JACKSON

        "What the fuck do you mean Blake and Ellie are both in a critical condition?" I shouted at Jayson.

        We had been patrolling the borders when Jayson received the mind link from his mother, telling him that he needed to get to hospital and he needed to get there now. Of course, he thought it was something to do with Ellie, so he mind linked me and I got here as soon as I could.

        "I mean they are both at death's door. I mean they are both suffering from some serious internal bleeding. I mean they have been injured to the point where not even the wolf can heal them," Jayson snapped, his head turning quickly so that he was actually looking at me.

        I could feel the tears in the corners of my eyes and I had never cried. Not once in my twenty years had I ever cried but this was too much for one person to take in.

        Ellie and Blake had literally only just found each other, she had accepted him, now they were both dying because of something which could have been stopped had we been here at the time. I was so angry, with myself for not being here, and at the staff for just letting the psycho walk in there in the first place.

        "What did your mum say?" I muttered, taking a seat across from Jayson and letting my head fall into my hands so that he couldn't see I was crying. I didn't want to give him another thing to tease me for, not when he already had so much to laugh at me for.

        "I just told you what she said. Blake and Ellie are probably going to die. Or weren't you listening to that part?" Jayson sneered.

        "Of course I fucking heard you. You act like they're only your friends, but they're mine too, so you're not the only one fucking hurting right now," I shouted angrily. If he thought I wasn't going to be pissed off with his sarcasm then he really was a complete and utter idiot.

        "Don't you dare spea-"

        "Yeah. I know. You're the Alpha and I'm just your third in command. You're everything and I am nothing. You're in charge and I do as you tell me. You don't need to give me all that crap right now," I stopped him before he could go off on his usual rant about respect.

        I always thought that respect was a two-way street though. You had to give it to earn it, but apparently Jayson doesn't go by that philosophy. He just does what he likes and thinks people should respect him.

        The pack practically worship the ground on which he walks because he's done nothing but respect them. When it comes to me though, he says he gives a damn about me, but I know that's a load of crap. He has always favoured Blake over me and he always will.

        I wouldn't call myself jealous, simply tired. Tired of being walked over all the time and treated like I am a no one by the person who claims to be my friend. But if he was really my friend, he wouldn't treat me the way he does when no one else is looking.

        "Then you will do well to remember it," Jayson said firmly and I couldn't help but laugh at how pathetic he was being right now.

        "Our friends are fighting for their lives but the only thing you seem to give a damn about is whether or not I am respecting you? I think you need some professional help Jayson," I said coldly and then walked out of the room, walking towards where Blake and Ellie had been moved to.

        I needed to see them and I needed to tell them that if they didn't fight this, I would kill them myself because I needed them both. They were the two people outside my family who treated me like  I mattered and if they were to both die, I don't know what I would do.

        Blake is like the older brother. He teases me and makes fun of me, but he knows when to stop or when he has taken it too far. He gives some of the best advice I have heard from someone and he has never let me down. He has been there for me when I've needed him the most, such as when my mate rejected me on the grounds that I wasn't what she was expecting - Blake was the one who told me I needed to accept it to be able to move on with my life, which I did and now I still believe there is second chance for me out there somewhere.

        Blake has always listened to me and has helped me become nothing but the best. He helped me through training, he told me that I needed to want it and when I actually wanted it, I would become what I am today. From every down day to every high, Blake has been there since I was thirteen and the thought of losing him isn't one which sits too well with me.

        "Jackson?" I looked up from my feet to see Nicole walking towards me, dismissing the girl who was beside her to do something else.

        "Tell me they're going to make it Nicole. Tell me that, tomorrow morning, I'll come here and they'll both be awake. Arguing about which is better, blue or white," I said and I was surprised that I kept the tears at bay.

        "I could tell you that but it would be a lie and you know it would be," Nicole sighed.

        "They can't die. They're not allowed to die," I pretty much whispered and I could feel my stregnth going once again. The only reason I remained standing on my feet was because Niole walked over to me and pulled me in for a hug.

        "We are doing all we can for the both of them. I am not going to let them go without a fight of my own," Nicole reassured me and I knew that she would do everything she could. She was, after all, the best doctor in the pack and that's why so many people wanted to see her.

        She had even stitched up a rogue or two for her son before Jayson let the rogue go under the promise that they wouldn't be caught anywhere near our land again. It was a strange system, but something about it worked because we rarely saw rogues around our territory.

        "Where's Blake?" I heard a voice shouting through the hospital which I immediately recognised as that which belonged to Lex. Of course he was going to come here when he found out what happened to his brother.

        "You aren't going in until you have calmed down," Nicole told him firmly.

        "I want to see my brother and I want to see him now," Lex snapped back quickly. Damn he was impossible sometimes.

        "If you go near that room Lex, I will personally see to it that you are thrown out and you will not be allowed back in," Nicole used her 'you don't want to mess with me' tone which, truth be told, scared the shit out of me and it was always enough to make me do whatever it was that she was telling me.

        "I just want to see my brother," Lex replied through gritted teeth and this was the side of Lex you rarely ever saw, the side which loved his brother and would do anything to protect him. If he found out who did this, Lex would be the first in line to murder him.

        I would be right behind him, bringing the ass back to life so that I could kill him all over again. He deserved anything I got and I hope that even Jayson saw that, whoever did this needed to be punished and only death was an acceptable solution.

        "And I just want you to calm down," Nicole replied.

        "Who did this? Are they dead because, if they're not, they're going to wish they were," Lex changed the topic.

        "They aren't dead and neither are they going to be killed. They are being treated appropriately," Jayson said as he appeared out of absolutely nowhere and walked into the situation.

        "What?" Lex and I both spoke at the same time.

        "He's Ellie's brother. If I kill him, so will kill me, not something I wish to risk," Jayson replied sharply, his attention now on both me and Lex, his eyes moving between our expressions.

        I don't give a damn who he is. Blake and Ellie could die because of something he did to them and Jayson is allowing him to live, like he's done nothing wrong. That was some seriously fucked-up shit right there and a good example as to why Jayson shouldn't be Alpha of this pack.

        "Oh. Great. Another rogue. I give it two days before you're offering him membership into the pack," Lex replied sarcastically.

        "Don't speak about Ellie like that," I growled. I knew he wasn't a fan of rogues but Ellie was Blake's mate and, whether she wanted it or liked it, she was technically a part of the pack and there was nothing Lex could do to change that.

        "She put us at risk of war with Alpha James and now her brother turns up and basically kills the both of them. They both deserve to be killed if you ask me," Lex snapped.

        "Does Blake's happiness mean nothing to you?" I shouted, finally letting go of Nicole, fully prepared to throw myself at Lex should it be needed.

        "She put his life in danger. She brought her brother here. She is the reason they are both as they are now," Lex spat. You could hear the hatred hanging from every word and it made me wonder how Blake ended up like he did when he had a father like Martin and a brother like Lex.

        "Actually, Ellie had nothing to do with what happened," Nicole stepped in at that moment.

        "Link, that's Ellie's brother, has been injected with a concoction of drugs and his mind has been filled with fake memories, fake thoughts. The drugs gave him ridiculously increased abilities, such as rapid movement and the power to heal immediately, while the memories in his mind showed Ellie murdering his entire family. Whoever did this wanted Ellie dead and they were determined to use Link to do that," Jayson explained but that didn't make me feel any better. If anything it made me more angry and even more frustrated.

        There was someone who was clearly desperate for Ellie to be dead. So desperate that they used her own brother against her in a seriously cruel manner.

        "At the moment we are trying to purge Link of the drugs in his system so we can begin deconstructed his mind to get his real memories back," Nicole said.

        "So he wasn't actually in control of his actions?"

        "As far as Link is concerned Ellie is the reason his entire family are dead. He is so full of hatred that revenge in the only thing he wants. He doesn't even know that Ellie is his sister because he believes his sister to be dead," Nicole sighed and that was a long answer for him not knowing what the hell he was doing when he attacked Ellie and mutilated Blake.

        "Brilliant. Another rogue gets away with a crime. We may as well have a party and invite the whole rogue population, they might fancy a murder for free," Lex snapped and walked off towards Blake and Ellie's room, walking in without even waiting to be shown into the room.

        "He has a point son. You are far too lenient with rogues," Nicole turned to look at Jayson and even I was surprised that she was telling him that. She had never shown that she had a problem with them before, it's only because Lex has said something and she has treated him like another son since Jayson murdered Lex's father.

        "Well, when Blake wakes up, you can be the one to tell him that his mate is going to be murdered because she's a rogue. Perhaps we could have a double execution. Ellie and Link. Now that's what I call a family reunion," Jayson clapped his hands together sarcastically.

        "That's not what I meant," Nicole muttered in annoyance.

        "No. You're right. It's time to set an example and I should start punishing rogues. Lex is right too, Ellie is the reason this all happened and Link is the reason Blake is close to death. I can't see a more perfect way of setting an example," Jayson continued with his comment.

        I knew he was only trying to prove a point while Nicole thought he was deliberately trying to antagonize her with his replies.

        "Jayson," his mother grew angrier with each reply.

        "Mother," he replied smoothly.

        "Rogues know you are weak. Continue letting them walk free and they will take over before you have time to even breathe," Nicole finally got out the words she wanted to say.

        "Given that Ellie is a rogue, I don't think now is a the most appropriate time for this conversation. We should be concerned about Blake and Ellie, not whether we're going to kill Ellie and Link," I sighed and then walked off, heading into the room where Blake and Ellie were both lying.

        They looked so peaceful, it was almost like they were asleep, and I could have believed that had Ellie's neck not been covered in stitches and her leg wrapped in white gauze, I didn't even want to think about the injury to her side.

        Blake didn't look much better. There was still some obvious signs of dried blood across his body and I had been told of the injuries he received from Link. Now I see the both of them I knew why Nicole didn't want to give me false hope.

        Lex was sitting beside Blake's bed so I walked round to the chair beside Ellie's bed, taking her pale hand in my own. I just wanted her to be fine, I wanted her to wake up and give me that infamous smile so I knew she was going live to see another day.

        "Tell me about her," Lex's voice was strained as he spoke, his eyes never leaving his brother's battered body.

        "Her name is Ellie, she's twenty-eight and has been living the life of a rogue for ten years. She is sarcastic, sassy and has an answer for everything. She loves to test Jayson, which is always amusing, she cares about Blake a hell of a lot and would do anything to see him safe. She is an Alpha and she's been dying to meet both you and Jamie since the first time she heard about the both of you," I smiled weakly.

        "I didn't mean what I said. Well, I kind of did because Jayson does let rogues get away with far too much, but I didn't mean what I said about her. I was just angry and upset," Lex sighed and I had never seen the poor guy so defeated.

        "If you don't tell her, I won't tell her either," I chuckled and he just gave me a nod of the head before his attention was turned back to Blake while I continued to look at Ellie.

        I knew she was going to pull through this. She was strong and she had the power to fight off whatever the hell this was.

        She had to. For me.