Chapter 4 3

Maxon

I ran out of my room as fast as I could; there was no way I could let my mate and my pack suffer. If someone was ballsy enough to attack my pack, then I must defend and protect it as Alpha. The screams and cries of women and children filled the lower half of the house. I could feel their fear for their children more than themselves; not to mention the worry of the mates who were currently away from the house. Barreling down the steps I finally got to see what all the screaming and crying was for.

Silver, I thought.

Those who ran past me and up the steps were wheezing and struggling to breathe; their skin was red and agitated. Looking around the room, I could see tiny glittery flecks in the air... whoever was doing this knew exactly how to smoke us out, but I wouldn't give them that satisfaction. Whoever did this was going to pay.

I instantly pulled my shirt off and wrapped it around my nose and mouth. Running into the cloud of smoke my skin and eyes immediately started to burn. I fought the urge to go back upstairs and pressed on linking all of my pack members.

Listen! I shouted at them. All around I could hear the cries die into whimpers from the small children.

If you are in the house, get up to the third level and bar yourself in a room and cover the bottom of the door with any type of cloth. Go now. People shuffled towards the steps. They were only a little less than calm. Close all vents and opening so the third level can remain a safe spot.

Yes Alpha, they all replied making quick work of my instructions.

Alpha, one of the mates of a woman linked me.

Yes, Loren?

What should those of us who are outside do? The worry for his mate flooded through our connection like water out of a faucet. I could relate to his pain of not knowing if the woman you love is OK, but unlike him I not only had my mate to worry about but my pack.

Call a HAZMAT team and open any and all openings to the house on the lower levels to let it air out as best as possible. Understood? I asked them. And wear protection.

Yes, Alpha's rang through my mind as I continued on my way to my real destination; the hospital wing. I hadn't heard anything from Nova since all this started, but I was doing my best to stay optimistic about the silence. I was hesitant to link of the fact she has been giving me the cold shoulder and berating every time we talked, but I decided to press my luck.

Nova? Nova babe, are you OK?

I waited for what seemed like minutes and I still got no reply. The more seconds and minutes ticked pass, the more my wolf and I became more frantic and nervous. Without notice I had increased from a light jog to a full out sprinter marathon run.

Nova dammit! Answer me, I shouted at her through the link.

Still no answer. By this point my wolf was beginning to go crazy and I wasn't far behind him. I wanted; no, I needed to hear her voice. If not to calm me down than to calm my wolf.

Where the hell is her room, my wolf growled out.

I don't know.

I began checking every room in the wing, all the while the burning sensation that was making its way through my body. I had been in the silver so long that I could barely even feel it anymore. Everything was starting to numb and fade. Pack members were calling me back to the safety of an uncontaminated area, but I wasn't going back until I had my mate in my arms.

Nova, I called out to her again.

Maxon, she said. It was the weakest and lowest I had ever heard her voice, but I was just glad I had heard it.

Yeah baby it's me. Where are you? I asked her.

The last room on the right in the IC unit, she said coughing. Hurry please. I can't breath.

I wasted no time shifting into my wolf, so that my human body could take a break and I'd get there faster and taking off towards the place Nova described. When it came to Nova, my wolf and I took no prisoners, so my wolf was eating the distance like a fresh caught rabbit. He wasn't even acknowledging the pain of the silver.

It only took us a few seconds to get to the IC unit, and then a few more seconds to get to her room. When my wolf pushed the door opened, he howled in pain. The room was filled with the silver filled gas. My wolf couldn't stay breathing it in for a few seconds, but Nova had been breathing it in for minutes. How was she doing it?

Maybe her gifts are working now,I thought to myself.

You have to go in, my wolf said angrily. If I go in, we'll die in an instant.

You don't have to plead your case with me. I'll go.

Just hurry up and get our mate, he growled out.

Once I shifted back to my human body, and I had the chance to wrap something around my nose and mouth, I kicked opened the door and ran in. My eyes immediately started burning.

"Nova," I called out.

"Over here," came her weak reply.

I turned my head towards the hospital bed. The only thing I saw from where I was, was the body of the pack doctor, but no Nova. Maybe she was over there, but my eyes were watering so bad that I couldn't make out much anymore. Soon my eyes would completely give out. I had to hurry.

"Where are you Nova?"

Under the doctor, she said.

I ran over and flipped his body over revealing my mate curled in a ball trying to shield herself from the silver. I quickly picked her up and made a run for the door. I wanted to get Nova and myself the hell out of this silver before we died and this time it wouldn't be a vision.

Maxon, I am so sorry for what I said to you earlier, my mate apologized weakly.

It's fine babe. I just lied to her. It most definitely wasn't fine, but I was going to forgive her, nonetheless. She could've been dead in that room like the pack doctor, but she wasn't.

Thank the Fates,I prayed.

It's not. I hurt you, made you angry and you still came for me. I don't deserve you. No one does. I love you Maxon, she said.

I'll always come for you Nova.

When she didn't reply I let the conversation drop and focused on get out of the house. Nova and I needed fresh air bad and the silver was really starting to take its toll on me. It was only minutes later that I finally found a side door to the backyard. I had to kick at the door a couple of times before it exploded from the force.

As soon as I hit the outside air, I thought I'd stop running, but I didn't. I ran past all of the on looking pack members and the hazmat suits to get Nova and I away from the house. It wasn't until I had seen Alec with his crying mate and child did, I realize we were safe, but I was still afraid to stop. I knew that if I stopped my legs would give out and sure enough, they did as soon as I stopped running. While falling I made sure that Nova would land on top of me, and I held her tighter to my body.

"Here Maxon, let me take her," a crying Noni said. She had her hands reaching to take Nova from me and my pissed wolf gave her a warning growl.

"Get away from her," I struggled.

"You're weak right now Maxon."

I growled again. What the hell is wrong with Noni? Why won't she just take the fucking hint that I didn't want her touching my mate? Why did she have to fight me on everything? I knew that once I was better, I would have to address that issue with her and Alec. My wolf was sick of being disrespected by her.

"Noni just let him be," Alec warned her. But did she listen? Of course not.

Her hands reached out and touched Nova, which caused my wolf to come out to the front and control my body. He had grabbed Noni by her throat while standing up and still holding his mate. My wolf threw Noni into a tree and was there in a blink of an eye holding her neck again, Nova still in his arms.

Alec tried to run to the defense of his mate, but my wolf stopped him. She has to learn Alec. If she disrespected him anymore, she'd already be dead.

My wolf and I looked into Noni's eyes and saw nothing, but defiance. I could feel my claws and canines extending without my control and it was right then I knew that if Noni didn't submit, and I mean fully submit, to my wolf she would die and I really didn't want to have to explain to my best friend, my mate and my nephew why I couldn't control myself.

"Submit to Maxon and I now or die here," my wolf spoke loudly and clearly for all to hear. Those who were in the courtyard turned and began to watch the scene before them unfold.

"This isn't about subordination Maxon. It's Nova's life. Let me help you help her," she replied ignoring my wolf.

He growled and drove her deeper into the tree, gripping her throat tighter. My wolf wanted to kill her and by the look on Alec's face he could see my wolf's decision in my eyes. With a scared and crying Aj in his hands he walked over to Noni and looked at her face. "Tell me Noni," he said.

She didn't make a move to open his mouth. "Tell him or I will. I will not allow you to die for something he has the right to know. No more secrets and games Noni," he lectured.

"I'm pregnant Maxon."