Written In The Moon

Chapter Three

Chapter 3

Esme's pov

"Oh no," I whispered, letting go of the Luna's hand and making my way to his side. There were bruises on his face and his chest heaved up and down slowly like he was having trouble breathing.

But what got me worried was the bandage around his chest. Where was he hurt? I wondered, reaching out my hand to touch his face.

His eyes flickered open, and I withdrew my hand instantly.

"Did I hurt you?" I asked, terrified.

He gave me a small smile that made my heart flutter. Maybe his condition was not as bad as I thought.

"Hey love," he said in a weak voice. "Don't cry..."

I couldn't hold back the tears. For the past hour, I had been worried sick, thinking I would never hear his voice. This was too much to handle.

"Help me sit up," he said, holding my hand.

"You're hurt," I ran my thumb over his knuckle. "You need to lay back and relax."

"It's just a few scratches and wounds." He turned to the side and his expression became sad. I turned too and felt my cheeks heat up in shame.

I had been so occupied with Zayan that I had forgotten our company. Luna Rhianna knelt beside the Alpha's bed, weeping. Unlike Zayan, he wasn't awake or smiling. He looked like he was barely holding on to life.

Would you like me to continue with the rest? I'll maintain your original phrasing and emotions while fixing spelling and adding punctuation."It's the Mistveil tribe," Zayan muttered with an angry edge to his voice. "They dared ruin this day and injure my father."

His grip tightened, letting me know the intensity of emotions he felt. "Once I get out of this place, I'll make sure to teach them a lesson."

'You need to plan first,' I wanted to say but refrained. Of course, he knew that already, he was just speaking out of anger.

"Mother," he called. The Luna looked up and gasped, rising slowly.

"Zayan? Oh my darling, how hurt are you?" she asked, coming to his side.

"Not too bad, I suppose," he replied, though his wince said otherwise.

"I'm so sorry, mother," I said to her. It must be heartbreaking for her to see both her husband and her son hurt. Her tear-streaked face immediately made me wish I could do something to help.

She placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's not your fault, darling. We're in this together. Hopefully they'll be well soon."

"Luna."

We all looked up to see an aged man in a white lab coat. He made a small bow.

"Oh Doctor Jansen, you're the one handling their healing. Good," Luna Rhianna sighed in relief.

I broke a smile too. He was the best doctor in the pack and also a good friend of the Alpha. If anyone knew how to maximize the werewolf healing abilities to the fullest, he would.

"What's the news? When will my husband recover?" she asked.

He shook his head slightly. "I'm afraid I can't give you an estimate. And I'd tell you not to raise your hopes."

I heard doom in his words, but I decided to ignore it. He was just trying not to raise expectations.

"What do you mean by that? Would he not recover?" she demanded.

Jansen was silent for a while, checking one of the machine readings. "He was shot in the head."

I gasped, squeezing the Luna's hand to keep her steady. She looked like she was barely sitting on her feet.

"We've managed to stabilize his situation to a good extent, but I doubt he can stay this way for long. He's barely alive, and we'll be lucky if he goes into a coma."

"What's the worst that could happen?" she asked.

"He could die," Jansen replied plainly. "That's the most likely result of this. I'm not sure that he can make it through this. I'm sorry to sound like doomsday."

"No, it's fine," Luna Rhianna sobbed. "Best for me to know what to expect."

"He won't die," Zayan firmly opposed. "He can't, he was going to witness my wedding."

"I'd say you're lucky, Zayan," Jansen smiled slightly. "You'll be out of here in a couple of days."

"I'm not going out without my father," he protested.

"Shh honey," his mother hushed him. "Don't worry about him and hinder your healing. Let's hope he'll be fine."

"If you could excuse us, Luna, we have to attend them now."

I knew they wanted me to leave too, even if it was the Luna that was addressed. I leaned down and pressed my lips lightly against Zayan's.

"I love you. Stay strong for me," I whispered.

He smiled and nodded. I turned to his father and suddenly fear struck me. What if he really didn't make it? Zayan would be devastated. I said a small prayer to the Moon Goddess for him and went outside to wait for the Luna who lingered.

When I stepped out into the lobby, I spotted Zayan's twin brothers pacing before their seats. They looked up and gasped.

"What's the update?" one asked.

"Can we see them?" the other added.

I looked from Liam to Levi, and wished I had some good news to deliver to them. But all I could think of was how best to tell them their father might not make it.

They were just teens, too young to lose their father. I couldn't find the courage to spill the truth even when the look in their eyes turned desperate.

With a sigh, I hugged them both. "Don't worry, they'll be fine."

It was a small lie but I smothered that voice with hope that it would be true.

"They say the attack was staged," Levi began when he pulled away. "There's no other way they'd have been able to get in unnoticed."

I mulled his words over in my head, wondering how realistic they were. "It's possible," I concluded. "But perhaps they just took advantage of the temporary distraction of the wedding?"

Liam shook his head. "If you knew the level of security my father put up, you'd be shocked we were attacked without warning. It's deeper than that."

"You think someone betrayed us and helped the enemies?" I asked.

"Not just us. Everyone thinks so," Liam shrugged.

I sighed. I really didn't need more worry to burden me. Poor Luna, she would step out to hear this news. What would she do?

I frowned, glancing around at the other people here. Some of them were here to check up on their family members and friends who were hospitalized, and I even spotted a few members of the elder council who were no doubt here for the Alpha.

But one person was missing. Zayan's cousin, Rowan. He was even immediate family, and he was definitely supposed to be there.

"Where's Rowan?" I asked the boys.

Their gazes shifted uncomfortably.

"Don't tell me he's dead," I breathed. Zayan loved his cousin with all in him and I found him to be a nice guy too. He always had Zayan's back, had been close to him from their childhood.

"We don't know," Levi finally said. "We asked some men to search for him, they haven't got back to us."

I shook my head. If they couldn't find him among our ranks, then he was dead. I blocked out the thought, I wanted to believe that no one I loved and valued died on my wedding day.

"Oh, there they are," Liam pointed to the doorway where two men stood and conversed.

"Stay here, your mother will be out soon," I said to them. "I'll go find out what they know."

The moment I slid the door open, both men looked up. They were both in the paramedic uniform, and I averted my eyes from the bloodstains on their clothes.

"Where's Rowan?" I asked, not bothering with formalities.

They shared a glance before one of them spoke up. "I'm sorry miss. We can't find him."

"What do you mean you can't find him?" I demanded.

"He means he was taken captive by our attackers," the other replied, his expression grim. He pulled out his phone and on it was an email.

"Don't think you've won," it read. "We couldn't get the heir, but we got one of the bloodlines, and we have requirements if you wish to take him back."

My heart sank when he clicked on the attached picture, Rowan being led away hands bound. It was as real as it could get.