Filed To Story: Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)
Selene could feel his desire to ask more questions and clarify, but he knew that she needed him now.
‘We’re on our way,’ he said. ‘If you can, try to meet us halfway. If not, we will be there soon, I swear.’
Selene closed their connection, focusing on climbing the stairs and getting them both out as safely as she could.
It took far too long, but they made it out.
The children had done as she told them, they had waited by the trees. Selene couldn’t stop moving. She gave them orders to follow her as she continued with Alice in her arms, moving as fast as possible to get them back to the van.
It was a tight fit, but somehow, they managed. Selene wasn’t entirely sure she should be driving, but the fresh air had cleared her mind a little, and she needed to get Alice help as soon as possible.
When they had driven here, it had taken more than an hour. But Alexander and his team were determined to reach them quickly. Selene only had to go for fifteen minutes before she saw the Summer team barreling down the dirt road toward them at incredible speed. She pulled over and got out, waving her arms wildly.
As Selene opened the passenger door, a medical bus pulled forward, directing the medics to Alice. She moved out of the way as they carefully pulled Alice out and carried her inside the bus.
Other members of Alexander’s team came and started helping the children out of the van, taking them in small groups to the other vehicles and offering them drinks and snacks.
Selene stared intently at the bus where Alice was being treated.
“Selene!” Alexander called out.
She had barely turned toward his voice when his strong arms wrapped around her. He pulled her into his warm and comforting scent.
He held her silently for a long time. She could feel the concern in him. He was terrified, but slowly the fear was eased as he held her in his arms.
Alexander gently pulled away to look at her. His brows furrowed, and something in his expression changed. There was a hunger in his eyes, and he let out a low growl.
“Alexander?” Selene whispered.
“My Luna,” a woman called from beside the medical bus. “We need to treat you for smoke inhalation.”
“One moment,” Selene replied, looking at Alexander with concern.
Alexander closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clearing his mind.
“I’m fine,” he whispered. “You need to get yourself checked out.”
Selene nodded and pulled away from him.
Once her throat had been checked, and she had been given oxygen, Selene was cleared. Of course, she would need a follow-up when they returned to Summer, but there was no cause for immediate concern.
“Any word on Alice?” she asked as she approached Alexander.
The two medics that had been speaking with him walked away, returning to the bus.
“They’ve been able to stabilize her for now, but it’s not good,” he sighed. “We need to get her back to Summer right away.”
Selene nodded.
“Let’s go,” she said.
“There’s something else,” Alexander said, grabbing Selene’s hand as she turned to get into one of the cars.
“What?” she asked.
“Axel has already called a few times,” he said. “He knows something is wrong with Alice, and he’s on his way.”
The convoy returned to Summer as quickly as they had left. Alice was immediately rushed to the hospital when they arrived.
While she was sent to surgery, Selene gave Fiona and Alexander a full debrief. Then, they argued about sending a team to investigate the lab. In the end, it was decided that they would wait a few days. The chances of Spring having already dispatched a team to clean the building were too high.
Right now, they already had too many of their resources spread out to the lesser packs. They couldn’t afford to invite trouble to their doorstep.
Selene herself spent a few hours in a hospital bed. They believed she was alright. Still, they wanted to monitor her lungs to ensure there were no complications from the smoke inhalation.
The children were also sent to the hospital for essential physical examinations and wellness checks. She warned them about the children’s unique heritage, and it was agreed to be kept quiet for now.
Fiona and Alexander had a lot to do. Selene was left alone for the couple of hours she was being monitored. She kept asking for updates on Alice, but the surgery took a long time.
There had been complications. Her previous injuries in Autumn were not fully healed, and the scar tissue alone made the procedure that much more difficult.
Finally, Selene was told that the surgery was over.
Unfortunately, it was over because Alice’s body could not handle it anymore. The surgeons had been forced to put her in a medically induced coma in order to let her body rest for a time before they could continue.
Her healing was delayed, almost non-existent. She had lost a lot of blood, and her lungs had been weakened by the smoke.
Selene closed her eyes and rested her head against her knees as she processed the information. She took a deep breath, and as she did, she sensed his presence before he even entered the room. She lifted her head and looked toward the door. Unsurprised when he suddenly appeared before her.
“What the fuck happened, Selene!” Axel shouted. His tone was angry, irate. But the look in his eyes was filled with fear and worry.
“Axel–”
“How the hell does Alice go from getting a brain scan to having surgery and being put into a coma!” he growled.
“A brain scan?” Selene asked, sitting up and looking at him with confusion. “What brain scan?”
“She was coming to get a brain scan,” Axel continued. “That’s why she was in Summer. To make sure the headaches weren’t related to the fracturing. So how the hell did this happen!”
“Axel… I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about any headaches or a brain scan.”
Axel furrowed his brow.
“She didn’t… she didn’t come about her migraines?” he asked, his tone calming down, but growing in concern.
“If she did, she didn’t tell me about it,” Selene said. “But we aren’t exactly close, are we?”
Axel sighed and entered further into the room.
“She’s had migraines for a while. Bad ones. Peter couldn’t do anything. At the end, he suggested she come to Summer for a more in-depth scan. She was on her way back from the rogues and said she would stop by to get checked.”
“She really didn’t say anything to me,” Selene said softly. “I didn’t know she was having trouble.”
Axel closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Just tell me what happened to my mate, please,” his voice was gentle and strained.
Selene looked up at her brother, and for a moment, she saw Alexander. How upset he was every time she was in danger and thought he would lose her.
‘He loves her so much…’ Selene smiled. ‘Just like she does him.’
Selene sighed.
“I’m sorry, Axel,” she said. “I haven’t been fair to you or Alice.”
Selene pointed to the chair beside her bed. Reluctantly, Axel sat down.
“I’m guessing, based on what you and everyone else have tried over and over to tell me and what Alice herself said, the migraines were a prelude to this adventure.”
“What does that mean?” Axel asked.
“Maybe, one memory started it, and she couldn’t let it go. Maybe the migraines were because she was actively trying to pull the memory out instead of letting it come naturally.”
“Why would she do that?” Axel asked. “What was the memory?”
“To know how to get there. The guard count and routine, the hidden entrances and exits. The codes for the doors or who had them,” Selene sighed. “Maybe Alice remembered the horror of the lab, but she forced herself to remember all the details before her mind was ready.”
Axel sighed.
“Please… just tell me what you’re talking about.”
Selene told Axel about the lab. About Alice approaching her for help, about the human children being experimented on. About the explosions, about Holden, and how Alice intended to stay behind.
Axel was quiet.
“Axel?” Selene called to him gently. “Are you ok?”
Axel licked his lips and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Alice… struggles with understanding her worth,” he said quietly. “She still sees herself as a weapon, a tool. Something to be used and discarded, rather than as a person.”
‘The only aim I have in my life is to be a useful partner to Axel.’
Alice’s words replayed in Selene’s mind.
A useful partner.
That was her only wish, to be useful. Not to be his Luna, not to be his wife. All she wanted was to be useful to him.
Selene swallowed. Thinking of the child in the picture, the one who could still smile without a trick or secret.
“I know you don’t believe me….” Axel said mournfully. “But she is so much more than you realize.”
“I know,” Selene said, reaching her hand out to touch her brother’s shoulder.
Axel lifted his gaze to his sister. His eyes were red, and Selene instantly knew how worried he must have been the entire time he was on his way from Winter.
“You know?” he asked. “What the hell happened in that lab?”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?