The Alpha’s Contract
Chapter 0324

Abraxas doesn't answer and I knew without looking he was probably holding in a laugh, but I do hear him hoist the body up on his shoulder and trudge away.

I walk back through the Lycans to Dane. Not a single one tries to move. Fear or maybe shame that they had brought someone like that here. Whatever it was, I didn't care. Dane slips his hand in mine 'How did it feel?' He links me

'It was the right thing to do.'

'You know that is not what I'm asking.'

I turn my eyes to his crimson ones. "It felt... right." I look at the Lycans and then over to where Mallory had been. Her blood still remained. "I need to check on her."

"What do you want to do with them?" Dane nods in the direction of the Lycans still flat on the ground.

I shrug my shoulders. I hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Let me handle it. Just release them from the order." He presses his lips to my cheek

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I've got a bit more experience."

I let everyone up and run over to the hospital, expecting to replace Raven, but it's Klaus shouting out demands and instructions.

Damien is sitting on a chair outside the room, his hands clasped together between his knees.

"Are you praying?"

His dark eyes flash up to me. "Someone's got to listen, right?"

"The pup?" I ask quietly. He shakes his head and doesn't quite meet my gaze.

"Klaus is fighting to save her." He whispers

"Where's Raven?"

"Raven wouldn't help." I see a flash of anger in his eyes.

"What? Why wouldn't she help?"

"Klaus is in there with a couple of others that Raven has helped train before. All we can do is wait."

That didn't answer my question

"Why did Abraxas do this to her, Neah? She told me he knew." He asks. I think if it had been anyone else that had been shot, Damien would be ripping the Hunter's throat out. "It wasn't him."

"Of course it was. He's been waiting, biding his time."

"It wasn't him." I repeat. "One of the Lycans got the gun from him or almost did. I'm not entirely sure. I think Abraxas was trying to get it off of him when the gun went off. That bullet was not for Mallory. The Lycan was aiming for me." "You don't need to defend him." He growls

"I'm not. Ask Dane, he witnessed it."

His jaw clenches, "Where's the guy?" "Dead."

"Abraxas killed him?"

"No, I did."

His eyes drop to my blood stained hand before flashing back up to my face. "Thank you."

I nod as I listen to Klaus fire out more instructions. It sounded bad, otherwise, she would be healing.

"Where's Eric?" I ask quietly.

He points to the nurses station. I could see a hand sticking out from the end. He is still, sat on the floor with his back pressed up against the counter. There's no sound, no tears, just the steady rhythm of his heart. If he loses Mallory, I'm certain he will go right back to drinking again.

Eric has his knees pulled up to his chest. His shirt is covered in Mallory's blood. His eyes raise to meet mine, but they are hollow, like he had already given up.

"Klaus will replace a way." I whisper and sit on the floor in front of him.

"She was pregnant."

"I know, I'm sorry."

He snorts. "She hadn't even told me."

"How did you know?"

"The fire. I did a sweep of her home after we put out the flames. There was an untouched test on her table. Several others too by the looks of it. But they were unreadable."

"That's why you didn't question her about the pack run?"

He gives me a sad smile. "I figured tonight would be the night she told me. But now, if she survives this, I'm going to have to be the one to tell her there is no pup and that there might not ever be a pup."

"I don't understand."

"The bullet blew her stomach apart. Much like Raven's leg, it can't heal what isn't there." His shoulders drop even lower which I didn't think was possible

"You can feel her." I try to hold back my tears. I got the impression that Mallory had always wanted her own family, to raise her children differently to what her father did. What she had been most concerned about was if it was too early for Eric to handle. "Listen to her body. You know her better than anyone else because you can feel her."

He shakes his head at me, "She's barely hanging on. I don't need to be in that room to know that Klaus had already restarted her heart twice."