Drew POV

Five months had passed, five whole months and it was still fresh in my mind. Every time I closed my eyes. I could see him dying over and over again. It was the most painful thing I had ever endured.

My mind was constantly centered around 'what ifs' as I played out different scenarios in my head in which my child could have been saved.

What if I had told him,would Andy still be alive?

I realized that I was not only grieving for my child, but also for the loss of my hopes and dreams. He was my everything and I couldn't protect him. I had failed him .

He didn't get to eat that strawberry ice cream he always loved. He didn't get to climb that damn stupid mulberry tree. He didn't get to run around and play like all the pups in the pack did and never will. I was angry and frustrated all the time because I felt so powerless all over again. I felt weak and useless every time I pictured his innocent little face. I was supposed to be his warrior father and I couldn't even do that.

Everyone around me tried to comfort me and help me but there was only so much they could do including Elliot.

In the past, he was my safe haven and my place of comfort but now, as crazy as it sounds I just wanted my mate. Or more so my wolf needed his mate. I had no idea where the sudden need for him came from, but I wanted him to comfort me, to hold me and wipe my tears away. I wanted him to tell me that everything was going to be okay even if we both knew it was far from that.

But despite my constant pleas, they wouldn't let me see him.They kept on telling me that he was no good for me. That I needed time to heal and accept it. But what they didn't understand was, that he was all I needed, and for some reason. I felt like something was wrong, that he was wasn't okay despite Jake telling me he was, I knew he wasn't and yet, no vision came to me.

I closed my eyes and thought about what Andy said before he died. In the early months after it happened it had been difficult for me to accept what my pup had said, but as time went on, I realized he was right.

I just wanted to see him.

In this five months, I wasn't even allowed to see his face. I know I agreed to be separated from him, but that was when I was so angry and broken. I wasn't even thinking straight.

Even though our mating bond wasn't as strong, since I hadn't marked him, but I could tell that he was in as much pain as I was. It was tearing him apart just like it was for me. And I didn't want that. I didn't want him to be carrying the guilt alone. I wanted us to be together, to be better. I wanted us to grieve together..

I wanted us to heal together

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"You okay bud?" My Dad asked from my door.

I rubbed my chest lightly and took a deep breath. I knew my wolf would weaken at being away from his mate but this felt like something entirely different. It was like my life was slowly draining away by the second.

"Yeah.. my chest hurts a little" I said getting up to fetch a glass of water. I took a sip when I started coughing. I felt like I couldn't breath like my lungs were being liquidized. I held my hand to my mouth and coughed.

I felt some moisture and when I took my hand away. I was surprised to see blood on my hands. I coughed up some more onto the floor as I dropped to my knees watching wide eyed all blood split on the floor.

"Jake!! Call Jeremy!" My father yelled as he picked me up. I coughed up more blood as he ran with me in his arms to Jeremy.

"Hunter.." I whispered before I saw blackness.

I woke up with a burning sensation in my chest. I opened my eyes briefly and saw whiteness around me. Being back in this place brought back memories I tried to forget. I closed my eyes tight and took a deep breath.

"How are you feeling?" Jeremy asked.

"Like shit" I said as I tried to sit up. He laughed and helped me up, adjusting me on the edge of the bed so that my legs were dangling off.

"Well.. you look like shit."

"What happened?"

I watched him avoid my gaze as he checked something on the monitor next to me. I felt my heart hammering in my chest at the look he was giving me. I had seen that look before I feared what he was about to tell me.

"It's the mate bond. I told David and Malcom that this was a bad idea, but they insisted on it.." he said shaking his head as he removed the drip from my arm.

"What do you mean?"

"Mated wolves can't be separated. It's the law of nature. It's been taking a toll on both of your bodies. You might have been able to live separately for five months, but I think it's reached its peak now.. both your wolves are dying slowly he was brought in here a couple weeks ago by Jake, with the same symptoms, only his was a bit worse, he hadn't been eating or sleeping at all. He was physically weak and well for him, it was a matter of days before his wolf died completely.." Jeremy said sitting down on the chair. I could tell he was withholding something from me, and the worried look on his face told me I was right.

"What else are you not telling me?" I asked as I looked at him look at his hands.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you this Drew. You've been asleep for a day due to the shock your wolf had, and the information might do harm to you." He said, making me worry even more.

"Jeremy what happened? Tell me, what's going on?"

He looked up at me, then back down at his hands. I could see his lip trembling at wanting to cry, and it scared me. Jeremy had always been a tough wolf, and to see him look like this terrified me at what he was going to say.

"You're all like my children Drew. I delivered every single one of you, and watched all of you grow up. To see any one of you like that, tears me apart, despite what he did. He was just a kid and he didn't deserve that, not like that." He said as his voice shook and tears rolled down his face.

"Jeremy what's going on. What happened?" I asked as I felt my heart hammering in my chest.

"Hunter, he.. they found.. he" he stuttered as he looked down. I widened my eyes at what I was hearing and took his hand in my own.

"Hunter what! What happened to him! Where is he!" I asked as I felt my panic arise in my chest.

"A few of the warriors were patrolling the boarders last night when they smelt blood. A lot of it. They tracked it about a meter from the boarder when they found his body." He said. I gasped and shook my head as I dropped his hand. My eyes wide with shock as everything froze in me.

"His wolf was dead and they couldn't hear his heartbeat. He had been attacked by rouges while he was weak and couldn't fight them off, but when I saw him, something told me he didn't want to fight to them off. He had was broken Drew, completely. I had never seen anyone like that before. He was so weak and fragile, just his bones could be seen. I had examined him and had one of the witches check him. He had been given something by one of the rouge witches, something internally weakened him and would kill his wolf, making it easier for him to die too." He said as more tears rolled down his face.

"Our witch also found residue of a bond breaking spell on him. It would explain why he was so weak." He said, causing everything to suddenly feel so cold around me.

"He was.. he.. wa.. he was trying to break our bond?" I asked in a whisper.

I looked at him, too frozen to say anything. I didn't want to believe what he was saying. I couldn't. I didn't want to believe that someone had been taking away from me again. Someone I loved.

"I tried to stop the bleeding and heal him, but without his wolf it was difficult. We had used a great amount of magic to heal him and call his wolf back. But it seems as though his wolf is scared. He wouldn't come back and allow Hunter to heal fully. His wolf needs his other half's assurance and permission. His forgiveness. He needs you now more than ever Drew, because he is dying." He said and looked up at me.

"You have to make a choice, and that choice is entirely up to you. If you choose not to forgive him, he will die, and while that was his choice, this is yours." He said taking my hand.

"I.. Can I see him?" I asked, holding back my own tears.

He nodded and got up from his seat. Helping up from the bed. He unhooked the drips connected to my arms and held my arm, giving me support as he walked toward the door.

"I hadn't told Malcom or David about what happened and had the other warriors remain quiet until I spoke to you." He said. I nodded and held onto him as I walked down the hallway with him to a room. He opened the door and nodded at me. I took a deep breath and walked inside, gasping and choking on a sob at what I saw.

Immediately my heart sank. I could feel myself slowly starting to tremble and sweat forming on my forehead. My hands had begun to shake as I held my breath and looked at Hunter laying lifeless on the bed. He had bandages wrapped around his arms and legs, one around his forehead and wrists. Drips all over his arms as he laid there. To an outsider, he looked dead, but I as I listened closely, I heard his heart beating slowly in his chest.

I walked toward the bed slowly, standing at the edge as a sob passed my lips. The sound waking him up as he opened his eyes slowly and looked around before they landed on me. His blue eyes filling with tears when he saw me. I took a step forward and took his cold hand in mine. I held his hand tightly as tears rolled down my face.

"Hey" I whispered as I reached my hand toward him and moved some of his hair out of his face.

He looked so weak, barely able to look at me. Nothing like the powerful Alpha he had been before. Now, laying here on the edge of life, he looked like a scared little boy. So weak and thin, that his bones were sticking out. His cheeks hollow and pale as he looked at me. Dark circles beneath his eyes that had been drained of the fire he once had. His skin so pale, I could the veins on his neck and chest.

"I'm here. I'm right here." I whispered as I smiled at him, my tears rolling down my face.

"You're going to be okay. I promise. Both of you" I whispered as I placed my hand gently against his chest, trying to feel his wolf. I choked on a sob when I felt nothing, watching him close his eyes as tears rolled down the sides of his face.

He opened them once again, trying to get up. I tried to get him to lay back down, but seeing how broken he was, I couldn't tell him no and instead helped him up. I helped him lean against the headboard of the bed and watched as he looked at me. He raised his hand weakly and touched my wet cheek. He looked into my my eyes as he wiped away a tear, rolling down my face. He shook his head and held my cheek.

"Don't.. not for me." He whispered weakly, looking at me.

I heard Jeremy close the door behind him, leaving us alone. I looked into his eyes, seeing all the pain he was in, and not just from his physical injuries. Pain from within him. The pain of losing his wolf, who he was. The very thing that made us who we were. The pain of dying slowly and it hurt me. Shattered me to see him, once such a strong and powerful wolf, so weak.

"Can.. ca.. can I touch you?" He asked in between his sniffs and sobs, taking a breath after each word. I nodded and tried to hold back my tears at seeing him in so much pain.

"Please" I whispered. He closed the distance between us that felt life lifetimes apart, and leaned toward me slowly wrapped his thin and frail arms around me as he sobbed and shook.

I let my head rest in the crook of his neck and inhaled his scent. I missed it so much. I felt the tears drop and wet his shoulders as I cried. I wrapped my arms around his much slender waist and squeezed him, feeling his bones through the robe he wore. I closed my eyes and thought about what our son said.

Flashback...

He placed his tiny palm on the side of my face, pulling me towards him whispering in my ear.

"This isn't anyone's fault Daddy."

Flashback ended....

I held onto him tightly as I cried. Feeling his thin body shake against me as he held me. He pulled away from me slightly and placed his weak palms on the side of face. He wiped away my tears with his thumbs and placed his forehead on mine.

"I'm so sorry.. I'm sorry for everything I did. I know it will never fix anything, but I'm so sorry." he said with his forehead placed on mine. His body shaking with each sob that left his lips. I nodded and held his wrists.

" I know. I know you are. I know." I whispered and looked into his eyes. I leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his forehead.

"I forgive you Hunter. I forgive you both. I forgive you for everything, so please, please come back to me." I whispered, hoping that his wolf would hear me.

He looked at me wide eyed, his bottom lips shaking as tears filled his blue eyes and rolled down his cheeks. He stared at me wide eyed, unable to say anything as I took his hands in my own and pressed a kiss against his body hand before I looked into his eyes once more.

He leaned in and so did I, gently placing my lips against his, holding his face. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around him, careful not hurt his weak body.

That was the first time I had ever kissed him since we were mated. I had never ever felt anything more amazing than I did in that moment. It felt like nothing I could ever describe. Such an electrical feeling shot through me as every nerve in my body felt him. Felt the need to be near him, to hold him, to show him what I felt for him. I felt him hesitating against me, terrified of what was happening. I pulled him against me and deepened the kiss, feeling him allow me to do what I wanted. I hadn't taken it further than that and just pressed my lips against his.

I gasped at the feeling of something warm within him, something that he had felt too. He looked at me wide eyed as he placed his hand on his chest and looked down at it. I smiled at him, feeling the sudden movement within him and leaned forward, placing a kiss against his forehead.

"You're going to be okay. I promise." I whispered and ran my fingers through his hair.

I removed my hands from his waist and ran my fingers down his chest and under his shirt. Trying to feel the space on his chest, most connected to our wolves. I ran them across his bony sides, feeling his ribs sticking out. I felt the warm spot against his chest and sighed in relief. I jolted when I heard the door slamming open and turned around to see my father growl.

" Get the hell away from him" My Dad yelled from the doorway, making us both flinch. I turned my head and saw that Hunter had dropped his hands and moved away from me, flinching as he looked away.

. My Dad came rushing to me and held my face, turning it from side to side, looking at me up and down and checking me.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you??" He said looking at me with so much worry in his eyes.

" No Dad, he didn't He didn't do anything. He's the one laying on the bed fighting for his life." I said, taking my father's hands off me.

My Dad narrowed his eyes almost like he didn't believe me and glanced at Hunter who sitting upright in bed looking at his fingers.

"What happened to him?" My father asked, his guard still up.

"A lot. I don't really want to go into the details." I said as I glanced at Hunter who still wouldn't look at me and had gone back to being silent, occasionally lifting his hand up to wipe at his eyes and nose before he would look down at his fingers again.

"Good, because we're going back. You can't be here with him alone. Did you forget what he did!" My said, and reached for my hand to pull me out.

Please Dad. Let me go with him. Let me be with him. He needs me." I said as I gently yanked my hand out of his grasp. I saw from the corner of my eye, Hunter's head turned to look at me slightly before he looked away again.

"Absolutely not.. we've spoken about this already , you -"

"Please Dad, he's dying. He needs me as much as I need him. Please." I said looking at my father in the eyes.

"Please, I love him.."

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