AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Date 3-17-17

Sorry about that super sad chapter. It broke my heart too, but there's a reason for it, I promise.

Now here's an extra long chapter to make up for it!

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Chapter 55: Unwanted Savior

The pain releases Lucas and he's not sure if that means he's dying or if Adrian just left him alone, so he'll die anyway.

Lucas hears noise above him as he gets a floating sensation throughout his body. If this is dying, it's peaceful. Lucas can't think anymore than that, so he just listens.

"Leave them alone!" Someone yells and there's a thump.

Lucas mentally laughs at himself. He's imagining someone saving him. Why can't his mind just give up already?

"Why are you trying to kill them? They're your Betas." The voice says again. It kind of sounds familiar.

The voice in his mind comes again. "I never wanted them. It was a mistake."

Lucas knows he should be mad, but he doesn't feel anything anymore. It's like he's floating away... But the sound of a fight pulls him back.

Lucas only hears fragments of sound. A growl from a person. A growl from a wolf. Lucas doesn't understand how he can tell the difference, but he doesn't care.

Suddenly Lucas is back in his body, pain flooding into him, which somehow turned back into human form.

Lucas feels someone turn him onto his back. A chocked sound comes out of Lucas' mouth. Why can't they just leave him alone?

"Lucas!" The familiar voice yells. Lucas manages to open his eyes the tiniest bit, just a slit to see out of. Adrian's face swarms his vision.

Lucas makes another indefinable noise, wanting to get away. Adrian killed Mason, then he killed Lucas, mostly. Lucas knows he's dying.

"Lucas!" Adrian says again, although Lucas can no longer see him. His vision is filled with black again.

Lucas feels liquid on his mouth, and a hand on his chin, forcing him to drink whatever it is. It goes down easily, soothing his burning throat. As soon as the liquid is down, Lucas is in pain again.

Why is Adrian trying to wake Lucas when he's the one who attacked them? Lucas can barely grasp on to his thoughts.

"Lucas!" Adrian yells and flashes his red eyes, causing Lucas' eyes to snap open and shine gold.

Lucas' pain goes away for a split second as he meets Adrian's eyes. Then everything comes crashing down and Lucas tries to squirm away. Adrian did this.

"Good. You're awake. Come on. I'm getting you help." Adrian tells Lucas. Lucas is suddenly pulled up to standing, but Lucas can't stand on his own. So Adrian puts an arm around his shoulders to keep him up.

Lucas can only grunt in pain, even though his whole body is being smothered in agony.

Lucas wonders what will happen to Mason. Then there's wind on Lucas' face and he can't stay awake any longer.

~*~

Lena stares down in shock at the hole in the ground. She can't look as someone shovels dirt onto the person in the ground. Lena doesn't even know the person next to her with the shovel. But she doesn't care. Adrian said it was someone he works with.

Once the man finishes filling the hole, Lena spits on the grave. The stupid dead Alpha werewolf under the earth that attacked Lucas and Mason deserved to be spit on.

~*~

Lucas sees flashes of light through the pitch black, every once and a while.

Everything feels off, like he's somewhere he shouldn't be. Is this what heaven looks like? Lucas doesn't think so. It's too dark with this lonely vibe.

The atmosphere is heavy and makes Lucas feel like he weighs a million pounds, but he's floating.

Lucas doesn't contemplate how weird it is for too long. His thoughts have a hard time constructing themselves. So Lucas lets go.

~*~

Lucas thinks he opens his eyes at one point of his time in the dark because he catches a glimpse of a white wall, but it's gone. Lucas wonders of he's imagining things again. Like how he imagined Adrian.

Lucas goes on like that, lost and confused in a state of unconsciousness that he doesn't understand. There is no time for him, just endless nothing.

~*~

"I can't believe they're gone." Lena says in despair.

Jerica sits on her couch in shock. She doesn't know what to say.

"Did Adrian tell you when they'll be back?" Lena asks Jerica.

Jerica shakes her head numbly. "No. He said they'd be back once they've healed."

"But it's been four days!" Lena exclaims in frustration. "I want to see them."

"Me too." Jerica whispers so low that Lena barely hears. Jerica's voice is raw from screaming at Adrian then not speaking at all. Today is the first day Jerica's talked since the night of the full moon when Adrian came over to announce that Lucas and Mason were hurt.

Adrian had said they were healing, but they had almost died. He didn't want to say more, but Jerica demanded to know the details.

So Adrian told Lena and Jerica that Lucas and Mason were attacked by the rogue werewolf, Matthew Ellington. Of course, Jerica blamed everything on Adrian. She no longer has a crush on him. Jerica doesn't flirt with him, only sends death glares his way.

Lena's heart seems to break every time she remembers what Adrian said. "Lucas was the worst. He basically died. If it wasn't for me getting there in time and taking him to the Cloud World Council, he wouldn't have lived."

And that led to the discussion of what the Cloud World Council is. Jerica had asked if they could see her brothers, but Adrian said not until they're healed.

Then Jerica yelled at him to get out of her house and not come back until she could see Lucas and Mason.

Adrian had stumbled out of the house like Jerica had electrocuted him. Which she didn't. That hadn't even come to mind.

Lena regrets that Jerica told Adrian to leave. He was their only connection.

Lena couldn't believe that any of this was even happening. Why did Adrian leave on that stupid business trip? He could've prevented this. Being an Alpha, he could've defeated the other Alpha.

Lena sits down next to Jerica for comfort. Lena isn't sure if the comfort is for her or Jerica. Probably both.

~*~

"He's waking up." Someone says near Lucas.

Lucas doesn't feel like he's waking up. Whoever's talking is a liar.

"I heard his heart rate pick up." They add to prove what they said. Lucas wonders how that proves anything. Hearts can lie. Lucas certainly doesn't want to be awake.

"Lucas." A girl's voice says, demanding him to wake up.

Lucas doesn't open his eyes, but his breath catches in his throat when he wonders who the girl is. Lucas is too out of it at the moment to recognize the voice.

"He must know it's me. I have a feeling that he's mad at me for something." The first voice says.

"Well duh! He probably blames you for leaving." The second voice responds sarcastically.

"No, that's not it. That's too petty for Lucas. No, this is something deeper." The first voice replies.

Lucas struggles to remember who he's mad at. One name pops up in his head immediately. Adrian. So the other voice must be Monique.

There's a second of silence when Lucas can feel the tension in the air, hanging like an angry cloud.

"Adrian." Monique says slowly. "He probably thinks you're the one who attacked him."

There's another pause before Adrian answers. His voice is suddenly closer. "Lucas, I'm not the one who bit or attacked you."

Lucas is gaining a little focus now. Lucas must be on some medicine because he doesn't hurt. Even though Lucas could answer, he chooses not to.

Lucas hears someone huff in frustration, then footsteps move away and a door closes.

"He's gone." Monique says, although it's obvious. Lucas decides that he should try to get some answers from Monique.

Lucas opens his eyes and looks around without moving. The ceiling is white and so are the walls. Lucas can just barely see hospital equipment out of the corner of his eye.

Lucas tries to move his arm, but finds it feels weird because he's connected to the machine on the right.

"How do you feel?" Monique asks gently, going for the easier conversation first.

Lucas sits up carefully, putting his back against the headboard of the plain hospital bed.

Lucas looks down and sees he's in the same clothes he was in when he died. It's weird to think that. Lucas isn't dead, but he thought he died.

The only change is that the left sleeve of his shirt has been cut off. Lucas sees a bandage that partially wraps around his shoulder.

When Lucas reaches up to touch it, he feels the bandage goes up onto his neck too. That's where he got bit. By Adrian.

"I'm fine. No thanks to Adrian." Lucas replies snappily. His throat is sore and the words come out a little raspy. Lucas tries to clear his throat, but that makes his throat burn.

Monique looks down at her hands. "Actually, he saved you. And Mason."

"Mason? Where is he?" Lucas asks fiercely.

Monique meets Lucas' wild eyes. "Still sleeping." She says before looking back at her hands.

"Sleeping or unconscious?" Lucas narrows his eyes in suspicion.

"Lucas, he's not as strong as you. He hasn't even shifted." Monique tells Lucas gently.

Lucas leans forward causing his neck to shoot pain through his left side, but Lucas ignores it.

"That didn't answer my question!" Lucas growls at Monique. His neck is burning so badly now that his eyes are watering.

"Lucas, you're hurting yourself." Monique says sympathetically. When Monique puts her hands on his shoulders to rest him back on the headboard, Lucas has to fight the urge to attack her.

Monique pulls away quickly as if she knows what Lucas wanted to do. "Mason hasn't woken up yet. He's still unconscious."

Lucas feels the tension drain from his body, leaving him slumped on the bed. Lucas puts his head in his hands, feeling like he just died all over again.

Lucas doesn't know what to do. He didn't know he'd ever have to live a life where his twin wasn't there. Constantly, annoyingly by his side.

"When will he wake up?" Lucas asks Monique in a tired tone. Monique wishes Lucas wasn't mad at Adrian so that she didn't have to tell Lucas all of this.

"We don't know." Monique whispers, hoping Lucas doesn't hear. But he does. And it breaks his heart.

"Someone's here to see you." Monique says suddenly, trying to cheer up Lucas.

"I'm not talking to Adrian right now." Lucas says, even though he said he didn't do it.

"Lucas, listen to my heartbeat. Adrian didn't turn you or Mason into werewolves. He didn't attack you and Mason." Lucas listens and hears that Monique is telling the truth.

"I need proof." Lucas stares at the wall, unable to watch Monique's face fall in disappointment.

"Now who's here?" Lucas asks to change the subject.

"Lena." Monique replies simply. "She's been asking for you for days. You were out awhile."

"Send her in, please." Lucas remembers his manners at the last second.

Lucas closes his eyes. When he opens them Monique is gone and Lena is there instead. Lucas can see tears in her blue eyes. The blue eyes he never thought he'd see again.

Lucas doesn't even care that he probably looks like a mess. Lucas gestures for her to come over with a small smile. She rushes over and wraps her arms around him carefully so as not to hurt him.

Lucas hears Lena's breath hitch like she's about to cry. Lucas rubs her back for a minute while she collects herself.

Lena pulls back to look Lucas in the face. "Mason-" Lena tries to say, but Lucas stops her.

"I know." Lucas says. Then he pulls Lena back into his arms.