Unknown POV
Mourning. The entire pack felt his loss last night. Even though he wasn’t the greatest person and he failed many times as Alpha. He was my father and I mourned his death.
With his passing, the responsibilities of Alpha fell on my shoulders. I’ve only just begun training with my mate and the pack warriors. I begged him to take me on the mission currently keeping him from being home. Because I haven’t been doing well he made me stay home.
I never had ridiculous thoughts of being King, it wasn’t supposed to be given to me. He was supposed to appoint someone. I became ill after my mate left and went to see the pack doctor. He told me I should avoid stress and broke the news.
I stopped my thoughts before they went down the dark road it liked to trail. I couldn’t be Luna because women aren’t supposed to lead. It’s not the way things are done. I had to get through the high-risk period of two weeks. I would be in the clear after those two weeks and would be able to figure out what I was doing. If I tried hard, I may be able to get started after a week of rest.
I need him to come home. I reached through the bond but it was silent on the other side. No warmth only silence. He was too far to reach. When he returned, I would tell him.
The past few months have been close to a fairy tale. He was all the things I never knew I needed. He was everything my father was not. I knew he’d love whatever we were having.
The boys in school used to trip and fall trying to get me to look their way but it never worked. I secretly waited for my mate and when I became of age and he walked through the door with dad.
It was destiny.
I sat in my room. I pulled myself from my thoughts. The stress hit me last night like a train threatening to fly off the rails. My heart broke and I mourned my father but I swore I would focus on resting.
I needed to get out of the high-risk period. I put everything into trying to block out thoughts of my father. The silence stretched on when an invisible spear shot through the sky and pierced my chest.
I moved back from the impact. The bond between us thinning until. It. Snapped. The pain was blinding. My stomach squeezed and I fought the urge to throw up. The intensity of it pulled me from the bed.
It brought me to my knees. My heart was being ripped out of my chest and I couldn’t grasp what was happening. My thoughts jumped to him. My pain was dripping from my chest and bled onto the floor.
My hands moved in a frenzy patting, searching for the wound. My wolf howled in agony and I knew. I just knew. The thread I’ve been holding onto, reminding me he was safe had disappeared.
It was gone.
My chest was empty. Everything went quiet but my mind exploded. I couldn’t hear, see, feel. Hunching over, I leaned into the floor for something solid.
Panic.
The pounding in my ears reminded me my heart still beat while his had stopped. My nails scratched and dug into the floor.
I saw red.
I was insane with madness.
He was gone.
My chest heaved as my breathing came out in rasps. I struggled to take in the air that left my chest. My mind raced with thoughts I couldn’t piece together.
How? Why?
One question stood out, reached out to me, and grounded me. Pulling my body upright, I stare into the dark abyss of my mind. My wolf stands still staring back at me.
“Who?” My wolf growled.
“Who,” I repeat.
“Whoever it is,” I growled. “I’ll find him and tear him limb from limb,” I promise. “I’ll feast on his blood and watch as the light leaves his eyes. I’ll rip his still-beating heart out of his chest. I’ll rip it to pieces,” I cried.
My anger, insanity, and pain swirled around me happy at the thought of revenge. The fierce need to protect my pup burns in my chest. The doctor’s words repeat in my mind.
Rest.
Rest?!
No stress.
Relax.
RELAX.
Two weeks.
I CAN’T DO TWO WEEKS.
I thrash and scream.
A new pain shot through my stomach and I curled in on myself. With every thump of my heart, the pain intensifies. A stabbing pain tells me what’s happening.
What I’m losing.
I’m crying.
I’m screaming, gasping, crying.
Cursing the Goddess.
Why?
What have I done?
Please no.
I touch my belly lightly and close my eyes as I try to shut out what’s happening. Opening my eyes, I look down and a tsunami of fresh tears streak down my cheeks. My shoulders sag and I lean against the bed to keep me upright.
A new type of desperation welled in my chest. I’d been pushed to the edge with the loss of my father. I’ve been driven to madness at the loss of my mate. I haven’t had 30 minutes to even think about mourning him.
My chest heaves and my nails dig into the flesh on my throat. I scratch at my chest as I try to inhale. I need air. I need to breathe. Please.
My pup.
Please.
I’m gasping.
A warm liquid drips down my thighs and my body freezes. Everything else ceases to exist. Time stands still. Shaky fingers lower and dip between my legs. Hesitating a moment before brushing against the wetness.
Delirious.
I lift my hand up slowly. I forget the pain and the need to breathe. Everything stands still. I force my eyes down to gaze at my fingers. Oxygen is sucked from my lungs, color is sucked from the room.
The only color I see.
Is red.
Red.
Red.
On my fingers.
I see red.