Thousand Red Dahlias

"Hey honey, I am on my way home, but I will be late. Yeah, I know I am sorry, my watch had stopped working and then it didn't help that my brother's Beta-to-be here, was sure this way would be quicker and now we are stuck in traffic!" I give Austin the side eye, and he returns my glare, with a very apologetic shrug and a small smirk. That bastard. I know he really believed this would have been quicker, but this was gonna be one of the last dinners where my whole family was gathered before I permanently move with my mate, Nathan, to his pack and become the Luna. And from then on, it would only be on special occasions, we would all get together at the same time. I really wanted to be there on time. "I think we first will be at the packhouse in maybe 30 min. If we are lucky, I think you all should just go ahead and start with the dinner. Okay, see you soon, love you" I hung up and stared out of the car window. We are pretty much the same place we were 15 minutes ago. The forest isn't long away though... I could just get out and shift when I am in the forest. It might be quicker than this. "You're thinking of running home, aren't you? I know that look, you know. It will not be quicker." I turn and look at Austin who had just been sitting quietly and observing me. He is right. He knows me very well, but we are also best friends and have known each other since we were kids. I sigh loudly. I am too annoyed with him right now to engage in conversation. "Alena, I am very sorry for telling the chauffeur to take another way and making you late. I know this dinner meant a lot to you." I don't answer him for a few seconds, but then look at him and a smile creeps on my face. "Dammit" I exclaimed, and we both laugh. "I never can stay mad at you. But thanks Austin, it's nice to hear you admit you were wrong. I should have recorded that." I laughed again and jokingly hit him on the shoulder. "Yeah, you should, with no proof no one is ever gonna believe you" he smirks at me again, and we both laugh again. I am gonna miss him. I love my mate, and I love his family. But when I go with him, I will not only leave my family but my two best friends. Austin, my brother's beta, and Dana, who is my brother's mate and the future Luna of my, very soon, old pack, The Black Moon Pack. And I would be the Luna of the Night Walker Pack. I gulp silently. "Alena, what's wrong?" "Nothin I... I just realized how everything is gonna change by tomorrow... I... I am really gonna miss this. Miss you, Dana, my family, not seeing you all every day! Being a whole new place and I just..." "Wow, wow, wow! Breathe Alena! Yes, everything will change, but it will all be good, okay? You will get used to it, I promise you this, and you know I will always be by your side, even if we are in different places, okay?" I take a deep breath and silently nod. "You are right, I just slightly panicked. And on the bright side, we are gonna be neighboring packs, so there isn't that far again." "See, there you go," he says and smiles warmly at me. I smile back, and I feel calm again. I look out the window again, and we have made a bit of progress, but we definitely still have half an hour before we will be at the packhouse. Wait, something is wrong. "Austin, something is wrong". I look terrified at him, while the pain in my breast grows stronger and spreads. "What do you mean?" he's looking confused at me. Oh no... "Nathan" I whisper, and before I knew it, I had already opened the car door, and was now sprinting toward the forest. I can hear Austin yelling after me, but I don't stop. As soon as I reach a few meters into the forest, I shift. All my clothes rip and tear but I don't care. My mate. My mate is hurting. My wolf, Amber, whimpers while we are sprinting. She feels it too. I barely register as I sprint past trees, through bushes, and a few branches. I can smell I am near our territory, and soon I see the packhouse. It seems calm. No enemy packs, and no screaming from pack members. I shift back to my human form and keep running inside the house until I reach the dining room. My heart drops. Everyone is lying down on the floor. Nathan is the nearest person, and I quickly went to him. "Nathan?! Nathan, oh no no no" He's still alive. He looks up at me, and I can see he has trouble breathing. "Th...The food... poison" he manages to say. "Okay, okay, stay with me, please stay with me! I will get a doctor!" I take his phone, which lies beside him, and call our packs hospital. "Hi, its Alena, the Alpha, and Luna are down. I need ambulances and doctors asap at the packhouse." My voice sounds so calm, but my whole body is shivering. I keep talking, while I look at the others. Everyone is fighting, but none of them can breathe properly. I got back down beside Nathan and held his hands, while I cried. I can feel him squeezing my hand slightly. "I lo...ve you... Alena... I... always..." he coughs and starts gasping for air. "Oh no, Nathan, Nathan stay with me! Come on just a bit longer" I yelled at him. "I love you so damn much, you can't leave me already" I cried. He squeezes my hand one last time and then goes completely still. The pain in my breast explodes, and I scream. I scream and I cry. Our pack doctor comes running in with a bunch of nurses and other people. Austin is right behind her. "Selena!! It's the food, it was poisoned!" I yell through the tears, while I am still holding Nathan close to my body. She doesn't say anything, just nods and rushes to my brother. Austin comes up beside me and wraps my body with a blanket. I forgot I was naked. I can still feel tears running down my face. I just sit silently and observe how the doctors and nurses work with the others trying to save them, while I am incapable of doing more than that. They are all brought into the ambulance and rushed to the hospital. Nathan is taken to the morgue. I drive with Austin to the hospital, after getting some real clothes on. None of us says anything. I just feel empty. A nurse greets us when we arrive. "Miss Black, Mr. Madden, follow me please" We start following him as we walked past many aisles and rooms. We stop in front of a room, where I can see my brother and Dana. They are both hooked up to a big machine of some sort, to help them breathe. Dana's screen shows two heartbeats. I gulp and look at her belly. They were so ready to be parents. She was meant to give birth a couple of days from now. My hands starts to shake, and I look away and back at the Nurse. "Mr. Alexander and Dana are in a critical state, they are both unconscious as of right now ... and the Alpha and Luna... they didn't make it. I am very sorry for your loss... But the doctor would like to speak with you about something important if you don't mind Miss Black." "I... well yes and thank you. Austin, will you stay here? Then Mr..." "Walker, Miss" "Then Mr. Walker here can show me to the doctor's office" I answered. Austin nods, and I start walking with Nurse Walker.