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Noah raced from where he had stood as he watched his mate crumple to the floor, crashing through Lenara in the process. He lifted Alaya’s body off of the ground that harshly cradled it and gathered her softly to his chest. She groaned a little as he did so but didn’t stir.

Clement and Fen both made a move towards the pair that resulted in a very loud growl as he held tight to his mate. No one was going to take her from him, not ever. Clement thankfully backed off instead of pushing the matter further, clearly worried about his daughter.

“Take her to the hospital. I can show you the way,” he urged, no command in his voice just urgency and fear. Alaya laid limp in Noah’s arms, colour drained from her face. She looked tiny and helpless, like a small child cradled against his large chest.

Everyone seemed to move together towards the hospital, a small crowd with one mission. Noah tried his hardest to not jostle her as he sprinted although he doubted it would of brought her back to him. And he desperately wanted her back to him. He barrelled through the doors after Clement and almost collided with the reception desk before he came to a stop. He looked bewildered, not sure where on earth he was meant to go now.

“Jeremiah,” Clement roared, the Alpha clearly at the forefront and not in a calm state whatsoever. The wolf that Noah guessed was Jeremiah appeared to their right looking a little shocked as he jogged down the hallway towards them.

“She won’t wake up,” Noah mumbled, pulling her tighter to his chest. Jeremiah took a step closer, attempting to lift her from his hold and a growl escaped from Noah’s throat. Jeremiah took a step back but his gaze flitted over Alaya worriedly. Neve’s hand came to rest on his arm, grounding him a little as his wolf fought for dominance, to protect his mate.

“Brother,” she began, giving his arm a squeeze and pulling his gaze to hers.

“You must release her so they can help her. It will be alright,” she continued and Noah nodded, allowing Jeremiah to take her from him. He staggered as the loss tackled him, Neve bracing his weight as he crumbled into her embrace.

Jeremiah rushed her into a side room, her body falling limply onto the bed.

“Alaya. Alaya.” He spoke her name gently in an attempt to rouse her but she didn’t stir. She just lay peacefully on the bed as if sleeping. Noah watched on as he meticulously checked her over, checking her heart and her breathing, both significantly normal. He shook her shoulders a little in another attempt to get her conscious but to no avail. She continued to lay lifelessly as he continued his examination.

Clement appeared in the doorway, his presence filling the room with ease, as if his wolf was physically pacing the room itself. Noah’s wolf in turn rippled underneath his skin but he fought hard to stifle him, needing his power to stay hidden.

“What’s wrong with her?” Clement commanded and Jeremiah’s hair bristled at the question, annoyance at his impatience.

“I don’t know yet,” he answered curtly as he continued to check her over. Noah felt as Jeremiah’s wolf shied away, clearly aware of his Alpha’s presence in the room. Clement walked straight to Alaya’s bedside, stroking the hair from her face.

“Matylutka, my darling little one. Wake up now, please wake up,” he begged, his voice weighed down with emotion. He kept stroking her hair ignoring when Noah stepped closer to her, an invisible pull controlling his movements. As Noah approached the bed he watched as Clement stood up from where he had been bent over, obstructing his view of Alaya.

“No!” he commanded, amber irises glowing brightly, presence heavy in the room. He felt as the Alpha’s presence made Neve tumble under the pressure of it, her hands slapping the hard floor whilst Noah stayed upright, completely unaffected. He felt as Clement pushed his wolf further forward, growl errupting from his chest as he did so.

“You’ve done enough! Now get away from my daughter!” he roared, fire in his eyes as he physically shoved him away from where she lay. Noah faltered a little backwards not expecting the attack but he regained his balance within moments, silver pools of mercury shining like the moon itself.

“Noah! Don’t,” Neve called out, trying to reach her brother to calm him but failing.

“Never! She is my mate! I will never leave what is mine!”

“She isn’t yours!” Clement shouted as he stalked towards him, eyes full of fury, intent on inflicting as much damage as he could. Noah felt as Clement pushed his wolf so that he filled all of the room, suffocating those who defied him. Noah stood his ground regardless, as if the strongest Alpha in eons wasn’t demanding he kneel. Instead he let his wolf push back equally as fierce, two beasts at war with one another. He heard as Neve winced from the pressure in the room, her wolf submitting. Noah snarled at the Alpha that stood before him in warning, lip curled revealing his very wolf like set of fangs. Fangs that shouldn’t be there without a phase.

He watched as Clement widened his eyes in shock at what he just saw but the sound of Jeremiah clattering to the floor along with his clipboard pulled both of their attention temporarily away. Clement’s wolf ebbed away, no longer filling everywhere all at once, allowing Neve to get up and grab her brother.

“Noah, Noah!” Neve commanded, pulling at him to meet her gaze.

“You must get Adolf to relent,” she urged quietly into his ear as she pulled him into a tight embrace. His eyes dulled, his wolf disappearing once more into the confines of their human skin. His teeth turned human, the claws he hadn’t realised had escaped retracted out of his palms, replaced by finger nails once more. His breathing was ragged as he stood there, wolf still on the brink of escape. He closed his eyes and pushed his face into his sister’s neck, inhaling her scent to calm him.

When he stepped out from his sister’s embrace, Clement was over by Alaya’s bedside once more, helping Jeremiah to his feet now his wolf too was pulled back, no longer suffocating those weaker than him.

“Please try to restrain yourselves,” Jeremiah choked out as he caught his breath, other hand on his Alpha as he righted himself.

“I do not know how such a heavy presence will affect her in this state. If you need to bare chests and claws please do so away from her bedside,” he continued as he stood by himself now, glaring at Noah and even at his own Alpha.

“I understand. Fen!” Clement shouted out and as if he has been there the entire time, Fen appeared in the doorway.

“Take our guests to the cells. I feel they have outstayed their welcome.”

Noah’s eyes glowed like luminescent moons, his wolf once again at the forefront, his sister’s scent now not being enough to anchor him. He stepped further away from her side and stared Clement straight in the eye.

“What? We have done everything you have asked. Been subjected to your confusing readings and being confined to a house that’s not ours. Alaya is my mate. I will not leave her,” Noah bellowed, his irises glowing brighter at the threat of being taken from her.

“Fen,” Clement instructed and Fen nodded, hands on Noah before he could even blink. Noah turned towards Fen and pushed his wolf into the air, forgetting everything else apart from the threat to his pack. His wolf snapped at the invisible chains that the Alpha controlled, his hold on Fen slowly disappearing as Noah’s wolf freed him.

“Noah, no!” Neve yelled, diving towards him and grabbing hold of his hand. The motion pulled his attention back towards her and the look in her eyes silently pleaded with him to stop this. Otherwise he wouldn’t be any help to Alaya when she woke. He would be dead.

Noah kept Neve’s gaze as his eyes dimmed, his wolf retreating once more. He sensed as relief flooded her like water as she gripped tight to his hand. She looked behind him at Fen and glared, his hands still on Noah’s arms. Noah turned in his hold and looked at Fen, his eyes looking a little glazed and staring at something in the distance. He watched as Fen shook his head and blinked before meeting his gaze, confusion clear across his face.

“It’s ok we will go,” Neve reassured whilst attempting to pull Fen’s grip from Noah’s arm. He held fast though despite her attempts and she turned back towards Clement, who was still stood on guard in front of Alaya’s bedside. Like they were a threat.

“Is this really necessary? My brother just wants to be with his mate. He hasn’t done anything wrong. She is a part of him now and clearly they are connected. Maybe his presence will aid her?” She reasoned but Noah knew her words were having little to no effect on the Alpha that stood before them, his eyes still full of anger as he glared at them both.

She gripped her brothers hand tighter, her fear and worry flooding their pack bond. She was worried he wouldn’t be strong enough to fight his wolf because the beast inside of him would not like to be separated from his mate, especially not forcefully.

“She needs her pack, her family. And rest,” Clement stated before motioning to Fen to take them. A growl ripped through the room as Noah’s eyes started to shine, a threat all in itself. Neve was suddenly all he could see, turning so she stood in his path, demanding his attention.

“Brother. She needs us,” she urged, clearly hoping that those words would say everything that she couldn’t. And Noah knew she was right, Alaya would need them when she woke and if he fought Clement now they might not survive till that point.

Neve watched as once more his eyes dimmed, like stars fading as the sun rose at dawn. She smiled at him softly and ushered him backwards. His steps were heavy, disjointed, the wolf within him fighting to stay. His eyes searched for Alaya over Neve’s shoulder, a longing that was palpable in the air.

“Its ok,” she soothed, talking more to the beast within him than the brother whose form stood before her. Fen saw their attempts to manoeuvre out of the room and followed suit, guiding Noah by the arms. Forceful but not dragging him, as if mindful of Alaya’s sleeping form on the bed.

“Can I say goodbye?” Noah asked as he was taken to the doorway, a vulnerability in his voice. Clement looked at his daughter lying there helpless and shook his head.

“She needs rest. Perhaps when she wakes.” he offered before Noah fully disappeared into the corridor.