Jaded Hearts
Chapter 41

Matt

f**k! This was not good.

When I heard Tyson from all the way upstairs, I knew s**t had taken a turn, but this was not the outcome I was expecting. I watched it in slow motion, and he and Kade charged each other at the same time, and Morgan stepped in the way. When her body hit the floor, I was probably the first to realize she was hurt. Kade and Tyson were too focused on trying to kill each other to see what had happened.

Morgan would’ve been better off being hit by a train. The force of a full-grown wolf and a partially shifted bear was immense, and even though she had bear b***d, she was still human. Xander’s wolf gently snagged the back of Morgan’s shirt and pulled her away from the chaos, and even with the badly bent bars between them, these two weren’t stopping.

I had to think fast.

I rushed forward next to Kade and when Tyson’s attention was on him, I reached into the cell and grabbed the back of his head, smashing it forward on the bars. Hard.

He stumbled back and fell on his a*s, wincing at the shock to his broken body. The hit wasn’t enough to kill him or even really hurt him, but it did pull him out of his delirium long enough for Kade to look over and see Morgan laying still on the ground.

He shifted back and ran over to her, yelling and screaming at both Tyson and me.

“Why the f**k didn’t you make her leave, Matt?! I told you to send her upstairs, now look at her! And that f*****g bear! He’s dead!!”

When Xander saw the situation had calmed down some, he shifted, then walked over to grab some shorts. “Kade, this is your fault, not Matt’s. You lost control, and it was your wolf that hit her. Don’t put that s**t on Matt. You’re better than that.”

Kade wasn’t listening; he was cradling Morgan in his arms, rubbing her face and whispering for her to wake up. How was I going to explain this to Taylor? Morgan was everything to her. I heard feet rushing down the stairs and held my breath. I didn’t want her to see this. It would stick with her forever.

Thankfully, it was Alaia and Alexi who rushed past me and over to Kade. When she tried to reach for Morgan, Kade growled and pulled back. Both Xander and Alexi made a move to protect their mate, but Alaia threw up a hand to stop them.

“Kade, stop being an i***t and give her to me. Now!”

Just like an Alpha, the Luna could not be denied, so Kade released his grip and allowed Alaia to pull Morgan into her arms. The Luna held Morgan’s head against her chest and began to hum her song of healing.

Bright and vivid purple eyes replaced her golden-brown ones as she used her powers to heal the damage that had been done. When the song ended, and Morgan didn’t move, Kade reached for her and again began to break down.

“She needs to go to the hospital now. I can’t heal her completely. There’s too much damage, but she’s no longer about to die down here in the cells,” Alaia said as Alexi pulled her to her feet.

“Kade, let me take her for you long enough for you to put something on. You can’t go through the house naked,” Alexi crouched down and said softly.

Kade didn’t speak, but he gently passed Morgan over, then pulled on the shorts Xander was holding out for him. Once he was dressed, he took her back and quietly left, heading off towards the hospital.

“I’ll go with him to make sure he’s alright. You guys stay down here and clean this s**t up,” Alaia said.

“So, what did I miss?” Alexi asked, looking over at the cell that was in terrible need of repair. I filled him in on what Morgan told me while we prepared another cell to move Tyson to. When we were done, I stood before Tyson and looked him over. He really did look like shit.

“How are you holding up, Tyson?”

He glared at me and balled his hands into fists. “Are you f*****g with me? You know exactly how I’m holding up. If I hadn’t been so f****d up, I would’ve fully shifted and ripped that dog’s head off before taking yours off as well.”

“Yeah, and you would have definitely killed your cousin. Is all this s**t worth it?”

“If I get Taylor in the end, then yeah. It’s all worth it.”

I’d had enough of this. No one was taking my mate from me, especially not crazed psycho wolves or lovesick bears.

“Tyson, I’m going to stay as calm as possible when I say this so that there are no misunderstandings. You will never have Taylor. Not while there’s breath in my lungs, and not even after I’m gone. I don’t know anything about a Mother Spirit who told you Taylor was your partner, but she’s not. You need to move on before you get yourself killed.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No, this isn’t a threat. It’s a guarantee. Don’t ever make any more references to my fiancé as being yours. It will be the last thing you do.”

He looked me over before rubbing his head. “Are you sure you’re a Gamma?”

“Yeah, something like that. Now get your a*s up and over in this cell. I’ve got to go explain this mess to Taylor, and I don’t want to keep her waiting.”

“Sounds like you’re whipped.”

“No, it sounds like I’m a man who respects my woman’s time and feelings. There is a difference. Now move.”

Tyson pushed himself up and calmly walked across the hall, where he was securely locked in.

“I’m impressed by the way you handled him, Matt. You really do have alpha b***d, don’t you?” Xander said, walking up to me.

“I knew it! I’ve fought gammas before, and none of them ever put me on my a*s like that. You’re a f*****g alpha?”

“Mind your own god damn business,” I replied while walking away. Xander and Alexi both chuckled and followed behind.

“I’ll go check on Kade after I get someone down here to clean up. Go replace Taylor. I know you’re itching to get back to her,” Xander stated, gesturing up the stairs.

There was nothing I wanted more than to hold her, but I knew I had to tell her about Morgan.

It wouldn’t be good.

* * *

Kade

I wanted someone to blame, anyone so I wouldn’t have to carry the weight of this on my own. But there was no one.

It was clear that Tyson couldn’t shift. He hadn’t healed enough for that, so there was no way he could have gotten out. But I had something to prove. I had to “protect her.”

Bullshit.

I placed her on the bed, and the doctor rushed in to examine her.

“What happened to her, Beta? I need details so that I can better assist.”

I told her exactly what happened, and the look on her face was not comforting. “And she’s human?”

“Yes. Well mostly. She’s also part bear.”

She was rubbing the ultrasound wand around Morgan’s stomach, then suddenly stopped. “There’s b***d in her abdomen. I need to open her up to make sure she’s not still bleeding out. Now.”

There was a flurry of activity when people began rushing in to wheel her out of the room and down the hall. My knees went weak, and I dropped into a nearby chair. My mate was struggling to survive, and it was my fault. Alaia came in a few seconds later and sat beside me, taking my hand in hers.

“She’ll be alright, Kade, you just have to trust in the bond.”

“I didn’t mean for her to get hurt. I tried to make her leave, but then I couldn’t stop myself when I jumped at Tyson. I … I didn’t even see her.”

“You don’t have to explain. We know you’d never hurt her on purpose.”

Matt came into the room with Taylor right behind him, tears coating her face. In that moment, everything really hit home for me.

“Where is she?! Please tell me she’s alright … please.”

“I’m so sorry, Taylor. I didn’t mean for this to happen,” I said.

Taylor swayed a bit before Matt caught her and made her sit down.

“But she’s alive, right? She’s still alive?”

“Yes, she’s alive. The doctors are just making sure she’s okay and seeing how badly she was hurt,” Alaia spoke when I couldn’t.

Taylor turned towards me and just stared. She didn’t say one word, but the look on her face was almost murderous. When she walked over and stood in front of me, I expected her to yell or scream, kick or punch. Anything.

But she didn’t.

“She loves you more than anything, Kade. She’ll fight for you, and she’ll come back to you. So go clean your face and pull yourself together. Blaming yourself won’t help her. Got it?”

“Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Taylor.”

“Somebody’s got to take care of you for her while she’s ‘occupied.’ I’ll gladly kick your a*s into shape in her absence. Now go shower and change. She’ll need her man there when she wakes up.”

I slowly stood up and walked over to Matt, who was waiting quietly next to the door.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you, man. If I had kept my cool like you did, none of this s**t would have happened.”

“It’s in the past, and I’m over it. Get cleaned up, and I’ll let you know if anything happens while you’re gone.”

* * *

After a hot shower and a few minutes to collect myself, I went back to the hospital to wait. It seemed like it took forever, but after three hours, the doctors came out and let us know that she was alright. There was a small tear in her liver that they needed to repair, but Alaia had done most of the hard work for them. I had never been more relieved in my life.

“She’s in her room now, and she should be waking up in about thirty minutes. You can go in and wait, Beta. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you,” the doctor said before walking away.

I stood up and took a step towards the room, then stopped. What if she didn’t want to see me? What if she hated me for what I had done?

“Get your a*s in that room, Kade. Your face needs to be the first one she sees when she wakes up. Get out of your head,” Taylor said.

I hoped that she was right.

I ran to the room, and when I saw the tubes in her arms, it made my heart ache. Pulling a chair to her bedside, I sat down and took her hand. She was so warm, and her scent was so strong. She was alright. I placed my head on the bed and closed my eyes while I waited for her to wake up.

Sleep must have taken over because I didn’t even notice she was back until I felt her free hand playing in my hair. My head jerked up to meet her eyes staring back at me.

“Are you alright, babe?”

“I should be asking you that, sugar. You just had surgery; do you need anything?”

She smiled and closed her eyes. “Some water would be nice. And you, I always need you.”

I grabbed her water pitcher from the table and poured her a glass. While she took slow sips, I took the opportunity to speak.

“Morgan, I can’t express how sorry—”

“No. Stop right there. I stepped between the two of you, so it was my fault I got hurt, not yours. Do not blame yourself for this, do you understand me?”

“But if I would have just kept calm…”

“You did what you felt was right at the time, and you’ll know better for the next time. So will I.”

“I’ve never been more scared in my life. Seeing you lying on the floor destroyed me, baby.” I pressed my face into her hand, just wanting to feel her touch. It had almost been taken away from me, and I wouldn’t have survived.

“Kade…how is Tyson? Is he still alive?” She looked so worried. She really did love her douche of a cousin.

“He’s fine, sugar. Matt damn near cracked his skull, but other than that, he’s the same way you left him. I promise.”

“Good. I still want to help him if I can.”

“Don’t worry about that now. Just rest, okay? We can help him when you’re better.”

She nodded her head and closed her eyes.

The rest of the group quietly walked in, and Taylor went right to the bed and climbed in with Morgan, smiling at her as tears ran down her face. “Don’t do something so stupid ever again, do you hear me? This baby needs it’s godmother around for them.”

Morgan squealed with delight at hearing that she would be the godmother. “I promise. I need to teach them how to make killer chocolate chip cookies.”

The ladies talked and cried and talked some more. Before we knew it, night had struck, and it was close to midnight.

I stood up and stretched while Matt went around to get Taylor. My bed was calling my name, but I wasn’t leaving this room until Morgan did, so it was the small hospital room couch for me.

My back was going to be pissed tomorrow.

* * *

Matt

This had been a terrible, long day, and I was glad it was coming to an end.

After Taylor fell asleep in the room for the third time, I picked her up and carried her to our room. She swore she wasn’t tired, but her body was telling me otherwise. I peeled off her clothes and placed her in bed before I took a shower and climbed in with her.

As soon as I shut my eyes, I was woken up by a mindlink.

I’m sorry for linking you so late, Gamma, but the prisoner is requesting to speak to Ms. Taylor.

Absolutely not. What the hell does he want?

He won’t say, he refuses to tell us, but he’s requesting her presence in the cells.

I don’t care what he’s requesting; she’s not coming down there. It’s been a long-a*s day, and she’s exhausted. You know what? I’m on my way.

Yes, Gamma.

What the hell did this guy want now? It was clear that he had caused enough drama, and now he was “requesting” that Taylor come down to the cells? F**k that and f**k him.

Obviously, I’d been too nice. That’s about to change.

I gently removed Taylor’s body from my chest and rolled out of bed, throwing on a pair and sweats and a hoodie. It was well past midnight, and he had the nerve to ask a mated female down to talk to him? Bears and their lack of f*****g manners.

When I reached the cells, the guards were all at their posts, two in wolf form and one in human.

“I apologize for waking you, Gamma, but he wouldn’t stop asking. I didn’t want a repeat of what happened earlier, so I figured I should let you know.”

“It’s fine, Dylan. Thank you.”

I stepped in front of the cell, and when Tyson saw me, he immediately scowled. “I didn’t ask for you. I asked for Taylor.”

“Well, I’m who you’re going to get. Now, what do you want?”

“Listen, man. I just need to talk to her and clear the air.”

“Clear it with me. I’m not letting her come down here. Not now; not ever.”

He stood to his feet and began pacing the floor, clearly frustrated. “I need to explain something to you. You’re a wolf, so you don’t know how things are for bears.”

“Then explain and make it quick.”

He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, I’m guessing in an effort to release some tension.

“Male bears are shown our partner in a dream the night we turn thirteen. It gives us time to search them out and replace them so that when we turn eighteen, we can officially claim them. When I turned thirteen, the Mother Spirit showed me Taylor, my little cousin’s best friend. That was when she became my sunshine, and I loved that girl with everything I had.

I graduated high school a few months before I turned eighteen and wanted to go travel and live. I figured my partner would be waiting when I got back. I needed money to do everything I wanted, so I became Hades. Nobody’s better at killing than I am. To you, it may not be anything to be proud of, but it was something I had created on my own that only I could do. $500k per hit, and after a few years, I would have enough money to come home, claim my partner, and start a life with her.

Then Drew contacts me, wanting me to take out sunshine’s boyfriend. It was a sign; it had to be. It was time to come home and settle down. I had more than enough money to retire, and I could end my career and get her back at the same time.

But I was too late. She had been promised to you by then, and I had lost my chance. I should’ve claimed her the day I turned eighteen, but I didn’t. I was out being selfish and ‘living.’ And it cost me everything. If I would have claimed her, Drew would’ve never laid a finger on her. Her suffering was my fault because I didn’t do what I was supposed to do.”

I had to admit that deep down, I felt bad for him. I didn’t know how it felt to lose a mate, but I could imagine. “So, what do you hope to gain from talking to her now?”

“Gain? Nothing at all. I actually want to let her go.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m letting her go. Our window has closed, and she’s yours now. I need to let her go so that I can move on.”

“You’re willing you do that? Just walk away?”

“I’m willing to step back, but I’ll always love her. I’ll always protect her.”

I was shocked by what he was telling me, for sure. It was what I had been hoping for since the day he found us in Rome. “Do bears get second chances? Or is it ‘one and done’ for you guys?”

“One and done. She’s the only partner I would ever be blessed with. Sure, I’ll date and maybe get married one day, but that woman will never compare to my sunshine. And I’m fine with that, as long as Taylor’s happy. If she would’ve still been with Drew, I would have ripped his d**k off and taken her back. But you’re different, and I see that you cherish her and treat her right. So, I’ll step back and let her live the life that she’s chosen.”

“Honestly, I have to say that I’m surprised. I didn’t expect you to be so mature.”

He laughed and rubbed his hands over his face. “Yeah, well … I had to grow up sometime. And I’m not in the best shape right now to face off against an alpha.”

“I’m not an Alpha.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that. So, could I please talk to her? Tomorrow maybe? It can be both of you, but I can’t let her go until I can actually speak to her face-to-face.”

“She’s pregnant. She’s still dealing with the sickness, and she’s constantly tired. I’m not bringing her down to the cells, man. But I’ll have the guards bring you up to the conference room after breakfast. You can talk to her there.”

“That’s perfect. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, and thank you for doing this. I didn’t want to have to kill you, but that was my next step if you hadn’t changed your tune.”

“I’m happy it won’t have to come to that. I prefer living if I’m honest.”

That made me laugh. We could have probably been friends if we’d met under different circumstances. “Have a good night, Tyson. We’ll see you later.”

As I walked back upstairs to bed, Tyson’s words rang in my head.

Nobody’s better at killing than I am.

I’ll always love her. I’ll always protect her.

Maybe having Tyson on our team would be good for more than just replaceing Drew.

There were some things I needed to think about, but I had a feeling that this bear was the key to getting us out of all the s**t Drew had started.