Chapter 2

Emma clung to Quincy, unable to look at her mate's damaged body. "Is he going to make it," she whispered against his dirty tee shirt. "I don't know Luna, but I believe that with you by his side, he has more of a chance. I know it's hard to see him this way, but even if he isn't conscious his wolf will feel you. It will help him heal faster." Quincy nudged her elbow for her to turn around. She wiped at her eyes with one hand and took a shuddered breath. Letting go of his shirt with her other hand, she turned and looked at her mate. Just this morning he had been strong and handsome. His brown hair was now a dirty mess and there were bald spots where his hair had been burned off. His beautiful green eyes were closed and swollen shut already. His face was dirty, and he had a burn mark on the right side of his face. Her eyes trailed farther down his body, assessing the damage. His arms usually held her with so much care and were now laying limply by his side. She watched his chest, searching for the movement of his breath but couldn't see it. "I don't think he's breathing," she whispered to the room as she stepped forward. The doctor turned his head slightly, "He's alive. Just barely, but these guys saved his life." 

Emma reached the foot of the bed and looked down at his legs. His foot hung at an odd angle where his ankle was broken. she lightly ran her hands up his pants as she approached his side. "what happens now," she asked the doctor. Dr. Adams sighed, "well, the nurses are prepping both surgery rooms. We are monitoring him and Ivan closely. Right now I know for sure that Alpha Daryl needs surgery. My colleague is on his way for a second opinion of Ivan. He will assist me with both surgeries tonight. It won't be long before we have to take him back. I would spend as much time with him as you can right now. The nurses will work around you as much as possible. If they need to, they will ask you to move around. It will be hard to see them touching your mate or bossing you around. Just know that they are doing it to provide him with the best possible care." 

Emma gave Dr. Adams a small smile, "Thank you, doctor." She slid into the bed next to her mate, being careful not to bump him or touch his injuries. She tried to rest lightly against him so he could feel her without hurting. "Baby please don't leave me. I don't want to do this without you. We've just got started." She whispered to him, pleading with him to hang on. One of the nurses came and started an IV while another one washed and dressed the burns. "How badly will this scar," she asked the nurse. The nurse tilted her head, thinking about her answer. "Well, these on the left side of his body are third-degree burns. Those are the worst ones. We will keep them dressed and monitor them for infection. The other ones aren't as bad. We will still take care of them as much as possible. It's really hard to say. It depends on his healing ability and how well they are taken care of. He may need a skin graft here on this arm. Dr. Adams will be able to tell you more later. Right now just focus on giving him comfort. Once they do a full assessment of him we will know more." 

Emma hated feeling so useless but she tried to relax a little and think about sending comforting vibes to her mate. She tried to mind-link him, but as expected didn't get a response. She could still feel their bond, which was a good thing. As she lay there, she focused on that feeling and knew that he was going to live. Nurses and Dr. Adams came in and out of the room for various things as they waited for the other doctor to arrive. Emma ignored them as much as possible. Their Beta, Quincy stood guard at the door. She was glad he was there, even if he was silent. It made her feel safe and it made her feel like she wasn't alone in dealing with this tragedy. As her mind wandered, she realized she would have to tell the pack something tonight. She sat up, "Quincy, right now I think it's best if we don't tell the pack that Daryl is injured. Let's see how things unfold. I'm going to order the staff and everyone involved in this mission to keep quiet." 

Quincy stood in the same spot in the doorway, but now facing her. "Luna, he's going to be unavailable for a while as he recovers. Do you think it's a good idea to keep this information from the pack?" Emma searched his eyes but didn't find a challenge in his word or body language. She sat a little straighter and pushed her aura out just enough to touch him. "For now, it is in the pack's best interest not to worry about the condition of their Alpha. Once we have more information, I will address everyone in an assembly. When they take him back for surgery I want you to do two things. First, I want you to contact Alpha Liu. Tell him what has happened and that I am asking him to repay his debt now by sending as many men as he thinks is necessary to locate the ones that did this. You will be in charge of meeting the men and accompanying them during their search."

Quincy started to interrupt her but she held up a hand to stop him. "I trust his judgment and know that he will send us exactly the team we need. My second request is that once you have located them, you hold them until I can deal with them. Their lives are mine to take." Her jaw clenched tightly as she thought about ripping this invisible threat to pieces. Quincy bared his neck slightly in reverence to her, "Yes Luna. I will do as you have requested. I do ask that I be allowed to remain here until then." Emma gave a small nod, "Of course. I would like to know how everyone else is doing though. If you see a nurse in the hallway tell her I need to speak to her." Emma knew that he would do as she requested and didn't wait for a response. She grabbed a blanket at the bottom of the bed and pulled it up over herself. She lay next to her mate, waiting for them to take him into surgery.