Chapter 41

So I needed to get this chapter up ASAP because it was actually suppose to be published with the previous one but it wasn't exactly ready. Hope this clears up any confusion about when this was all happening XD. Enjoy ^ ^

Logan P.O.V.

It had been about two days since I’d gotten out of my chair to do anything, my tired eyes always watching for any signs of my mate waking up. I heard the door opening behind me, Ethan’s scent permeating the air as he walked over to me. I got up, my muscles protesting slightly with the sudden movement after such a long period of stillness.

“Logan, have you eaten anything since her accident?”

My gaze travelled to my best friend’s concerned face as I motioned to the bottle of water in my hand. “I’ve been drinking water.” I mumbled in reply; settling on the bed by my mate’s hip.

Ethan shook his head, pushing a sandwich into my hand. “That’s not food. Please just eat this; Chelsea won’t be happy if she wakes up to find that you haven’t been taking care of yourself.” He said as he crossed his arms; his sullen gaze travelling to our still-unconscious Luna.

I didn’t protest as I ate the sandwich as quickly as I could, not really tasting any of it. I finished off the water in my hand and placed the bottle on the bedside table next to the others. “You didn’t just come here to give me a sandwich, did you?” I asked, already sure of his answer.

I saw him sigh as he shook his head, running a hand over his face. “No, I didn’t.” He admitted, his expression remaining serious as he continued.  “Logan, considering what happened, we should-,” I knew where this was going and I wasn’t keen on hearing it, the mere thought of what he was implying making me sick.

A growl left my lips, my fingers gripping the sheets below me tightly in agitation. “Drop it.” I snapped. “I’m staying here with her. If I leave, and she wakes up without me here she’ll-.” I couldn’t bring myself to finish that sentence, fearing any conclusion my mate could come to if I were to leave her side.

I almost couldn’t believe it when I heard the soft, raspy whisper of my mate’s beautiful voice.  “Logan.” My wolf was overjoyed as he felt Chelsea’s wolf calling out to him.

I bent over her, the relief do doubt showing on my face. “Chelsea, you’re awake.” I muttered, my eyes lingering on hers.

 “Water.” She choked out. I easily heard her, helping her sit up as I pressed a glass of water into her hand, having chilled a few bottles for her every morning.

“I’ll tell the others she’s awake.” I heard Ethan say behind me, leaving us as he slipped out the door. I paid no mind to him as I continued to watch my mate as she emptied her glass of water.

After her third glass, I pulled her into a tight embrace, sighing contently at the feeling of my mate’s body in my arms. I rocked her back and forth slowly, burying my face in her hair as I breathed in her sweet scent. “I was so worried about you. You’ve been unconscious for three days now. The doctor said you were hit so hard you had a concussion.” I murmured solemnly.

Her face was worried as she spoke next. “What happened while I was out?”

I stiffened at the reminder of what my vile father had done. “Your brother found you a few hours after you left the house. He said that whoever knocked you out didn’t do anything but leave you bleeding on the ground.” I spat in an agitated whisper.

She could probably sense my negative emotions, pulling away so her eyes could study my face. Her fingers brushed against my face as she continued to watch me. “Did you find out who did it?” She asked, barely audible.

I shook my head. Quickly hiding the hate I felt for my father as it flashed in my eyes. “No, but when I do, they’re fucking dead.” I vowed. As soon as you’re safe, I added in my head. My wolf whimpered at what I had decided. We’ll lose her. Please don’t do this.  He begged. If I don’t, we’ll lose her forever.

***

Anxiousness bubbled up within me at the thought of what I would have to do, preparing myself for the pain that I would soon have to endure. Not only our own, but our mate’s as well. My wolf reminded me, not making it any easier.

I kept my fingers intertwined with hers over the center console as I enjoyed the last few moments I would have with my mate. Until I can kill my father and make sure he'll never threaten my mate again. I thought to myself, more than contented with that idea.

I heard her sigh, pulling me out of my thoughts as I turned to her, raising a brow. "Can we always be this way?" She asked quietly; giving me an adorable grin as she stared up at me.

I tightened my grasp, rubbing circles against the back of her hand as I pulled her closer. "I hope so, because I really like being this way with you." I admitted happily; a smirk forming on my face as I noticed a blush creep into her cheeks.

"You're so-" She began, taking a moment to search for the right word.

"Cheesy? Stupid? I can't help it, you make me that way." I confessed, meaning every word. "I feel fucking insecure around you."

Her blush intensified. "Perfect." She finished, pressing her lips to my cheek. "But it's nice to know that that's how you feel." I couldn’t help the smile that lingered on my face as I turned back to the road, hiding the fact that her words made my heart ache as I remembered what I had to do.

***

I kept my face passive as I stripped down to my boxers, not at all attracted to the scantily clad she wolf before me. I only want Chelsea. I thought to myself, bile rising to my throat as I forced myself onto the bed, letting the woman climb onto me.

What did I ever see in other women? I wondered silently, holding my wolf back from swiping at her as the she wolf nuzzled my neck. I promised that I wouldn't hurt you Chelsea, I'm sorry I have to break that promise.

My heart hammered in my heart as I felt Chelsea's presence in the house,  my wolf feeling the pain she was already beginning to feel. I locked my wolf away within me, severing the bond so my mate wouldn't be able to sense my true emotions.

The door was thrown open, shocking the she wolf on top of me. My eyes couldn't help but wonder over the beauty that was my mate. Her hair was in a wild mane around her face, the dress she wore wrinkled after a whole nights' use. Despite the imperfections, she still looked gorgeous to me. I'm sorry my love, my mate, my Luna. I muttered in my head, knowing that she couldn't hear me.

"Get off of my mate!" She growled; her eyes turning black. The other she wolf cringed as she recognised the authority that exuded from my mate. "Luna, I didn't mean t-" She began to stutter.

My mate growled, shooting to my side. She grabbed the other female by the throat and threw her across the room, the sight of it resulting in a stirring in my pants. Damn it, keep it together. Don't get distracted. I growled to myself.

I zoned out for a moment as I watched my mate, her very presence entrapping me. I snapped out of it as her gaze met mine, her eyes shinimg with disgust. What happened next had my heart, that only my mate herself could piece back together, breaking.

***

I watched her leave the house from our bedroom window, briskly getting into Jen's car the moment it arrived. I rested my palm against the window as I watched the car drive off, my wolf whimpering in pain. I know, it hurts. I whispered to him.

Once she was out of view, I retrieved my phone and punched in my father's number. "It's done." I snapped, as soon as he asnwered.

My hand gripped the device tighter as he laughed darkly. "I know. Well done son, it looks like you really did a good job."

"I don't need your approval. Just leave my mate the fuck alone." I growled, disconnecting the call.

Dana came out of the bathroom, having changed into her usual attire of jeans and a t-shirt. She came over to my side, laying a hand on my shoulder as she noticed my agitated expression. "Did you call him?" She asked, earning a sharp nod from me in response. "We will catch Jackson." Dana said firmly, her face determined as she watched me. "This I swear, Alpha."

I appreciated her words but it didn’t make me feel any better. "Have the guards been placed?"

"Yes, but they need to stay within our border if we don't want the Luna suspecting anything."

"We should be getting some response from Jake quite soon. Be prepared for that." I said, getting dressed in the clothes I'd been in the night before. "We need him to focus as much security as he can on his sister, at all cost."

She sent the message through the pack bond down to the shifters in the meeting room. "It's done."

I turned to her. "I'm sorry if Chelsea offended you. I've put her through a lot in our relationship and this wasn't exactly easy to swallow."

"She knows about your past?"

I nodded. "She does."

"I understand." She paused for a moment as she struggled to find something to say. "She'll forgive you, Alpha." She mumbled quietly, walking over to my side.

I sighed as my eyes travelled to the floor. "I hope so."

She grabbed my chin, pulling my eyes up to meet hers. "I'm a woman too and I'd be more than thankful if my mate was willing to do what you did for her. You did what you did to save her life, and she will realize how hard it was for you to do it. Trust me, she'll forgive you."

I nodded, giving her a small smile. "Thanks Dana."

"The pack is here for you Alpha, that includes me and Susan. I and the others will meet you in the meeting room." She said, walking to the door.

I stopped her. “Speaking of your mate; how is she?”

She gave me a smile that I knew all too well, mirrored in my own not even twenty-four hours ago; the purely contented grin that only existed for the thoughts of our mate. “She’s doing well and I promise that you can be too. If I do my job right, you will be, very soon.”

A small smile came to my lips at the thought of that. “I didn’t assign you as our tactics officer because of your looks Dana. You’re the best there is.” I said with a wink, her words lifting a miniscule amount of my spirit.

She just rolled her eyes and walked out. “That’s right.” She mumbled smugly, walking out with a small smile on her face, though I could tell that she still worried for her Luna through the pack bond. That was basically the emotion I felt vibrating through every member of the Blood Moon Pack. They were all worried for the well being of their Luna and that just made it much easier to get them to cooperate in our efforts to protect her.

We all needed her, but it was obvious to me that I needed her the most. Nobody has to tell me that I don’t deserve her. I realize that I’ve been nothing but a monster to her since she’d come into my life. She was trying to help me, soothe my pain, basically doing her best to be my mate when I had only ever pushed her away. I’d yelled at her, I’d pushed her around and now that I reflect on it, it makes me sick to think that I had put my mate through all of that abuse.

But above all, I was amazed at how strong and committed she’s been in the midst of all my bullshit. Despite it all, she stayed by my side, where I hadn’t realized she belonged when I had first met her. Now that she was no longer there, it felt like I was off balance, like a piece of me wasn’t there anymore, and she wasn’t. I know I wasn’t there for you at first Chels, but I am now, and I will make sure that we’ll be with each other again. I vowed, shutting the room door as I jogged downstairs. Right after I find and tear my sick, bastard of a father limb from limb along with all his little followers.

***

The shifter collapsed at my feet, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I caught my breath. I cracked my knuckles, not spending any more time at the training grounds than was necessary as I got into my car and drove back to the Alpha house. As I was walking into the meeting room, that now served as the base of our operation to find Jackson along with his posse of Seekers, my phone rang.

It was like my wolf could sense that something was wrong as I retrieved the little device from my pocket, an uneasy feeling settling in the core of my being. The caller ID read 'Jake'. “Jake? What is it?” I demanded, my wolf's reaction to the call making me panic.

“Logan..,” He started, the tone of his voice grating at my nerves.

"Where is my mate?!" I growled. When there was no answer, my wolf surfaced. "Jake?! Where is she?!"

"They took her." He said in a whisper, and just like that, my world came crumbling down around me.

***

My head unconsciously began to shake, my mind not able to grasp that Chelsea was now in the hands of the very person I sought to protect her from. "Logan, are you there?" Jake's voice through the line snapped me back into reality, the anger and hatred I already felt for Jackson intensifying tenfold.

"Yes, I am." I replied between clenched teeth.

"What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to find Jackson and we're going to make sure he and the Seekers never bother us again. Prepare your pack Jake; I'll call you once we've found them." I ordered, hanging up.

I deviated to my office; retrieving the frame Chelsea had given me for my birthday from a locked drawer of my desk where I knew it was safe. The worry I felt for my mate was indescribable as I stared at the evidence of the short period in our relationship when I had actually given her the affection and protection she deserved, as my mate.

Chelsea didn't deserve so little from me and what angered me the most was that I might lose her while all I had given her were these few short, happy moments after all of the pain I'd put her through. The more I thought of it, the angrier I got, returning the frame to its place as my hands began to shake with rage.

My human side protested for only a second before I grabbed the heaviest thing I could get my hands on which was a chair and crushed it into a pile of splinters and dust. I didn’t flinch for even a second before I moved onto the next thing, trying to rid of some of my anger with every swipe of my claws.

***

Dana and Ethan found me a few minutes later, in what remained of my office. My Beta took a step towards me, my wolf, who still had the most control over my body, growling in response to his advance. My claws were still exposed as I watched the both of them with my unseeing, charcoal eyes.

I tightened the grip I had on Chelsea’s frame in my hand, having retrieved it a while ago. After my wolf had his share of violence in a failed attmept to soothe the anger, we took the frame in hopes of soothing some of the pain but up till then, it wasn't working very well.

My wolf whimpered as the frame displayed the picture my mate had taken of us together the morning after my birthday, our smiling faces a bitter reminder of all we had lost. Ethan crouched beside me despite my wolf's defensive behaviour.

I turned to him as I clutched the frame closer to my chest. "What happened?" He asked quietly. When I didn't respond, he shook my shouders lightly. "Logan?"

"She's gone." I mumbled, more to myself than to be heard.

"What?" Dana piped up from behind my best friend.

"They have Chelsea." I repeated, louder this time. My eyes faded back to their usual grey as my gaze fell to the frame in my hands. "They have my mate."

Dana shook her head. "No."