Chapter 47
**Adam’s POV**
I know as the next Alpha of this pack I should stay by my warriors side till the battle is won and I know my people are safe. My thoughts though are consumed by the frail body I’m clutching to my chest. “Ezra, I’m putting you in charge, once Dark Claw has surrendered, bring our wolves home.”
I should stay, see through that we are victorious but I can not, and as my head warrior I know Ezra is capable. So once I give the order I round the cottage and see a beat up yellow pick-up truck with a rusted tray sitting in the driveway. The doors were left wide open, I’m assuming that whomever it is likely one of the pathetic wolves that are being torn apart by my warriors. I mutter a quiet prayer of thanks to the goddess as I see the keys still sitting in the ignition, I know how to hard wire it, but that would take time that Roman doesn't have.
The truck has five seats, so I gently lay my little mate across the back seat, and then hightail it out of this awful place. Speeding so fast that clouds of dust pick up on these dirt roads that cut through the woodlands that werewolves hide their packs in.
With my mind and body in overdrive I have no idea how long the journey home took. Every second that ticks by feels like an hour, what I do know is the strained breaths I hear Roman take have gotten slower and weaker.
I hit the brakes hard and they scream in protest as I pull up right out front of the pack hospital where I am greeted by both Dr. Muller and Dr. Pearce who help me load Roman on a stretcher. We all rush into the white, sterile building into the emergency surgery wing where I am held back by several nurses. “No, let me stay by his side, please, I need to keep him safe”
“You need to let the doctors work Alpha Adam, and they can’t do that if you are in a panic and getting in the way. We will do everything we can to save him, go home, take a shower and tell his family that you brought him home” an older nurse says gently as the two male nurses hold me back by my arms. Nurse Yvonne holds my gaze, placing a hand on my shoulder till I stop fighting against the staff. Eventually they all let go of me and under the suggestion of Yvonne, I go straight to the pack house.
Upon reaching the residence, both Romeo and Anne greet me. By the looks of it, both have sat anxiously on the porch awaiting our return. I run straight up to them trying to find the words to tell them the situation but I choke on the words. “Did you find him?”
I nod at the Luna’s question and she almost yells out her next question. “Did you bring him home?”
Once again all I can manage to do is nod, Roman would know what to say, If Roman was by my side, I would have the strength to know what to say. “Is he alive?”
They see the clear hesitation in my body language before I nod again but regardless both Anne and Romeo latch on to me, Anne crying into my side Romeo wraps his arms around me so tightly I feel as if he will crush me. “I don’t know if I was too late, he is getting operated on right now. He was barely breathing”
“Our boy is strong, we have to have faith in him and the Goddess. Go wash that blood off you and we will tell your siblings that Roman is home, then we can all go to the hospital together” the calm command of the Alpha is slightly undercut by his worry for Roman, but slight waver in his tone doesn’t take away from what a strong leader he is even during the worst of times.
I pull the disgusting, ratty shorts that I found in the pick-up off my body and jump straight into the shower. I try to clean the mix of grime and blood from my tanned skin, scrubbing until my epidermis is sensitive and red.
As I get dressed I assess my injuries from today, only a few bruises and the three angry claw marks reaching from my shoulder blade to my lower back. All the injuries already show clear signs of healing so I disregard them and waste no time pulling on some clean clothes before rushing downstairs.
Gathered by the door to leave the pack house is Romeo, Anne, Luca and Logan. As soon as I approach, my little brother flings his arms around me and cries into my shoulder. “You saved my friend! I’m so sorry for how I treated you Adam, I was just so sad and angry-”
“It’s okay” I cut off Luca’s rambling. Knowing he will keep going till he is out of breath. So I just return the hug till Logan gently pulls him out of my arms. “Come on, we should go check on Roman, Thea’s friend is going to walk her to the clinic”
Logan says softly and two weeks ago I would have wanted to beat the kid for taking my brother away from me, or been shocked by the way he has given Althea a nickname, but Logan has been a great support for my siblings while I couldn’t. Long gone is the prick that bullied my mate, in his place is a young man who is concerned about the man he loves, and that man's family.
So the five of us pile into the Luna’s large black SUV and make the short drive to my mate. None of us spoke a word, too worried about Roman whose fate is unknown.