Dracon (1st book of the Draconon Series)

Chapter 20

I finished putting the stuff on his wounds and leaned back as soon as I was done, and Frederick slumped against the ground, sighed with relief, and passed out. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and I wiped it away. I studied Frederick, making sure that I had gotten everything before I looked at the others that were gathered, waiting for the verdict. "It's done," I said.

"Will he survive?" Antonio asked, and I nodded in confirmation. "Are you sure?"

I scowled and narrowed my eyes, and he grinned innocently. "I wouldn't have nodded if I wasn't sure," I said, even though there was a small part of me that doubted it. "We're just going to have to take it hour by hour."

"Can we stay?" Miguel asked, and I nodded. He didn't want to leave his Alpha, and I knew that the others didn't want to either.

"Abram, Antonio, you're in the living room. Ms. Lowell, you can take my room, and Miguel, you can take the guest bed."

"What about you?" Miguel asked. "Or are you going to stay up again?"

I shrugged and grimaced. All I wanted to do was go to bed, but I knew that I couldn't; I couldn't with him passed out in front of me, still struggling to breathe every so often. I watched as pain flickered across his face and lines appeared on his forehead.

"Clover?" Miguel asked again and watched me smooth out the creases. There was a small warning in his tone, and I had to hide a flinch because I did not like it when he used that "fatherly" tone with me.

"I'll get some rest soon," I said, keeping my attention on him. "I'm pretty sure that Ghost is going to make me."

"Hmph," he said, not satisfied with my answer.

Ms. Lowell shifted and cleared her throat, and guilt filled her eyes. "Th-"

I shook my head, interrupting her from talking. "It'll be fine," I said and looked at her. "You can sleep in my bed. Miguel can get you some clean clothes that haven't been worn. Leave your clothes out, and I can start a load of laundry for it."

Ms. Lowell shook her head, no. "You don't have to do that," she said. "At least not just for me."

"The boys have some clean clothes in the guest bedroom," I said and stood, my goal being to get the boys settled in the living room for the night.

Frederick started to thrash around and whined. Panic flickered across his face, and I had a feeling that it was because I had moved away from him.

"Cl-"

"I know," I said, interrupting Miguel. I knelt beside him again and ran my hand through his hair. "Easy," I crooned softly. "I am still here."

Frederick stopped thrashing around and relaxed when I moved my hand through his hair. He sighed with relief and moved closer to me, and my heart skipped a beat before it jumped in my throat.

Strong sparks appeared between us, and I bit back a gasp, biting my lip to make sure that I didn't make a sound. They were strong stronger than I have ever felt them, even though I had felt them before.

"Explain," I said, not looking at the group that was gathered because I knew full well that they had seen that.

"Do you remember what I had said about mates?" Miguel asked. "How they have an addictive scent, and then there are sparks when they touch each other?"

"Yes." I did remember what he had said about them. I looked at him before I looked back at Frederick. I moved my hand through his hair again, and he relaxed more.

"Frederick is your mate."

"How?" I asked and looked at him.

Miguel shrugged. "I wish I knew, but I don't. The Moon Goddess works in mysterious ways. Only she knows why you are his mate."

I hesitated but nodded, staying silent. I looked at Frederick and bit my lip, nervous that there was a chance he'd toss me aside just because I wasn't human like I had led him to believe.

"I think he will want you," Miguel said, answering my unsaid fears. "The bond is strong, and I know that he respects and cares about you."

"But I am still a different species," I said and moved a hand through his hair some more. "I am pretty sure that he has something to say about it."

"Well, he can say something tomorrow," Antonio said. "But for now, you're still our Luna."

I slowly nodded. I already knew the basics of a Werewolf pack, for Miguel had taught it to me. I knew that the Luna was the main female, second to only the Alpha.

She was powerful, kind, and wise beyond her years, something that I was not. She was the one that people looked to for warmth and comfort, the mother of the pack.

Me, I was the opposite of what was considered a normal Luna. I was cold, ruthless. I wasn't gentle with my dealings, which was only sacred to young kids, who got to see my good side.

No one looked to me for comfort or warmth, for there was none.

I wasn't a mother, a leader. I was just me, and I had a feeling that I would make a terrible Luna.

"No wonder my wolf was upset that you didn't trust me," Antonio said, unaware of the battle that I had within me.

I grunted and looked at him. "What do you mean?" I asked and studied the male before me.

Antonio smiled sadly. "Remember when you said you didn't trust me?" he asked, and I nodded in confirmation. "That hurt because my wolf has a lot of respect for you. It felt as if I wasn't doing my job, which is to have you trust me."

"Flirting with me and doing sexual innuendos doesn't earn my trust," I said, squashing the guilt. "It annoys the shit out of me, and so does messing with my stuff."

Antonio shrugged and stayed silent. He looked a little forlorn, and I mentally sighed and closed my eyes a bit.

"If I didn't trust you enough, you'd have been tossed out of that window," I said and gestured to the window that was in the living room. "I know that Ghost wants to do it."

Antonio shrugged and looked slightly relieved as if he understood what I meant. His face grew a little brighter, and he stood a little taller. "Ghost is just a d-" He stopped talking when I hissed in warning. "Well, it is," he defended himself. "I-"

Miguel sighed, interrupting Antonio, and shook his head. "Come on, let's get settled in for the night," he said. "Frederick is safe and alive. He'll have questions in the morning."

The mood in the room darkened, and we were all nervous about the meeting that was sure to follow.

"Then I guess that means we need sleep," I said. I looked down and moved a hand through my mate's hair. "I'll be right back," I promised. "I just need to get ready for bed, ok?"

Frederick didn't stir nor make a sound. His whole body was stiff and still while the medicine did its stuff.

Getting no response, I stood again and glanced at Frederick to see if he was panicking and sighed with relief when he wasn't. "I'll be right back," I promised.

And with that, I turned on my heels and walked to the bathroom to get ready for bed, leaving my mate in Ghost's care, at least for a while.

Gods, please don't let him be super mad at his pack, for they were only trying to look out for me. Please.