Alpha's Promise

Chapter 5

“She’s coding!” the nurse shouted as they stormed into the room, their faces appeared grim. The pack doctor followed, and another nurse pushing a crash cart ran in. They moved quickly.

I stood there, rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do.

The team sprang into action. One nurse started chest compressions while another prepared the defibrillator. “Stand back!” she yelled. The jolt of electricity made her body arch, and a faint heartbeat appeared on the monitor. But then another monitor started blaring.

“Her blood pressure’s dropping fast. We’re losing her!” the doctor barked, her voice sending a cold wave of doom through me.

“We need to give her blood,” one nurse said.

“We don’t have human blood in stock, only werewolf blood,” another nurse said, the urgency in his voice clear.

“It’s life or death. We have no choice.” The doctor said gravely.

The doctor looked at me, her expression fierce. “We have to try. It’s our only shot beta.”

I nodded. “Do what you have to do. Save her.”

The team quickly prepared the infusion. One nurse walked in with a bag of werewolf blood in her hands. I watched as they hooked up the blood bag to her IV. The room was tense, as we all waited to see how she would respond.

“Come on, come on,” I muttered, my hands interlocked in one another nervously, as I willed her to keep fighting.

It had been a few hours since they had started the transfusion, and she seemed to be responding well. I was sitting in my large chair, trying to focus on the pack affairs spread out before me. Now and then, I glanced over at her, watching for any signs of improvement. She was still unconscious, her breathing steady but shallow. I sighed, rubbing my temples.

Suddenly, the steady beep of the heart monitor started to alarm. My head snapped up, eyes widening as I watched her blood pressure plummet before my very eyes.

“Damn it!” I leapt from my chair, rushing to her side. Tate burst into the room seconds later, followed by the medical team.

“Blood pressure is crashing! We need to stabilize her now!” The doctor began barking orders.

They worked quickly, trying to push fluids rapidly into her, but the numbers on the monitors continued to drop.

“I don’t understand it,” the doctor muttered, her eyes fixed on the screen. I assumed that she was confused as to why the blood pressure was crashing after the blood.

And then, without warning, the woman’s body started convulsing.

“She’s seizing!” one of the nurses shouted, trying to hold her down without hurting her.

“Give her ten milligrams of valium, now!” the doctor ordered.

My heart was in my throat as I watched them struggle to control her seizure. The infusion was supposed to help, but it seemed like things were only getting worse.

“Hold on,” I whispered, more to myself than to her.

The valium was administered, and slowly, the seizure subsided. Her body relaxed, as she continued in her deep sleep, but the medical team still seemed on edge.

Finally, the doctor turned to me, her expression grim. “She’s stable, for now. The werewolf blood must have been a shock to her system, but it might still help her heal. We’ll monitor her closely overnight.”

I nodded. “Thank you. I’ll be staying here. And I expect to be kept up to date with her condition and treatment.”

“Yes, of course, Beta,” the doctor replied.

The team had left except for one nurse. I’d forgotten that Tate was here. He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “She’s a fighter, Riley. She’s got a real chance.”

I nodded, eyes fixed on her pale face. “I know.”

I moved back into my chair and rested my head in my hands, sighing out loud.

She’d made it through the night, but she still hadn’t woken up. I spent every moment at her bedside, managing pack affairs from the large chair I had dragged into the room. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept.

Our alpha had been away on leave and wouldn’t be back for a few more days, so I was doing the job of two people while trying to help this woman. Luckily, Tate, our Gamma, was so organized and capable, he had really stepped up, which I appreciated. It meant I could be here. I felt obliged to be here. I had found her, and I felt responsible for her. We’d never had a human here on the pack grounds. People were curious. I’d overheard the staff’s conversations in the hallways. I was aware that the pack was discussing it. I knew I would have to answer for this when the alpha got home, but I had hoped she would be in a much better state by then. I could handle his wrath.

My eyes constantly flicked to her, watching for any sign of consciousness. But there was nothing. She was so still. So quiet. The only signs of life were the slight rising of her chest. She looked so fragile lying there. I wondered who she was, and what she did for a living. Did she belong to anyone? Would her family be worried and looking for her? So many questions and yet our trackers had come up empty, no scents to follow, no clues to chase. Frustration gnawed at me, and the lack of reports about missing women that matched her description only perplexed me further. She was officially a Jane Doe.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, and ran a hand through my hair anxiously. Her breathing was steady, and her wounds appeared to be closing, but she still wouldn’t wake up. My protective instincts roared inside me. I was determined to stay here until she woke up.

“Riley.”

I looked up to see Tate standing in the doorway, arms crossed, a stern expression on his face. He walked over to the bed, his gaze softening as he looked at her, Jane Doe.

“You need to take a break, man,” he said firmly. “Go take a shower, go for a run. Clear your head. I’ll watch her and mind-link you if she wakes up.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he held up a hand to stop me. “You’re no good to her or the pack if you’re exhausted. She’s stable. You need to take care of yourself, too. Plus, dude, no offense, but you stink.”

Reluctantly, I sighed and nodded. He was right, even if I didn’t want to admit it. I stood up, my muscles stiff and aching after days of sitting and being inactive. “Alright, but you'd better call me the second there’s any change. I mean it. Anything.”

He smirked. “I will. Now go Beta!”

I glanced back at her one last time before I stepped out of the room.

The air outside felt cool against my skin as I walked to my room. It didn’t take long for me to make my way to the shower. And I’m not gonna lie, standing under that hot shower head felt amazing. I didn’t want to take too long, so I kept it quick. I needed to go for a run. My wolf had been patient, but he had his limits. He was getting antsy.

Walking out of the pack house, I headed outside and let my wolf take over as I stripped off my clothes on the spot and shifted, bolting into the forest. Galloping as fast as I could, pushing myself, and letting some of the past few days’ tension out felt cathartic. It was just what I needed. The scents and sounds of the forest surrounded me, and I felt relaxed.

After a few hours of running and hunting in the woods, I found a stream and lapped up some water, then I lay down in the warm sun on a long fallen log. As I lay there, I couldn’t help but think about Jane Doe. There had to be something we were missing. Surely someone was searching for her. I felt my thoughts wandering back to her, realizing that it was time to go back.

I galloped back through the forest, leaping over logs and weaving through the trees as I went, trying to expend as much energy as possible. I shifted back into my human form at the spot I’d shifted from earlier, my clothes still on the ground waiting for me. I walked back to the pack hospital, feeling a little more grounded. Upon reaching her room, I found Tate sitting at her bedside.

“Any change?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Not yet. But she’s strong. She’ll wake up when she’s ready, man.”

I nodded and took my seat again.

“How was your run?” Tate asked.

“Yeah, good, you were right, we needed it, thanks, man,” I said to Tate with a gracious expression.

“Of course. I’ll come back tomorrow so you can take a break. I’ve gotta get back to the pack house. Keep me posted, man,” he said as he waved and walked off.

I walked over to the woman’s bedside and sat down beside her. I grabbed her hand, just to let her know that she wasn’t alone. That someone wanted her to pull through. That life was worth fighting for.

It was at that very moment that I felt her squeeze my hand back. At first, I thought it was my imagination, but then I felt it again. I looked up at her, eyes wide, and watched as she opened hers and gazed at mine.