Erondale

Chapter 23

Toby’s POV

I hear the bells signaling that Chris has been made the King. I can tell that Erin wants to go to him. She won’t go though because our best friend is in there fighting for her life. One of the nurses finally came out because Selene is screaming.

I finally started feeling like I can breath again and the pain has stopped. The bond is still there so I knew what she was going to say before she said it. Rae didn’t die. I’m still sitting on the floor, broken. Sweat is drenching my shirt.

I felt her leave. The nurse explained that she had flat-lined. Just before the doctor pronounced her death, she inhaled air like she was drowning. It was a miracle. Right now, she is in surgery. I glance over at Talon who keeps giving me looks like he wants to kill me.

“Has anyone told Emma?” I hear Erin ask.

Emma! How could I forget about Emma! I look to her brother and parents. They are thinking the same thing.

“I’ll do it.” My father said. “I think it best if it comes from someone who can get her here fast, or catch her if she faints.”

“Oh, poor Emma.” My mother says.

I glance at her. She’s looking at me sadly. What exactly is she thinking?

“I feel like a horrible friend right now.” I whisper into our link.

“It’s not your fault.” Erin assures me.

“Yes, Son, it’s not your fault. You found your fated mate. It’s only natural to forget about other girlfriends.” My mother says, shocking me.

“Girlfriend? Emma isn’t my girlfriend mother.” I answer back seriously.

“Are you sure?” She questions, with her brows raised.

“Yes, mother. For one, she’s as old as Rae. I wouldn’t have dated her. For two, I never felt that way towards her.”

“Are you sure that she knows that?” She fires back at me.

It causes me to pause and think for a moment. I’m not sure why mother would think that she would think otherwise.

“I don’t think that I ever told her we were more than that.” I confirm. Surely, she wouldn’t have just made assumptions.

“Oh, please, brother. She has had a crush on you for the last few years. Don’t tell me that you were too blind to see it.” Erin snaps at me sarcastically.

“Yes, sister, but I never told her that we were ever more than friends.” Frustration is coloring my tone. Why would is every one making assumptions.

“You spent a lot of alone time with her.” My mother states.

I raise my brows at that. Clearly they thought that something more was going on. Crap. If they think that I was dating her, does she think that? And, what’s more, does Rae think that? The thought that my mate might think that I’m dating her best friend hurts me deeply.

Fear runs through me. What is she doesn’t accept me because she thinks that I am using her friend? Rae. My thoughts drift back to her and our connection.

How did I not see it before? How do I tell her? Because now that I know, and the bond is forming, my jealousy is going to reach peak. If she thought that I was possessive before...Well, I need to learn to control myself.

It’s a natural thing that our kind does, though. I don’t always have control over my other self. My wolf likes to take control sometimes. Most of the time, I can control him but he takes over from time to time when my emotions are too high.

However, now that we know that Rae is ours, it’s going to be hard to control his possessiveness. That reminds me. Alrich. Even though I really dislike the guy someone should probably tell him as well. He is her friend, and jealousy roars through me at that thought, but he’s always been there for her. He deserves to know just in case...I can’t finish that thought. There is no ‘just in case’.

I’m just about to suggest someone to go tell him when I hear more footsteps running. I hear more than two sets and I stand up, ready to defend my family and my mate.

I block the waiting room by standing in the hallway. My father runs around the corner and I relax but my body tenses when I see who else is with him. Suddenly everyone, including my guards, drop to their knees.

I follow suit but stand up when I see Emma. She is running frantically down the hall with tears streaming down her face. When I stand up, she rushes into my arms. I catch her out of habit and my mother looks at me with a knowing look. I sigh. I’m hit with a sudden realization, this is not going to be easy. I wrap her tighter in my arms because she is shaking uncontrollably.

“It’s okay, Emma.” I try to reassure her.

“How could you not come and tell me?” She asks accusingly.

“I..” I glance back at the door, unsure of how to tell her. “I didn’t have time. It all has happened so fast.” I decide to tell her.

She’s not ready to hear it and she doesn’t even know that we exist. How the hell am I supposed to explain my feelings towards Rae, then?

She slaps me. “She’s my best friend! Yet, you were here. You could have sent me someone to get me!”

She slaps me again and though, my wolf is getting agitated, I let her. She’s right, of course. I should have remembered her.

Erin pulls her off of me gently and wraps her up in a hug. “You don’t understand, Em. We can’t explain everything just know that we didn’t intentionally leave you out.”

“Well, at least I know why she didn’t attend my coronation.” I hear Chris say.

I’m not sure but I thought that I heard a little bit of relief in his declaration.

I spun around to face him. I narrow my eyes. “She wasn’t going to your coronation to begin with.” I snap, anger and jealousy spurring me on.

“Watch who you speak to like that!” He snaps back. “I will let you get away with it for Rae’s sake. But, don’t ever think that you can speak to me like that.”

He stares at me with narrowed eyes and a sneer on his face. I feel myself quivering in anticipation. Bring it on, Chris.

“Son, you need to calm yourself.” My father snaps inside my head.

I freeze. I take a few moments to breathe, trying to control my actions. I nod my head to my father, letting him know that my wolf and I are under control. Alrich rounds the corner next.

“Where is she?” He demands.

“As if you care.” I snap back.

He narrows his eyes. “What’s wrong, Toby? Jealous?”

I growl menacingly. He laughs. I see his wolf come out into his eyes. I narrow my eyes, he does not lay claim to my mate. I start to stalk to him, seeing red, when my father uses his alpha voice on us.

“Boys! This is not the time for this!” My father snaps again.

His tone freezes us both in place. I take in a few breaths again. This time it is harder to control my wolf as he recognizes Alrich as a threat to our relationship with Rae.

“Someone tell me what it going on!” Em screams.

Erin looks at me and I nod my head. She glances at Emma and takes a huge breath. We are not sure how she is going to take this as Rae did not want us to tell Emma that we were hanging out today. Something was bothering Rae about Emma.

“We went to the lake to have a picnic.” Erin says.

Alrich rolls his eyes and glares at me. I clench my teeth in annoyance and take a few deep breaths.

“As Rae was removing the picnic basket, off her mare, her mare collapsed.” I hear a few gasps as I start to relive that moment. “I couldn’t get to her in time.”

I know that tears are rolling down my face now. Em comes over and holds onto me. She buries her head into my shoulder and I tense. Suddenly, her presence in my arms feel wrong. I attempt to take her off but she grabs tighter.

“When Toby ran to her, he tried to pull the horse off of her but she screamed. A blood curdling scream. We had heard her break her arm. So, when she screamed Toby panicked.” Erin continues.

“I thought that maybe I had broken something else. I had Erin pull her body out as I lifted the horse off of her. She, she uh..” I trail off unable to finish my thought.

“She lost consciousness and quit breathing for a moment.” Erin fills in. “Toby started during chest compressions and then she started breathing again. We tried to get her to keep her eyes open but she didn’t. She lost consciousness by the time that we arrived here.”

I walk over to Erin, letting go of Emma, and wrap her up in a hug. I guess that Emma knew that I needed to comfort my sister because she didn’t fight me this time, for which I was grateful. I hold her there crying. I feel defeated like I failed not just as her mate but as her friend.

“About twenty minutes ago, she stopped breathing and her heart stopped.” Talon started. “We thought that she was dead. We had just gotten here. Something was wrong with Toby when we got here, as well.” He says a little confused.

Chris and Alrich both glance at me but I keep my face expressionless. There is no way that I am telling them that she is my mate. I am not going to let them try and take her from me.

“How is she now?” Chris asks.

“We don’t know. She’s been in surgery since.” Her mom answers.

I sit down, unable to stand anymore. Emma comes and wraps her arms around me for comfort. I look over at Chris and he has a confused look on his face. I slowly remove Emma’s arms from around me. It no longer feels like I should be comforting her. My mother is right. I think that she thinks there is more to our relationship.

*Erin.*

*Yes?*

*Can you come and grab Emma? You and Mother are right.* I admit.

*Absolutely.*

Erin wraps Emma up in a hug as everyone else takes a seat. Now it’s a waiting game. I glance around the room and realize how much my mate is loved. I still don’t trust Alrich. It might just be jealousy, though. Maybe it was always jealousy. I glance at Chris. I can tell that he doesn’t like Alrich either. Maybe it isn’t just me.

We hear footsteps round the corner. I stand, hoping that it’s the doctor with news. My heart plummets as it isn’t the doctor. Sadly, it is just the regent. As soon as Chris sees him, he stands up.

“There you are, your Majesty. We’ve been looking all over for you.”

He tilts his head, and narrows his eyes, in question. “We?”

Just then a tall woman, with red hair and blue eyes, rounds the corner. Before today, I would have thought that she looks sexy as hell. She would have been exactly my type. However, she doesn’t hold a candle to my Rae.

Alongside her is another young man with red hair and blue eyes. That must be her brother. Who are they? The woman runs, and squeals, and launches herself at Christopher. He catches her and she peppers his face with kisses.

“Oh, my god, babe! When we heard that you were at the hospital, I thought that something happened to you!” She says between kisses.

Her voice grates my nerves and I shiver. Alrich chuckles and I glance at him. He is surely amused by what he is seeing. I am not, however. I am agitated for some reason. The scene before me is confusing. Chris is blushing while the other man is trying to pry his sister off the King.

“Rachael, get off of him.” He shouts, frustrated.

“Preston, I was worried about him.” She pouts as he successfully pulls her off. “What are you doing here, babe?” She asks with fake concern.

I don’t hear his answer because I notice the doctor walk into the room. My breathing speeds up as my nerves roar to life. I know that Rae isn’t dead because I can still feel her but I don’t think that she’s out of the woods yet.

“Selene.” She says.

Selene snaps her head up. “Doctor. How’s my daughter?”

“I need you to come with me, Selene.” I start to walk with Selene but the doctor stops me. “Only her mother, son. I’m sorry.”

With that, I watch as Selene walks with the doctor. My heart is stuck in my throat. I reach out to mate bond again. She’s still alive. Though, it gives me a little relief, I’m worried about why the doctors face was so closed off. I sit back down, unable to do anything else.