The Lost Alpha

Two Minds, One Body

ANDY

As soon as Michael reappeared, I rounded on him.

“Who was that?” I demanded. “Why was he here? Alpha Morris said Bane was on his own, so why is another rogue on pack lands? He was here for me, wasn’t he?”

“One question at a time.” Michael held up his hands to try to calm me. “I don’t have all the answers just yet.”

“Well, what do you know?” I crossed my arms, feeling the chill in the air now that the fur was gone.

“I know that he was a rogue.” Michael said. “And I know we should get inside before you get sick.”

“I’m fine, and I’m not going anywhere until the pack wolves get back.” I told him, standing my ground. “You called them to protect me and I’m not leaving until I know they are safe.”

Michael nodded and walked around behind me, wrapping his arms around me to keep me warm. I rested my head back against his shoulder and took a deep breath. Inside my head, I could feel Faolan curling up and relishing in his scent. It wasn’t the pack house that made me feel safe. It was Michael. It was his presence and his touch that made me feel like everything would be all right.

It took a little while, but the three wolves finally came out and went over to their piles of clothes. I turned away towards Michael until they had finished shifting and dressed and Michael tapped me.

“Grant,” I said. I was surprised to see him where the red wolf had been.

“You don’t think I’d let anything happen to my favorite cousin, do you?” He asked with a grin.

I stepped out of Michael’s arms and ran to Grant, throwing my arms around his middle. He hugged me tightly, never flinching, but when I pulled away, my arm was wet. I looked down to find it covered in blood.

My eyes shot up to look at Grant’s face. I grabbed his arm and turned him until I found a large blood stain forming on his shirt.

“You’re hurt.” I blurted out.

“I’ll be fine.” Grant tried to reassure me, but I lifted the back of his shirt to find a long and deep would over his right kidney.

“You are not fine.” I argued. “This needs medical attention.”

“My wolf will heal it.” Grant insisted, trying to pull away from me.

“Dude,” Michael cut in. “Jax got that wound. He’s busy healing himself. You need a doctor.”

“How long is it gonna take to get to one?” I asked.

“The closest doctor is at least two hours away.” Grant said. “And that’s if he’s awake.” Michael nodded in agreement.

“Well, this needs cleaning.” I motioned to Grant’s back. “And stitches before it gets infected.”

“We have a pretty extensive first aid kit.” Michael suggested. “It might have a suture kit.”

“Well, let’s go have a look.” I waved the two boys inside and looked at the other two men. “Are you injured at all?”

“No, we’re okay.” One of them responded. “Grant took the brunt of it.”

I nodded and jogged into the house after Michael and Grant. If I hadn’t already known they were in the kitchen, I would know now by the trail of blood drops on the floor. I was praying none of Grant’s organs were damaged. I could do stitches, but that was as far as my knowledge went.

“On the counter,” I ordered Grant. “Lay on your stomach.” Grant pulled off his shirt and did as he was told.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” He asked with just a hint of apprehension.

“You don’t really have a choice.” Michael dug through the first aid kit while I washed my hands.

“I can do stitches.” I gave him a side-eyed look. “Can you lay still?”

“Yes.” Grant got comfortable and I stepped up to the counter, but a thought made me pause.

“This happened to your wolf.” I said. “Shouldn’t I be sewing him up?” I looked back and forth between Michael and Grant.

“Two minds, one body.” Grant answered. I raised an eyebrow and rolled my eyes.

“Okay, I know that makes sense to you two, but I’ve only been a werewolf for, what? Ten days?” I said. “I need a little more an explanation here.”

“Right, so,” Michael took a deep breath. “If Andy gets hurt, Faolan can help heal Andy.” I sent him a furrow-browed glance at the third person talk, but I continued to listen. “But if Faolan gets hurt, so does Andy. Only Faolan can’t heal Andy because she’s busy healing herself. Which means Andy probably needs medical attention.”

“Two minds, one body.” I nodded. “Andy’s body.”

“Precisely.” Michael confirmed.

After that, the boys let me work in silence. It gave me the chance to focus on what I was doing, but also to think about what had happened tonight.

Alpha Morris seemed to believe the man downstairs was on his own, and now there was another rogue on pack lands. I could only assume that he was here for me. He had completely bypassed Zaviar and went straight for Faolan. He went for me. I don’t even know how he knew who I was. No one here had ever seen my wolf before. How long had he been watching me? Was he there when I shifted?

If Grant and the other wolves hadn’t gotten there, who knows what would have happened.

MICHAEL

I sat and watched Andy while she worked. She was focused on what she was doing, making sure each stitch was perfectly placed and not too tight. She shifted to get a better angle and her hair fell over her face, and that’s when I saw it. The streak of white through her dark hair, just over her eye.

I had never met another wolf who had been marked by the moon. It was a legend, not something that happened every day. But I had seen it. I watched it happen. And here Andy was in front of me, with the same mark as her wolf.

I wanted to reach out and touch her, but I knew if I did, she would lose her focus, so I sat and waited. Until I heard someone in the doorway.

“What is going on here?” I turned and looked into the eyes of my father.

“There was an incident.” I started. “There was a –“

“I already know about the rogue.” Beta Theo gave a low growl. “I knew about him at dinner.”

“Why was no one told?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Because no one was supposed to be out there.” Beta Theo’s eyes were on Andy. “But not everyone feels the need to follow the rules.”

“Do not speak to her in that way.” I growled, blocking his gaze from Andy.

“Michael.” She said my name quietly, but at the sound her voice, all my anger faded away. I turned to her. Andy was just finishing the stitches on Grant. She glanced up at me before speaking. “He’s right.” She paused. “Partially.” She glanced at my father. “I shouldn’t have been out, especially not knowing the area. But you should have put out word about the rogue.”

“That’s not your decision to make.” Beta Theo told her.

“it’s not yours either.” Andy replied, putting down the tools and picking up a bandage.

“What are you saying?” Beta Theo growled. Any was quiet as she applied the bandage to Grant and nodded for him to get up. She turned to my father, crossing her arms and looked him in the eyes.

“I’m sure Alpha Morris wouldn’t take the chance of one of his pack being hurt. Of me being hurt. So, that leads me to one conclusion – you didn’t tell him about the rogue.”

I looked at my father, but he wouldn’t meet my gaze, staring only at Andy, his expression unreadable.

“Why didn’t you tell him?” Andy asked calmly.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but it wasn’t something he needed to worry about.” My father answered. Andy picked her head up, not breaking eye contact. She dropped her arms and started to walk out of the kitchen but stopped next to my father.

“That’s not your decision to make.” Andy threw his words back in my father’s face and strode out of the kitchen.

I glared at my father and tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm.

“I told you to keep her under guard.” He growled lowly. “I gave you a job, and you failed.”

“I didn’t fail anything.” I pulled my arm from his grip. “It was your guards who weren’t in their place. And I have to wonder why that was.”