Derrick’s POV
Leo was still being a pain in the ass. We had just left the restaurant and we were trying to get him into the car, but he had a bee in his bonnet and had decided he was going to go back in there and give Amy the waitress a piece of his mind.
“Don’t give her too much, or there’d be none left!” Jackson smirked at him.
I see the Iron Peak wolves are coming out of the diner now as well, and heading slowly to their car. Alpha Zachary is walking particularly slow, obviously trying to listen in.
“You guys ought to be on my side!” Leo growls at us. “She was being a total b***h for no reason at all! As her alpha, you should punish her for being so disrespectful to your gamma!”
“She’s no longer a part of Winter Moon,” I had to remind him. “We are in the middle of a human town and eating at a human restaurant. And besides, you’re the i***t who rejected her. I still think you got off easy. Just get in the damn car!”
“Is there a problem here?” Zachary asks cautiously.
“No…”
But then there is a problem. The waitress in question is leaving the restaurant. Her shift must be over now, and so she is probably heading home. She briefly glances at us, then heads in another direction.
Leo just about loses his s**t, but we all grab him to prevent the stupid i***t from running after her. Once out of sight we finally let him go. He still wants to go after her, though.
“Do I have to Alpha command you, to leave her alone?” I threatened him. “I expect better behavior than this from my officers! One more word about this evenings incident with Amelia Hearst, and I’ll demote you to omega status.”
Leo glares back at me for several seconds, probably feeling quite aggrieved with the situation, but said nothing. Then he walked over to the car, got in, and slammed the door shut as hard as he could.
“Is your Gamma always this childish?” Alpha Zachary ask with concern.
“Unfortunately, yes,” I tell him with resignation. “He is my cousin. My mother and my aunt both insisted.”
“Sorry, man. That’s tough.” Alpha Zachary says with a shake of his head. “See you at the meeting!”
We both head towards our respective cars, and are just about to get in, when Zachary seems to scent something. “Wait, do you smell that?”
I tentatively sniff at the air around me, and shake my head no. But then it hits me. Rogues!
The six of us immediately organize, and head off in the direction of the scent. Unfortunately, I’m also getting a whiff of Amelia’s scent as well. I start to fear for her safety, and as soon as we are off of the main road and well hidden amongst the trees, we quickly disrobe and shift into our wolves.
Within less than a minute we come upon one of the most disturbing scenes I’ve witnessed in my life, Amelia on her knees with a huge knife to her throat, surrounded by three rogues forcing their attentions on her. The rogues quickly shift into wolves and scurry away like the rats they are, but not before stabbing Amelia in the stomach. Leo goes crazy and immediately chases after the one who had his d**k in her mouth. Zachary’s men go after the man with the machete, and Jackson takes off after the third rogue.
Zachary and I cautiously approach Amelia as she writhes in pain on the cold hard ground, her chambray work shirt soaked in her own blood. We quickly assess the situation, and agree on our plan of action as we have no time to lose. I pick her up bridal style and start running towards Green Mountains territory.
Leo sends a mind link to me after a few minutes that he had caught his rogue, and torn him to shreds. I congratulate him on a job well done, but I need to concentrate on my own task. I can already feel Amelia weakening in my arms.
“Tell my mom, Julie, that I love her.” Amelia requests, breaking my heart that she obviously feels like she isn’t going to make it. And even near death, she thinks of others rather than her own sufferings.
“You’ll be able to tell her yourself!” I say gently, and pray to moon goddess that it is so. Please, moon goddess, help her!
Amelia is mumbling incoherently at this point, as she nears the end of her strength. I keep up a steady stream of reassurances, Harry even coming forward at one point and promising to make her his Luna if she survives, giving me that extra little bit of incentive I need to push myself harder and get her to the pack hospital in time to save her.
I come across some border patrol guards who point me in the right direction.
“We are getting so close! Just hang in there a little longer,” I plead with Amelia, but she is no longer responding. I pick up my pace and sprint with her to the doors of the pack hospital as soon as they come into view, a team of medical professionals waiting for us with a gurney. I lay her down gently, kiss her forehead, and they quickly whisk her inside.
Zachary is there already, of course, and informs me of everything that has happened up until now. His men caught the rogue with the machete, and he is being taken to the dungeon as we speak. Alpha Joshua and Luna Leann are currently welcoming the rest of the Alphas to the meeting, but will be along as soon as they can to discuss what should be done at this point.
Soon I see my car pulling up, Leo and Jackson inside. Apparently the third rogue got away, and Jackson was beyond pissed off about it. Leo handed both Zachary and I a pair of shorts and suggests I find a shower in the hospital before meeting with the other alphas, as I was naked and covered in Amelia’s blood.
I look down. Oh, right. And go in search of a shower.
Ten minutes later I emerge from a scalding hot shower with a towel wrapped around my waist, where Dr. Lyndon finds me. The look on her face says it all. Amelia is dead.