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“Changing, could that help?” I asked the doctor. Maybe I wouldn’t lose her. Maybe I could save her. Chloe meant everything to me. I never thought I would care about someone again after Gab, but I did. I loved Chloe, and she must care for me too.

“What is going on?” Xavier was back. He was looking at me with a deadly tint in his eyes.

“Alec is stirring Chloe’s wolf.” Chloe’s mom’s voice was high with delight. “Xavier, she might not die.”

“Get away from her.” Xavier’s eyes darkened. “Now.”

“Xavier.” Chloe’s dad’s voice hardened.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” I growled at Xavier. Who the heck did he think he was? He had no right to be here anymore.

“Get away from my mate!” His body began to shake with rage, his fists tightly clenched.

“So now she is your mate,” I spat in his direction, walking away from Chloe and closer to him. “Funny, I don’t remember you ever acting like one.”

“Nothing you can say can change the fact that she is mine,” Xavier growled.

“Boys,” Chloe’s father yelled, stepping between us. “Enough.”

“Chloe isn’t a piece of property!” I roared at him. My rage was starting to show. I hated Xavier. After everything he had done to Chloe, no wonder her wolf wouldn’t react to him.

“ENOUGH!” Chloe’s father roared. “Chloe is dying. My daughter is DYING! Alec, change.”

He wasn’t asking, he was ordering. At an alpha’s order, changing was instantaneous. I was on four legs immediately.

I growled once more at Xavier, before turning around and strolling back to Chloe. She was more important. I could deal with Xavier later. If he thought he had a right to her, he was wrong. And if he had suddenly realized how much Chloe meant to him, and he wanted her back, it wasn’t going to happen.

“We will operate, and that should help her wolf heal her.” The doctor told us before summoning the nurses to help move Chloe’s bed.

Chloe’s parents nodded their heads. Hope was in their eyes. I followed alongside Chloe’s bed as the nurses pushed it into surgery. I wasn’t leaving her side. If me being near her was helping, it was all I could do.

But even if I weren’t helping her, I wouldn’t leave her side. I had to be with her. The aching in my heart and the overwhelming feeling of grief consumed me. She had to be ok. I had to see her bright smile again.

“Alec, wait outside the door,” the doctor told me, when they wheeled Chloe into surgery. Knowing that it would be easier if I stayed out here, I sat beside the closed door. I watched Chloe’s lifeless body pass through the doors.

I was large in size, and there wasn’t much room in there. But I could hear Chloe’s weak beating heart. I was close enough and that was all that mattered.

I howled softly when I heard them begin. I heard the spike in Chloe’s heart rate in reaction to my howl. We really did have a strong connection. I should have never doubted it.

If I hadn’t doubted her, we wouldn’t be here. I didn’t think the guilt would ever leave me. This was my fault. I just prayed that she would survive so I could tell her how sorry I am.

Maddison

It was the middle of the night and I felt death slowly pull me closer. I exhaled slowly, rolling to my side. I wasn’t in pain. I was just weak. I was glad that it was the middle of the night. I couldn’t stand my mom seeing this, me passing slowly.

I wondered for a few moments what life would be like for them without me? I didn’t have the strength to pretend I wasn’t scared. I let the tears flow freely. The pillowcase was getting a wet puddle from the never-ending steam of tears.

I didn’t want to die.

Why did this happen to me? Why didn’t I deserve a life? Why didn’t I deserve to live a full life? Or at least a half one? I weakly wiped the tears from under my eyes. I could barely keep them open now.

My breathing was getting shallow, my heart beat weakening. This was it.

“Maddison,” a low male voice spoke to me. But I didn’t have the strength to see who it was. I couldn’t move my head. I hadn’t even heard the door open.

“Maddison.” The voice was closer. “It’s me, Daniel.” He lowered himself bedside my bed. I was barely able to make out his figure. Why was he here? Why had he come?

“Maddison, I’m about to do something. I’m sorry for leaving this so long.” Dan’s voice was low. What did he mean? What was he going to do?