, his mind filled with two worries.

One was Nicole's health. Anything could happen to her wolf and the girl didn’t deserve that. No wolf did. Why would anyone reject such a wonderful, beautiful and intelligent soul?

The second concern was the danger this would expose his pack to with the Werewolf Council. He prayed that no one knew about this other than the family. Whoever had rejected Nicole had just put the entire pack in grave danger.

But for now, it was about Nicole. Her wolf would either be dead or go dormant.

"Let's hope none of that happens," Malia broke into his thoughts through their link. "Let's stay hopeful, honey." She squeezed his arm gently, offering some comfort. "We will get through this."

At the hospital, the nurses on duty jumped to their feet the moment they saw them. "Alpha. Luna," they chorused, bowing their heads in respect.

"Nicole Bennyson, please," He asked.

One of them hurried through the files on their table. "Room 15, Alpha," she said, giving him the file.

"Thank you," he said as he took it and started towards the wards, gripping his mate’s hand.

"Calm down, honey," Malia whispered to him.

"Sure, baby," he smiled back at her, though his wolf was howling like hell in his head.

Just as they were about to open the door to the room, someone opened it. It was Tim, who didn’t look surprised to see them. Drake knew Oscar would have told him they were coming.

"Alpha. Luna," he greeted, bending his head.

Behind him was Savvy, giving off the same hostility as her parents toward him and his mate. Tiger snarled in his head, once again angered by why the members of this family were suddenly hostile to him and his family.

"Alpha. Luna," she greeted them, her bow not as low as Tim's.

"Do we have a problem, Savvy?" he asked her in his alpha voice, allowing his wolf to come forward, feeling that she was about to challenge him.

"No, alpha," Savvy answered in a low voice. She looked away and bared her neck in submission

"Good," he pushed the door wider and stepped inside the room. “Why is the room dark?” With his wolf vision and keen sense of smell, he knew the person on the bed was Nicole and he could feel his heart stop.

Drake moved closer to the bed and peered down at the person in the bed. The scent was definitely Nicole's. And she didn't look like the high spirited she-wolf he knew. How stopped as he noticed the machines around her. "Turn on the lights," he ordered and saw the full extent of her condition.

"Who the hell is he?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Malia walked as if in a daze to the girl on the bed, sobbing as she held Nicole's limp hand. "Oh, Nicole." She cried. "Who did this?"

"I believe your Luna asked a question,” Drake fumed at the people behind him, his eyes flashing a deadly gold. It was one thing to refuse him and another to ignore his Luna.

Oscar and Mabel joined them.

"We already told you, Drake. She wishes to keep it a secret," Oscar replied him, still standing his ground, yet understanding the dynamics playing out. Or soon would if Drake went all alpha on them all. "Please, understand."

Drake ground his teeth in annoyance, feeling betrayed by people he felt were his close friends. "I thought you understood how much I saw you all as family, but this just proves that you don't see me and my family that way." He pulled his wife close to him, consoling her as they peered down at the sleeping girl.

Savvy wanted to say something but held herself back. Nicole's wishes were more paramount than whatever thing she wanted to say.

Mabel walked to them, touching his arm and raising her tear-streaked face to him, sniffing as she begged for him to understand. "We just want her to wake up and heal from this trauma. The person is no longer relevant." Casting her eyes to Malia. "Please, don't hold it against us."

Drake sighed and closed his eyes, willing his wolf to back down. He let go of his wife to hold Mabel's hands, looking deep into her swollen red eyes. "I want nothing more than for her to pull through this, but you need to understand that what just happened has dire consequences for us all if the Council gets wind of it. I need to know this person so I can take him to them. We have to act fast to save us all." He squeezed her fingers softly. "Do you understand me, Mabel?" His voice and face dripping with sincerity.

She nodded, leaving him and reaching for her husband who enveloped her in a hug. Savvy joined them, while Tim slowly took a seat, rubbing the back of his neck.

Drake and Malia watched the family, feeling the painful weight of being treated like strangers. Pushed away like outsiders. Stripped off whatever perceived title they thought this family had for them. Wondering if the over twenty years of friendship was really true. It hurt them to know that anything could make Oscar and his family suddenly treat them this way.

Pushing aside such thoughts, Drake was about to continue when Mel opened the door, pausing when he saw Drake and Malia. His eyes roamed the faces of all present. From what he saw and the tension he felt in the room, he knew he had been right about telling Drake the truth.

"Alpha. Luna," Mel bowed his head, closing the door.

Drake narrowed his eyes at Mel. "You know about this, too?"

Mel nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"And you allowed them to keep it a secret from me? I can have you demoted from your position," Drake said icily, his eyes growing cold.

"Please don't blame Mel, Alpha. We asked him not to since he was the one she told her wish. He was only acting on the doctor-patient confidentiality clause," Mabel pleaded. "We have agreed to take the blame for it."

"Only my family and I will take the blame for this." Drake stated firmly. His sons would lose the pack if the Council decided to take it from him and appoint a temporary alpha. "They could vote to have me removed, and my sons will lose their rights to the pack, unless they challenge whoever it is the Council appoints as a temporary Alpha. How many temporary Alphas have you seen still ruling over packs?" He looked around their faces before continuing. "Our pack is one of the largest and richest. Do you know how many alphas will want to be appointed over us? Have you thought about your future and that of your loved ones? I am thinking of our entire pack's future, which is why I am asking you to tell me who this person is.” He turned his gaze back to the sleeping girl then back to them. "Nicole is like a daughter to us and I will not take lightly to her being treated like this by anyone.

"I am sorry, Alpha," Mel raised his head up to Drake's face. "I was only fulfilling my patient's wish. Hopefully, she will come out of the coma soon..."

While Mel was speaking, Drake opened Nicole's file, noticing two words circled in red pen: Missing wolf. He hissed, darting his eyes to Nicole. The poor girl didn't deserve this. He read on. There was another entry about an emergency just hours after she was brought in and went into coma: Cardiac arrest caused by wolfsbane.

Snapping his head up to look at them all. "Someone injected her IV bag with wolfsbane!" Their lowered heads and silence met his furious eyes. Tiger bared his teeth in annoyance at them all. "Someone tried to murder her and you also kept it from me!" He charged, looking in disbelief at Oscar. "You're my Beta. Do you have no trust in me?" He shook his head, dropping the file on the floor, where Tim quickly reached for it. He didn't know what else to think or feel right now.

He sighed deeply and walked to the window. "Did you get the person?"

"We didn't," Tim said, eliciting a growl from Drake. "But we were able to get her name," he added. "Her name is Beth Adams. An omega nurse."

“At least you’re not hiding that. Is she from here?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

"Great. A rejection and an attempted murder. All in my pack," Drake spat out, feeling like he was suddenly losing control of his pack. “We need to talk about this.” Drake looked at Oscar and Mabel. “Now.” With that, he strode out of the room followed by the two people he mentioned.