Melanie Gomez
STERN
The days and weeks have gone by. I have given it a lot of thought and wrestled with the idea of ending my wolf.
I have made sure I have gotten ahead of it and will arrive early for my shot. This time I have made the call. I wanted Riley to come with me so Ana, her wolf, can have her closure also.
This is a big decision, and I don’t know how her wolf will react.
When we enter the doctor’s office, he hesitates with having Riley in the room. I explain that I am also having Theo meet us here. He looked at me with a questioning look on why I would say that.
“I am done with my wolf. Every time I try to talk to him, all he talks about is hurting Riley and the pups. I can’t have that ever happen. So I want to have him be gone forever.”
“I know the risks that it may not work, I may not survive. Either way, I have to know that Riley and the pups will be safe.”
We wait as Theo soon comes walking in and nods to the doctor to get ready.
I see Cora come in, also walking over to Riley talking to her quietly. I see her nod and slowly move behind Cora for protection.
I feel Theo stand behind me when I can hear from behind Cora Riley starting to cry. I know if it could be done any other way, I would have chosen it, but the words echo through my head.
“Make the right choice and everything will fall into place.”
I can feel Kyro starting to try and fight me when I give Theo the nod, and he wraps his arms around me in a bear hug, holding me still.
I can see the doctor getting the syringe ready. Kyro makes me struggle against Theo, trying to break free.
When the doctor starts moving toward me, Kyro tries to take over, making me buck against Theo when my eyes turn black.
I hear the doors fly open, and guards start flooding the room, grabbing ahold of me while others wait to pounce.
“I swear, Theo, you fucking let go and I will kill everyone in the fucking room! Jack may like that piece of shit mate, but not me!”
Then I will be on to those shitty pups! She should never have had pups! I am glad I killed that fucking pup she carried by beating her…”
The doctor quickly pricked my neck, and soon I could feel the poison going through my veins. The pain was unimaginable and seemed to just get worse and worse.
My muscles went slack, and Theo set me on the ground when I started shaking and convulsing. I started growling and screaming in pain, and it killed me for Riley to sit there and watch this unfold.
I know Ana was hoping I wouldn’t have to because she did love Kyro, but I couldn’t risk it. Not anymore. Even if it meant giving up my life.
***
RILEY
I stand there leaning on Cora, and I just let the tears flow. My heart is breaking for Ana and me for losing Kyro, but to also see him going through this.
I begged him just to keep taking the shots because there was a risk that he may not survive. Then I would be a single mom to twins with no mate.
Even if I were to get another mate, they would be walking into a mess of a situation.
My legs just don’t want to hold me anymore, and I fall to my knees reaching out for Jack, just to touch him and even hold his hand to help in any way.
Cora sat down with me, and when I reached, he growled and bared his teeth at me. I knew Kyro was still there, so I withdrew my hand and just decided to talk to Jack instead.
“Jack, I love you, please hang in there. The girls and I need you to hang in there.”
“Shut the fuck up, you stupid piece of shit! It’s your fault he fucking chose this! What he saw in you as mate material is…”
Before I could react, I heard a loud resounding smack, and his glare immediately shot to Cora.
“Who the fuck do you think you are to talk like that!”
“Never have I met such an arrogant self-centered wolf in my life! Thank goddess Jack chose to end you! If that means they live here for protection, so be it!”
“Mind your own damn business! You should have been with me instead of that fucking asshole behind me!”
Another smack echoed through the room when he tried to look at Theo.
“Ever talk to my mate again like that, and I will knock your ass out!”
“Fuck you, Theo! You aren’t…”
With that, he went silent. His body stopped moving and just laid there.
My whole body started shaking while pain ripped through my heart. I grabbed my heart while I tried to scoot closer to at least touch him.
Ana tells me it’s okay that he still has a heartbeat, but I need to know for me. The doctor quickly checks for vitals, and he is still alive, but barely.
Theo quickly scoops him up and sets him on the gurney in the room when a team comes in to start hooking him up to machines.
I just sit down in a chair and watch while Cora bends over to ask if I need anything. I just shake my head no without pulling my attention from Jack.
The doctor walks over to me, bending down to my level, and lets out a sigh.
“His wolf is dead and gone. We cannot find any trace of him. It’s almost like he didn’t exist.”
“The fact he has survived without his wolf makes me wonder if it has been tainted for a long time and his true wolf was already gone.”
“I will have to do some research and get back to you. For now, at least he is alive.”
I thank the doctor and ask if it is okay to lay in the bed next to him.
He nods his head due to him being chained down just in case, and I soon find myself crawling up next to his body just so I can feel his heart.
Ana snuggles in because we both know it will be a long time until he wakes up. Since he has no wolf to heal him, he has to do it on his own.
I soon fall asleep with the warmth of his body and pray he pulls through.
After a few hours, I feel a nudge on my arm and slowly open my eyes, watching the doctor pull up a chair with a grin on his face.
“Okay, so this is what I was able to find out. If a fellow shifter has a wolf that has become so consumed by hate, then that is all they see.”
“It’s a constant battle, and most times the wolf wins because they are stronger than our human side.”
“If that happens, our wolf is contaminated and if our human side chooses to end the wolf, it is by suicide.”
They do not survive.
“The fact that he is alive is only because the Goddess herself is allowing it.”
“Why I don’t know yet, but hopefully soon we will find out. For now, though, we will monitor him to see if there are any changes.”
I nod my head and just stare at my mate’s face. He looks so peaceful without having any struggles or conflicts to deal with. I just pray he pulls through.