Breaking The Alpha's Command

Day 10

Beep. Beep. Beep. Sera woke to the all too recognisable sound of the heart rate monitor. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see a light blue ceiling, decorated with subtle lights that looked like stars. She was lying in a hospital bed, pillow, sheet, and duvet. She instinctively went to move her feet and hands to ensure they still worked and was surprised again to find she wasn’t chained or bound down. She was used to waking up in Doc’s room, laying on the cold slab with an old shirt of his as a makeshift pillow and the dark, damp surroundings of the cells they were kept in. Like usual, she replayed what she last knew happened to get her bearings. She was on the roof with Kristopher, him trying to persuade her to leave with him, and she fell backwards. She bolted upright, her memories disturbed by a voice in the corridor.

“He said we need to check on her.” Said a man.

“He’s said to check every day, but nothing has changed. Why should today be different? She isn’t going to wake up.” Said a woman. It seemed she didn’t seem very happy with the task they were asked for. Could the ‘her’ they were talking about by Sera?

“You never know Theresa. People have come back from worse.” Their voices were getting closer.

“Lycans can and have come back from worse Matthew, but humans? Mortals? That would take a miracle.” This Theresa didn’t seem impressed by the idea of humans. Sera looked around to see if there was anything she could defend herself with. She grabbed a scalpel from the table next to her and hid behind the door just in time for two of them to come in.

“From what I can gather, Sera doesn’t seem like a mere human.” Matthew entered first and stopped when he saw the bed empty. He didn’t have time to react before Sera had slammed the door and held the scalpel to Theresa’s throat, dangerously close to her jugular. Questions flooded Sera to find out what they knew but one step at a time.

“Where am I?” She demanded. Theresa squirmed under Sera’s grasp.

“You are at the Azure Moon infirmary ward.” Theresa gasped. Perhaps Matthew was right, Seraphim seemed to be stronger than an ordinary human.

“You were brought here after the fall of the Red Sun Manor House.” Matthew explained. “Our Beta, Arabella Owens, she ordered you brought here.” Arabella? The name sounded familiar to Sera. Doc!

“What happened to the people there?” Sera’s thoughts filled with images of all those she knew trapped in the house. Doc, Lucy, George, Helena, Clara. Had she caused their deaths?

“Some were brought here to rest, recuperate. We are low members. We don’t know how many or who came here. We were just told to monitor you.” Matthew answered. Before she could get further answers, Theresa wrestled free from Sera’s distracted hold. Theresa threw her head back and felt the snap as Sera’s nose broke. Sera stepped back, shook, and went to lunge at them when a solid hand gripped her arm.

“Go back to your standard duties, you two. I’ll take over from now.” Doc’s presence and command relaxed Sera, and she dropped the scalpel. She brought him into a hug, not caring about the blood pouring out her nose. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she took in the sight before her. Doc seemed taller, prouder almost. Dressed in normal attire, jeans, and shirt. He was only attired with his usual wristband covering his mark. Sera didn’t notice Matthew and Theresa bowing before they left the room. Doc smiled and took her face in his hands and brought her head to his. He gently rested his forehead against hers. “I should kill you before you get a chance to do it yourself.” He whispered, a small laugh left both of them. “Let’s look at that nose, shall we?”

Sera followed him back to the bed, and they fell into their natural routine.

“Days?” She asked.

“10.” He replied curtly whilst tilting her head up to inspect the damage. “This is going to hurt.” He pushed her nose and another crack as he was forced back into place. Sera didn’t even wince.

“Survivors?”

“23, including me and you from the Manor. 3 of the pack were captured, the rest killed.” Doc grabbed some wipes to clean the blood from Sera’s face. A silence hung a little too long in the air. “Kristopher?”

“I shot him. Twice.” Sera tensed. “He acted like I had just poked him with a broom.” She rattled her brain. “He tried to get me to go with him, said I’d be free, and we’d run away together.” She laid back on the bed.

“Ha! I’m glad you didn’t fall for that one. But falling off the roof seemed like a dramatic way to get away?” Doc teased.

“I know.” Sera smiled back. “The roof was caving in, the building collapsing. Thanks for that, by the way, heck of a timing on that bomb. I had to before his words got the best of me.” It was something Doc admired in Sera. She had her faults and was blind to Kristopher for a long time, and she knew he was a weak spot, but she grew to fight back and admit her weaknesses. “All I could think was were all of you safe?” Her eyes took to Doc, who was sitting next to her. He put his arm around her.

“A half dozen went to Shadow Bane as they have better healers. Lucy, George, Clara, Helena, and another 8 all came here with us. You know them. They’d never leave you alone.” He chuckled. They sat in peaceful silence, just the faint sound of the buzzing of lights and far-off laughter.

“That still leaves 3.”

“Karina and her diatribe...” Doc paused. Sera felt his hesitation.

“What did she do now?” Sera stirred under Doc’s arm and rolled closer. He forgot sometimes how young she was when she was captured. At nearly 150 years old, everyone seemed young to him, but even so, as a 20-something human, Sera had undergone brutal punishment at the hands of Lycans. She carried many scars, reminders of what she’d been through, but perhaps the most poignant was the 3 scars slashed across her face. Doc had used whatever means and power he could to save her that night she was brought in. He had managed to hide them using magic, so no one else but him and Sera could see them. Even so, he never got the full story from her but never pushed the fact. He knew what he needed; she and her husband were driving, hit something, she lost consciousness, and woke up in a strange shed structure with a beast creature who attacked her, leaving the scars. As she ran, she ended up in Red Moon Pack territory, and they presumed they were marks from a rejected mate and took her to Kristopher where Doc met her and fixed her up. Those early years were difficult for both of them. He always did his best to protect her, but Doc wasn’t all powerful and certainly could not take on an Alpha like Kristopher.

“Earth to Doc, off in your own world there.” Sera playfully knocked against his forehead.

“Just thinking when we first met, and how much we’ve changed.”

“Yeah... we’ve been through a lot you and I, Nathaniel Rossi.” She always used his proper name when serious. “But they are all safe. That’s what we promised in those dark days. In those holes in the ground, we always said we would get them safe. And we did.” Tears welled in both their eyes. “Not all came with us, and we should do something to remember them. Honour and celebrate all those lost. And to celebrate new beginnings.”

Doc agreed. Too many had gone, and a service to remember would bring closure to many, if also, to provide a farewell to those going on new journeys. Yet he couldn’t shake an ominous feeling, perhaps celebrating too early?

“WATCH WHERE YOU ARE GOING!” Came a screeching voice, Theresa, as a clutter and bang thrusted the door to Seras’ room open.

And there covered in mud, paint, and who knows what was little George. Smile beaming from ear to ear, at 7 years old, that boy held Seras’ heart from the first day she held him. Gasping for breath behind him was his mother, Lucy, dressed elegantly in a floral summer dress. She looked the epitome of light. Her blonde locks plaited to the side, pink rosiness in her cheeks.

“George... you need.... to be careful.... of other people...” Lucy managed to say before casting her eyes to what her beautiful boy was so enticed by. “Sera?” She took a tentative step forward. Doc unclipped his arm and moved cautiously away, prepared. “You’re awake?”

“Just about.” Sera shrugged.

“That’s what they said Mummy, they said she was awake.” George sped past his mother’s legs but wasn’t quick enough for Lucy before she grabbed Sera and clutched her close. Tears freely fell as George jumped up and joined in. “I’m so glad you didn’t die, Auntie Sera, Mummy would have been impossible to deal with.” The ladies shared a laugh as Sera wiped Lucy’s tears.

“How are you feeling? We didn’t think you’d wake up for a while yet, if at all.” Sera could hear the fear in Lucy’s voice.

“I could never leave you, or you little one. Besides, I don’t think Doc would let me.” Sera smiled softly. “Anyway, Doc was just catching me up. We go onto Katrina and her lot. So what’s new?” Again, the room had an uncomfortable silence. “What?” Sera looked at Lucy and Doc in turn, both avoiding her eyes. Doc was the first to find courage.

“Katrina... she’s... erm...” For an old man, he sure felt like a child sometimes. “She’s claimed herself as the leader of the survivors.”

“Well, that’s not so bad. It doesn’t harm anyone, so what’s the issue?” Again silence, this time Lucy found the courage.

“She’s claiming she’s the long lost mate of the Alpha of the tribe here. And fighting for places of prominence for her and her friends.” Again, not so bad. But wait...

“George, go outside and play.” Doc suggested, and George, who was wise beyond his years, complied. Aware that what was being discussed was “adult talk.” Doc and Lucy are waiting to hear the doors open and close and for George to be far enough away.

“She’s claiming that she was Kristophers mate. She rejected him, and you became his mistress. She was the one who came up with the plan, set up the bomb, shot Kristopher, and you jumped off the roof out of jealousy.”

Sera was speechless. She knew Katrina could play the Diva very well but didn’t think she would go to the extent of bare face lying.

“What is she hoping to get out of all of it?” Sera was pacing around the hospital room. “The others know the truth, maybe not fully, but they know damn will it wasn’t Katrina and her minions that did all that. She was the one who kept Kristophers bed warm at night. Not me.” She was getting angry now. She could hear the wind pick up outside and the pitter patter of rain on the roof. Lucy took her hand, and Sera calmed. “Why is she claiming to be the Alpha’s mate? What would she gain?” Her mind was a rush with thoughts, ideas, reasons. But she drew a blank.

“Clara has tried to explain, but I’ve been so focused on you that we didn’t see what Katrina was up to until it was too late.” Doc reasoned. “There’s truth in her words.” Sera glared at Doc with a searing pain. “Just wait... she has said that George is the son of a mere Omega from the Red Sun Pack.” It stung, but they all knew it was true, Lucy wasn’t given the choice in that regard.

“And so the true blood Alpha’s won’t deem to have the spawn of the enemy within their walls, and she’s kicking us out?” Sera spat.

“It’s not that... Theo, the Alpha of Azure Moon, is widely known to be considerate to all. Lycans, humans, Faeries, creatures alike. He would die before he sees innocents leave his lands.” Doc paused to gauge Seras’ response before continuing. “But in his endless search for a mate he has been unlucky and then this so called Saviour comes knocking at his door bloodied and beaten claiming she’s saved dozens of lives and falsely stated she’s his mate. Gaining his favour, but not his bed yet, and spewing forth that we are conspiring with Kristopher to take the packs down and make him the Supreme Alpha. Theo, so desperate for a mate, has been blinded by her words, but word has it he has not felt the same spark he believes is the bond. Should Katrina succeed at banishing Theos’ true mate,albeit through shadows and secrets, their bond would be broken, and she can claim Luna of one of the most powerful Packs.” Doc related against the bed.

“But banishing the survivors and us doesn’t guarantee his Mate is here.” A stillness came across the room.

“It’s me.” Lucy barely whispered.

“What’s you?” Sera questioned.

“I’m Theos mate.”