The Luna's Alpha
Chapter 35

I pull away from the wolf and get to my feet. "Justin. He's going to need some stitches." Griffin and Justin break from the circle to help Slate. I look around until I replace Stone. "Elder Stone Bram. I hereby banish you from the Snowy Lake Pack. You're cowardly and a traitor." I turn back to Slate. "Slate. If you want back into the pack, just say the word. I won't hold the pressure from your father against you." Slate keeps his head down and doesn't answer as he's assisted to the clinic. Giselle swiftly follows behind him.

Out of nowhere, I'm knocked down from behind. I move just before sharp teeth embed into my shoulder. "No!" Tess screams. My Karambits are still in my hands. I reach behind me making purchase into the wolf's side. He shakes his head in a rage, but he's thrown from off of me. I stand up to get my breath as four wolves circle my attacker. My arm and back are sticky with blood. Micco, Donny, Ben, and Holt are all growling at Stone, awaiting my order. You four step back. Stone needs to learn who is in charge of this pack once and for all." I say as I spin my blades in my hands.

Stone snarls then jumps at me. I swipe at his chest and side, then spin. As he lands, I swipe at his hind leg. He's hurt, but he's not backing down. He rushes for my thigh and I swipe my blade from his belly to his back. He doesn't relent as his rage is fueling his attack. His claws rack down anywhere he can reach, my arm, my leg, my hip. I use my blades, but my cuts are not deterring him. With a rabid snarl, his teeth sink into my thigh and my pants soak with blood. I grunt in pain, but my blade catches his throat and I pull up. Blood spills over the ground and I slip down, Stone's tooth still embedded in my thigh. "Donny, Micco, get him off of me! Tess, help me!” As soon as the dead weight is removed, I slice open my pant leg and grip as hard as I can, but it's slippery and I can't grip.

Mavis rushes forward and kneels on my groin. "He caught his artery." Holt presses down on Mavis, adding more pressure. Tess gets my pant leg and wipes the blood away so she can see the wound. She drops the cloth and drools all over my leg. Her tongue grazes the wound and I hiss. Her tongue presses in as deep as she can go. She pulls away and wipes the blood. My head is feeling light and sparks are flashing in my vision. Tess's mouth replaces my leg again then everything goes dark.

***

Tess's POV.

"Keep licking, Tess. He's not dead, he just passed out." Mavis tells me, but I'm not hearing a word she's saying, I'm not stopping, but I can't seem to reach the artery to stop the bleeding.

Justin reaches my side. "I need you to move, Tess." Fuck him, my mate needs me. "Holt, Maeve keep that pressure, don't let up. Tess. I need to stop the bleeding. You did your part, let me do mine."

I growl as hands grip my shoulders. I try to push the hands away, but they're strong and pull me back "Tess, come on. The doctor needs to work." I'm thrashing to get back to my mate. "Tessalee, stop!" My dad's words wash over me.

I smell Indy as her arm holds me around my back. "Tess. You need to calm down, your stress isn't good for your pup." All I can think about is Cody. My mate is dying and they want me to be calm?

"One more stitch." I hear Justin say and I look at Cody's leg. The hole is healing, but there is thread deeper inside the hole. "I got it. You two can let him go now. Let's get him to the clinic." I'm trying to go after my mate as he's being carried away by Holt and my grand pappy, but those strong hands are still gripping my shoulders. Justin stands in front of me and looks into my eyes. He touches my wrist with just his fingers. "Tess." My mate! I have to go to my mate. "Tess, look at me."

"She's gone, babe. Just take her to the clinic." I hear as if I'm underwater. Cody needs me, but people are keeping me away.

"Cody!" I try to shout, but nothing leaves my throat.

I'm scooped up in a pair of strong arms. I thrash, but he holds tight. "I'm taking you to Cody, Tess. Hang on, just relax. You're going to Cody." The words sink into my mind and I stop thrashing enough to see Cody in front of me. Donny and Grand Pappy both have a leg and Ben and Holt have his torso. Justin is next to Cody's thigh, but I don't see my dad. He should be here, what the fuck! I look around me, but I can't replace him anywhere. "Tess, honey. He'll be alright." My dad tells me and I realize he's carrying me. I sink into the comfort of his arms and let him carry me.

The stupid lights are bright and Cody is taken into a room. Dad doesn't follow and I start to panic. "Cody!"

"He's going to be alright, Justin is taking care of him." He sits down with me in his lap, just like when I was a little girl. Everyone that was carrying him comes out of the room. I look at them, but no one has anything to say. I hear my breath in my ears and I need my mate. I get to my feet and rush to the door only to be stopped by several arms.

A sharp pain lances through my body from my back all the way around to my front. I cry out and grip my bulky belly. I would've fallen to the ground, but those arms hold me up. I breathe as the pain subsides, but soon another pain rips around me. "Fuck!" I scream out. I've never felt anything so painful.

"Shit, Maeve!" My dad yells and another pain racks through me. Maeve says something and the next thing I know, I'm on a gurney being pushed through the doors Cody went through.

"Cody!" I yell, then scream as another pain hits me. I'm not paying attention to anything as needles are shoved in my arms. Maeve wraps two bands around my belly then pulls my pants off of me. Indy holds my hand as everyone else left the room. She and Maeve talk to each other and my body gets heavy. My shoulders slump and my eyes get harder and harder to keep open.

"What did you give her?" Indy asks.

"A few things. She's calming down from the sedative. I gave her magnesium, I'm trying to stop her labor, but she's still a bit too early to deliver. I'm also giving her a steroid to help the pup's lungs develop faster in case she continues to have contractions. I'm not going to hurt her, Indy. I took care of you during your labor, I'm doing the same for Tess." I hear everything that Maeve is saying, but I don't think about it too much. The pain continues to radiate around my body, but I'm too drowsy to notice.

Indy sits beside me and runs her fingers through my hair. "Just relax, Tess. Cody will be okay. Justin is just finishing up now. Focus on your pup, he needs you more right now." I let the sedative take hold and close my eyes.

Cody's scent, along with bleach and rubbing alcohol, engulfs me. His strong hand takes mine. I smile and blink my eyes open. "Hey, Darlin'. You had a stressful night, I hear."

Cody is beside me in the bed with nothing but a pair of boxer briefs on. He's covered in scratches and bandages. The sight of him like this is killing me. "Oh, Cody! I was so scared. When I saw Stone attack you, I thought he, he, he..." Oh goddess, I can't say it. I'm shaking and I can't catch my breath.

"Shh, Darlin'." Cody wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer to him. He tilts my chin up and softly presses his lips to mine. "I need you to breathe, my love." He peeks over my shoulder. "Maeve!" He calls out then holds my face. "I need you to listen to my voice. Darlin'." I look into his eyes and feel his palm on my cheek. "That's it. That's my girl."

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He presses my nose to his neck and I inhale. His scent is marred by blood and iodine. I jerk back and see everything all over again. Stone has Cody's throat. "No!"

"Tess, I'm here. Look at me." He takes my hands and places them on his chest then holds my face, forcing me to look into his eyes. My eyes lock with his and my fingers curl into his chest hair. "That's right, feel my skin. Feel my heart beating for you, my love." His eyes look behind me and he gives a nod. His eyes return and I feel a warmth spread through my body. My head gets heavy so I fall deeper into my pillow.

***

Cody's POV.

"Maeve, please help her."

"I'm trying, but his heart rate is erratic, we might have to take him now." She tells me as she checks the monitors.

I shake my head. "It's too soon. She's only 33 weeks and 4 days."

Justin enters the room to check in on everyone. "How's the pup?" He asks Maeve then pulls the paper strip from the monitor.

"I'm thinking soon. Tess is too stressed out and the pup is suffering for it. The sedative isn't helping him either. Now his heart rate is low." Maeve answers.

"We'll watch him for a little while longer. If there's no change, we'll deliver c-section." Justin touches my leg. "Looks like you're going to have a baby sooner than you thought."

His word choice catches me off guard. Everyone has called him a pup since day one. "Baby?" Then I realize his meaning. Audrey was premature also. They called her... "You mean a runt?"

Justin clears his throat. "It is a possibility. We wont know until he's born and no longer reliant on momma's blood."

I hold Tess closer to me. "Justin, what about Tess? I can't lose her."

Justin checks her vitals. "I'm sure she'll be fine, Cody. She's just stressed out. She'll recover." He looks back at the monitor. "Baby's rate hasn't settled. It keeps dropping then accelerating. He's not stable in there."

I let out a breath and look at my beautiful, stressed out mate. My hand skims her body until I stop at her bulbous belly. My hand spreads out and I can feel where his little head is. My son moves under my touch. "Hey, little guy. We love you so much. Your sister is excited to meet you, but you just take your time in there. There's no rush." I look back up to Justin. "How much longer?"

"Justin looks at the monitor. We can't wait much longer, Cody. I'm going to get everything prepped. Hopefully, there's a change by the time I'm finished. If not, you're going to see a lot of rushing around and we'll take her to the OR." I kiss my mate's hair and my fingers pet my son's head. I give Justin a nod then fill Micco in on what's going on.

Maeve places some scrubs and a cap on the chair beside the bed. "Just in case. You should probably get them on now. If anything happens, it's going to go fast."

"Thanks, Maeve." She leaves the room and I slip the clothes on then settle back into the bed with Tess for a short nap.

Margery, the anesthesiologist comes into the room and I wake. "Hi, sorry, Cody. I didn't mean to wake you. I'm just doing a final check. Tess will remain unconscious during the procedure and I'll give her something so when she wakes up she won't be in pain."

"So it's happening, then," I state, just to be sure.

"Yeah, it is. I hope the Goddess is on your son's side."

Meaning she hopes my son is a wolf, not a runt. I know she means well, but that's the last thing on my mind right now. "He's still my son either way."

"Of course." She says as she injects something into Tess's IV line. "Alright. I need you to move to the chair, please. Maeve will come to get you once everything is set up and we're ready for you." The hospital staff all rush in at once and I step back, out of the way. Tess is wheeled out of the room and I'm left twirling my thumbs. I tie my cap on and wait. After about five minutes, Maeve comes to collect me. "Alright, Alpha. We're ready. Take the seat at Tess's head."