𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 ⸙

1.62𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

Zayn refused to leave Liam's side, even when the sun set, and Monday crept upon them. Solana brought him food and drinks. Zayn barely touched any of it.

All he could do was hold Liam's hand and watch him while he rested.

"He's strong for a human. Strong willed I mean" Solana mumbled, breaking the silence.

Other wolves slept in the room, so the Omega Medics could check on them through the night. Niall rested on the bed opposite Liam, and Baela slept on the chair next to him."He has been through a lot. He can get through this."

Zayn looked to his mother. Her brown eyes were as sunken and as tired as his felt. She had changed from the black velvet dress she wore to the annual meeting into black floral pyjamas and a black dressing gown. Her grey hair was plaited, but wonky. Solana had planned to visit Liam and Zayn for a while, then go to bed, but her son was so beside himself with worry, Solana had to stay to calm him down.

Zayn furiously rubbed his hands together.

Sometimes, he had felt his wolf fading inside and freaked out, screaming for the Medic and waking everyone up. Nobody could blame his panic, especially not Solana.

She knew the utter horror of feeling her wolf withering away until there was no feeling left other than a void of immense loneliness. She wouldn't wish that on her worst enemy. Well, perhaps the Southern Alpha, but Zayn had already seen to that.

Solana touched Liam's hand. "He's warming up."

She looked at the red mark around Liam's wrists from the handcuffs. Zayn had removed them while Liam was getting stitches on his forehead.

Zayn pulled the blanket further up Liam's chest. He had changed Liam out of his damp jeans and Niall's blazer, and into comfortable green tartan pyjamas and one of Zayn's black hoodies with an embroidered wolf knitted into the left chest. Zayn made Solana fetch Liam's burgundy bobble hat, just to make sure he was extra warm.

After Liam passed out on the bed when Zayn first carried him into the room, his lips slowly turned blue and everyone thought he was dying. Liam was just freezing, and his body struggled to heat itself up in the cold Packhouse. Liam now looked a little less ill with colour in his cheeks.

Solana watched as Zayn's face blanked, and all emotion was sucked from him in an instant.

"If Liam dies," he said lowly, "I'll throw myself off the roof. I'm not living without him. You'll be in charge." He glanced to his mother.

Solana's stomach churned. Her son was deadly serious.

"He's not going to die," she insisted.

Zayn's dark eyes flicked to Liam, and his hard
exterior shattered. "What if he does?"

Solana's heart stopped when she saw the glint of tears in the corners of Zayn's eyes.

"I've barely known him a month, mum." Zayn's voice cracked and he moved uncomfortably on his chair.

"It's not fair." He tried to fight the sudden wave of emotion, but he just wasn't strong enough.

Not this time.

When a tear rolled down his cheek, Solana dragged her chair to his side of the bed. When she was close enough, Zayn's head dropped onto her shoulder, and she felt him silently crying, Solana's arms coiled around him immediately, comforting him, and holding her son safely against her.

"Whatever happens, I will always be here for you" she whispered, feeling her own tears in her eyes at the sight of Zayn's.

"Always. Do you hear me?" she planted kisses into his hair. "You will never be alone in this world. Never."