The Alphas' Legacy (Alpha Eyes: Book 3)

Chapter 37

Van

Something's wrong!

Van bolted upright as his wolf howled in his head. The room was still pitch black, so he hadn't been asleep long. Even though he couldn't see much yet, his other senses went into full lycan spectrum.

Zoey's scent was significantly dampened but still noticeable. Mixed with something hot and sticky... sweat. Did she have a fever? Fabric rustled like something kicking a blanket around. He flipped on the bedside lamp and immediately realized why his wolf was so wound up.

Zoey had kicked off her blankets but still lay thrashing on the couch. He could see the sweat on her face and neck from across the room. Her eyes scrunched tight, deep wrinkles creasing her forehead. She moaned a little as her head jerked to one side.

This isn't her usual nightmare, his wolf said. It's something else.

Van sent a rapid succession of messages to Stitch—a few texts and many mindlinks—and sprang across the room to Zoey's side. He almost didn't dare touch her until he and Stitch figured out what was going on.

"Zoey?" he whispered, pushing some hair off her forehead. "Zoey, can you hear me?"

She twisted a little, arching her back and collapsing again. Yet, she didn't respond to him.

The door swung open and Stitch swept in. "Van? What's wrong?"

Van motioned to Zoey. "I don't know. My wolf woke me up, and she was like this."

Stitch crouched beside the couch and pressed two fingers to the side of Zoey's neck. She hissed in pain and turned her head away from him. After a second, Stitch glanced up at Van.

"Did she say anything before she went to sleep? Any pain? Any new symptoms?"

Van shook his head. "She took a shower and said she wanted to sleep."

Stitch grabbed Zoey's hand, extending her arm. "What's this?"

Van stepped closer to see what Stitch had found. He spat a choice word when he saw the red spot of a needle prick. What had she done to herself in the bathroom?

"Has the pack doctor prescribed anything for her?" Stitch asked, letting go of her hand as she thrashed again.

"No..."

Had she even seen their pack doctor?

"Did she bring something with her?"

"Not that I've seen..."

Maybe he should have gone through her stuff when she first moved in.

"Damn it, Van! I need to know what she took!"

"I know, Stitch. Let me think for a second."

Van scrubbed his hands through his hair, wracking his mind for any memory that would help them figure out what she'd taken. His wolf paced, helplessly watching as Zoey clenched her stomach and whimpered. How could this happen? He'd been so diligent.

A brief image of her pajamas rolled in a bundle flashed through his mind. She'd rolled her clothes the same way after her shower. She didn't usually do that... Had she hidden something in her clothes?

He spun towards her suitcase right as Stitch held up a hand to pause him.

"What?" Van growled.

"This isn't an overdose," Stitch noted, sitting back on his heels.

"Then what is it?"

"See how she's clenching her stomach?" Stitch pointed to her hands. "That's pain that her mate is causing. The timing might be coincidental or intentional, but he's definitely causing it."