130 years ago

"What happened? Where is my son?" Alpha Black yells out as he enters through the double doors and stares down at me.

I swallow hard and control my breathing. "Sir, he's fine, he's with the pack docto-"

"Where is he, Lucas? I have to see him!" He pleads with me as he puts his hands on either side of my shoulders, fear was in his eyes as he searches mine.

Deep breathes Lucas. "Room four." I point down the hall.

Alpha Black doesn't look back at me as he hurries down the hall to where Kane lays unconscious, with claire, his mate following behind him, not before giving me a comforting smile and touch to the shoulder as she passes me.

My head is still spinning, one minute he was fine and the next he was..

He got stabbed with Vexia, he almost died, Kane almost died.

By the time any of us got there, it was a bloodbath, Kane had ripped the arm of Theodin and there was a dead she-wolf with a dagger sticking out of her chest, laced with the same poison that put Kane in a deep sleep.

Theodin had escaped, but from the amount of blood that was on the floor that belonged to him, I know he won't survive the night, he is only Fae, after all, there are no spells to cast to save your life, the old magic is near impossible for a novice like Theodin.

I hope he dies a painful death, because of him Kane is lying in room four fighting poison that would kill any normal werewolf. Anyone other than the Black family would be dead right about now, but Kane is not any normal wolf, neither is his father, Alfred.

The first time I saw his form, I was fascinated, much like Lucas and Rogon, the only other people I know besides his family that know what he is- who he is and what he is capable of, sometimes I can't believe my eyes when I see him shift.

The first time I saw him shift I was twelve, I remember the day like it just happened. I looked up to Kane as a wolf and a man, he feared nothing and he was a naturally strong born leader, and a good friend, so to see him cry out in pain from the shift had left me without words.

I felt like a bad friend as I stood there and watched him shift, unable to help him, unable to move because of what I was seeing, I felt weak, he said I could be his beta, it was an honor and I felt beyond thankful, yet I watched him cry out until he passed out, in the most agonizing pain I could ever see on someones face.

"Lucas." Larson calls out from down the hall, I stand up from the seat and walk to meet him half way. 

"Did you get a scent?" 

He looks furious, so I'm guessing he didn't. "Did you get anything at all? He's injured Larson, how fucking hard can it be to find him with that much blood?" I snap out frustrated. 

His eyes soften as I control my heavy breathing, he puts a hand on my shoulder and makes me sit back down. "Hey, it's okay, Kane's okay, Theodin is as good as dead, even if he managed to cover his tracks, we will find him, alive or dead he is not getting out of the forest."

Shit, I feel like crying, I haven't felt like this since my parent's death. 

I won't cry, I can't show weakness. I nod my head and hold my head high. "He's in room four if you're wondering." I tell Larson who looks down the hall and nods his head slowly.

There's a peaceful quietness that falls between us and it gives me time to go over what exactly happened tonight. I have so many questions as to my Theodin would try and kill Kane, I know they had history but Kane never talked about the past, he always told me to look forward, the past is where it belongs, behind you.

Kane was wrong, the past has a way of catching up to you, and not even Kane can escape it.

Tonight's events prove it.

The doors to room 4 open making mine and Larson's heads snap-in that direction and stand up. Alfred and Claire Black make their way towards us, the air is thick between them as they walk side by side.

"Lucas." Alfred comes up to me and wraps his arm around me before smiling. "Kane is awake and he's asking for you." 

He's asking for me? "Thank you, Sir."

He shakes his head and holds his mate's hand, who looks at me with respect. "We should be thanking you, son. If you were a minute late getting him here, I would've lost my son." 

"Thank you, Lucas, I pray that the moon-goddess blesses you for saving our Kane." Claire says with fresh tears in her eyes, grabbing hold of both my hands to kiss both of them. "You are a blessing Lucas, Kane is lucky to have you by his side as his Beta." She says softly, meaning every word.

My heart is in my throat, I'm speechless, unable to speak I nod my head to both of them with my head held high, they both smile appreciatively before walking past me, leaving me and Larson standing there in silence.

"I'm going back out." Larson says, breaking the silence. "We'll find him, Lucas, he's pay for what he's done, not only to Kane but for the bodies we found, the missing humans from town too."

I swallow hard and nod my head and watch him walk down the hall, through the front doors to the pack hospital. 

Walking down the hall until I get to room four, I can sense his annoyance before I even open the door. When I open the door I see Kane, who looks like he just woke up from the best sleep he has ever had in a while, like nothing even happened, like he never almost died.

He looks at me and then scowls. "Took your time Phillips." He says sarcastically. 

I open and then close my mouth, Kane watches me with a knowing look as he studies my face, I stand there dumbly unsure what to say at this moment, I lower my head to my feet and swallow hard.

"Thank you."

I raise my head and look at Kane confused. "I didn't do anything."

He snorts and puts a shirt on, he no longer has blood on his body. "Take my thanks or don't, you miserable mutt." He mutters out quietly, irritated.

I laugh as I feel less tense from his words and then sigh outputting my hand on my chest dramatically. "Oh Alpha, please don't thank me, I was just simply doing my part as your Beta." 

He gives me a look of disgust before rolling his eyes as he walks past me to grab his boots near the door, with what I thought was a small smile on his face. "Should you be up and walking?" I stare at him, watching him tie his boots.

"I'm fully healed, fucking shit hurt but it's left my system now." He says. "Where's Larson?" 

"He went back out to search for Theodin." 

His eyes snap to mine and they're black. "What the fuck are you talking about Lucas?" He asks coldly, his eyes darkening.

Shit. Did Alfred not tell him? "Kane, he got away, we're still looking for his bod-"

The hospital bed is torn from the floor and thrown through the glass window of the hospital room, Kane is panting and halfway through shifting before I stand in front of him ."Kane not here!" I yell out in his face, to snap him out of it. "Fucking regain control, don't let it control you!" I slap him hard in the face, which helps him regain control.

I can see him fighting with his beast and wolf, I watch as his eyes flicker from black to red to his normal eye color, but I can see that it is taking a toll on him to keep his beast back and keep control. 

"Help me get out of here." Kane groans out tiredly, gripping his head.

I grab hold of him as help him stand as I lead him out of the room, he's barely walking and it's obvious that he had overdone himself and pushed his limits without sleeping or eating.

"There's only so much you can do Kane, you need to rest." I tell him, groaning as I try and keep him upright.

This fucker has gotten heavier.

"I'll rest when I find my mate." He slurs out, his voice breaking as his eyes fight to stay awake, I feel my chest tighten at his words as I hold onto him tight.

I help Kane to one of the pack rooms and put him on the bed, he's been out cold since we made it to the front door of the packhouse. I close the bedroom door quietly and make my way to my room, there's no one awake since it's 2 AM in the morning, and border patrol doesn't switch until another two hours.

I get to my room and close my bedroom door and kick my boots off and then get onto my bed and lay flat down, staring up at my ceiling, replaying the day over in my head. 

The last thing Kane said to me replays in my head and I can't get the sound of his voice as he spoke, I had never heard Kane sound totally broken as he spoke of his mate before, but I know why.

Kane had told me once that the only fear he has is never finding his mate, being half Renoan there is a 50/50 chance that Kane will never have a mate, the thought of him not having a mate was the only that that scared him, killing or being killed never phased him, but a life without a mate? 

I couldn't come close understand the pain he must feel on a daily basis, the thoughts of being alone for the rest of your life. 

That I understood, the death of my parents without any other living family members, I was alone- until Alpha Black found me, I didn't have a family.

Kane and his parents are my family now, this pack is my family, and I will do my best to protect them at all costs because that's what family does.

I close my eyes which feel like razor blades and let exhaustion take over my body, welcoming the much-needed sleep from the stressful events of the night, with a quick silent prayer to the moon goddess to watch over my pack.