A Tragic Outcome
1808 Words
“Mami,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
“Logan, is that you?” Her voice was strained and tinged with pain, the sound cutting straight through me.
“Sí, Madre, it’s me,” I replied softly, my chest tightening.
Pulling myself up onto the chair beside her bed, I let my gaze linger on her frail form. She looked so fragile. Her once-vibrant dark red hair was fanned around her face, but her sunken eyes and pallid skin betrayed the toll her body had taken. I swallowed hard, fighting back the sting of tears. “Mami, Aunt Liz said you were holding on for me.”
“Sí, mi hijo,” she murmured weakly. “I didn’t want to go until I knew you were safe.”
Quartz, standing quietly beside her, held a cup to her mouth and helped her sip some water.
The burn of tears threatened to resurface, but I blinked it away, determined to stay composed for her sake. I knew the truth: as soon as Austin spoke those devastating words, breaking a nearly nine-year bond, I understood that Mom wouldn’t be able to recover from it. It was a wound that was far too deep to heal.
Her eyes misted over, and she began trying to apologize to me, her voice trembling with effort.
“No, Madre, don’t be sorry,” I said firmly, though my voice cracked with the weight of my emotions. “This is his fault. He did this to us, not you.”
At that point, the tears I had been holding back spilled over, unstoppable. The room blurred as the grief consumed me.
“Logan,” Quartz called gently, breaking through the thick silence. “I’m going to go get something to eat. Do you want anything?”
I shook my head without hesitation. “No, but thanks anyway, Quartz.”
“You need to eat,” she argued, her tone tinged with both concern and determination.
I sighed softly, shaking my head again. “Doctor Kade made sure I ate before coming to see Madre,” I reassured her.
Quartz moved closer, wrapping me in a tight, comforting hug. “Let us know if there’s anything you need, okay?” she said, her voice quiet but full of care.
“I will,” I replied, though my voice was devoid of anything but the heavy sadness weighing down my chest. I hugged her back, clinging to the small comfort her presence offered. When she pulled back, she gave me a sad smile—a reflection of the ache we all felt.
The days blurred together, each one slipping into the next as I stayed by my mother’s side. I was too afraid to miss a single living breath, so I begged Doctor Kade to let me sleep in her room. He reluctantly agreed, understanding the urgency in my plea.
My eighth birthday came and went without celebration. I didn’t have a party—not even a cake.
Aunt Liz had tried to coax me into having some fun, suggesting I spend time with my friends, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave my mother’s side. It didn’t feel right to celebrate anything when mi Madre was dying.
To my relief, neither Paul nor Maria tried to persuade me otherwise. Instead, they promised to ask their parents to leave me alone, giving me the space I needed. Their quiet support meant more to me than words ever could.
Each day weighed heavier than the last, the unshakable truth pressing down on me like a storm cloud. My mother’s fragile form was a constant reminder of how little time we had left.
Then came the day the Alphas and Lunas arrived to visit…
“Has she woken up today, Little Alpha?” Alpha Henry asked from his spot by the door, his joking tone light but tinged with subtle concern.
“No, Sir. Not yet,” I replied quietly, my voice hoarse from days of strain and little rest.
Luna Izzy stepped forward, cupping my face gently with both hands. “Sweetie, have you been getting any sleep?” Her gaze was soft but searching, her worry etched into every word.
Could I lie? Not a snowball’s chance in hell.
“I get a few hours a night, Luna,” I admitted, forcing myself to hold her gaze. “I don’t want to miss out on what little time I have left with her.”
Alpha Neil let out a heavy sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face. His expression was tight with emotions barely contained. “This is what I meant, Clara,” he said, his tone filled with conviction. “This is the kid Izzy’s been fighting to keep out of the system and with the pack.”
“Alpha Neil,” I said suddenly, my voice tentative, “can I ask you something?”
He turned slowly, his piercing dark eyes meeting mine. They nearly burned with a mixture of hurt and anger, their intensity enough to make me falter. “What’s up, kiddo?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, willing myself to stay composed. “About Austin… is he gone for good?”
Alpha Neil huffed out a bitter laugh, the sound sharp and filled with resentment. “Yeah, it’s official, Logan. He’s been labeled as a Rogue.”
“Can I ask a favor, Sir?” I ventured, curiosity gnawing at me. Would he deny my request?
Alpha Neil gave me a nod, his expression steady. “Go ahead.”
I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the possibility of rejection. “Can he be listed as a Kill-on-Sight? He’s a danger to everyone he comes in contact with, and I don’t want anyone else to suffer.”
“Ah, crap, you’re just like Izzy,” he muttered, his tone a mix of frustration and reluctant admiration.
Confused, I tilted my head and frowned. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
He shook his head, chuckling softly. “You’re smarter than your age group, aren’t you, Logan?”
A flush of embarrassment swept over me, and I lowered my gaze. My face grew warm as I stammered, “I guess so. All of my friends call me a genius, but Paul likes to call me a nerd. He doesn’t mean it in a bad way, though.”
Alpha Neil stopped my rambling with a quiet laugh, his face growing serious again. “Listen, this is going to be a little hard to hear, so I’m just going to say it straight.”
I shrugged, sighing heavily. What did his news matter anyway? My world was about to shatter when Madre passed. Nothing could be worse than that. “Please, just say it and get it over with.”
“Izzy and I talked to Clara and my father about the circumstances, and we reached a decision,” Alpha Neil said, his voice calm but weighted.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“Hey now, none of that, mi niño. Do not cry,” my mother’s voice trembled as she spoke, every word seeming like a struggle. “I am sorry for this, Alpha. He is such a good son—” Her words broke off, overtaken by a fit of coughing.
“Madre, please don’t worry about me,” I begged, leaning closer. “I’m going to be okay, you’ll see. I have my friends to help me through, remember?”
Her coughing slowly subsided, and she fixed her weak gaze on me. “Sí, mi corazón. Your amigos will be there for you, but I fear I will not.”
“I know,” I whispered, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions. “But you’ll be watching over me, right?”
Again, I was grasping at straws, clinging to fragile hope.
“Sí, Logan, I will be watching over you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “So study hard and be brave. The world can be a cruel place, so stand strong and live for me.”
“Mariana,” Luna Clara said, her expression softened by a sad smile. “The Grand Alpha and I have decided to adopt Logan. That way, he stays with the pack, and we can make sure he’s taken care of.”
“Mucho gracias, Grand Luna,” my mother said in relief, her voice trembling. “I was worried he would not go to a good home.”
Her blue-grey eyes met mine, locking on me with a warmth I knew I would never see again. She smiled faintly, her final smile, as her gaze slid closed. “Te amo, hijo,” she murmured softly. A few seconds later, I heard it—the uneven stutter of her heart as it gave out. My ears caught the sound just before the machine picked it up.
“I love you too, Madre,” I whispered, the words spilling out as tears blurred my vision. Climbing onto the bed, I leaned down to kiss her forehead, gently murmuring, “Encontrar paz con los dioses.”
The weight of my words hung in the room, thick and full of meaning. Before anyone could question them, a small voice spoke up: “He wants her to find peace with the Gods.”
Everyone’s attention shifted to the door, where Wynter was standing quietly. Beside her, Heaven and Ember were crying softly, their faces streaked with tears. Without hesitation, I slid off the bed and pulled them into a big hug, letting their warmth anchor me.
In a matter of moments, I went from feeling alone to being surrounded by people who were family in every way that mattered. Devon and Samuel, their eyes red from crying, hesitated before speaking through their sobs. They told me they had already gone with their dad to take my belongings to the packhouse.
When I asked why I couldn’t go to the house, they told me Austin had destroyed it. A wave of panic hit me, and my voice trembled as I asked, “Did he find Madre’s pictures?”
Maria stepped forward, holding out a small box. She waited patiently as I slowly slid the cover off. Inside were several salvaged pictures, carefully placed in a frame. In the center was a heart-shaped space that held a photo of my Madre cradling me as a baby.
“We asked our mommies to help us,” Ember said softly, her words gentle but filled with determination.
Overwhelmed, I brushed the tears from my cheeks. “I don’t know what to say,” I murmured.
Alpha Neil laughed softly, “You fell in with a good crowd, kid.”
“They found me, Alpha. Not the other way around,” I said softly.
- Writer
