The Alpha's Mate

Chapter Twenty Five

Noah Everett

It's been an hour. Only an hour. It feels like an eternity. There's no news. I still can't fucking feel him. I haven't moved from my spot on the floor. The ember tying us together is flickering, and I can feel it fading. Minute by minute.

My vision is blurry, and I hear his parents crying, his siblings are somewhere crying too.

But then it happens. Everything stops. My heart fucking stops.

The ember disappears completely. The small light tying us together, snaps. It's gone.

"He's gone" my voice comes out hoarse, and my eyes snap to his parents. "I-its gone" a sob breaks through my body. My entire being starts to shake, and I think a part of me goes with that ember.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Zeke asks, and he's on the floor next to me before I can process anything.

"I-its gone. The tether, it's gone" my voice comes out as a broken whisper, and Zeke starts sobbing, his knees pulled to his chest. Peyton is around him, hugging him.

Everything in me goes numb. I can't feel anything. I know my tears are soaked, and I can faintly hear mom talk to me. But it doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore. He's gone.

My mates gone.

—

I don't remember leaving, but I guess I did. I'm at my house, sitting in my room. In the place surrounded by my mates things. He has some clothes scattered on the floor, his school work is sitting on my desk. Lazily thrown there.

I stare at the clothes on the floor, every part of me aching.

He's gone.

Another sob works its way out of me, and I drop my head into my hands. My tears are flowing, and I start hiccuping at some point. I shut out the whole pack, closing that part of me.

I can't deal with any of this right now.

Standing, I make my way out of the pack house, and into the backyard. I'd shift, but my wolf disappeared, too. So I walk my way through the trees, making my way to the clearing. It takes a while, and the only thing on my mind is him.

Tears are still flowing, my stomach is in knots. I stop at some point, heaving up everything in my stomach. Panting, crying and puking in the middle of the fucking forest. I slide down a tree, feeling the sharp bark scratch against my skin.

I pull my knees up, resting my forearms on them. Twigs snap, and my head turns slowly.

Alexander comes into view. His eyes red, and his arms tightly around himself. He sits next to me, his head against my shoulder. The touch is barely recognized, im so far fucking gone.

When I throw up the second time, Xan moves off me, and rubs my back. But doesn't say anything. When I lean back against the tree, a sob working its way out of me, he doesn't say anything.

He sits there with me, for a long time. He cries, and his body is curled in on itself. But he stays right next to me, as we both sob over the loss of him.

I didn't stick around to hear what the doctors said, and I'm guessing it wasn't good if Xan was here crying beside me.

I couldn't even see him one last time. Because i'm a fucking coward. Anxiety, grief, heartache twists inside me, making me so fucking sick.

—-

"Noah?" Layla calls, making my head snap up. I was asleep against the tree, with Xan right next to me. He stirs, his eyes slightly swollen.

I bet mine are too.

"We've been trying to get ahold of you-" the rest i don't even hear. Leaning my head

back against the tree, I take in a deep breath, trying to ease the sickness filling my system. I don't know how to get it to stop. I feel like I'm going to puke again.

Everything surges up my throat, as I heave out bile from my stomach. Layla is beside me, snapping in front of my face "Did you hear me?" she asks, and i just stare blankly at her. "He's alive, Noah. We've been trying to get ahold of you" her words barely register, but when they do? My spine snaps straight.

"I can't feel him," I murmured, and she gave me a sad smile.

"Because he died. They defibrillated him after he flatlined. It took a couple tries, but his

my heart started beating again. He hasn't woken up, but he's breathing, and his heart is beating Noah" she whispers.

When the first words leave her mouth, a sharp pain slashes through my heart. But as she continues talking, the words settle inside me. I'm up and on my feet by the time she's done talking.

—-

"Where is he?" I bark, storming into the waiting room.

I need to see him.

"He's in room 103" Uncle P says, "Noah he's real fucked up though. It won't be easy to see"

"I don't care" I scoff, "He's really alive?"

A nod, "Yes, he is" Uncle P whispers, and then he shows me the way to my mate. Xan is hot on my heels, so is Layla. We get the room, and we're pushing inside right away.

Branson is hooked up to a machine, and he has a large gauze covering his chest. You can see the blood seeping from his wound though. The gashes are more on his stomach than chest, but there's a lot of gauze.

His face is swollen, and his neck has some marks on it too, that I didn't see before. Like someone tried to rip out his throat. My blood heats, my vision blurring. Someone tried to rip out his fucking throat.

"Hey, he's okay" Zeke's broken voice comes from beside me, his hand latching onto my arm. "They said you should stay close. That it could help with healing" he murmurs.

"I can't feel him anymore" I mumble, and Zeke nods.

"They said it's because he flatlined, and was gone for so long. They're unsure about a lot of things right now Noah, but he needs you here, so just sit down, and take some deep breaths. Please"

I nod, making my way to a seat beside the bed. Slipping my hand onto the hospital bed, I rub my fingertip against his arm. Moving down his arm, I slip my fingers into his hand, squeezing.

"I'm here pups" I murmured, scooting my chair closer to him. Nothing happens, but his heart keeps beating, and he's breathing. That's enough for me.

Zeke and Peyton stay, while Layla goes to handle pack business. She has tears in her eyes when she leaves, but she holds her head up strong. Xan goes with my mom, to help watch kids while Layla sees the damage.

There's other people in this building, who are in the same position as me. Or worse, they're mate didn't make it. And I should be making rounds, checking on my pack. But the thought of not being here is ridiculous. I'm not leaving until he is healed, and safe.

I don't think I'll ever leave his side again. 

A/N

The rest is posted on my patreon! Some bonus chapters will be posted there too. Alexanders story is coming soon!! I have a few stories with early access on my patreon so definitely check it out:)