Ch. 131: Nick's Declaration

CHAPTER 131:
Evan~
“Amber,” I say with shaky breath.
“What’s going on?” she asks me without looking over, fiddling with something on the floor next to her.
“They found him. They have Nick. He’s okay,” I exhale and sink down to the floor. One hand on the bar in between us.
Amber turns to look at me for a moment. “That’s good, I’m glad,” she says, a small crack in her voice.
I can smell the tears swelling in her eyes. She turns away from me again.
Why did I come here?
You know why, Xavier pushes again.
“They, uh, ended up taking a vampire back. They’re going to be putting him down here,” I go on, not knowing what else to say.
She nods without looking over. I wait a few more breaths but she doesn't move. She doesn’t turn to face me. She doesn’t move closer to my side. She stays in her corner on the cot on the floor. My body slumps in response. I feel like I’m disappointed, but I can’t give a reason why. Why would I expect more? What do I want from her? Why won’t she face me?
I almost ask her what’s wrong. I almost move around to get closer to her, to take her hand.
But I don’t.

Almost an hour later I’m topside when the team comes home. Besides several serious injuries, we all made it out without a single casualty. The same can’t be said for the vampires that my pack destroyed. My pack. Without me. Because I was left behind.
If we had lost anyone I know I would be blaming myself right now for not having gone with them. But I didn’t lose anyone. Not really. Not even the tortured redhead below my feet. In the ground.
I try not to imagine what her hair would look like out here in the sun. Try not to picture her smiling at me in a forest or a field. Her coloring striking against the dark green foliage.
“You alright?” Kyle, the Fae asks me.
I don’t remember when he got so close to me. The pack members have been moved inside and I’m still standing out here while everyone walks in different directions.
“Yeah,” I say, shrugging it off.
Shrugging it all off.
I see my dad up ahead, escorting a prisoner behind Jake and Rachel.
“He didn’t want to take anyone but the witchy human girl made him,” I hear someone saying from nearby.
My head whips over to see a few warriors chatting together. Andrew and Ryan.
“That was weird right? Emily said she nearly killed their group with an electric wire that came down on them,” the other said.
“For real. He can’t be - you know - into her right? I mean should we do something? She’s not one of us. She could be messing with the Alpha’s head,” the first asked aloud.
“You can shut your mouths, that’s what you should do,” I growled out before I could stop myself.
They both stared at me in shock.
I nearly growl out that they shouldn’t be disrespecting their future Luna - but I can’t. I have to bite my tongue. Jake wants to keep their true situation on the downlow until after we defeat The Collective. He can’t risk a faction. We can’t risk losing warriors.
It feels dishonest - a bit. But while we could rely on all these packmembers so much - there’s no telling how they will react when we start sharing the truth about our mates.
Our mates.
No one knows I have mine too. In a way.
“Just quit gossiping about and get to work - we’re nearly at war and you all sound like a bunch of clucking hens,” I turn quickly on my heel and stomp away, back to the packhouse.
Or maybe down…

Nick~
I’m lying in a hospital bed when I wake again. It feels cold and wrong. I immediately know Ally isn’t here.
“Nicky,” my mom’s voice says from next to me, holding my hand. “I’m right here.”
I force ,myself to sit up and look around, pushing against the nurse who rushes up to me and tries to get me to lie down.
“Nick!” my mom’s voice rises.
But I’m bone tired and my wolf is agitated.
“Ally,” I croak out, my voice raw and dry.
“Nicky, lie down, they’re trying to help - we don’t know-” she starts to say again.
“Ally,” Asher’s voice melds with mine when it comes out and I know my eyes have changed. “Where is she?”
I push the nurse away firmly and start taking things off myself. I’m in a hospital gown and don’t care. I ignore my mom’s loud calls and shove past a doctor, bursting through the doors.
I picked up her scent then and growled. She’s with someone else.
My pace quickens and I turn a corner, my feet moving into a run. Another corridor and I’m in the front room. Her scent is stronger here, she was just here.
“Ally!” I start to yell as I open the door.
And there she is, right there, a few steps from me.
“Nick!” She rushes to me and we meet in the middle.
Her hands palm my face, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
I just stand there, enjoying the feel of her skin against mine. Asher lets out a purr. And I’ve stopped caring, I’m not hiding anymore.
I take her face in my hands and I kiss her like my life depends on it. She responds immediately, letting out a little sound that pushes Asher to the surface. Her hands wrap around my neck, my fingers go through her hair, and it’s like the entire world is gone.
“I’m still mad at you,” she says breathlessly when we break for air.
But I’m smiling like an idiot at her, and she’s not moving an inch.
“What is going on here?” I hear from the doorway.
Ally flinches and the realization sends a growl through me. By the time I look over at my mom her jaw is hanging slack.
I have never, not once, growled or talked back in any way to my mom. She knows this. I know this. But I’m too far gone. I could’ve died today and the idea of having let Ally down, of never seeing her again - it killed me. Asher wasn’t playing games anymore.
Ally tried to take a step back but I held firm. I could hear her heartbeat taking off.
“Nick,” my mom sucked air through her teeth. “Let the witch go, and stop making a scene.”
I glanced once, registering all the people out here. It was a small crowd at least, maybe ten people out here in total.
“No,” I growled out.
She looked like she’d been slapped.
Ally put her hand on my wrist and said softly, “Nick, it’s okay. I’m okay.”
She tried to move back again and I looked back at her. Letting Asher into my eyes. A second later, I knew she was picking up what I was going to do.
“You don’t have to do this,” she whispered, squeezing my wrist.
“No?” my mom’s voice rose, letting a little of her Gamma aura out. “You will come here and step away from that witch or I’ll rip her from you with my teeth.”
Everyone turned away slightly then but I didn’t get affected, and Ally not being a werewolf meant she wasn’t affected either.
A deep growl hit me then and Asher fought me trying to shift. Our mate comes first, no matter what.
“Do. Not. Threaten. My. Mate,” I seethed, my bones starting to snap.
“Nick,” Ally’s soft voice came from next to me as she leaned fully into my embrace, her head resting by my shoulder. “It’s alright, let’s wind down.”
The closeness and her tone dial me back, Asher takes a back seat.
He*l, I’ll stop, sit, and rollover if she asks me to.
“You can’t be serious,” my mom says in shock, her hands limp at her sides.
“Why don’t we move this into my office,” Jake rumbles from the doorway.
I feel Ally nod, so I relax my shoulders and take another deep breath of her scent before I nod as well.

Ally~
It happened. My fear happened. With the heightened emotions of the day, I saw it on his face when he found me outside in that hospital gown - he was going to claim me in front of everyone.
And while my heart soared at the idea, and while I got totally swept up in him - my heart stopped when his mom found us. And when Nick claimed me as his mate with so much fierce protection in his voice, my heart broke. I knew from the disgusted, shocked look on her face that she wouldn’t accept this. I knew what this was going to do to Nick. It is going to tear him apart.
While I was able to calm Asher down a bit, he was still fiercely territorial right now, and he wouldn’t let go of my hand as we followed Jake and Nick’s mom into his office. I tried to pull back, to silently request that I wait outside and let them deal with this internally - but Nick’s sure tug and determined look told me I was coming along for this too. Hll, from that possessive look on Nick’s face, this is going to be it for him - he may never leave my side willingly again.
Jake stood behind his desk and gestured for the rest of us to sit. His mom took a chair, and while I went to sit in another, Nick tugged gently on my hand and then I was on his lap. My face lit up red I could feel it. I avoided looking at Nick’s mom and instead ended up accidentally making eye contact with Jake who looked back at me with reassurance. That’s right, he’s on our side.
“Alpha, something must be done. He’s obviously hit his head while that vampire had him and he’s confused. Please call for the doctor-” his mom began.
Nick growled.
“Gamma,” Jake cut in.
It was quiet for a long moment and I dared to look over to Nick’s mom who was sitting there fuming but waiting for her Alpha to continue.
“I will not. Ally is Nick’s mate, and if anything you should be grateful to her right now. Her bravery and growing power saved Nick. She did not hesitate to rush in and find him, to slaughter everyone in her way. And even after he passed out, she stayed by his side. You of all people know how powerful a mate’s contact can be when healing their partner. That’s why Nick rushed to her, she is continuing to heal him,” he said logically, coolly.
Goddess - I wish Rachel were here.
I tried to adjust my seating but Nick held firm.
This is not helping! I look at Nick and try to communicate this to him silently but I can’t link so he just looks back at me with his eyebrows furrowed, not understanding, just tucking my head under his.
“With all due respect Alpha, that can’t be true,” his mom replied shakily.