Thirty

Whisper woke up in a car, completely disoriented and confused. She tried to sit up, but her body felt like it weighed ten times than usual. Her mind felt foggy and her eyes were blurry. Of course, she was still tired, but that wasn't what was wrong with her at all. "Zane?"

"What is it?" he whispered from somewhere beside her. She moaned and tried pull herself up but failed. "Whisper, can you tell me what's wrong?" she heard.

"I feel…" How did she feel? "Zane, I don't feel right!"

Warm hands cupped her face. "What doesn't feel right, Whisper?"

"Everything!" she groaned. "I can't see straight, my body is heavy, and I don't know where I am!"

Whisper heard the click of something, then she was pulled onto Zane's lap. "Relax, Little Wolf. I'm here."

"I'm scared," she cried softly.

"I know," he said and kissed her. "I know." He just held her for a moment before she heard him say, "Nico, there is something wrong. She's burning up."

"Do you think she's sick?"

"I don't know, but this is escalating fast."

Whisper squirmed again, trying to get comfortable. "I'll turn on some cool air," she heard Nico say. Suddenly, cold air was coming from above her and onto her face. She shivered and squirmed some more, moaning.

"We're almost home," Zane whispered to her. "Just hold on."

"I can't!"

"Please, Whisper. Just a few more minutes."

For the next half hour, Whisper moaned and tossed her head from side to side while Zane whispered in her ear. Nico drove as fast as he could, but it didn't seem fast enough. The girl would just moan louder as every minute or so passed. Finally, Anton got the idea to call Truent and handed the phone to Zane.

"She's overheated, saying she feels off, can't see, and is not sitting still."

On the other end Truent sounded surprised. "She should be fine. Her vitals were all normal and her wounds are healed."

"Zane!" Whisper whined.

He held her tighter. "Who was on staff while she was there?"

"Give me a second," Truent said and the line went silent for a long moment.

"Hold on, Little Wolf. I'm getting you help," Zane breathed into her ear.

"It hurts!"

"What hurts?"

"My body! My body hurts, Zane!" she cried, thrashing about even more now.

"Zane?"

"What is it?"

"I checked the staff, and the nurses said they saw someone walk into her room during the last night she was here. They couldn't see who."

"Damn it!" Zane growled. "What would do this to her?"

"Bane."

The Alpha growled. "Nico, drive faster!" Startled for a moment at the sudden command, Nico looked up at Zane to see anger in his blue eyes. He quickened the pace. Zane focused back to his conversation with the doctor. "What do I do?"

"Well in your condition, not much. There is one thing but there are risks if done improperly."

"Tell me!"

"Drain her. Drain the infected blood. If it reaches the heart, which I'm sure isn't going to take long now, she'll die. On the brink of her turning blue, start doing a blood transfusion. Hers is common so you or one of your men should have it."

"Zane, we're here," Nico said.

Zane got out of the vehicle and nearly ran into the infirmary. "Great. I'll call you if I need anything." Hanging up, he set Whisper on a bed and made her look at him. "Whisper, do you trust me?"

"Please, help me, Zane!" she cried.

"I will, but you cannot fight me. It'll get worse if you fight me, okay?" She nods. Zane glanced at Nico. "Get me whatever I need to drain her."

The man got to work while Zane held Whisper's face close to his so she couldn't see what was going to happen. She continued to cry in pain, repeating the Alpha's name as if it kept her grounded, as if she wanted to show him just how much she needed him. But he never left her side, not even as a nurse came in and stuck the needle in Whisper's arm and started draining her infected blood.

Suddenly, Zane sat Whisper up and held the back of her head with one hand while the other was under her back. "Whisper, I want you to bite me. Bite my neck, can you do that?"

She blinked. "Why?"

"I'll explain later. Can you do that for me?" Whisper nodded. Zane guided her mouth carefully to his neck. He hoped her wolf would help her do the rest since she was marking him, he hoped she'd know what to do.

For a moment, Whisper did nothing but nip at his skin, sending bolts of electricity down his spine. Then, she moved a little, her hands came up to hold his shirt, as if for more strength. He felt her canines elongate and sighed in relief before she bit down hard. She began to suck while lapping at his skin with her tongue. He held her a little tighter, a little closer then as she finished and removed her teeth, licking away his blood. He felt the bond spark to life between them, only he still couldn't hear or feel her thoughts. But he knew his blood might help a little with cancelling out the blood with Bane from her body.

"Zane, I don't want to sleep," she breathed, already her eyes were almost closed and her body limp.

He nuzzled her neck gently. "Then tell me the story about the Children of the Moon and how we came to be."

Whisper managed a small smile. "A wolf was given the gift of humanity."

"Alpha, we need to start the transfusion," a nurse said, interrupting Whisper.

"Do it."

"With who?"

"A-B positive."

Zane thought for a moment. "Find Kiera. I don't care how you get her here, but do it!"

"Alpha," the nurse said hesitantly. Zane stared at her in annoyance. "She's going to need more than one donar."

"How many?"

"Four? Maybe five?"

Zane cursed under his breath. "Fine. Have Anton give you a list of all the pack members and their blood types and who's the healthiest."

"Yes, Alpha."

As the nurse left, Zane turned back to his mate. "Whisper?" Her eyes were closed, her skin as white as snow. "Whisper?" There was no response. His heart began to race in a panic. She couldn't die! She just couldn't! Why in the hell is she dying?

Zane put his head down to her chest and listened, only to hear a slowly fading heartbeat. Her chest was barely rising and falling anymore, and she didn't make a sound.

"Whisper!" he roared. Still no sound came from the woman beside him. Frantically, he dialed Truent's number.

"Alpha Zane?"

"She's not breathing! Her heart is barely beating! What in the hell do I do?" he hissed.

Truent thought quickly and began to give him instructions. Zane stayed calm while listening and following orders, stayed calm while his mate's lifeless body lied before him, her lips turning blue. "Cut the tube, clinch it so no more blood can be taken, then take the needle out of her."

Zane did so right as Nico hauled Kiera in, a nurse right behind them. Kiera was sat on a chair, her sleeve pulled up, and her arm hooked to a blood bag. She stared at Whisper in horror, never before had she seen death look so beautiful yet sad. She'd seen bloodshed, dismembered bodies, decapitated heads, but never a death so peaceful looking.

"Alpha?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

"Kiera, just do as your told. Please," Zane hissed.

Kiera swallowed her question and looked away, ready to get out of the room.

Zane looked at Nico. "Find out who did this! A picture, a description, a damn name! I want to know! Figure out who it is so I can go rip their hearts out!"

Nico nodded and left, his phone being put to his ear. The nurse let Kiera go lay down while she hooked the blood bag up to Whisper's body, slowly importing the blood through the tube and into her arm. "This bag should take at least fifteen minutes. I'll have the next person start as soon as they arrive."

Zane nodded. "Thank you."

The nurse smiled at him. "It's my pleasure to help our future Luna, Alpha." With that she left. Zane sat on Whisper's bed, silently watching her face for any sign that she might come awake, for any sign of those beautiful green eyes. A tear fell onto her cheek, and the Alpha was surprised to find himself crying. He was normally so strong and in control, but ever since she was taken, it seemed as if control was shattered.

He would kill the person responsible for this. He would do it slowly, painfully, just like they subjected Whisper to. He would make sure no one was able to get to her. There was no more playing by the rules. He'd dealt with human laws for long enough. It did nothing to help him with Whisper's situation in the past, and was doing nothing to help her situation now. He would take matter into his own hands and dole out the consequences he could happily give.

No one hurt his mate! Beating her senseless was one thing. Giving her to a facility so they could do the dirty work was one thing. But poisoning her, humiliating her, taking advantage of her…that is too far for Zane. He held control for what had happened to her. He made sure not to lash out and take things slowly, but this was the last straw. This was the finale of their little game, and even though he hadn't played it for long, he was going to come out the winner.