Chapter 63: What are you doing?

~Alexander~

"What-" Alexander swallows thickly when his voice cracks, "what are you talking about?"

"Your mother has hypertensive kidney disease," Tremaine says, looking mildly sympathetic.

He has to wonder what kind of expression he has on to make her show such a foreign emotion. Whatever it is, it certainly doesn't come close to the whirlwind of emotions he can't even pinpoint going on within. "What?" How does a werewolf get hypertension?

"Hypertension is apparently hereditary in our family."

Say what now?

Tremaine shakes her head. "It's not a natural phenomena because your mother isn't human. That's why it's taking a while to find her a suitable kidney. Even in this hospital that caters to the supernatural and humans, it's proving difficult."

Still unable to fathom the information, Alexander leans on the wall when his knees feel weak. This is his mother they're talking about. That woman never sits still. She's carefree and although she doesn't have the healthiest lifestyle, she's a werewolf for God's sake! And a beta at that. "But she's always travelling around on vacations, partying, having relaxing spa sessions and yoga classes-"

"When did she actually start yoga classes, Alexander?"

He frowns. "Four months ago." What does that have to do with anything?

“That's when she found out.”

Alexander deflates. That's also when she started getting pushy about him finding a mate and putting a stop to his contract relationships. He thought it was weird that her trips started getting shorter and she kept pestering him to hang out with her. "Wha-" he stutters, rubbing his forehead, "why didn't she tell me?" He asks, his head already throbbing.

"She didn't want you to worry. Werewolves rarely have transplants but your mother needs one. Dialysis isn't doing much good because it isn't made for her body composition. It can't filter magical components and offer balance when she shifts. She has been on special experimental therapy with research witch doctors to survive until they find a donor and perform the surgery," his aunt explains, looking equally stressed and increasingly worried.

If what she needs is a donor, then, "What about mine? I could be a match," he continues despite both Robert's and Tremaine's disapproving frown. "Why don't they run tests on me?"

Robert shakes his head. "Your mother wouldn't want that-"

"What she wants is of no consequence. I'm not losing the only parent I have," he says firmly, not about to let anyone change his mind. His father has never been a parent to him. Just a symbol of everything he hates about himself. He refuses to be stuck with someone like that. Why do bad things always happen to good people? What did his mother ever do other than love and shield him from harm? What did she ever do to the moon goddess or any other deity up there for her to deserve this kind of fate?

"Alexander-" Tremaine gets cut off when the doctor comes out of the emergency room.

"Doctor. What's her condition?" Alexander asks, trying to get a read on the middle aged man's expression. It seems fairly neutral. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

"She's stable now."

Collective sighs of relief fill the waiting room.

Alexander places his hand on his chest, finally able to breathe without a lump in his throat. Oh thank God.

"She had a stroke," the doctor continues. "Luckily there's no paralysis but her right kidney is completely damaged and her left is barely holding on. We'll try our best to come up with more potent and innovative potions to stabilize her cells but the full moon is in a week and if she doesn't find a donor by then, she'll shift and die."

"Doctor, can I get tested to donate the kidney for my mother?" He asks, ignoring Tremaine's glare.

"What's your hierarchy, young man?"

"I'm an Alpha," he answers, wondering if his higher hierarchy would guarantee a higher chance of success.

"I'm sorry, sir but your kidney will do more harm than good. Your mother's a beta. Having your magic within her will only overwhelm her and kill her," the doctor smiles sympathetically.

Of course it would be the opposite.

"We'll have to find a beta whose magic resonates with her own," the middle aged man says.

Alexander turns to his aunt. "What about you, Aunt Maine?"

She shakes her head. "I'm not a match. I went through the test."

Okay. "What about the others?"

"They're not aware," Robert pipes up, seeming to have the same idea as Alexander.

"Your mother didn't tell them. The only reason I know is because she collapsed in front of me two months back," Tremaine explains. "That's why I stayed back to take care of her. Your other aunts have left."

"Not for long." Alexander pats his pocket. "Shit," he curses, vaguely remembering Daisy mention something about his phone. He must have dropped it back at the art gallery in his haste. "Robert, give me your phone."

The butler immediately pulls out his phone and hands it to him.

Logging into his telegram account on the butler's phone, Alexander goes to their family group chat.

Tremaine raises a brow at her nephew's actions. "What are you doing?"

"Saving my stubborn mule of a mother's life," he answers her. Turning to the doctor with his thumb hovering over the voice recording button, he asks, "Doctor, how long does the compatibility test take?"

"A few hours. Usually it doesn't take that long but it's not a simple blood test that's involved, we'll have to perform magical compatibility tests too."

"It's more likely to have compatible matches with family, right?"

The doctor has a quizzical frown on his face, still not seeing where Alexander is going with this. "You are correct. Why?"

He doesn't answer the doctor but holds down the voice recording button. "All of you listen up. It's Alexander. Mum is sick and being an idiot. I don't care where you are or what you're doing. Get your asses back to New York and find Plaxi Med hospital within twenty four hours if you don't want her to die."

Finally getting it, a smile slowly brims on Tremaine's face.

"Aunt Janice and Mel, you have a knack for being late. If anything happens to my mum because of your tardiness, I promise you a century and a half of misery," Alexander concludes, sending the voice note.

"Jesus Christ, kid," Robert lets out in pure shock, taking his phone back from the young Alpha.

Tremaine on the other hand has a proud smile on her face. "And now we wait."

×××

~Daisy~

Alexander, the runner.

Alexander, the deserter.

Alexander, the fucking asshole!

Alexander, the one who looked like saw a ghost before he left her with his black Ford Mustang.

Alexander, the one she's so worried about but she can't call because the idiot left his phone behind.

Ale-fucking-xander Bane, her mate whose address she doesn't even know so she can't visit him to see if he's fine.

Daisy's ears ring when someone taps the mic in the middle of the huge hall. She rolls her eyes when she sights her boss, Mr. Randy.

"Welcome to the second investment fund launch of Kramer. Co where client satisfaction and returns is guaranteed," he says, his annoying voice resounding through the speakers.

Daisy claps half heartedly with the crowd, taking a sip out of her red wine as she surveys the room. She knows it's stupid to think she would find Alexander amongst the crowd but she does it anyway. The haunted look in his eyes last night is firmly ingrained into her mind. Whatever news he got on that call must have been so terrifying to make him freak out like that.

"Yes, yes. Thank you very much," Mr. Randy chuckles, his bullshit business smile on. "It seems like only yesterday I started this great organisation over ten years ago-"

Blocking out every other thing the man says, Daisy signals a waiter to refill her glass. It was probably not a good idea to drink too much but there's no way she's getting through this night completely sober. Raising her glass to her lips, she sights a familiar redhead in a torquise blue dinner gown and black heels across the hall close to the entrance. The redhead is handing brochures and stock lists to those coming into the hall.

Abbie wasn't the one given that duty so she must have been covering for someone. Nevertheless Daisy knows the girl has been avoiding her all night.

Daisy hesitates a moment before making her way towards the girl. She doesn't get halfway across when the redhead sights her and immediately hands the brochures to someone else. "Abbie," Daisy calls, trying to get to the girl who is making her way to the sound unit. "Abbie-" she pauses when she bumps into someone. "I am so sorry. I-" looking up to find familiar blazing hazel eyes, she sighs exasperatedly. "Gabriel, get out of my way."