Carrie POV I am floating along hearing the vague discussions around me when suddenly pain grips my body. My chest is on fire. I am struggling to breathe. I can hear the shouting and I hear Jackson yell at me to fight. “Jackson?” I try to respond but the pain is debilitating. As if a switch is turned off, I find myself in a black void. Nothing. No sounds. No Jackson calling to me. Just darkness. And silence. “Reba?” I call out. No response. I start to feel like I am going to hyperventilate but I am in space where breathing is not relevant or noticeable. I want to panic. Scream. Beg for mercy but I have nothing.And then next I am removed from my body, and I can see the scene unfolding below me. As if I am sitting in a corner watching a move as they fight to save me. I see Jackson trying to get to me but he is being held back by Christian and Carleton. I see the doctor shouting orders to the medical team.I cringe as I see them shock my body, trying to get

Carrie POV I could feel myself surfacing from the clouds. I felt like I was back in my body. My chest was sore, but not as bad as it had been. I could feel sparks on my hand, “Come back to me, baby,” I hear Jackson saying over and over again. One more layer of dust, and I will be free. I will be able to communicate with him. “Reba?” I call out. I hear some shuffling, “I am here,” she calls out sounding distant. “It is time,” I reply. “I am ready,” she says sounding stronger and closer to me. With that last step, I called out to Jackson through our mind-link, “Jackson?” I say sounding weaker than I felt. I felt him stiffen beside me, “Carrie?” he asks cautiously as if he is not trusting himself. “I am on my way back to you,” I reply stronger and more confident. I feel him kiss my hand, and then my forehead. As he is starting to move back from me, my eyes slowly open. I blink at the brightness against my eyes that have not been open for a

Jessica POV We were back in my room, after having watched Carrie come back to life. I realized as I watched what Carleton must have gone through watching me die and be revived. I could not fathom what emotions he ran through before he landed on joy that I was still with him. Relief that I had not been lost. I was looking at changing when Carleton enters the room. “What are you doing, gorgeous?” he asks me. “Just trying to decide what to put on,” I reply as he comes up behind me wrapping his arms around me. “I think nothing would be a good start,” he says as he cups my breasts, pinching my nipples through my bra. They immediately respond to his attention, going hard. He nuzzles my neck, “I think we should get down to the business of marking,” he suggests as his hands slide down my body pulling my hips back against his hardness. I can feel myself getting wet at the thoughts of having him inside me. It had been too long. Too long fo

Carrie POV I cringe slightly at the screech that comes out of Mandy before I burst out laughing. I am exhausted and wanting to rest, but the expression she has learning she has a new role is too funny to pass up. “You have to expect that if Josh is Gamma, then you become the Gamma female?” I ask her with a smile. She looks to Josh with horror on her face, “I am so sorry. I cannot do this,” she says pacing away from Josh. “Of course you can, Mandy. You were meant to be a Gamma female,” I assure her while she lets panic take over. “If you will not be the Gamma female, then I will pass on being the Gamma,” Josh says to her. She looks at him in shock. “Why?” she asks confused. “You are everything to me. I will only take the role with you by my side,” he tells her sincerely. I watch the look that crosses Mandy’s face. “You cannot refuse the role. You will be perfect at it,” she says softly. “And you will be perfect as the Gamma female,” he re

Jackson POV I felt like I was going to vomit. “You are so sorry, what?” I demand as the doctor had paused in her response. “I am so sorry, Rosie, but the Alpha is not the father,” the doctor states to Rosie. I see the tears fill Rosie’s eyes, “It has to be his! I was only with Jackson!” she screams. “Someone has changed the results!” she continues adamant that the results were wrong. There was a small part of me that started to wonder, given her response. I needed to see the results myself. I hold my hand out to the doctor as she moves towards Rosie, “Rosie, you need to take a breath and calm down. This is not good for the pup,” she cautions as she puts a hand on Rosie’s shoulder. I scan the document with Carrie looking over my shoulder, “The two samples have been compared. There is no evidence to indicate a connection between the two samples.”. Well. There it was. The pup was not mine. This was good news. So why did I feel so lost with