Chapter XXVI

Atlas

I felt terrible for what happened last night. I have had nightmares like that since my Mother died. Last night was different than the ones before though.

It was not about the night I watched vampires tear through my Mom and then take her body with them just so my Dad could not bury his wife.

No, it was about another haunting incident of my short life. The thought of it brought a sensation of guilt and nausea to my throat. I was overwhelmed with it. I was reliving it like it was happening all over again in the hospital room I was in. I couldn't move.

Everly's comforting touch must have awoken Helix to protect us from what my mind was circulating. I did not feel the tingles of my skin touching hers or the butterflies she gave me when looking at me. All I felt was fear. Fear of one of the worst nights happening to me again.

It scared me that I was so distracted by my fear that I had harmed Everly.

I couldn't let that happen again.

"Isn't that right, Alpha Atlas?" Declan nudged me back to reality. He was walking alongside me through the training ground as we had a meeting with an allied pack.

"Right," I cleared my throat and made sure to pay more attention to the conversation.

I was nearly pulling my hair out halfway through this meeting. Thank Goddess my Father and Beta were able to attend.

Declan was lucky enough to have Ellie trailing behind us trying not to be caught by me. I didn't care. It was amusing to me how every time I would turn in her direction, she would jump and hide somewhere. The Midnight Sun Alpha was nothing but an old man who would not give up his title so I paid attention to her antics more than him.

He was stuck in the old ways and ran his pack like they used to back in the day. Wives were to sit and not speak while the males worked and did whatever they wanted. Everly would've ripped his head off his shoulders if she heard the way he spoke about women.

"Alpha!" I heard Fin from behind me as we all were walking through the training grounds. I smiled thinking that my mate made him come grab me for her but when I spun around she was nowhere in sight. He held a file on the Stone River Pack and handed it to me. I growled at him, he was embarrassing me in front of another Alpha. "What is this for, Fin? Where is my Mate?"

He looked at me like I was crazy and pointed at the file. "That's the one you wanted right? The blue one?" He caught his breath as he had just run a marathon. "She's where you ordered what's his face to take her to. Remember? While I got your file you needed,"

My heart stopped. I couldn't even try to control Helix as Fin's words sunk into me. "What the fuck are you talking about? Who fucking took Everly?! Declan go get a scent for her and find her!"

He jumped backward from me as my Father got between us. The other Alpha was taken back by my outburst. I had no time to apologize, nor did I care to.

Declan shifted without another word and took off in the direction he must have sensed her most at.

"Some new warrior, Alpha! He said you planned something for her at the waterfall. She seemed to know what he meant by fixing your mistakes so I let her go! I am so sorry!"

Before anyone could say anything else, I ran. I ran as hard as I could despite the dull pain I still felt in my thigh from the arrow.

I had to find her. She could be in extreme danger and not even know it. I couldn't mindlink her or Josh. Helix was snapping his jaws and snarling at the thought. I had to try to keep him back. I needed a clear head to get to her.

My father was right behind me as we continued towards her scent.

Who was stupid enough to request something on my behalf, especially when it came to Everly?

"Someone with a death wish," Helix was on the verge of going ballistic. "I will kill their family while they watch if one hair on her head is harmed."

He pushed forward making a snarl bounce from my chest but I grabbed the restraints that I have been building. "We have to stay calm, Helix. That is the only way we will find her."

Just as the bank of the lake got into view, a pain unlike any that I had experienced spread in my heart and throughout my whole body. I screamed and fell to the ground. It was worse than shifting for the first time, it felt like every single fiber of my body was being torn apart.

"Atlas!" My Dad howls, pulling me into his arms. "What's wrong?"

"I ca-can't," I struggled to breathe much less talk. "I-it hurts,"

Helix was on the ground as well, whimpering in pain. I had never experienced anything like this before. He looked like a puppy being tortured.

"Aly!" I heard my sister's footsteps and saw her slide into my view. Their faces started to blur together as I tried to breathe.

"Where does it hurt, son? We will figure it out," He tried to make me focus but I could feel myself going in and out.

"E-every where," I gasped and held onto my Dad's shirt as an anchor.

That's when I heard it. Declan was screaming for help and Ellie was sobbing on the grass. Declan held my entire world in his hands until he laid her on the grass. He started performing CPR on my Mate's small blue body and I could not look away as the pain surged through me.

Artemis pulled my head into her lap as she cried looking over at Declan. She was trying her best to comfort me by playing with my hair as she used to when we were kids. Another yell left my lips as I felt a sharp throb stab me in the chest.

My Dad was even tearing up as he grabbed my face. "My boy, listen to me. Everything will be okay. I love you so much. Do you understand me?"

I grunted out a whine and he folded on top of me in a hug. "Please take him too, Moon Goddess. He does not deserve what happens if you survive your mate's death! Please take him too!" He prayed into my chest.

What was happening? What is he talking about?

"She is dying, Atlas." Helix stopped when we were both knocked down by another wave. "He wants us to go with her."

"Why?" I choked back a yelp as I was stabbed once more.

Helix recovered but did not get up this time. "Living after your Mate dies is worse than being tortured in the Underworld."

"I don't understand. Dad is fine, he grieved but he is fine."

Helix wanted to give up. He could not stand to see Everly like this. "You do not see what he goes through every night or every morning. It's okay Atlas, we can see her in the stars."

The suffering started to lessen and I looked over to Everly to see Declan still working on her. "No!" Helix barked. "The Moon Goddess won't take us! Why won't she take us?"

I did not want to live in a world without her. She was my light, and I wouldn't be able to survive. I would feel this torment forever if it meant there was a chance for her to come back to me. "Everly!" I called to her, trying to somehow snap her out of death's grips.

The ache in my body was going away. It needed to stay. Helix has gone completely silent at the fact we were feeling better.

I picked myself up enough to crawl over to her. She was so peaceful, but her unnatural color reminded me she was slipping away. As the soreness in my body got less and less, the more I pleaded for anyone to help her.

I had so many plans, I had so much to make up for. It was not fair.

My lungs stopped functioning when Declan let his hands come off her chest. He brought his empty eyes to me and shook his head.

My beautiful, caring, independent mate was fading and there was nothing I could do about it. Flashes of her face and laughs crossed my mind as I fell to the ground next to her.

What was I going to tell Josh?

"No!" Artemis exclaimed. She pushed Declan out of the way. "Everly listen to me!" She cried putting her hands onto Everly's chest. "I haven't got to tell you the stupid knock-knock joke I heard today. Or that I love you for sticking up for me. Or that I am so sorry for being shitty to you,"

Artemis was continuing viciously and the agony completely vanished. Just like that, it was gone.

Her obsession with Frappuccinos was gone.

Her big smile shone after she just told the worst joke on this planet was gone.

The redness in her cheeks after we kissed was gone.

She was gone.

Anger filled my veins to replace the agony. I snarled out with Helix gone completely still, my fists met the ground beneath me multiple times.

My shoulders shook as a sob racked through me. Helix was shaking violently. A giant hole was just ripped through our chests, taking our hearts with it.

"Please don't leave me," I begged, grabbing her hand leaning off of the ground.

Her head shook with each pump Artemis gave her. I wished that she would just open her brilliant green orbs and yell at me for being an asshole yesterday.

How could the Moon Goddess be so cruel? I had only spent a month and a half with her.

A gasp pulled us all out of the daze we were in. Artemis yelped and pushed Everly over on her side to help get the water from her lungs.

I pulled her into my arms, keeping her hair out of her face as she vomited water up.

She is breathing.

I felt the hole fill with warmth as she clung to me. "Oh, baby," I hiccuped a cry and rubbed her shoulders. "You're okay. I got you, you're okay," I reassured her.

She let out a whimper and clawed at my arm holding it in place as she caught her breath.

Artemis had her mouth covered with her hand as she let out shaky cries. Ellie was on the ground with Declan. He was holding her and a few tears fell from his own eyes.

My Father stood there in shock but shook it away coming over to check on Everly. He flipped her over in my arms and looked at her face. He checked her eyes and the cut that was bleeding on her head. "Atlas, get her to the hospital!" He ordered and picked up my sister from the ground.

Helix barked out and for once did not fight me over control in a dire situation. I picked up Everly's shaking body and kissed her forehead reminding her that I was right there with her. The entire way there, she was coughing and grunting.

I knew she was in pain. It drove Helix and me to work together to get her there as soon as possible. He drove a kick into my step and I kept both our emotions in check.

"We are almost there, my love. Hold on," I whispered into her hair as I cleared the tree line next to the hospital.

I kicked the door in and made a few wolves run away frightened, "I need a doctor now!"

Instantly there were doctors and helpers everywhere. I laid Everly on a gurney and they rushed away with her.

A few hours passed and I was sitting in the same spot that the doctors left me. Every once in a while Declan, Ellie, Dad, or Artemis would mindlink me asking if she was okay. I had the same answer every time. I have no idea.

"Alpha," a voice said to my right. I lifted my head to see Dr. Riley standing next to me.

"Dr. Riley," I stood to greet her with a handshake. She accepted and bowed.

"So the girl you brought in today. What were her name, age, and your relationship?" She asked, pulling out a notepad and a piece of paper.

"Her name is Everly Ford, she is twenty-one and I am her mate," I say anxiously.

A smile lifted on her face. "Okay," She plopped her pen and notebook into her pocket and looked up at me. "She is fine. She has a slight concussion and we are keeping her overnight for monitoring her lungs. She is extremely lucky. It is a miracle she is not struggling after being dead that long but, we see miracles every day. So take this as a win Alpha and go see your mate," She patted my arm and began to walk off. "Oh, she is going to be in and out with the medication we gave her for her head. But she should be fine to visit," She gave a small wave and disappeared down the hall.

I was in utter shock. I fell into my chair and just stared out the window. She's okay. Everly is fine. I silently thanked the Moon Goddess as I brought my hands to my face.

"Aly!" Artemis rushed me with tear-stained cheeks. "What's wrong?"

"She has a concussion," I say in a monotone voice, still not believing it myself. My Dad and sister looked at me to continue with the diagnosis. I glanced up at them and smiled. "That's it, she is fine. She has a slight concussion,"

"Well, get up and go see her boy!" My dad playfully growled at me and pushed my head. That seems to catch my brain up to speed. I shot up and walked to the front desk, telling the lady Everly's name. Once I got the number, I ran to her room. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion.

She is okay.

I got to the door before Artemis smashed me up against it. I groaned out "What are you doing? You're not seeing her right now,"

She growled at me and pressed my body further up against the door. "I am seeing her. I saved her!"

My Dad rounded the corner looking for Artemis. He snarled at both of us to behave and pulled us back from the door. "Artemis, I get you want to see her but Atlas needs to see her first. We can come back whenever Everly wants us to,"

"But Dad-" She tried to protest. He gave her the glare we have grown to know and be scared of.

"I will give you updates as soon as we get them," I tried to reason with her.

"Atlas?" A voice said my name from the room. Helix nearly took over right there. Her angelic tone brought vibrations to my body unlike anything in this life could. A shiver shot straight up my back and I embraced the feeling.

"Give her a hug for me," My Dad whispered and drugged Artemis away.

It was like the first time seeing her, she stole everything from me and suddenly she was the only thing holding me together. I pushed Helix away with ease and ran to her. When my hands touched her warmed cheeks, I crashed my lips onto hers.

She smiled against my lips and I took that opportunity to deepen the kiss a bit. Her body melted into mine and held me like I was the one needing comforting.

Maybe I was.

Her hands went to my cheek as she broke the kiss. Her big green eyes went right through me. "Can you go get my hair straightener?"

She was seriously worried about her hair right now?

I pulled away from her completely and looked at her head. It was wrapped in a towel and I gave her a weird look before trying to peek underneath it.

"Nuh-uh!" Everly called as her eyes got heavy. "You can't see the Medusa snakes,"

"Okay, I won't look. I am not leaving though. I do not care if the Moon Goddess herself requested my presence," I whispered and kissed her nose. "Your hair can not be that bad,"

"Promise you won't laugh?" She asked me in a mumble.

"My love," I pulled her face into my hands. "You have no idea how grateful I am that you are even in front of me right now. I would get on the ground and eat off the floor if you told me to. So no, I will not laugh unless it is a ridiculous joke you always tell and want me to laugh,"

She gave me a small smile and lifted the towel from her hair. I had never seen anything like it. It was tight waves like the ocean and they framed her face so beautifully. "I straighten it every morning, I have no idea how it is still this curly,"

I picked up one of the strands and pulled it. "I like it much better this way," I released the curl and watched it bounce back into place. "You are so beautiful," I said and she yawned. "And so sleepy. Lay down. I'll be here when you wake up," I helped her lay down and took the spot next to her.

"Thank you, Atlas," She said into my shirt as she cuddled into my chest.

"For what, my love?" I asked in a whisper and played with her hair trying to soothe her into sleep.

"For always being there,"

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