“I know. I think she just hoped it would pass…but when she tried to wake Ryan up for school this morning, she couldn’t. He’s running a high fever, and he is unresponsive. She’s tried everything.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Fuck! Did you happen to bring my phone? I need to call Malik.” Malik is a warlock coming froma very powerful line of dark witches, and he is also one of my closest friends. He has extraordinary healing powers, which is unheard of for a dark magic wielder, and is the only one who’s managed to heal the other kids when they were touched by the weakness.
“Already called him. He came over before I left looking for you.”
I place my hand on her arm and squeeze it lightly. “Thanks, sis. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
A soft smile tugs at her lips. “That’s why I’m the best Beta ever. But no more running away, Lo. The pack needs its Alpha now more than ever.”
I nod. Emily is right. I can’t run away anymore. This is the third case of a child touched by the weakness in the last few months, and it’s because I didn’t want to marry a chosen mate. But how could I when I know my fated mate is out there, and I keep seeing her in my dreams? The bond between fated mates is sacred and highly revered by our kind, but it’s extremely rare, and most wolf shifters never meet their fated mates. They settle for a chosen mate instead. My pack is growing restless because I refuse to settle.
When I became the unchallenged Alpha of the pack the moment our father died seven years ago, I knew I had to get married to my mate—chosen or fated—before the age of twenty-five; otherwise, my pack would be weakened. My twenty-fifth birthday is only a few months away.
My mother keeps pressuring me to forget about my fated mate. I’ve managed to convince her to give me more time by promising that if I don’t find her before my twenty-fifth birthday, I will choose another woman to be my Luna. Until then, our pack is suffering, and it’s all my fault. With every day that passes, I feel like I’m being crushed under the weight of my guilt and responsibilities.
Emily parks the car in front of Josh and Layla’s house, snapping me out of my thoughts. We get out of the truck at the same time. It’s a fucking miracle I didn’t throw up with how recklessly my sister drove us here. At least we arrived in record time.
Josh doesn’t let a second pass after I rap my knuckles against the front door. He swings it open like he’s escaping a magnitude nine earthquake. I guess he must be feeling like his world is crumbling around him. It’s made pretty clear by his auburn hair pointing every which way as if he spent hours pulling at itand the stiffness in his shoulders. Red, blotchy hazel eyes meet mine, filling with stark relief.
“Alpha,” he says before stepping out of the way for us to enter.
“How’s Layla holding up?” my sister asks.
“She’s pretty shaken up. She kept sobbing uncontrollably. I had to give her some pills so she could calm down. She’s sleeping right now.”
“Is Malik still here?” I inquire as we shake hands.
“Yeah, he’s in Ryan’s room.”
We follow Josh through the narrow corridor, then climb the stairs to his son’s room on the second floor. Josh opens the door, and we step inside. Ryan is lying on the floor in the center of a pentagram drawn with white chalk, and Malik is crouched beside his small body, both of his palms on the boy’s chest, his protruding veins swirling with the inky, black magic while he chants softly in a language I don’t understand. The magic flows in the room like a thick fog.
His slanted cat-like eyes snap open, finding mine. He pushes to his feet, grim tension evident in the tight lines around his mouth, as the thick fog caused by the black magic starts to dissipate. He is dressed in his usual black leather duster, lively silver hair pulled in a bun at the nape of his neck. “His fever is gone. But I’m sorry, Logan, his forced slumber won’t end untilthe pack gets stronger. They let too much time pass between the first symptoms and now,” Malik says and bends over, gingerly picking up the kid in his arms and settling him on top of the bed.
“Fuck!” Josh bellows as he punches the door. A tornado of splinters follows his fist plowing through the wood with a loud thud.
A heavy weight settles on top of my chest, and my stomach plummets at Malik’s words. To add insult to injury, birth rates are down. Moreover, the last cub was born a year ago. If any other children get touched by the weakness…Motherfucking fuck! I also want to throw fists left and right and break something, but I am the Alpha; I have to stay level-headed. So, instead of showing how fucking scared I am, I grip Josh’s shoulders with both of my hands and look into his eyes, imbuing my gaze with as much reassurance as I can.
“It’s going to be okay. Have faith. We’ll get through this. I’ll find a solution.” I turn on my heel and make my way to the front door with Malik and my sister at my back.
“You need to take a chosen mate, Logan. Giving the pack a Luna is the only way to strengthen it and heal the kids,” Malik says grimly as we step out of the house.
I inhale deeply and ball my hands into tight, eager fists at my sides. “I know.”
3
Ava
Adrop of sweat falls directly into my eye as the guy I picked up at the bar earlier grunts like a rutting pig on top of me.Eww. He calls out for his mother as he comes, and then his sweaty body gives out, crushing me under the weight.
Great. Another weirdo with mommy issues.
I didn’t think it was possible, but he lasted even less than the last guy. I wonder why people like sex so much. Since losing my virginity at sixteen and two other unfortunate sexual experiences after that, I hadn’t had sex again until this past month. Why bother when men only care about themselves and their pleasure? Most of them wouldn’t know what a clit is if it hit them in the face. But since I was given only a few months to live, I decided to give sex another try. In the last month, I’ve had sexwith seven guys. Spoiler alert: none of them made me come.
“Can you move? You’re crushing me,” I mutter as I push at his heavy body. I have enough trouble breathing on my own, thank you very much. I don’t need to be reminded of how bad of a job my weak heart is doing at pumping blood to my lungs.
He finally takes his weight off me as he slides out of me and slumps to the side. “You came too, right?” he asks smugly as he fluffs his pillow and rests his back on it. He weaves his hands behind his head and throws me a megawatt smile with perfectly straight, pearly white teeth. He is really good-looking. I have to give him that. A bit too preppy if you ask me, but he has that old money charm with his perfectly coiffed blond hair and blue eyes. Well, I learned my lesson. Being good-looking doesn’t necessarily mean a guy is good in bed. I swear I’m ready to write off sex for good this time.
“No, I didn’t come, Brad.” I mean, the fact that I wasn’t making any sounds, lying like a stiff board beneath him, should have been an indicator that I didn’t enjoy what he was doing all that much.
