Micah

My relief that Hannah won the fight was short lived when I saw her collapse on the ground.

"Why isn't she healing?" My dad asks as he runs towards her.

"Because Jasmine had fucking silver on her claws." I tell him as I reach her, lifting her into my arms.

"Why didn't you stop the fight!?" My dad screams and I scowl at him, a low growl erupting from my chest.

"Hannah didn't want me to. She wanted to prove how strong she is. And she did." I tell him firmly. He nods once and I stand, shifting on the spot.

I lean down over her and begin to lick her wounds. The silver tastes bitter and burns my tongue, but I continue licking her stomach, sides and face. It feels like hours, but is likely only minutes as I continue my efforts, spitting saliva and blood mixed with silver on the ground She eventually shifts back, and my wolf growls low as we hover over her, hiding her naked body from the spectators. The pack members begin to scurry, Dustin the only one left still staring at Jasmine's mangled wolf.

"Micah!" My mom yells. I look at her and see she has a large blanket. I lift off of Hannah slightly and my mom puts the blanket over her.

"We need to get her in a shower to get the silver from her wounds." She says and I nod, shifting back. She hands me a pair of shorts and I dress quickly before lifting Hannah gently in my arms. She groans a little at the movement and stirs slightly, letting her head fall on my shoulder. Seeing her move makes my wolf calm a little.

I run to the packhouse with her and up to her room. My mom flips on the shower and I pull the blanket off of Hannah before carrying her in the bathroom.

"Would she be ok with you seeing her like this?" My mom asks as she eyes Hannah worriedly.

"Don't worry. It's nothing I haven't seen before." I tell her, trying to muster a cocky smile, but all I feel is worry. My mom smiles a little and nods as I step into the shower, sitting on the ground with Hannah in my lap.

"I can't believe Jasmine would stoop so low. What was she thinking?" My mother seethes as she soaps a washcloth for Hannah.

"She wasn't thinking, mom. All she wanted was power and thought she could use me to get it. She wanted to kill Hannah because she thought we would be second chance mates." I scoff and my mother sighs heavily.

"As awful as it sounds, I'm not particularly upset she's gone." My mom whispers conspiratorially and I manage a small smile.

"You and me both."

We wash Hannah gently, her groaning and hissing in pain as we cleanse her wounds. My skin stings where the silver runs out of her and over my body as it washes down the drain. Once we've cleaned her as much as possible, I curl Hannah's body to give her more privacy as my mom stands and watches me hold Hannah close, letting the warm water trail over her body. I kiss her forehead before licking the wounds on her face some more.

"I'm so proud of you, Micah." Mom murmurs as she watches us affectionately. I look up at her with furrowed brows.

"Why?" I ask and she sighs before running her fingers through Hannah's hair. She has always looked at Hannah as a daughter. I guess it makes sense now, she was probably feeling a familial bond that I had no idea was present. It's not as common, but my mother is a powerful Luna.

"You have been so good to Hannah, trying to make up for the way you treated her. You're taking your Alpha duties more seriously, picking Griffin as Beta was an excellent choice. I know you've been training harder as well. You look bigger, stronger. You're turning into the Alpha your father and I always knew you could be." She says firmly and my heart feels full at her praise. I smile at her and look back at Hannah.

"It's all because of her." I murmur and my mother shakes her head.

"No. You always had these things inside of you. Hannah just helped bring them out. That's what good mates do. Help you be the best version of yourself." She says and I feel a little sad for a moment.

"How could I possibly make Hannah better than she is?" I ask and my mother giggles a little.

"Hannah is going to need your help to come out of her shell. Do you remember when you two were children? She was so loud, outgoing, never stopped talking. She was already a little Luna. She lost that a little along the way. Curled in on herself. She will need your help to win the pack over. She has already proven herself worthy of the position. She is fierce and intelligent. She will be an excellent partner for you. Now she just needs to work on the... softer side of things. I know you two will be excellent leaders. Together you can do things for this pack your father and I have always hoped for." She finishes before leaning forward and kissing my forehead and standing.

"I think that's enough water. Let's get her dressed and into bed. She'll be sore when she wakes." I nod and stand, my mother wrapping a towel around Hannah.

We dress her gently and tuck her into bed. I peel off the soaking wet shorts I wore in the shower with Hannah and dress comfortably before laying next to her.

"Are you hungry, love?" My mom asks running her fingers through my hair like she did when I was I child. I shake my head, not taking my eyes off of Hannah.

"No. I'm worried, Mom. She'll be ok, right?" I ask desperately. For a moment I was transported back to eight years old, needing my mother's assurance that the world wouldn't implode on me. She nods while eyeing me warmly.

"She'll be just fine. She's strong. Her wounds have already started to heal. Just stay close to her. The presence of your mate increases healing and reduces pain. She needs you." She says, patting my shoulder before leaving the room quietly.

"You have me, sweetness." I murmur in Hannah's ear, kissing her cheek. "Forever."

I wrap my arms around her, pulling her to rest on my chest. She lets out a quiet sigh of contentment before nuzzling her face into my chest. We lay like that for hours, me just waiting for her to wake up. The longer she sleeps the more worried I become. But I can see her wounds healing in front of me. The scratches on her face are gone without a mark, the gashes on her abdomen are nearly closed. I reach out to our bond and feel a little pain from her, but it's not nearly as painful as it was before.

I'm curious to see what happens when she wakes up. I swore there was a moment during the fight where I felt our connection intensify. Our bond heated up within me and simmered with power. It was incredible. I felt so connected to her in that moment I could practically hear her thoughts.

As the afternoon waned, she began to stir against me. I rubbed her back gently, trying to coax her out of sleep. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, her eyes flitted open and she looked around nervously.

"Well hello there, sleeping beauty." I tease, kissing her forehead gently. She smiles before she gasps at the contact and looks up at me with wide eyes.

"What's wrong? Are you ok? Are you in pain anywhere?" I ask, loosening my grip in case I'm hurting her. She shakes her head, but doesn't say anything. Instead, she skates her palm over my bare chest gently, making me shiver at the contact.

She looks up at me and smiles before grabbing my hand and placing my palm on her cheek, closing her eyes and nuzzling into my hand. I look at her confused. She opens her eyes and must see it on my face as she giggles.

"Micah. The bond. It's... back." She says quietly, her voice hoarse. I hand her a bottle of water that she drinks greedily as I think over her words.

"But you haven't marked me." I muse and she shrugs.

"I don't know. I can't explain it. All I know is that the bond snapped back into place. I felt it. And it saved me." She says and my eyes widen in shock.

"How did it save you?" I ask and she burrows further into me, wrapping her arms around me securely.

"When it reconnected, I felt a surge of energy from you. It gave me the strength I needed to defeat her, to push her off of me." She looks up at me with a beaming smile and bright eyes as I digest her words. "You saved me, Micah."