Moving back through the woods, they were soon out the other side, standing by Hudson’s truck as Quinn fidgeted uncomfortably. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t believe you’ she burst out, ‘thank you for bringing your doctor to help them.’
Smiling Hudson reached out and touched her face, tracing his fingers down her cheek as she took a sharp intake of breath. ‘I’ll do anything for you Quinn’ he replied sincerely, ‘if they are important to you, they are important to me.’
A throat clearing broke their moment, Hudson turning to Jill who was tapping her watch as she raised an eyebrow.
‘I have to get my aunt back’ he said ruefully, dropping his hand from Quinn’s face, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow?’ he added hopefully.
Quinn nodded, ‘I’ll see you Monday at school’ she agreed, waving quickly before disappearing into the market. Jumping into the truck, they headed back to the packhouse, pulling into the driveway, Jill hurrying to the clinic as Hudson made his way into the packhouse.
As he placed his foot on the bottom step, his father’s voice boomed out from behind him.
‘Hudson’ he called out, the teenager spinning around to find the Alpha walking out of the dining room having just finished his breakfast. ‘Where have you been this early? I thought you would come to training this morning, as next in line to take over the pack you really should attend as many warrior training sessions as possible’ he said with a touchof disappointment.
Hudson cringed slightly as he placed his foot on the ground and waited for his father to reach him.
‘I had to go out this morning’ he replied quickly, ‘uh, to the market, I had to pick something up.’
Alpha Carlton frowned as he looked down, ‘where is it?’ he asked.
‘Where’s what?’ Hudson frowned in confusion.
‘What you bought?’ the Alpha replied.
Glancing down at his empty hands, Hudson swallowed, ‘oh, uh . . the stall wasn’t there, I’ll have to go back next week and see if I can catch the guy then.’
Nodding, The Alpha clapped him on the shoulder as he started up the stairs toward his office. ‘I think Tilly was looking for you’ he called over his shoulder, ‘something about going for a ride?’ The older wolf chuckled as he peeked at his son over his shoulder, Hudson groaning as he followed his father up the stairs toward the Alpha floor.
‘Harvey is not her personal steed to carry her around the territory’ he grumbled, rolling his eyes.
‘Pleasures of having a little sister’ Carlton replied, ‘take it from a man who had six younger sisters and was the only brother. Until I took over the pack from your grandpa, I was their personal chauffeur both in wolf form and via car.’
Hudson chuckled at his father’s rueful expression, his aunts were all mated, each of them now living in other packs so he didn’t see them that often.
Parting ways at the top of the stairs, Hudson headed to his sister’s room, taping on the door before pushing it open to find Tilly sat on the floor, brushing the hair on one of her dolls.
Looking up she grinned widely, ‘Huds!’ she yelled, placing her doll on the floor and jumping up, rushing over to him to hug his legs.
‘Hey Tilly bear, dad said you were looking for me’ he murmured as he picked the little girl up and hugged her.
Tilly nodded, ‘will Harvey take me for a ride?’ she asked hopefully, peering into her brother’s eyes as if trying to pierce through to the werewolf who huffed loudly in the Alpha’s head.
‘Always thinks I’m some sort of oversized horse’ Harvey grumbled, plonking his butt down with his back to his human.
Hudson smothered a laugh, ‘Harvey is a bit tired right now Tilly bear’ he replied, but how about we go and see Delilah? Maybe she’s made cookies?’ he cajoled.
‘Yeah!’ Tilly shouted, wriggling until he placed her back on the floor. Grabbing his hand, the seven year old dragged him out of her room and down the stairs toward the kitchen. Bursting through the door, one of the Omega’s shrieked in shock as the handle smashed into the wall, causing her to drop the large tray she was holding.
‘Tilly Shadow!’ Delilah growled, coming out of the pantry just in time to see the freshly baked rolls hitting the floor. ‘What have I told you about crashing your way in here like n elephant? You are a wolf, and we enter rooms with grace and poise.’
Tilly blushed, kicking her sock covered feet against the floor as she avoided the stern Omega’s haze, ‘sorry Delilah’ she whispered.
Delilah rolled her eyes, ‘I have a good mind to not give you a single cookie until you prove you can enter a room correctly’ she scolded the horrified little girl.
Hudson grinned widely, glad that he was not to recipient of the older she wolf’s wrath, the snort of laughter that came from his lips drawing Delilah’s gaze immediately. Narrowing her eyes, she pointed the wooden spoon that was clasped in her hand at the future Alpha. ‘And you should be making sure she doesn’t scare my staff’ she added haughtily, ‘Tilly is a pup, you are a grown ass man, no cookies for you either.’
Hudson’s mouth dropped open, ‘Del!’ he wailed, ‘I didn’t slam open the door, why am I getting punished?’
‘For enjoying your sister getting scolded’ Delilah replied tartly as she moved over to her mixing bowl and started to add ingredients.
Moving around his sister, the Alpha stalked toward the Omega who eyed him suspiciously as he opened his arms wide, ‘someone needs a hug’ he said loudly, his grin getting bigger.
‘Don’t you dare’ Delilah growled, inching away from him, ‘I don’t need a hug.’
‘Yes you do Del’ Hudson taunted, stalking her as she scuttled around the island, trying to get away from him. ‘Come on, let me give you a nice big Alpha hug.’
‘Stay away from me you brat’ Delilah hissed, giving up all pretence of trying to act calm, starting to dodge around the furniture as the other Omegas stopped to watch, laughing.
‘Come on Alpha, you can catch her’ a sixteen year old boy called from where he was washing pots.
‘Stop encouraging him, or you will be on peeling duty for the next week’ Delilah growled at the child who quickly ducked his head.
‘I’m going to get you Del’ Hudson called out in a sing song voice.
‘Catch her Huds, go on!’ Tilly yelled, laughing loudly as she tried to get in the woman’s way, and help box her in.
‘Ooo you are just as bad as he is’ Delilah huffed, starting to run, Hudson on her heels, pretending to just miss her as she squealed.
‘leave me alone you big bully’ she added over her shoulder, ‘your dad never treated me like this!’
‘But I love you Del’ Hudson called, ‘I want to show you how much I love you with a great big hug.’
‘Love me from over there’ the she wolf retorted, trying desperately to get away. As she made a break for the door, the Alpha snagged her around the waist and hauled her off her feet.
‘Let go of me, you are not to old to go over my knee!’ she warned as Hudson hoisted her easily over his shoulder and started to spin around in a circle.
Dropping her back to the floor, he crushed the older woman to his chest, hugging her tightly as she tried to wriggle free. Once he let her go, Delilah tried to smooth her clothes, her face pink with embarrassment, ‘you are awful’ she huffed, ‘I don’t know why I put up with you in my kitchen.’
‘You love me’ Hudson replied with a wink, making his way to the stack of cooling cookies that were on the side and snagging two, dodging around the head Omega and giving one to his sister who took it with a grin.
‘Thanks Del’ he called out, grabbing Tilly’s hand and heading out of the kitchen, the Omega’s grumbles following them out.
Walking outside, Tilly giggled as she ate her cookie, ‘Del is going to get you back’ she said, smiling widely.
‘She’s got to catch me first’ Hudson replied with a wink.
Suddenly pain shot through his chest causing him to stumble, the cookie in his hand falling to the ground as he clutched at his heart.
‘Huds? Hudson? What’s wrong?’ Tilly asked, staring at her big brother who was trying to breathe through the pain.
‘I . . I don’t know’ he gasped as another slice of pain hit him again, this time in his side.
His eyes widening he croaked out, ‘Quinn!’ Ignoring his sister, he shifted into Harvey, and took off into the woods, following the tether that joined them from their mate bond.
Harvey was whimpering as they ran, the pain ricocheting through their body, a dampened version of what they were sure their mate was feeling right now.
‘Mate hurt, must find her’ Harvey howled, putting everything he had into running toward the she wolf.
‘Find her Harvey’ Hudson cried worriedly, ‘she needs us, something is wrong.’
They ran for over half an hour, cutting through alliance pack lands, not stopping for any of the warriors who tried to speak to him.
Bursting through the border of the last pack, Hudson and Harvey found themselves in a large field, a dirt track running along the side. Following the compacted mud, Harvey picked up a gentle whimper from ahead. Pushing himself to the limit, he stopped by a ditch that was overgrown with weeds and bushes.
Pushing his way inside, he stopped at the sight of Quinn, laying broken at the bottom of the small channel, her body covered in bloody claw marks.
Shifting back, Hudson rushed over to her, dropping to his knees beside her body. ‘Quinn?’ he called in a panic, ‘Quinn, can you hear me baby? answer me, please answer me’
The teenager slowly opened her eyes, casting around for his voice before landing on him. She opened her mouth, trying to speak but the deep gash across her throat meant all she could do was gargle, blood dripping from her lips.
‘Shhh’ Hudson soothed, trying to swallow his terror, ‘it’s OK, we’ll get you home, get you to a doctor, you are going to be fine. Your wolf will start to heal you soon and everything will be fine.’
A tear ran down Quinn’s cheek as she stared at him, her face deathly white, ‘wolf can’t . .’ she gurgled out before starting to cough.
‘Quinn!’ Hudson shouted desperately, his hands covered in his mate’s blood as he tried to stem the flow of blood, ‘don’t talk OK? You need to just focus on healing, where is your pack? I need to get you to your pack.’
The she wolf reached out a trembling hand, resting it on top of his as he stared at her. The defeat was written in her eyes as she tried to smile up at him, silently telling him that it was OK.
‘NO!’ he yelled, ‘don’t you dare die on me baby, you can’t leave me, not again.’
In his head Harvey was howling with grief, pain radiating through them as Quinn’s eyes fluttered and closed. As her breathing stilled, Hudson’s chest exploded as his bond snapped, pain like he had never felt before ripping though him.
‘No Quinn, No!’ he yelled, starting to work on her chest, trying to bring her back. In his mind, Harvey lay down, his own breathing shallowing as grief started to strip his wolf from him.
‘Come back Quinn’ he sobbed, ‘please baby, come back, don’t leave me.’
His tether to his wolf faded, causing the Alpha to fall forward until he was laying across his mate, cradling her to him.
‘I’m sorry baby, don’t leave me’ he whispered as his eyes rolled back in his head and he descended into darkness.