“Gale...” She breathed her words across her mate's cheek.
Braxton tensed. “My dad?”
She pulled back with a nod.
“He's alive?”
She didn't know how to answer him, the fact was he might not have been anymore. “There was a fight and he told me to run.”
Wolves appeared on all sides and Braxton hugged her against him. “Where, babe?”
“I don't know. I just ran.”
Braxton looked to Grayson and Colten. “Can't you track her scent, try to find my dad?”
Colten swept his head in a nod and then the groups dispersed, except Colten stayed with them and they began to walk.
Uncertainty was all that she felt as she was carried through the forrest to the back of Alpha House. It'd taken well over an hour to get there and by that time her limbs were cold and her teeth chattering.
She was wrapped in a blanket by Braxton before he went about slipping on a pair of jeans and offering her some clothing there after. She put on the slightly too big of sweatpants and shirt. Her limbs were not feeling any less cold and she wrapped herself back in the blanket.
Braxton stepped up to her and brushed the loose strands of hair from her face. With a hesitant step, his lips neared hers and his hands found her waist.
They were quiet there, staring at one another.
“Are you--” A quick knock on the door interrupted him and he fell back into silence.
“Ella?” It was Colten and he wasn't using his soft voice either.
“C-coming.” She gave Braxton one more glance and walked out of the mud room area where her uncle was waiting for her in the hall outside.
“A doctor is going to see.”
“I'm f-fine.” Ella whispered, not loud enough that anyone but maybe Braxton – if he'd been paying attention, would have heard her.
Colten took her arm in a gentle grip and led her down the hall in front of her mate. Braxton held back, keeping his distance from her and she really noticed it when her uncle sat her to one of the couches and he stayed on the other side of the room.
Ella looked to him as his stayed focused on her. She wondered if he was nervous of Colten but then again, knowing Colten...
“Does she want something to eat?” Azalea appeared in the living room.
Colten stood in front of his niece and didn't glance away from her when he answered. “Probably.”
“No, I'm okay--”
“Really?” Colten's face was anything but impressed. “You've been lost for how many days and you're saying you're not starving?”
Ella watched him and his agitated standing. “Well, after a while... your body just starts to not care.”
Colten's brow furrowed as Azalea interrupted to say she'd get Ella something to eat, leaving her with her uncle and silent mate.
“Why are you here?” She asked, “D-did Braxton ask you to come help look for me?”
Colten suddenly smiled, glancing over his shoulder to the younger male. “I put two and two together when my phone calls were getting avoided.”
Ella winced, that was stupid of her mate to ignore Colten.
“But I can see why he did, how you got lost wasn't very glamours as far as his alpha reputation goes.”
Braxton didn't hold his muteness after that comment. “So, you're going to continue to berate me?”
Colten didn't look at him. “Hope that your father is alive, or else I'm not giving you back your pack.” Running other packs wasn't new for her uncle, Peter and him not only took care of Fornone but another neighbouring pack Oscuro; which had at one point had been run by a very crooked alpha.
“You're not perfect either!” Surprising herself with her need to defend her mate, she closed her mouth promptly.
Colten's eyes narrowed on his niece. “Excuse me?”
“Abigail was taken from you too.” She felt the need to remind him of his young mistakes, even if she'd only heard of them loosely in passing conversation.
“He did something irresponsible. He had a choice not to mess up.”
She snorted, “Yeah, well, you said you killed him.”
The anger in Colten's bright eyes left and he tilted his head. “Killed who?”
The door bell chimed through Alpha House but no one in the room moved. Azalea did show up though, followed by two women and one with a medical bag. She didn't want to be looked over, she felt fine but she knew it wasn't an option.
They came to her, smiling – like it was suppose to make her feel better.
“Hi, Daniella, I'm Doctor Laura Reynolds. Would you like to be examined in private?”
Ella took a moment before nodding. She needed away from Braxton and Colten, they were starting to stressing her out.
She stood rather slowly, her legs not working as fast as she expected. Her head was hit with vertigo and she tripped forward. The woman caught her but so had Braxton, he had moved quicker than anyone in the room could have comprehended.
Ella looked up to him, his grip on her not loosening as the seconds passed.
“Okay?” His voice was quiet and quick.
She shook her head, in hopes he wouldn't let her go because once his hands were back on her, she didn't want him across the room from her again.
“I'll carry her to a room.” He picked her up off the ground before Colten could get a word in and walked out of the living room. The doctor following them down a near hall and up the stairs.
“Your room?” She rubbed her cheek along his shoulder, enjoying his warmth.
“Our room.” His voice only heard by her.
Once they were all inside, he put her to the bed and went to leave her but she grabbed his arm making him freeze. “Can he stay?”
“If you like.” The doctor placed her medical bag on the opposite side of the bed and went about opening it.
“I'll just sit at the desk.” Braxton pulled back, even with her firm hold on him and walked over to where he said he would. Holding his eye contact the entire exam, she went through the motions of fairly simple checks.
“You're dehydrated, likely why you're feeling a bit dizzy. We'll set you up on an IV.”
Ella winced. “Like a needle?”
“A small one.” Doctor Reynolds assured her.
Ella shuddered as they went about setting up the equipment. “Brax?”
He straightened in the chair he sat in, maybe from the sound of her distraught voice. “I'm right here, babe.”
The doctor prepped the top of her hand to hook her up to some fluids, pulling the needle from her bag and removing the cap. “Just relax, it's a small poke.”
Ella turned her head, closed her eyes and bit her lip to put on her brave face, wondering if she'd already been brave enough? She felt the bed sink beside her and opened her eyes to him sitting next to her. He picked up her unneeded hand and distracted her away from the doctor.
His tender touch made her body come alive but even if he felt it, he didn't let on.
“All done.” The doctor chirped from her other side.
Ella hadn't even felt the needle and when she looked back down to her hand, she was all done and the fluids were dripping down the line.
“Will take about an hour, then we may do one more. I'll be back to check on you.” In a few short minutes, they had packed up some things and collected garbage and left the room.
Braxton exhaled, his face not placid of emotion anymore. Seeing her lying on his bed weak was obviously killing him.
“What's happened here?” She needed to know before her uncle walked back into the room.
“Colten came looking for you and took over Crest. I had no choice and the need for experienced help was dire. So, I handed it over to him and that Pete guy.”
Ella almost smiled at his still irked tone with Colten's beta.
“I'm so sorry, Daniella.”
She reached up and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him down to her so she could hug him.
He buried his face in her hair. “I'll understand if you leave.”
“Don't be stupid.” She kissed his cheek and left her lips touching him.
He stayed still against her. “I don't deserve you.”
She shoved him up suddenly. “The man who took me is bad, Braxton, he's unstoppable and he's suppose to be dead. We're up against more than we could ever predict.”
“What are you talking about?” He studied her.
“It's my father, who Colten sent over a cliff for killing my mother.” It was the first time she was putting it all together and it sounded crazier than even the thoughts in her head saying it. “Now, I just need to figure out a way to tell Colten.”
“You're sure it's him, Daniella?”
She stared up at him. “Doesn't it all make sense? From the first time you were attacked back at school?”
He swallowed. “He's been planning this a long time...”
“Long probably isn't a long enough word. He's been waiting for me to leave Colten. This has everything to do with revenge on my uncles.”
“Well, I guess it's good they're both here.”
Ella paused. “Grayson is here?”
Braxton smiled, “Yeah, and their packs. Crest is doomed.”
She gave him a sympathetic look. “They'll back off, once this is done.”
“Colten's is going to kill me and then have me mounted on a wall by then.”
“He's not that crazy.” She tried to convince him.
“We'll see.” His eyes had finally filled with more emotion other than sadness.
“I met Gale. We were both in the same place.” She wasn't sure if he wanted to hear about his father but she kept speaking. “I liked him.”
“He's alright, not the best at emotions.”
“He wanted me out of there and he might have sacrificed himself to do it.”
“Did you tell him who you were?”
She nodded.
“Lunas are worth dying for. Lunas are a packs life. No one knows that better than my dad.”
“I know.” She smiled at the fact that he sounded just like Gale when he said it. “He got me home.”
Braxton paused. “Home?”
“Home, where my mate is,” she said proudly.
He placed his arms on either side of her. “And home is where you'll stay.”
She nodded as his mouth met hers and a kiss cemented their promises.
The door of his room opened without a knock and he pulled back quickly, looking up as Colten and Azalea walked in.
“The doctor said you should eat.” Azalea brought her a plate of basic foods but Ella still had no appetite. She only glanced it over with a thank you.
Colten stood at the end of the bed near her feet and Braxton had shifted further away then she liked because of her uncle's assertiveness.
“We're expecting Grayson back soon.” Colten informed her. “With some more information, but if there is none found, we may need to pick your brain.”
“It was so dark in there, I couldn't even tell you what it looked like,” her voice stayed soft.
Colten nodded, he would understand and not push her – she wasn't worried about that, she was worried about Gale.
“When I ran outside, I fell off a cliff or... a steep drop, it wasn't a pretty fall.”
“Cliff?” Colten looked to Braxton. “Any cliffs you know of?”
He sighed. “There's a lot around here.”
“I'm not even sure if I could retrace my steps...”
“You don't have to do that, babe.” Braxton leaned over her, blocking her view of Colten as he brushed his fingers over her cheek.
She could feel her uncle getting annoyed annoyed but just then someone else burst into the room. This time a shirtless Mike, who was huffing and puffing. “We-we found Gale.”
Ella's heart swelled. “You did?”
“We did. We tracked your scent to the cave... found a ton of evidence but only Gale was there, and he's...” Mike continued to pant, putting his hands on his elbows and bending over. “--not in great shape.”
Azalea turned sharply to the arrant Beta. “That's promising and all, but where is Gale now?”
Mike looked up to her, slowly straightening. “Grayson and Peter are carrying him back. I came ahead to inform everyone.”
Azalea nodded. “I should get a room ready for him.”
Mike watched her walk past him. “Do you need a hand?”
She stopped mid-step. “I can make a bed up, Mr. Donelly but may I suggest, you get a shirt on.”
He smirked, watching her leave and replied with a Yes, ma'am.
Colten waited a moment for Mike to return his attention back to them.
“You think she likes me?” Mike walked over to them, hands on his hips.
Colten didn't answer him. “How long till they are back with him?”
“They're walking pretty slowly.” Mike said, “And we also have a thorough sweep happening of the area, not sure how much it will turn up. Gale was left for dead.”
Colten sighed, “I wish we just had an idea of who this is...”
Mike agreed, “no kidding. I feel like were in a mystery novel, in which case I'd rather be switched to the Action and Adventure edition.”
Ella's eyes met Braxton's and she decided then was the time to tell her uncle who they were dealing with. “It's my dad, he's not dead.”