Chapter || 8

Lucas' POV

My phone was ringing.

I pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID. Drew. With a swipe, I answered the call, pressing it to my ear. "Hey," I mouthed, keeping my voice low.

"You're okay? I had to leave man. She had wolfsbane with her. I just had to. I'm sorry." Drew's frantic voice sounded through the speakers.

"It's fine. I'll text you the location of the hospital. She fainted," I said and I could hear Drew gasping.

"What? Fainted? Is she okay?" His voice was even more panicked now.

"Yes. The human doctor here is a quack. He says he thinks she was in shock. It's infuriating. He's not supposed to think, Drew. He's supposed to know what's wrong with Allie." I breathed out a little and lowered my voice so I wouldn't wake Allie up. The sterile smell of the hospital was starting to get to me.

"She doesn't need a doctor. She needs a healer."

"You think I don't know?" I frowned. Of course, I knew.

"Dude, you should get her to a healer. Or get a healer to her. I'm at the packhouse and I can get the healer on my way to the hospital. Just give me the word."

"Fine. But whatever you do, do not let my mother know about it." I said and I hung up.

I stared down at Allie as I rubbed her wrists with my thumb. My eyes travelled to her neckline, the spot where I'd bitten her. It felt hot under my touch and I could still see the faint marks of the fangs.

Allison stirred, murmured softly, and her lashes fluttered open, slowly, as if waking up from a deep sleep. Her eyes met mine, and I helped her sit upright, my hands supporting her back.

"How do you feel now?" I asked her.

"Better than earlier. I guess I just needed to sleep." She looked at the windows and frowned. "It's late. My parents will be worried. I have to call them." She said and began looking everywhere for her bag.

"Here," I said handing her phone to her.

"Thank you," she mouthed and dug in for her phone. "What do I tell them?" She asked, her eyes lingering on mine. "Can I tell them that I'm spending the night with a guy?"

I arched my left brow. "Would they be okay with that? Knowing you're with some random guy they've never met?"

She chuckled lowly. "I'm not a child anymore. I can do whatever I want to." Then she pressed her phone to her ears, listening to it ring and bit down on her lips. "Hey Mum... I'm fine... I'll be..." Allie's eyes met mine. "Spending the night with a guy... No, you don't know him... He's not my boyfriend... What? No... I said I'm fine, don't worry... Love you,"

"She thinks I'm dating someone behind her back." Allie rolled her eyes. "I've never dated so she's worried that when I finally do, it should be the right person. The perfect, non-existent prince charming."

I nodded. "Makes sense."

Allie tucked strands of her hair behind her ears and she looked up at me, a faint dusting of pink staining her cheeks. "What about you? Have you dated before? What am I even saying? It's you... Girls would fall at your feet, probably line up around the block just for a glance."

Her actions earned her a laugh from me. If it were any other person prying into my private life like that, I'd not even bother to answer.

But Allie wasn't just any other person. She was my mate. She was cute and I could bend all my rules because of her. Only her.

"You don't have to answer the question if you don't want to." She added, sensing my hesitation, her eyes still on mine.

"I don't date," I said simply.

"Oh." Came her reply. Did I imagine the slight frown that creased her smile? Probably. "You're one of those guys who do not believe in love." She said again. "Okay, tell me this... You've never dated before?"

"Never."

"Not even once?" She probed.

"Not even once," I repeated.

"But... why not? Is there some werewolf book that says that you aren't allowed to date? Or is it just you?"

I shrugged. "I do believe in fate. And I believe in whatever the moon goddess decides. I believe that she'll bring me my mate and that there's no point wasting time with someone else."

Allie smiled slightly. "I think I need to get used to that. The whole moon goddess stuff. So, what's it like to be you?"

My lips curved upwards in a gentle smile, mirroring Allie's own. I liked that she was this inquisitive. I could keep answering her questions all day.

"It's fun especially when I'm doing what I love. I play hockey. It's my way to burn off all that extra energy."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "I know. I've seen you play."

"Right. It's not so different from the human guy. We go to school, we hang out, we play sports. We just have a few... extra abilities. Plus, we do shift whenever we want to." Upon that information, her eyes widened.

"I thought it was only on full moons?"

"Whoever told you that?" I almost laughed.

"Well, the internet, movies, books. All the popular culture stuff. It's pretty much all I had to go on, Lucas. It's not like I had a werewolf handbook." She shrugged, a little embarrassed.

"Well, welcome to the real world. The one in which I'm telling you that wolves can shift whenever they want to. My wolf has been silent for the past few days. His name is Thorne."

Her eyes held this glow that made me want to keep talking. "He's a black wolf... I mean, his fur. Dark as midnight, with eyes like molten gold."

"Aren't all wolves black? Or grey? I thought those were the only colours?"

"Nope. There's grey, white, black and brown. We've got some red ones on special occasions."

"Wow. So much to absorb." She sighed softly. "I'm sorry about the wolfsbane. I didn't know..." Her eyes drifted to the three people who had just entered. "Oh look."

I looked at the door. Drew, Isabel who was the pack healer's daughter and Jess, Allie's friend.

"Allie cat." She exclaimed and ran to hug Allie who looked shocked to see her. "You gave me a scare when you weren't answering your phone." She frowned, still clinging to Allie.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry. How... how did you know I was here?" Allie looked at Jess.

"He brought me here." She pointed at Drew and Allie frowned when she saw him.

"Drew?" She called. "What..." She looked at me. "What is he doing here?" Her brows were furrowed.

"He's my best friend." I began, my hands reaching for Allie's across the bed where she sat. "He's a good person and he's here to help. Trust me."

Allie glanced at our now entwined hands, and realisation dawned on her features. She opened her mouth to say something but then shut it.

"Is he a..."

"Yes, love. He's a werewolf."

"Oh my God," Allie gasped, her grip on my hand tightened. "Are all the hockey players not human? Is the whole team a pack of wolves?" She asked.

I and Drew exchanged glances.

'Do you think we should tell her?' I mind linked him.

'Yes, we should' he replied.

"Allie, that's right," I said, bracing myself for her reaction.

"Wow, great." She looked breathless and she was surprisingly taking this piece of information very well. I looked at Isabel who bowed when our eyes met. "Why is she bowing? Are you royalty?" Allie asked.

"He's going to be the Alpha when it's time. He's out Alpha's son." Isabel explained. Then she looked from me to Allie. "I am the healer, Allie. My name is Isabel. It's an honour to meet you, future Luna." she said softly.

"Great. This just keeps getting better and better. You're also a wolf, huh?"

"Yes,"

"Now what? Can you tell me what's wrong with me? I've been having this... weird nightmare and Lucas says I'm in transition." She gave me a look and then continued. "Am I going to be a werewolf?" She finished.

Isabel moved to Allie's side. "Do you mind if I take a look at the exact spot where he bit you?" She asked.

"No, it's right here." Allie bared her neckline for Isabel to see.

Isabel ran her hands over the spot and Allie shivered. "It's tingly."

"It should be. It's your mating mark. He may have marked you by biting you but that doesn't mean that you will become a werewolf. A mating mark is a bond, a deep connection, not a transformation." Isabel said.

I tilted my head at her words. Did she mean...

"It is rare for a human to change, my Lord. She has to be bitten in another spot and not the spot where the mark should be. The venom needs to enter the bloodstream directly, a deep, penetrating wound, a true bite, not just through a mating bite, which is more about claiming and bonding."

Drew shifted on his feet, his frown and surprise matched mine. I was getting confused. No, I was already in the confusion line.

Allie had to be in transition. That was the only explanation for why her emotions were heightened and why her hearing sharpened. It made perfect sense. It was the only logical conclusion I could draw.

If Isabel was right, then why did all those things happen to Allie?

"Does she mean that I'm not in transition?" Allie looked at me, her eyes wide and full of questions.

"Isabel, you've got to be sure about this. You can't just jump to conclusions." My voice came out harsher than I intended.

"I am going to be the pack healer after my mother, My Lord. I have passed the necessary tests and I am waiting until she retires. I know what I am saying. A mere bite on the neck cannot transform a human into a werewolf. It has to be more. The venom comes in contact with blood." Isabel took one look at Allie and she stepped back, a frightening look clouding her features.

"Isabel? What's going on? Is she going to be fine? What did you see? Tell me, now!" I asked, a pang of worry shooting through me.

Isabel ignored me, her eyes scanning Allie. I traced her eyes to Allie's stomach, where Allie's hand rested. And my jaw tightened.

"My Lord..." Isabel's brows furrowed. "Her heartbeat. It's not just hers. You hear it too?"

Fuck! Now that she mentioned it, I noticed. I heard.

"There's another one. Faint, but steady." Drew nodded grimly.

Oh no.

Not this.

Please, goddess.

Anything but this.

Allie's hands dropped from her stomach, as she looked at us. "What's going on? What are you talking about? What did you hear? What's wrong with me? Why are you all looking at me like that?" She asked, her voice reduced to a whisper.

My hands slid from Allie's hand to her forehead. And I almost couldn't recognise my voice. It was low and grave. "Allie... you're pregnant."

Jess's mouth fell open. "Oh my God."

Allie didn't react. She just stared at me, her face blank. I wasn't sure she'd heard what I just said so I said it again, louder this time.

"You're pregnant, Allie cat."

"No. No, that's not... I can't be pregnant." She shook her head profusely. "She's a quack, she's lying. She doesn't know what she's saying. I don't even feel pregnant. Lucas... tell her to check again." Allie reached for both my hands. "Please, check again." She muttered, her lips quivering.

I felt numb. Of all the worst-case scenarios I'd imagined, getting a girl pregnant wasn't in the list. I didn't know how to react. I didn't know what to feel. Happy? That I'd have a pup with my mate? Sad? That Allie's life would be on hold so she would carry a shifter's baby?

"Lucas, I will not believe that I am pregnant until the doctor confirms it. And not until I get tons of tests. No, I'm going home." Allie pushed the covers off her legs, and she hugged herself when I tried to touch her.

"No," she squeaked. "Don't touch me." She mumbled, her gaze flickering from me to Isabel to Drew. "Jess, please take me home." She finally looked at her best friend, whose jaw had dropped.

"Allie, wait," I said, but Jess held on to her and helped her walk out of the room.

"My Lord, you have to make sure she's fine. A human carrying a shifter's baby is very dangerous, My Lord. The pregnancy will be difficult, and the baby will be powerful, a true hybrid, a target for those who seek power, a beacon in the supernatural world. I can protect her, if you'd let me. I can cast a spell to protect her and the baby, a powerful ward, a shield against all harm, a cloak of invisibility, a barrier against all threats." Isabel looked genuinely concerned.

I ran a hand through my hair and let out an exasperated sigh. "Do it," I told her.

"But she has to be very close to the spell. You have to try and convince her that she should be with you for her safety," Isabel said again.

My hands dropped to my sides. "And how do I do that?"

"Her best friend... the girl she trusts. I suggest you talk to her and make her understand that the pregnancy isn't just a normal one. Visiting the doctor will not keep her safe. Make her friend understand and she will talk to her."

"I'll do that. I think I can talk to Jess. She's a tough one, but I'll get to her." Drew offered and I couldn't be more grateful.

"My Lord, my work here is done. Call me if you need me. And I will keep this between us, I promise." Isabel bowed.

"Thank you, Isabel."