VictorWorry and dread fill my senses as I push through the pack house front doors. Gabby is fast asleep in my arms, and my pack members freeze mid-conversation, their eyes tracking me as I pass. Their whispers follow me as I pass by. They are both confused and pleased to see Gabby back in the pack house. She has always been adored, but they don’t know the circumstances of her return just yet. I shouldn’t keep the truth from my pack, but I don’t know how to tell them that I was fooled by a she-wolf into breaking a bond given to me by the Moon Goddess. I fear they won’t forgive me for what I have done. Justin falls into step beside me without a word. I climb the stairs quickly and tuck her into my bed. She stirs against the blankets, and her eyes flutter open. “You’ll be safe here,” I murmur to her as I pull the covers over her shoulders. “I promise you that.” She curls into a ball, tucking her hands under her chin. “I want my mommy.” “She’s with Uncle Damon,” I remind he
Elana POVVictor buckles Gabby into the backseat of his car with slow and careful movements. I watch him silently, trying to remember if he has ever done this before. She clings to his arm like a lifeline. Her skin is pale from lack of sleep, and little dark shadows have formed under her eyes. She yawns, and her head tilts against the car seat, her eyes fluttering closed. Victor closes the door gently, so he doesn’t wake her. “I’ll take her back to the pack house,” he says softly. “She needs sleep and a routine. You stay here. Be with Damon. He needs you.” It’s the first time he’s spoken to me without anger in his voice for weeks. Now, he is gentle, and it throws me off balance.“Thank you,” I whisper.He nods once and lingers outside his car door. He looks as if he wants to say something more, but instead, he just murmurs, “Call me if anything changes.” He shuts the car door behind him, and the engine rumbles to life. I watch him pull away until he reaches the long hos
Damon POVLight slants across my eyes, bright and blinding. The steady beep of my machines surrounds me. Every breath I take tastes like plastic. My chest rises and falls, but something pulls tight against my ribs. I blink slowly, allowing shapes to form in my vision. A room, a bed, and machines. But that isn’t all, three people are at my bedside.A little girl with beautiful blonde curls and a blotchy face from crying. A man stands at the end, his arms crossed over his chest like a soldier. My eyes dart between them, and I am sure she is his daughter. They look the same. The last is a woman crouched at my side. Her hand is wrapped around mine, and her eyes are glittering with tears. She’s beautiful. More beautiful than any person I have ever seen before. She looks like she was carved by the gods themselves. Her scent hits me in a wave, roses. It feels like it should mean something to me. But it doesn’t.I blink again, trying to force the pieces into place. Who are th
Chapter 68Elana POVI wake to the faint hiss of an oxygen machine and the smell of antiseptic. The mattress under me is too firm, and the light above my head is too bright. For a heartbeat, I don’t remember where I am. Then the memories come crashing back in like a terrible nightmare. I am still in Damon’s hospital bed. The nurse must have decided to let me stay longer than an hour after all. I ease myself up in the bed, careful not to disturb the machines keeping Damon alive. Victor sits in a chair at the foot of the bed. His elbows resting on his knees, and his hands clasped like he is praying. His eyes snap to mine instantly. He looks like he hasn’t slept. His normally neat hair is mussed, and his shirt is wrinkled. The dark shadows under his eyes make him look exhausted. “You’re awake,” He says softly. I glance over at Damon. He still lies on the hospital bed, wrapped in bandages. The machines beep steadily at his side, letting me know he is still alive. I know h
Damon POVDarkness stretches before me. It goes on forever. An unending darkness, thick and heavy. Velvet tendrils cling to my arms. One tugging me in one direction, and the other in the opposite. There is no pain, and no sound but my own heartbeat. It isn’t as strong as it once was. It is slow and fainting. I reach for the tendrils clinging to my wrists, but I my hands move through them like mist. “Damon of the Midsummer Pack,” a voice calls out. It’s soft but echoes everywhere. Feminine and quiet, it calms the storm raging in my mind. “Your life has not been kind.” My head turns toward the sound, and I struggle to move toward it, but I am bound to where I stand. A woman steps out of the silver fog, tall and luminous. Her blonde hair flows like starlight peeking through a cloud down her back. Her eyes are the color of the full moon, but not dull. They shine brightly and unearthly. I know who she is before she speaks again. “Moon Goddess,” I breathe. I bow my head
Victor POVGabby clings to my shoulders as I carry her through the hospital doors. Her little body trembles with fear. Her little eyes are still puffy from crying last night and this morning, but with the promise of seeing her mother, she has calmed down. “They won’t stick me with a needle again?” She whispers into my ear. “I don’t like the needles.” I hold her closer to my chest, regret and shame flooding through my mind. “No, baby,” I assure her. “No needles today.” She relaxes a little, but her fingers still curl against the collar of my shirt, like I am her lifeline. We move through the corridors of the hospital with a trail of guards following us. The whole building still hums with the anxiety from the rogue attack. It was the worst attack we have seen since I became Alpha, and I know it will be a long time before my pack members are able to relax. Walking past the nurses who give me an approving nod when they see Gabby in my arms, we head straight for Elana’s room. S