Healing His Mate
Chapter 37

Aaron POV

I wake with a gasp, the pain in my chest screaming out.

Aaliyah.

My breathing picks up as I take in my surroundings. I'm laying on the cement floor of a cell. The rusty bars make up three of the walls. I can see other shifters and creatures in the cells beside me and in front of me.

I lift my hand against my chest and look down to see dried blood.

No, I think to myself as I try to remember what happened.

I went out with Mark to scout the hunters numbers. We got an easy and found three different entry points, but Mark tripped a wire when we were leaving.

Next thing I knew, I was twenty feet away. I could smell the smoke of the explosion as my ears rang. My vision blurred as I felt the pain spreading. I looked down to see blood spilling over my chest.

I tried to force myself to sit up, but the pain was too large. I called out to Mark, but then my eyes fell onto his unmoving form.

Thatcher, I tried to call out over the pack link, Mark's dead. I'm hurt.

Alpha, he called back in question, Where are you?

Voices echoed around the trees. I could smell the scent of humans floating through the wind. My mind wobbled when I tried to stay focus.

Western edge. Hunters are coming, I kept my voice sharp, but the pain was searing.

We're coming.

Stick to the plan, I commanded, cutting off the link before he could argue. I saw blackness creep into my vision as two hunters exited the coverage of some trees and into view.

Right before I lost complete consciousness, I felt the pain cross over the mate bond.

My last thought was Aaliyah.

I shake my head as I put my focus back on the cell I'm currently laying in. Lifting away the scraps of the t-shirt I had been wearing, I run my hands against the scabbed over wound.

I try to call out to Zach or Thatcher, but its like there's interference blocking me. I can't reach my pack mates.

"They cleaned it and it healed," a voice next to me called out.

I look up to see a woman strapped to the wall of her cell. Her eyes are darkened and dirt covers her skin. She's wearing what used to be a white tank with a pair of shorts. Based on the decaying smell radiating off her, she's not a shifter.

"How long ago?" I ask her.

"Maybe an hour or two. Can't really tell in a place like this."

God, Aaliyah! I scream into my head.

I try to call out to her. I try to focus on her feelings and to just feel her, but my panic is overriding my mind.

Mate hurts, Kiba whimpers.

Aaliyah, no. No, angel. No, I feel trapped. Not just stuck in a cell or being caught by the hunters, but I can't feel her. I can't feel my mate.

I lower my head in defeat.

Aaron.

Her voice is a balm to my fears as I open my eyes. I can feel the pull of our connection as she looks through my eyes.

God, Aaron. Where are you?

Are you okay, Angel? I didn't mean to get hurt. I felt you injured and I couldn't reach you.

I'm mostly okay now. Your mom healed me as much as she could. The bleeding stopped a little bit ago. Now I answered your question, answer mine. Where are you?

I hesitate to answer. I don't want her to know I'm in a cell, but I also can't lie to her. I never want to lie to her, even if she couldn't visually see that I'm currently in a cell.

I'm in a cell, angel.

The hunters have you, she whimpers as if in pain, You promised me.

I'll come home. You know I will. Please trust me.

You know I trust you, but you are with him. He's going to hurt you.

We have a plan, angel. I won't let him hurt me, hurt us. I love you, I tell her, needing her to really hear the words.

I love you always.

I feel her send me her strength. This amazing woman I have been fated to is a miracle. No matter how much pain she has endured or the fear she holds within herself, she still have strength to send to me.

"Hey, heads up. Doc's coming," the woman whispers in warning, seeming to know that I am speaking to someone.

Aaliyah whimpers as I feel her watch what's coming. The sound of boots hitting the cement reaches my ears as the man walks closer. When he comes into view, I take in his beady eyes and smug expression.

Anderson, Aaliyah whimpers in my head.

I growl lowly at him. This is the piece of shit who hurt my mate, who tortured the woman I love.

"Anderson," I bite out.

His grin widens, "I see my little vixen has told you who I am."

"She is not your anything!" I growl, "And you would do best to remember that. I would suggest you not mentioning my mate again."

He has the gull to laugh and I feel Aaliyah shrink back in my mind in fear.

"So the experiment found herself a mate. I look forward to cutting her open again to see how it's changed her."

Kiba snaps as he forces a shift. We run at the bars of the cell as hard as we can, the crash creaking the silver but it doing more damage to us than them.

Aaron, stop! It hurts, Aaliyah calls out, immediately halting our movements.

I can feel Aiya calming Kiba as we start to pace in front of the bars.

I am going to kill him.

He laughs at my deep growl, "I would suggest not getting too comfortable. We'll be moving you soon."

Angel, tell my father everything and have him inform Zach of the change in plans. The attack needs to be today, I tell her, keeping my eyes on the snake in front of us. She gives me her agreement.

Anderson narrows his eyes at me, "I can see you trying to reach out to your pack. Don't bother. The shot of wolfsbane we gave you is stronger than you shifter's puny pack bond."

But not stronger than the connection with my angel.

Before he says anything else, I guard walks up to him and mutter something into his ear. The doctor nods in confirmation and then turns his attention back to me.

"Congratulations. Your surgery has just been moved up."