Alpha, Beta, Omega

Chapter Thirteen

Kali wasn't certain what had woken her.

But one minute she was dead to the world and the next she was bolting upright in bed, looking around as though she expected something or someone to be there. She had a cold sense of dread rushing through her entire being and she clambered up from the bed. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. Her neck ached and she reached up, fingers brushing over the mark there.

"Kay," she whispered as she felt pain and fear filter through the bond she shared with her Beta mate, the bond she'd been blocking since fleeing Thornton's house a day ago.

What she was feeling though was stronger than her ability to block the bond and it spurred her into action. Dressing quickly, a loose t-shirt and sweatpants, she stepped into her sneakers and glanced at her door. There was a chance her parents or sister was up and she couldn't take the chance of them seeing her and asking where she was going. Plus there was the chance that Chloe would want payback for what had happened between them the night before.

Turning she rushed to the window, climbing out onto the roof she drew a deep breath and focused on her bond with Kay, trying to get a sense of where he was, of what was happening to him. She got the distinct impression of the forest, of rushing water and a massive tree. It was familiar and it took her a moment before she realized that what she saw and felt was familiar because she'd been there a dozen times. It just above the CherokeeFalls near a large oak tree. She'd been there just last night with Samson.

Drawing a deep breath she used the garden lattice to climb down to the ground. From there she headed for the forest. She knew she could move faster in her wolf form but she wasn't certain what she was running to. Wasn't certain how useful her wolf would be. So she kept running, pushing herself, needing to get to Kay, to make certain he was alright. He might be angry with her, blaming her for something she didn't, wouldn't, do but he was still her mate. She had to be certain he was okay.

Navigating the forest, taking paths she knew were quicker, she reached CherokeeFalls just as the sun was coming up. The water dulled her sense of smell but as she ran up the embankment leading to the top of the falls, to the tree she had seen, there was a scent too strong to be drowned out. Coopery and bitter. A warning bell went off in her head as she realized the scent of blood. Her fear intensified by she kept running. He mate was hurt, could possibly be dying, and the sooner she got to him the better.

She knew she could be running straight into danger, could just as easily end up as hurt as Kay, but she couldn't just leave him to...to whatever was happening.

As she reached the top of the falls she looked around, the tree was just to her right but where was Kay. A low sound drew her gaze to a patch of long grass and through the green and shadows she saw the grey and brown fur. "Kay," she murmured as she rushed forward, dropping to her knees next to the wolf, her mate, and felt tears brimming up in her eyes. Her mate's fur was matted with blood and there was a wound in his side. It was impossible for her to tell what had caused it or how serious it was but she knew he needed help and he needed it immediately. Their kind healed quickly but that wound was serious and he'd bleed out before he healed enough to get back to their pack on his own.

"Hang on," she whispered, touching his head, his eyes opening and looking up at her. "Just hang on please. I'm going to get you home. I'm...I'm going to get you to Thornton."

Kay whined, licking at her hand, and she felt the tears spill down her face as she carefully, slowly, lifted Kay into her arms. He was heavy but she managed to get to her feet, holding him close, he whined again and she felt anger battling with her fear but she pushed both down. Kay didn't need her fear or her anger. He needed her to be strong. For him she could be strong.

She walked, slowly, not wanting to jar him, and with each step she could feel his blood soaking into her shirt, could feel it staining her arms and hands, sticky and warm and wet. It made her stomach roll and bile to rise into the back of her throat but she fought it down. Fought it down for Kay. Each step took her, took them, closer to Thornton. Closer to help.

She was halfway to Lawton, halfway to Thornton and help, when the quiet of the forest was broken by a loud crackling bang, like a firework going off only louder and then pain, white hot fire licked at her left side, just below her ribs and it was enough that she stumbled forward, dropping to her knees, Kay yelping loudly as he fell from her arms to the ground. Gasping through the pain she looked down, watching as a stain bloomed on her shirt, spreading as the fabric soaked up the blood. Her blood.

She blinked as fresh tears rolled down her face.

She'd been shot.

Looking around revealed no sign of the shooter. No sign of anyone.

And while she was terrified she knew she had to get back up. Had to keep going.

Kay made a low sound when she lifted him again, his eyes having dropped to her side, seeing the fresh stain, no doubt smelling her blood over his own. "It's okay," she gasped as she forced her body to move, to stand and walk, the pain licking up her side like fire. "We're going to be okay."

It took longer, so much longer, for her to reach the backyard of Thornton's house and by then the pain and blood loss was starting to affect her. She made a low sound as she pushed herself into walking forward. Each step had fresh pain screaming through her and she stumbled as she neared the backdoor. She knew, with Kay in her arms, she wouldn't be able to open the door so she did the only thing she could think of. The only thing that made sense.

"Thornton!"

She would have kicked at the door but the wound in her side made it difficult to stand, let alone shift her weight enough to do it, so she drew as deep a breath as she could manage and shouted her Alpha mate's name. She had just started to shout again when the door was suddenly, forcefully, yanked open and she was greeted by the sight of, not her mate, but a petite redheaded woman she recognized as Suzie, one of Thornton's Betas.

"What the..."

"Kay needs help," Kali said quickly, fighting through the pain to get the words out. "Please...help..."

"Jesus Christ on a pogo stick!" Suzie reached out, helping to support Kay's weight even as she stepped back, helping Kali carry him inside. "Table. Put him on the table."

Kali nodded and together they managed to carefully, gently, lay Kay on the table before Suzie was shouting for Thornton, reaching for a dish towel to press against Kay's side, the wolf whining loudly, obviously in pain, and Kali's hands clenched before she was reaching out, lightly brushing back the fur on his face and neck. "It's okay," she whispered, leaning against the table as spots of grey began to dance through her vision. "It's...It's okay..."

"Kali?" Suzie's voice startled her and she looked at the other she-wolf. "Kali, honey, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I..." She looked down at Kay, his eyes had closed but he was still breathing, there was still a chance that he could be helped. "I'm fine..."

"You're pale." Suzie didn't sound convinced. "And shaking."

"I just carried my mate...through the woods...all the way from CherokeeFalls..." Kali blinked, those spots in her vision slowly growing bigger. "I'm fine...just...just help Kay."

At that moment Thornton, followed by three men she didn't recognize, all but stormed into the room. Thornton looked frantic and angry and concerned. "Oh god," he rushed to the table, hands covering Suzie's over the wound in Kay's side. He looked at one of his men and growled out "Go get the fucking doctor!" The man didn't hesitate and when Thornton looked at her, Kali wasn't sure what to do. "What happened?!"

His snarl, the way he looked at her, it made her want to submit, to show her throat, but she held her ground, by sheer force of will she held her ground. "I don't know...I...I just...I knew I had to find him."

Thornton said nothing, his focus shifting completely to Kay, and while part of her was bothered that he hadn't asked if she was okay, she was just glad to have managed to get Kay here, to get him to help. She watched, in a bit of a daze, as Thornton and his men began tending to Kay. She felt Suzie touch her arm, heard the woman say something to step back, to give them room, and she seemed to act on autopilot as she stepped back.

"Kali?" Suzie's voice suddenly sounded so far away, her vision tunnelling just as quickly, the grey spots growing until the world was dim and fading away. "Kali?"

When the world tilted sharply she heard Suzie shout, felt the woman try to catch her, but it did little good as the floor suddenly rushed up to meet her. The last thing she heard before the darkness overtook her was someone shouting her name.