His Luna’s Already A Luna
Chapter 87

Nick

POV

Nick mind-linked Paulina every thirty minutes to check on Lucinda and Ky'ra. He could feel her annoyance come back to him down the mink-link "She's fine." the woman had snapped at him on the 5th time he asked about her. He didn't want Lucinda to know he was checking up on her, knew it would start a fight or at least she would be angry with him and he wanted to get her talking about her past tonight, so he could finally Mark her.

Nick knew he was being a complete pain in the a*s, but he couldn't help it. Had this need to make sure she was alright. Warned Paulina to watch her tone and attitude, reminded her he was the Alpha and she would do as he told her. Kevin and Jeremy were off looking for Braidy. The man, it seemed, had vanished completely, two hours ago, not even Nick could establish a mind-link to him. It was really weird.

Valerie, it seemed, had lied this morning at training, about her friend having broken her leg and being in the pack hospital. There had been no report come through to him and so he'd checked with Emerson himself. No one with a broken leg today. Braidy had snarled his annoyance with her and snapped he was going, to go and bring her in once he found her. It was her day off. But he had never returned and no-one, it seemed, had seen him anywhere in the past 2 hours either.

It was concerning, what if Braidy had turned on her? She had rejected him at 18 and there was now a real hatred between them, it seemed. If the two of them got into a physical altercation, Braidy would out muscle her easily, and could kill her. Seemed like he currently wouldn't have a problem with it, at all.

But if he did, would it affect him? Killing one's Mate could not only devastate, but send a wolf into an insane pain-filled spiral, that could lead them to killing themselves, or just go completely crazy, bolt off into rogue territory, and remain insane, for the rest of their life.

Nick tried again to reach the man, forced all his alpha power into the mind-link, knowing it would hurt the man. Hopefully, cause him pain on such a level, it would make the link connect and stabilise, long enough to ask him where he was, or even get a location on him. Nothing. The tether was there in his mind, but not like a normal tether, it was fuzzy and fluctuating on and off.

Nick was unable to establish a solidly connected link to his Delta. Couldn't even get a read on his location, or even a direction, due to the instability of the link and tether to him. Which in itself was very odd, as the Alpha, Nick could use that tether in his mind to attach himself to any pack member and feel in his mind, their direction and, if close enough, their actual location. Yet he was now unable to. Jeremy. Any Luck?'

'Nothing Boss. It's like he just disappeared. Weird thing is, I can kind of nearly reach him but then..."

'Can't, it's not stable and won't connect. Nick finished for him.

'Yes.'

'It's the same as what I am getting. Can you scent him?'

'No. That's the other weird thing. I tracked him right to Valerie's place. Then just nothing, like he never left!

'Kevin having any luck?'

'No. It's the same for him too. Something is off, Boss. I got this real bad feeling!

'I know.' Nick agreed 'Keep looking'

He mind-linked Kevin to see what he was up to 'Kevin?'

'I can't find Valerie Boss, nothing. It's like she and Braidy just disappeared. Nothing. Neither of them left her place!

'Neither of them.' he knew Jeremy was searching for Braidy and Kevin was hunting Valerie. 'Scents masked maybe?' Nick wondered down the mind-link to his Gamma.

'That would actually explain a lot, in not being able to scent her out, Boss!

'Keep trying' 'Yes Boss.

That would indeed explain a lot about the current situation. If their scents were masked, no-one would be able to track them. Nick couldn't see a reason why Braidy would do such a thing though, it wasn't like him. Even if he was going to, to track Valerie he would have let Nick know first. Odd.

Masking one's scent, however, would not have an effect on the mind-link or the tether.

He should still be able to use that. The man had not rejected the pack, that would affect the mind-link and tether, they would instantly be severed from Nick, but he would have felt it snap. So that did not happen either.

Nick sighed, he tried to mind-link Valerie, her link was there but didn't connect, did not feel fuzzy or fluctuate like Braidy's. But he was being stopped by something, he pushed his aura down the line, nothing. Tried to catch her tether, but it would not connect either. Something was definitely going on.

Though there was a definite difference in the feeling to her and Braidy, the result was the same. He was being blocked from interacting with them, in anyway.

Something was definitely going on. Jeremy was right about that, he too was having a very bad feeling about the situation. At least he knew Lucinda was alright. Paulina was with her and she'd report to him she was fine. Just minutes ago.

Thought about linking to Lucinda himself, but decided against it. She might pick up on something was wrong and, being the Luna, would want to help in all likelihood. She was safe out there on patrol. He would leave it that way. Once he knew what was going on, if necessary, he would bring her in. But he didn't need to. He and his unit could handle it.

Nick got up from his chair, it was time that he and Rip joined the search, it seemed. Not that they would have any better luck with Braidy's scent masked. But Rip could cover a lot of ground quickly.

His eyes moved to his office door, it stood open as it always did when he was in here. He blinked as Valerie appeared in the doorway, banged hard into the door jam and stumbled right into his office, looked like she had been running fast to get here. He saw right away she had blood running down her neck and shoulder, looked at him all wide-eyed appeared scared and frightened to him.

"Alpha!" she burst out, stumbling right over to him, one hand was outstretched to him.

"What happened?" he asked, stepping over to her. Had Braidy actually attacked her and injured her, he frowned.

Her outstretched hand latched on to his right arm and she stepped right to him. Nick's head snapped back as he smelled her. That was Lucinda's blood on her. He could smell it, now that she was up close to him. Rip snarled instantly, worried about their Mate, "Why is the Luna's blood on you?" he demanded to know. It had just been reported that she was fine and well.

How could this be? There was no way she could have gotten here in just minutes. It was over an hour for someone like her, and that blood looked fresh, was still damp on her skin, smelled fresh, not old. Was bright red, not dark brown like old blood would be. He felt a sharp sting in his left abdomen, his head whipped around and down to see what the hell had just happened. To his complete shock, there was a syringe in her hand, and she held it in him. It was empty. She had already injected him, with whatever was in it. He blinked and shook his head. Whatever it was, was already starting to affect him. Felt kind of fuzzy in his head.

"What the f**k?" he roared, and tried to step away from her, felt himself stumble, tried to grab the syringe and remove it but couldn't seem to get hold of it, shook his head and tried again, it was removed from him by her.

"Just give it a minute Nick, baby, it won't take long," she told him.

His heart was racing and his breathing increased, his eyes moved to her, he tried to pull away from her out of her grip. Felt weak, shook his head, blinked several times. Gasped as he staggered, felt very disorientated and saw his vision start to get blurry. He couldn't see her properly any more, saw her move towards him.

"It's me Nick, Lucinda." she slid her hand along his arm. "Smell me." she told him.

He felt himself swaying on his feet, tried to understand what was happening to him, but couldn't seem to think straight, couldn't clear his head, fell to his knees, she was right there in front of him, his eyes were becoming heavy and her face, was distorted in his vision, when he could look to her the smell of Lucinda's blood all around him now, consuming his mind. Grabbed her "Why are you bleeding?" he gasped. His mate. Bleeding, before him. He didn't, couldn't focus on her. Clutched at her. Needed to know. "Shh, just another few minutes Nick, and you can, Mark me."

"Shh, just another few minutes Nick, and you can, Mark me."

His rapid breathing was just bringing the scent of blood to him so strongly, "I want to," he whispered. Goddess he did want to Mark her and she was finally going to let him. Felt her move into his arms. His eyes were so heavy he couldn't keep them open to see her. Was she alright? So much blood. The scent was so strong "Baby?". He was really struggling to hold on to his senses now. It felt really weird like time was slowing down around him. She needed help. He couldn't help her.

He felt himself falling down to the floor, his whole body heavy 'Jer...Jeremy!' he gasped, opening a link to his Beta, a last-ditch effort to get help for his bleeding mate. Couldn't... Lucinda...didn't... his thoughts becoming erratic and jumbled in his mind. 'Boss.' he heard Jeremy, sounded kind of distorted like he was far away.

'Lucinda, blood, I...can't. the link was gone. He couldn't focus on it to maintain it to keep it open.

Rip was roaring in his mind, clawing at everything, felt so far away from him now. Nick could hear his wolf snarling and growling, throwing a fit like nothing Nick had ever felt before, felt like his wolf was being dragged away from him and he was trying to fight his way back. So far back into the darkness he was going. Then just gone. His mind was quiet.

He could feel a body moving against him, breathed in, smell her, his Mate, it was her blood's scent, she was grinding on him now, a mouth on his, kissing him. It smelled like her, but also felt so wrong, felt a hand wrap around his c**k and start moving back and forth, heard a soft moan in his ear "Mark me Nick."

"Wait." he gasped, trying to move any part of him. Couldn't even lift an arm, knew it was wrong, but could only smell her.

"No, smell me Nick, I'm right here. I want you."

He couldn't move, everything was wrong, he felt her neck against his mouth, tasted her blood on his lips.

"One bite Nick, that's all it will take, and I'll be yours forever."

Goddess he did want to Mark her his mouth moved on her neck, kissing her. But why? Sucked deeply on her neck, her blood on his tongue. Why so much blood? Injured, popped into his mind. Anxiety suddenly filled him. She was injured. Had he done that, her blood, his mouth. Her blood, he could taste it, smell it. All consuming him.

"Please Nick...I'll Mark you right back, I want you."

Her body was pressed on his. He could feel it sliding against him, unable to do anything or think any more. He wanted his Mate, "Lucinda." he moaned and felt his fangs start to protrude, yes he would Mark her now.

Then she was suddenly gone, he couldn't even move to get her back. "Where?" he groaned, heard some sort of commotion, but couldn't even open his eyes or turn his head to see who or what it was.

"Open your f*****g eyes Nick," was yelled at him. It felt weird and fuzzy like someone was yelling through a bubble or something.

Somehow, he managed to open his eyes, but could not focus, there was way too much light pouring into his sight, so bright, so pretty. There were funny bubbles all around him with distorted images of someone in them, a man's weird-looking shaped head. He knew that man...Jeremy. All the bubbles popped in front of him, he blinked and stared at the man, "Lucinda."

"It's not her." then his whole body was rocking and shaking. Earthquake, popped into his mind.

"Smell blood," he said and registered the scent. He knew that scent "Lucinda. It is..."

"NICK. Wake up!" his eyes moved. Wow, the bubbles were back and that funny looking man too. Beta popped into his head.

He couldn't move, could barely focus on anything to many bubbles around him, bright and shiny like the sun, felt pain shoot through the side of his head and then nothing. Darkness was all around him, it was really weird. The light seemed to take forever to go, till it was a tiny pinpoint in the distance. Then poof, snuffed out.