Ryker POV
I was sitting on the bed quietly playing with the little boy from earlier. I knew I had a huge smile plastered on my face as I flew an airplane above the boy's head. I missed having this time to play with my younger brother's and now they were too old to want to.
I looked up immediately catching Elena's eyes and I found myself lost in them for a moment. My wolf perked up at her presence, demanding I claim her, but I pushed him down. He was a dominant fool that wanted the strongest female and I wasn't giving into that primal need of his.
Elena jumped from the trance when someone loudly cleared her throat next to her. I guess she caught that little moment too. I looked to Serenity who was giving Elena knowing eyes and Elena just shook her head back to her.
Elena's eyes shifted between Serenity and Nate who was now at the back tables unloading bags of herbs. Her shoulders drop and face saddened, making me curious what going through her head. Something was upsetting her. She sulked her way to Serenity giving her a big hug.
"Wow! You don't seem to be happy to see me alive." Serenity teased sensing her foul mood too.
"Shut up. I would never let you die." Elena said with tears threatening to escape her eyes.
Serenity hugged her tight and nuzzled her head into her neck making Elena giggle. "Stop you freak." Elena said at the cuddling. It was a normal way wolves showed affection to each other, but was usually done by mates or siblings, not friends and especially not by servants. They both received a few awkward stares yet they didn't seem to care.
Serenity brought her to a blanket on the floor. "You need to rest princess." She said covering her body with a blanket.
"No S, I can't. We still need to make more medicine. So many people are suffering. I can feel them and it makes my chest feel empty and my head feels like it is stuffed with stones." She sat up fighting Serenity to stand.
"Shhh princess, you need to sleep. I can make the medicine. I can tell that you are about to pass out from exhaustion. Please, just rest a bit." Serenity said then Nate came over. "I can help too. Well if S teaches me. It's been a long day El. Get some rest."
I don't know what came over me, but before I knew it I was standing above her too. "I could help a bit too." I knelt down to her. "You are not forgiven for that stunt you pulled earlier, but you've done enough for now. Sleep and we will wake you in a few hours." I pushed her shoulders roughly to the floor.
"Ow. You know you're an ass, right?" She said giving me a disapproving look.
"Yes princess, I do. Go to sleep or I should say don't go to sleep, since you make it a point to do the opposite of everything I tell you." I gave her a smirk and then stood up.
She smiled back at me shaking her head. I was not even a little nice, but somehow she looked at me like I was being sweet. Nate raised his eyebrows at her silently asking you sure nothing going on there. Elena just rolled her eyes at him then gave Serenity one last look before closing her eyes. "Love you guys" she whispered then rolled over falling fast asleep.
Serenity grabbed Nate's hand and led him to the back where there was a room being used as a lab. There was a few sturdy tables in the middle that held the beakers, bottles, and burners. Every inch of the walls had folding tables setup for plants and herbs to be chopped and mixed and fridges with test tubes and blood bags.
Nurses came in and out from the door on the other end with fresh blood bags, which I assumed that room was a makeshift blood bank.
"Alright, let's get started. We have two medicines to make. One is a charcoal base to weaken the poison and help coat the organs protecting them from deteriorating, and the other is an herb mix to help strengthen the body from the effects of the wolfsbane.
The nurses are getting as much blood as possible as that is what helps the most to flush the poison out of their system. There is no true antidote for wolfsbane so we just need to keep everyone alive long enough to survive it until it leaves their body."
"Well then I say the first thing to do is to give blood." I said heading to the back room.
"No Ryker, you can't." Serenity said grabbing my arm. She quickly pulled her hand back, remembering her place as a servant. "Sorry Alpha, I didn't mean disrespect. It just that Alphas are not allowed to give blood."
"Sorry, Alpha? The other day you threatened to flail me alive. You can drop the act. We both know you're not some obedient servant girl."
"S why would you threaten an Alpha. Him of all Alphas!" Nate said with fangs out ready to defend Serenity if I dared attack.
"Relax little Alpha she was protecting her Queen."
"And why would Elena need protection from you?" Nate took a step closer to me. If I wasn't so exhausted from the shit day this turned into I would had put this pup in his place.
"Because I locked myself in her bedroom." I said with a big smile then walked into the other room rolling up my sleeve. I had to admit I rather liked messing with all the little wolves. I wasn't big on drama, but this little group I found entertaining.
"What the fuck S? Why did he lock himself in her bedroom?" Nate was about to fully shift not caring at the damage he would do around him. This pup had it bad for Elena and didn't even try to hid it. That annoyed me.
"Nate calm down, please. If you shift Elena will wake up and kill you. He was just warning her after the Rogue attack at the Lake. He didn't actually do anything. I think he just likes pissing us off to be honest."
"Yeah, or maybe he likes messing with Elena. In more than one way." Nate said walking through the door rolling his sleeve up then sat across from me. I lifted my eyebrows waiting for him to challenge me. His eyes locked into mine, but he didn't say a word.
"Nate what are you doing? It's forbidden for an Alpha to give blood." Serenity questioned
"Alpha? I thought he was a Beta." I asked in a taunting tone with a big smile knowing how much I pissed Nate off.
"I'm of Alpha blood and we both know you are aware of that." Nate responded staring me back down.
Serenity threw her hands up in defeat. She wasn't going to be able to stop this dick measuring contest and they really needed the extra blood. Everyone knew it was an old wolf tale that Alpha blood would give powers to a weaker wolf. It was just something the King liked to enforce to show an emphasis that Alpha blood was special and not for anyone below them.
She rolled up her sleeve and plopped next to Nate. "You know there is nothing going on between Elena and Ryker, right? Besides, Elena would never cheat on Tyler. That girl is stupidly in love with that boy."
Nate scuffed at the comment like he knew something she didn't. "She's not in love with him and we will all see he is not her fated mate in three days. Finally!" Nate let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh really! Not fans of your future king either." I said with air quotes.
"Watch yourself Ryker. I may not think they are fated, but Tyler is still my friend and ally. He will mean more to me than you ever will." Nate went back to staring me down. This wolf was grating my last nerve, which wasn't good. I can't let my wolf out, especially in front of all these people.
"Alpha Ryker to you, beta boy." I responded staring just as hard back at him. I didn't like this pup.
Two male nurses finally came up to us to start drawing blood. I could sense Serenity's growing aggravation with Nate and I. How were we going to work together without ripping out each other's throat?
"How do you know who is your fated mate? I mean I know it is this bond that just clicks and grows until one day you just know, but how do you know that a click means mate?" Serenity asked. Nate gave her a confused look probably wondering why she was asking us.
"I don't know S. I think you meet a person and they feel like home. They are the one person you can trust in the world and would do anything for. I'm sure the sex is great, but it's not about the lust or sexual connection."
I chuckled at his response. Lover boy has it so wrong with his vanilla bullshit. "That sounded like a chick's point of view. Trust me, it's a lot about the sex and a little about the friendship."
"Trust you? Because you found your mate and know?" Nate asked with a scuff at my arrogance. He wasn't going to have a tongue soon.
"I haven't found my mate, but yes, I know from many wolves that found their fated mates. It's not as common these days, but it is still possible."
"Whatever! I guess we will all find out then." Nate responded in a challenging way. I had no idea what he was implying though.
"Tyler is not her fated mate Nate and you both know that. Deep down Elena knows that too." I sighed as another wave exhaustion washed over me. I didn't have the energy to fight this boy and I didn't really care to either.
"I don't think Tyler is her mate." Nate replied
"No, of course not, because you think you are." Serenity said with a giggle.
"Shut up S. I don't think that. She is my best friend. We've known each other since we were babies so of course I love her, but you can stop making it out more than it is."
I laughed not believing one word Nate just said. His constant show of dominance towards me was him being jealous and protective of her. "Hate to burst your bubble, but you're not her fated mate either, Nate."
"And what, you are? She's right, you are a pompous asshole." Nate spat back.
"I know I'm not her mate so relax, but you're not her mate either. She hasn't met him.... or her yet." I replied shaking my head.
I was more connected than any of them. I could feel the pull sometimes even before mates realized what it was. Although I was very attracted to Elena, I knew it was just her beauty and strength. We were both powerful rare wolves and that was what pulled us together. Once either of us met our mate that pull to our power would instantly disappear.
"How could you know that? Are you now Cupid and can sense other people's mate? You're so full of it." Nate said as he rolled his sleeve back down. He slid off the cot and headed back to the lab.
I rolled my sleeve down and jumped off the bed then headed to the lab as well. Serenity sighed and followed after us.
Serenity recruited a few patients that were healed enough to help and she got a flow to the lab going. Nate was dismantling herbs into piles for the mixtures, I was mixing different parts of herbs, sap, and tree dust to give to Serenity. She heated them to a boil so she could add the final ingredients, then a helper got the green herb mix to separate into shots and finally put in the fridge to cool.
Another helper worked next to Nate to grind bowls of charcoal and tree dust then passed to me so I could measure and mix with different liquids to give to another helper who separated them into shots.
After an hour Chris caught up to us and I guess he decided to let his anger subside to the heirs to help out too. The second he walked into the hospital I could sense the same wave of guilt washed over him as it did me.
The only other time we had to face the repercussions of the battles we ordered was when our former pack was attacked by Rogues. It wasn't supposed to be the blood bathe that war became either. From then on, my Shadow pack did what we needed and left. We didn't want to see the damage we caused in the name of the Goddess.
At first Chris was dismissive of Nate, giving him short answers, but after an hour of grinding what felt like the hundredth piece of coal he lightened up. Nate spoke about the battle and his theories of why they attacked. Chris found it impressive how much he knew about battle strategy and how observant he was during a time of chaos. I knew my brother was thinking these heirs were more than just savage wolves and that worried him. Getting too close to our targets could mean life or death.
