91. A Close Call
AZURA.
We simply walked around the pack for a
bit. Leo looked super pissed, and I knew
he’d tell me what was on his mind when h
e was ready.
But the minutes were passing, and I could
feel his irritation rising. Even with his
impeccable skills at keeping the block up, he was still letting snippets seep through the cracks. He was on his fourth cigarette
already, and I had had enough. I need
him to talk.
“Ok. What’s wrong?” I asked, coming to
a stop, and gripping his upper arm. A soft
wind blew through my hair as I forced
him to turn to face me.
He had his jaw clenched; those plump lips set in that pissed-off pout of his.
Oh, Goddess, this man was so fuckably perfect. Was that a word? It was in my books. But right now, I was more
concerned about his emotions, he was
still struggling to control them. What exactly had happened?
I tilted my head, waiting for him to speak as I stepped closer, cupping his face.” Tell me, what’s wrong?” I whispered.
He exhaled, his arms locking around my waist, and gave a half smile. “This pup’s getting in between us now.” He
murmured, looking down at my stomach,
and I nodded.
“Yeah… it’s growing faster now.” I whispered, leaning up I kissed his jaw, waiting. “Now talk to me, Blue Eyes. Don’t change the subject.”
He sighed, frustrated, clearly knowing he couldn’t delay from telling me any longer.
“Well… I fucked up. I didn’t ask Emmet if anyone in this pack was helping him. I should have asked for names… I mean, I could have the entire pack put under alpha command and ask them, but that will cause way more fucking damage to a Pack that is already crippled. Their trust isn’t the same… not after everything
we’ve been through. It will fuck em up.”
Fuck. He forgot to ask Emmet that one vital question… Even I didn’t think of
that, and neither did the five… we were all
so in the moment! But I understood what
he meant about the pack… “Babe, you can’t beat yourself up over that! I get that
it sets us back a little, but none of us
thought of that. So please, it’s ok, we got this.” I caressed his jaw with my thumbs, it was obvious that my words didn’t ease
his irritation.
He exhaled, looked away, and passed me. “I shouldn’t have fucked up. I made….
Fuck.” He was blaming himself unfairly. I pulled his head down, cupping the sides o f his jaw, my finger brushing his ears and kissed him deeply.
‘No. You didn’t. It’s ok, we will figure it out. Together.’ I whispered through the link, letting my emotions flow through to
him.
He relaxed a little, yanking me closer, as he leaned down over me, kissing me
harder.
Mine…
We broke apart after a few moments and he was slightly calmer. “We’re going to get the answers.” I said. It hasn’t been that long since we have been together… but it felt like ages…
“Yeah… we will. It was just a lead fucking wasted.” He said quietly, his head tilted a s he looked me over slowly. “How did I get you?”
I smirked, my stomach fluttering. “Mm,
well… I’m a Westwood woman. We all
know that the Rossis love us. Especially the broken, damaged ones just need us.”
“Oh yeah? Cocky much?”
“What can I say? You’re rubbing off on m
e…” I said, satisfied to see that sexy smile
back on his face.
Oh fuck, I was in love and I had it so bad.
Everything he did made me giddy. It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced before him
“Yeah?” He asked softly, that gorgeous
smile still on his face.
I rolled my eyes and pushed him away. Don’t say anything!” I warned, thinking
these walls were so damn hard to focus o
“Come on, let’s go see Kareena.”
He nodded, his smile faded before I ran off. He caught up with ease, wrapping his
arms around my waist and burying his face in my neck as he tickled me.
“You ain’t so fucking fast.”
“Leo!” I laughed, unable to stop as I
writhed in his arms, gasping when his fingers caressed my waist teasingly.
“Fuck, you smell good.” He groaned into my neck as we headed to Kareena and
Shane’s house.
It took us another ten minutes to get there. The Sangue pack was large, and with its layout, it was more of a city than any other pack I have seen. Shane and Kareena’s house was in the quieter part where there were actually houses with gardens unlike the majority of the pack which were entirely apartments.
This pack was incredibly modern and stylish. I’m sure if other packs actually
saw this place… they’d be jealous.
When we finally reached the double-story house. We walked through the
gates and Leo rang the doorbell, but there
was no answer.
“Do you think she’s gone out?” I asked,
unsure.
She hadn’t left since the funeral.
“I don’t think so. She’s been inside the
majority of the time… the guards were supposed to be here… and someone was supposed to be inside with her.” Leo frowned, looking around.
He knocked once more and rang the bell.
I felt him lowering his walls so I could enter his mind. ‘Kareena?’ He called her through the link. ‘Kareena?’
Nothing.
‘Who was the last one with Kareena?’ He
asked through the mind link.
‘You.’ Ace’s voice came into Leo’s mind.”
You said you were going to head there
after the hearing, an hour ago… Leo, what’s wrong?’
‘Yeah, is everything ok?’ Jax’s worried
voice came.
My heart thudded just as Leo’s eyes flashed and he slammed his shoulder into
the front door. The door trembled at the
powerful impact, but it was made to withstand a werewolf’s strength. He stepped back and this time he kicked it. It splintered as it went flying, creating an intense blast and if Kareena was asleep or
didn’t hear the door, she sure would have
now.
“Kareena!” He shouted, his voice was cold, but I could sense his panic through the bond. “Check upstairs! I’ll check down here.” I nodded as he ran through t o the lounge whilst I ran to the stairs, taking them two at a time and following
my nose, I ran to her bedroom.
Pushing open the door, I saw that it was
empty.
“Kareena?” I called, stepping into the
room, when my gaze fell on the
bathroom door in the corner.
My heart thumped, and that’s when I
heard the tap running and I felt relieved. Thank the goddess…
“Kareena?” I called, walking over to the
door. Nothing. I knocked again
Kareena?”
I tried the handle of the door, only to
realise it was locked.
Fuck!
‘She’s up here!’ I called through the link.
My eyes blazed and a flare of power blazed around me, wrapping around my
hand and frying the entire lock and
handle off. I pushed it open, freezing in m y tracks.
“Azura?!” Leo called, but I couldn’t reply, the sight before me making my stomach
sink.
The tap was running into a bath that was overfull already, but what sent a chill down my spine, was the hand that hung out of the bath. The coppery smell of blood hit my nose as I approached the bath that was coloured pinky-red. A faint
heartbeat could be heard, but it was so
quiet…
“Kareena?” I called, as I stopped at the
bath and stared down into the bloody water, my eyes widening in horror.
“Leo!” I shouted, panic making my voice
shake as I plunged my arms into the bloody water, lifting the body from the
water.
Leo rushed in just as I placed her on the
floor.
Deep cuts ran along her wrists. They were
still bleeding, which meant she probably
used a poisonous blade to create them.
My mind was spinning as I tried to
remain calm, dropping to my knees
beside her body. I needed to perform CPR
right now! Placing one hand over the
other, I began on chest compressions.
Leo seemed frozen for a moment, his
heart thundering. “Leo, we need help! Now!” He blinked, snapping out of his
reverie.
One, two, three! I kept going, quickly
opening the airway. I pinched her nostrils. shut, and gave her mouth-to-mouth,
feeling her heart beat slightly.
“She’s breathing!” I shouted in panicked
relief.
He nodded, and I knew he was mind-
linking as I switched to chest
compressions again.
I couldn’t focus on Leo right now, but the fleeting glimpses of his thoughts told me
I needed to save her at all costs. All he
could think about was that he had failed
Shane. That once again, his carelessness
had almost cost us…
No Leo. You’re wrong.
“She’s going to be fine.” I said to Leo, we were all seated in the hospital. It was late i
n the afternoon, and we were exhausted.
The doctors said if I hadn’t performed
CPR that perhaps things could have been worse… She had used a lethal poison to
create those incisions, and she had also
taken a high dose of wolfsbane orally. It
had been a well-thought-out plan. They had to pump the poison from her body
too.
I never thought that it would be useful… especially when I always thought magic could fix everything. Sometimes even something like CPR with no magic.
involved, could save a life…
I was grateful for Kiara’s adamance that
all of us girls needed to know first aid, and the medical side that she pushed on u s. I mean, apart from Kat, me and Sky did
it for the sake of it… You may not be here
Kia, but you’re still saving lives. Thank
you.
Kareena was currently unconscious in the hospital room with a doctor and nurse tending to her. Leo’s injection had helped heal her faster, and the doctor had
expressed how impressed he was with
them.
Currently, Jax, Dan, Leo, and I were sitting in the hallway.
“We almost lost her…” Leo said quietly.
He had been quiet since everything had
happened.
I don’t know what Leo would have done if
something had happened to her, but he would have blamed himself for not going
to visit her sooner.
Dan placed a hand on his shoulder. “But we didn’t, and that’s all that matters…” He
stood up, stretching before giving us a small smile. “Look, I’m going to go check
up on Eric. He’s been really down. I mean, regardless of what Emmet did, he’s still
his brother. He needs some closure.”
I nodded in agreement. “Yeah… Go, and thank you, for being considerate. He at least deserves comfort.” I said quietly, making a mental note to talk to Eric
myself, too. Leo gave a small nod, simply sitting there, sometimes running his hand through his hair.
“That’s what we’re here for, us Six and
Leo. To look out for one another, even if
one of us is gone. We will take care of one
another,” Dan said, giving me a gentle smile. I could still see the pain in his eyes
at the loss of Jackie and Shane… the guilt…
“The six of you…” It hurt saying the five, i
t seems even he couldn’t.
“Yeah, the six of us.” Dan said, pointing to himself, then at me. “Welcome to the
gang.”
Leo looked up sharply as Dan gave me a wink, before turning and walking away, leaving me standing there, shocked.
The six of us…
“He ain’t wrong… you fill that gap…” Jax
said quietly. “And as a team… I think we
need to decide what to do with Kareena.
“Do what? What can we do to help her?”
Leo asked, frowning as he looked at his
friend.
Jax frowned, looking at his hands. “Well I’ve been thinking some stuff over… like Shane, he always was a goddamn
protector. He always went to protect everyone… remember the time he took a bullet for me? Or the time he pushed you out of the way of that car?” 1
These guys sure had an adventurous life…
“I was thinking… I mean, I’m not mated … and I don’t think I’m ever going to find her. I’m not even looking anymore.”
“Mates aren’t a bad thing.” I said, seeing
his deep frown.
“No… they’re not, but we don’t always
find them… so I’ve been thinking…” He
seemed to hesitate, which wasn’t like Jax.
Leo sat back, tilting his head as he observed him. “What is it?” He asked
sharply, wrapping his arm around me, and I leaned against him, welcoming his
embrace.
“What if I mark her to break the bond she
has with Shane? So, she can live.”
Both Leo and I stared at him, shocked.
I understood what he meant. After all,
many who took chosen mates were able to live…
“You don’t have that relationship… you’ve never been-”
“I know. I’m just saying if she was bound to someone alive.” Jax cut him off,
frowning.
“You will be bound to her… and she you. There’s no guarantee she’d ever accept you.” Leo murmured, clearly shocked as h
e sat back, pondering over his words.
Jax frowned and nodded. “Yeah… and the
aim isn’t for her to accept me, but for Shane… I’d do it.” He said, looking at Leo,
as he rested his head against the wall
behind him. His eyes didn’t mask his pain as he looked at Leo.
For Shane… he was willing to sacrifice his own future.
“Say she even agrees… you’re ok to be bound to someone?” Leo asked him
quietly.
“Yeah, they say you need love to be able t o mark someone… out of love, right?
Well, I loved Shane. We were brothers…
and we promised one another, if anything was to happen to any of us…
that we’d look out for each other’s
families, right?” Jax countered, staring at the light on the ceiling. The gravity of the
situation was clear in his voice. 1
I didn’t say anything as I watched them.
Both were in pain, talking of promises
they never realised they would one day
have to honour…
For his brother, Jax was willing to
–
sacrifice his all…
I looked out the small window down the
hall, staring at the sky.
Shane… if you can hear me… just know you have us all. We will take care of her.
Your brothers will.
Leo’s voice brought me back to the present. “If she agrees… I think it could work.” He said quietly, as the door
opened and a doctor stepped out. We
could hear the sobbing from behind him.
“She’s awake, but very distraught,
Alpha.”
“We’ll go in.” Leo said as both men stood up and I followed suit. Pushing the door open, I stepped inside first.
My heart was breaking when I looked at the woman who had her wrists bandaged,
wearing a pale grey hospital gown, her brown hair falling in front of her
beautiful face, as tears streamed out of her light blue-grey eyes.
“Why did you save me?” She asked as she glared at us. “I want to die.”
“Don’t say that Kar.” Jax said quietly.
She didn’t respond, shaking her head, as she buried it in her knees.
A woman, broken without her mate. The
purpose of living was gone from her…
Leo walked over to her. Sitting on the bed by her side, he wrapped his arm around her. “Shane wouldn’t want you to do this.” He said quietly as I slowly sat on her other side, taking her hand.
The guilt that I was the reason Shane was gone, was eating me up inside. Leo placed
a hand on her back as she sobbed.
The nurse left us and Jax stood there,
arms crossed, frowning deeply.
I wonder… Would he be able to save her?
Because I knew… she needed it. She
needed a thread to hold on to…
Something to keep her afloat…
Could Jax be her saviour?
Please, Goddess, give her the strength to
live on…
Please.