His Luna’s Already A Luna
Chapter 97

Nick POV

Sitting and watching her every day, was all he could do. He'd tried to reach out to her a few times each day. But his mind-link would not connect to her. He knew logically it was because she was unconscious, but he was more than worried that she wasn't going to wake up at all. It had been 5 days and there was nothing.

Not one blink he'd seen, not one movement at all. The nurses came and moved her, changed her position on a regular basis so as not to have continual pressure on her wounds, which would make them worse. He'd had to stand back and let them. It was their job and they knew what they were doing.

Rip had retreated to the far recess of his mind. Ky'ra was missing. Neither he nor Rip could sense her. They had not felt Ky'ra even when they had found Lucinda in that escape tunnel. She was not healing Lucinda either, also a sign that her wolf was missing from her. He now understood why she was so insistent on having an escape tunnel for their pack. She had saved the entire remnants of the White Lotus Pack, from Alpha Darwin and his onslaught. The man had thought he had killed all of them. But no, she had gotten them all out on her own. Brought them all here and begged Alpha Corey for sanctuary for her women and children. At just 18 years old, wolf-less and barely a Luna herself.

Alpha Corey had given him her file to read finally, seeing as Nick had figured it all out on his own, or most of it anyway. Going to her pack and rescuing her from certain death had gone in Nicks' favour on that one. Not that he cared about it. Only cared about saving her. Not what it would get him.

Nick had sat and read it, trying to take his mind off of her current condition, off of the fact that his Mate was lying unconscious in the packs hospital, and not even Kevin could feel anything at all where she was concerned.

Nick barely slept, only when Jeremy forced him to, used the threat of sedation to get him to go and sleep, and though that was indeed a crime against his Alpha. And punishable by him as well. Nick, on some level, knew the man was right. He had to get some sort of sleep even if it was fitful and woke up feeling less than rested.

Nick had not wanted to sleep in the pack-house, or the room he had been allocated. He had taken himself to Lucinda's previous home, crawled right into her old bed, to feel closer to her even when he was away from her. Not something he wanted to do at all. Some of her things were still in the house, not all of her clothes had been packed, it seemed, there were still clothes in the walk-in, and some in the drawers as well. He'd looked around while there. Some of her toiletries were still in the bathroom. He'd opened and smelled a few of them, smelled just like her. He had closed his eyes and tried not to feel sad.

The first time he had come here, he'd realised he'd never been in her house before, had wandered about and looked around, some of the furniture was ruined, had a few claw marks in it. Ky'ra being bored, he thought. But what he found really odd. Was that there were no photos here in the house, not in any of the rooms. Not of her. Not of her people. Not even of the twins or her retrieval team, no photos of her and Gabby or Lindy, nothing.

She had unpacked back in their pack, but he'd not seen a single photo that she'd put anywhere. Did she not want any? Or did she not see a point in them? He couldn't understand, surely 8 years here in the Half Moon Pack, she would have taken a few photos to display around her home. Perhaps he thought, after she'd lost everything once before, she had just thought there was no point, it could be destroyed. He didn't know. Maybe she would tell him one day.

He'd sat in her bed to read that file Alpha Corey had given him on Lucinda. She'd only been Mated to Matthew for two days before Darwin had turned up and killed everyone. To his complete shock and horror, the twins had been born during the slaughtering of the pack, Felecia had been pregnant and the loss of her Mate and Son had put her into early labour. Lucinda had delivered them herself.

He'd read she had been the one to kill Felecia, under her own Luna's order to kill her to prevent Darwin from r****g her. To read she had put one of her blades right in the woman's back nearly broke his heart for his Mate.

Darwin was indeed a cruel bastard, he'd gone there to the White Lotus Pack to take another Alpha's Luna, for himself. He'd read that Darwin had been Felecia's previous Mate, though he had not been her Goddess-Gifted Mate. He had taken her at 18 for himself against her will. That, she had fled from him, after some time, ran away and it seemed, had found her Goddess-Gifted Mate in Alpha Jude.

Nick had no doubts as to why Lucinda didn't talk about her past, she was keeping secrets for everyone. Trying to keep her remaining pack hidden and safe from a complete monster of a man, who had still roamed out there somewhere. Who'd still been here near two weeks after she had encountered him the first time. That was intriguing in itself.

Nick had asked Alpha Corey about that. He had shrugged, he didn't know the reason, had kept his pack away from hers all these years, and even after she had brought him back here to challenge the man, he'd kept his pack away from that place.

When Gabby had come to see him three days after he'd brought Lucinda here, to tell him the twins wanted to see Lucinda, he'd not thought it a good idea at all, considering what they were to her. It was highly likely that Gabby knew exactly what the connection between Lucinda and the twins was. He had wanted to get into it with her, but Kevin had been in the room and he'd not told anyone about that conversation with Lucinda.

It was her private business to discuss and choose who to disclose that information to or not. Nick didn't even know what Lucinda was planning on doing about it at that point. So he couldn't really make the decision for her. Gabby had put her foot down and threatened him with Alpha Corey issuing an order about it and stood her ground staring up at him. She was not going to back down on the subject that much had been clear to him at the time.

Nick had reluctantly agreed to allow her to bring the twins to see her, but had outright refused to be in the room when they came, didn't want to see their little hearts break, and he knew they would. She was their mother after all, even if they didn't actually know it. Their connection was too strong for her current state not to affect them.

He'd heard their reaction to her just leaving the pack to go with him, and she'd been awake and healthy, now for them to see her in this comatose state and wounded and not healing. Without Ky'ra, he knew it was not going to be pretty.

Nick had stepped out of the room voluntarily for the first time in days, found the nurse on duty and asked her to make sure that Lucinda was completely covered, before the twins were taken in to visit her. She had nodded her head and stated "Yes Alpha." Although Nick had not wanted to be in the room, he had not gone far and his Alpha hearing had picked up them asking her to wake up. If only it was that simple, she would have woken up the day he found her. He'd heard their screaming as they were taken away, leaving when they did not want to go, both of them throwing tantrums.

Saw that James and Adam were carrying them away, while they were kicking and screaming, a distressed Gabby following her Mate and the packs Beta. Those little girls had been hitting and kicking, yelling to be put down, their connection to Lucinda was very strong and they were trying to get back to her.

Nick could feel them from his position outside the hospital alpha aura's rolling off of the two of them. Trying to force a full-grown Gamma and Beta to put them down, they were not strong enough to do so, but one day, they very well would be, that was very clear to him. Pure-blooded Alpha twins. No wonder they were a handful. No wonder when he'd been kicked that day he'd taken Lucinda from the pack, it had hurt like a b***h. Only 8 years old and already strong. Gabby had not asked to bring them by again. He really wasn't all that surprised by it, to be honest. It probably hurt to watch the children you had raised as your own, want to be with another so desperately.

For 5 days she lay there on that bed, in that private room, unconscious and non-responsive to any stimuli. She didn't recoil from his touch, but she also didn't move towards him either. So badly wounded had she been that 3 pints of blood, it had taken to stabilise her condition. The packs doctor, Alpha Corey's mother, Heather. The previous Luna to this pack, had told him calmly.

That they had done all they could for Lucinda, and it was now up to her. A waiting game, as to whether she would wake up or not. Heather had not sugar coated anything, told him out right without her wolf to help her heal, her wounds could be too much for her body to handle. They just had to wait and watch.

She had told him, that her staff would do everything they could for Lucinda but...it might not be enough, that it was up to the woman herself and her will to live, to pull her through now.

Nick had no idea of whether or not Lucinda had a will to live anymore, she'd been hurt by what had happened to him. That had been clear for him to see, the way her wolf had reacted. Then she had gone home and found Darwin and taken him on with a single- minded purpose. To kill him, no matter what the cost to herself. Probably would not have even cared to survive it as long as she knew he was dead. She'd wanted him dead before, nothing would have changed in that departed. Lucinda really had saved her people from him, back then and now. Even now, her people, those women and children were outside the packs hospital waiting on the outcome of their Luna. The woman, the girl who had saved them all 8 years ago. When he had taken her from here two and a half weeks ago, he'd had no idea, he'd taken her away from everything that was her past. Something that meant the world to her, something he now understood she would never have wanted to leave behind. Her sisters, no her daughters, he corrected himself. The remaining White Lotus Pack pack members, her pack members, she'd had to leave them all behind, had never said anything to him, keeping their secret even from him, her Mate. Hadn't trusted him at all with the knowledge of who she was or what she was leaving behind. Nick now understood why she had been so mad at him for bleeding her into his pack the way he had. He'd stripped her of all that mattered to her, not knowing the consequences of his actions that day. She had told him, he didn't know what he was doing that day and now he understood completely that he had not understood at all. There was no way he could have, not with everyone holding out on him, keeping vital information about her past away from him. Nick could see why Alpha Corey had not told him, it was indeed her story to tell, a secret kept from the entire wolfen society. Alpha Corey had sworn his whole pack to secrecy and no-one knew that there were survivors. 8 long years, a terrible story of all them women and children being burned alive inside their own pack-house. Nick wondered if Alpha Corey had started that story himself. It was likely, and he would have done it to protect them all, not just the woman and children, the former Luna and the twins, but his own pack as well.

Today he had been marched by Jeremy to Lucinda's house for sleep under the threat of "You'll go, Nick, or I will tranquillise you and you'll sleep for 12 hours."

Nick had really wanted to punch his Beta right in the face, but had honestly been too tired to do it, or even argue with the man. He'd been awake for almost 30 hours and had been out like a light the minute his head had hit her pillow, his eyes had closed instantly and that was it.

Having Jeremy wake him a few hours later to tell him Lucinda was awake, shot him up and out of the bed and he'd nearly bowled the man over in his hurry to get to her. Completely forgotten he was b**t-a*s naked, Jeremy had latched on to his arms and yelled the word "Clothes." at him when Nick had glared at him for stopping him.

"Sorry." he muttered as he'd yanked on, clothes.

"It's alright Nick. Just slow down though. Kevin said she felt empty, and from what I saw he was not wrong."

"Empty?" Nick frowned.

"Yes, like Callie was after." he'd sighed "You know, my stepbrother."

"Okay...so how do I fix that?" Nick asked him, more than a bit worried.

He knew he couldn't just go stalking or running into her hospital room, not after what she thought had happened. He knew she was not going to want to see him in all likelihood. He couldn't blame her but he needed her to know the truth. He needed to see her. Wanted to put his arms around her and tell her it was all a lie. That he had not hurt her like that, but she'd felt the pain of betrayal as had Ky'ra. So he knew she was unlikely to want to see him.

"You...can't fix it. She will need to work through it herself. I couldn't help Callie. All I could do was be there for her, was all."

"I doubt Lucinda is going to allow me that luxury," Nick sighed.

"You're probably right. But I walked over here to get you. So it could give Kevin a chance to try and help her, to try and talk her into seeing you." "You think it'll work?"

Nick watched as Jeremy shrugged "Who knows...she knows what she felt. Telling her it didn't happen is not going to work. I know that much." Nick knew that much himself as well.

By the time they got to the hospital, all her women and children were there once more. Obviously, the news was out that she was awake. They all looked at him as he walked passed them. He didn't know what to say to them. Had yet to say anything to a single one of them, in fact. He had taken her away from them in one piece and brought her back bloodied and half dead. Too much guilt towards them to say anything at all at this point.

He glanced through the rectangle window of her hospital room door, a bit more than nervous as to what he would see. He'd not heard anything coming from the room and he had been listening with all his Alpha hearing, trying to pick up anything the minute he could. He'd gotten nothing from Kevin all the way over here.

Saw her sitting up on the bed, leaning on Kevin's chest, practically clinging onto him. Nick knew Kevin was not a threat to his Mate Bond. The man was already Mated, that it was in all likelihood she was under the full weight of his Gamma Charm, to keep her calm and doing as he wanted.

'Kevin?' he reached out to his Gamma though the mind-link

'Needs more time Nick...doesn't want to see you right now...please just stay out there for now!' straight to the point.

Nick had looked at her for another minute, trying to assess her condition. Her breathing was even and her heart rate was regular, her eyes were closed as she leaned on him. Though he doubted she was asleep. Calm because that was what Kevin was doing, his job as her Gamma. Keeping her calm in her time of stress.

Nick walked over and sat down in a chair across the hall. At least she was awake, alive and awake. Had talked to Kevin, it seemed, so that too was a start. As expected didn't want to see him. It had hurt to hear that but he'd known it was coming. Saw Gabby come down the hospital ward, she walked right up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "I'll do my best Nick." she told him softly, seemingly wanting to comfort him.

Nick knew all of them had now seen what had happened in his pack, that they all understood it was not his fault, that he had not hurt her on purpose, he'd actually done nothing wrong. His humiliation at the situation and they had all seen him in such a compromising position. He'd ignored it, could deal with it, had to deal with it. He needed everyone he could get on his side, to get her to believe he'd not done this to her on purpose.

Listening to her sob with Gabby in the room, was horrid to hear. Hated hearing her pain. He had not heard whatever she'd said to Kevin, but he got to hear every word she said to Gabby. Hearing Lucinda state that she believed he was only devastated, that she was still alive, nearly gutted him. She really did believe he'd hurt her on purpose.

Gabby had tried to tell her it wasn't like that, used a very motherly tone, only to have Lucinda yell right back at her. She didn't want to hear it, clearly she wasn't ready to discuss it.

Kevin was leaning on the wall by her room, his eyes were closed and he looked relaxed, but Nick knew the man was still feeling her, just not actively getting involved. She had to be allowed to express her emotions, they just couldn't let them get out of control. Who knew if Ky'ra would rip out of her and try and destroy everyone in her path? She had been dormant inside of Lucinda for 26 years, she might still be in there somewhere. Nick was hoping so for Rips sake.

Stating that she didn't have to do anything anymore, was almost telling Gabby it was over. If he cheated, their Mating Alliance would be null and void and she believed he had done just that. To her they were done.

Gabby, wanting to leave the room, seemed to calm her down, and she'd promised she wouldn't yell at her anymore.

Obviously, she didn't want to be alone in there. That could only be good right.

Hearing the two of them openly discuss the twins surprised him. Kevin's eyes snapped open and he'd felt Jeremy's eyes on him. Nick had shrugged, he already knew. The words "I didn't understand and I didn't know they were mine." Both of them knew immediately what it meant.

Kevin would have picked up on her emotions, and with Jeremy having heard her with the twins the day they'd had to say goodbye to each other, the tantrum they had thrown her utter heartbreaking sobs they had heard from Lucinda that day. It was suddenly very clear to them both that she was their mother.

They were all out here in the hall listening with their wolf's hearing to the two women talking. All of them heard her say "Why would I be anywhere else?" Gabby didn't say anything in response, there was no point at this time, it seemed. It was clear that Lucinda, his Mate had no intention of going anywhere with him, didn't even want to see him.

James strolled down the hall 10 minutes later, put his hand on Kevin's shoulder. "I've got her, go and rest."

Kevin just nodded, looked at Nick, who waved him off. The man was also running on minimal sleep, over the past 5 days, himself. James went into the room and Gabby came out. Looked right at him and sighed.

"I already knew about the twins," he said softly, had no idea if Lucinda could hear him or not. Without Ky'ra, she was likely back to being just like a human. Might not hear him at all.

Gabby looked surprised by his statement.

"We were getting along. Mated, in fact, just not Marked." he sighed sadly.

That widened her eyes. He'd not informed anyone here of that yet, they probably all had bets on that too.

"Might just go in your favour."

"Might not," Nick replied. "probably caused her more pain."

"Give it time Nick, once she sees the security footage, she'll understand what happened and know you did nothing wrong."

"If we can get her to watch it."

"We will...Lindy will, I assure you. That woman," she shook her head, "A force to be reckoned with."

"Mm, bested me twice, I believe."

"That she did." Gabby nodded "Now Nick, do you really think your mother is going to let either of you be unhappy?"

He could only shake his head. "Probably not."

"Will not. Not, probably not." Gabby told him and walked away.