If It Weren't For You

Three years ago…

The scent of blood wafted in the air as Darius made his escape from the hotel. He landed roughly on overhangs and roofs, but he was grateful that the white rain was keeping his blood scent from spreading too much. He only held onto his bleeding arms that he used to break the glass.

How could that guy even make Darius's body weaker than it should be? He only realized it when he broke through the glass.

"Dammit, that lunatic is dangerous. If he's really that powerful, no wonder he considered mating with another Alpha. He could easily overpower anyone who gets close to him." Darius hissed as he waited for his arms to heal. However, the rain was impeding the process—not to mention the aftereffects of falling victims to the touch of the delusional Alpha.

"This isn't going to cut it… I have to get out of the rain." Darius looked around and could barely navigate through his eyes, nose, or ears. The white rain had rendered him as lost and confused as a normal human would be in this situation.

Darius only snorted and relied on his sense of touch instead. As long as there was ground under his feet and no walls hitting his face, he would continue walking.

The rogue walked and walked until he caught movements coming from one direction. After following the scent of the rats that plagued the place, he found himself at the side of an abandoned warehouse. In a rain like this, he decided to break in… through a hole someone else had done.

"…someone else is here…" Darius found an entrance that was disturbed by the rats running away from the white rain. They had moved the board that concealed the small hole that a skinny female would fit in. It's just that… there was still enough space if Darius was careful.

"Werewolf…" Darius caught a scent that lingered in the hole. It was a tunnel leading inside the warehouse, but the clawing that made it was too desperate as if someone was running away from someone else. However, the scent was not familiar to Darius. "Could it be a rogue?"

Cries of pain came from up ahead. Within the darkness, Darius pushed through and finally reached the end of the tunnel. A strong blood scent wafted as if someone was bleeding to death. He got down into a crouch and made his way through the crates and boxes keeping the tunnel from getting discovered easily. When he reached the last crate, he ducked to avoid a tin can thrown his way.

A growl followed the throw. Darius looked out from the box again and saw another werewolf taking shelter from the white rain and the loudness of the storm. Her brown hair stuck to her head and face, and her skin was flushed from the cold. Blood had kissed her shoulders and arms as if she had gotten into a fight before she even got here.

The most important fact about her… was that she was pregnant.

"Get away from me—!" She screamed, but the pain of contractions made her cry out. Her hands went to soothe her belly, but the pups were eager to be born by then. "Please… please don't hurt them… they're just children… they're just children…"

"Shh, it's okay." Darius crawled closer and got next to the freezing woman. She was too cold from the rain, and he could only offer his own coat and body to warm her a little. He even used a hand to soothe the moving belly. "I won't hurt you or your babies. Shh, it's going to be fine. Wait here. I'll look for some water that's not the rain."

"There's a faucet at the side over there… I also have a bucket here…" The woman didn't know why she chose to trust the man, but she could only risk things. If he dared to kill her children just to claim her, she would have no qualms in ending herself as well.

Darius had seen how the pack mother had helped some Betas give birth in their small pack. He quickly decided to fill the bucket with tap water while looking around for flammable items. He needed to start a fire to heat the water and keep the mother warm. Else, she might die with her pups inside her.

The woman saw him starting a bonfire and placing the bucket near the fire that he made. She then took deep breaths before speaking, "Why are you doing this?"

At this, Darius only spared a glance and a smile at her. "I just wanted to spend the night here to pass the storm, but I wouldn't be able to sleep if you keep on crying out. I might as well help you. The fire should keep the place warm for a while. Are you ready?"

"…your pack's Alpha must be so good for you to act like this toward a rogue…" The woman adjusted herself and rubbed her belly. "One of them is moving down. I'm sorry if you have to see this…"

"It's nothing new." Darius readied the cloth and even tested the temperature of the water. "Tell me if you're beginning to get them out."

The next few minutes were not exactly hellish, but Darius could tell that the mother was already giving her all just to give birth to her pups. Her wounds were bleeding more and more, but she only cared about her little ones getting to see the light of day.

After cleaning them with warm water and the cloths, Darius was now in the company of three little pups. They all looked so human, but he could tell differently.

He then handed them one by one for the mother to take a look. "You have two boys and one girl. Congratulations. They will need your milk after an hour. You should rest and stay warm."

A smile curled her lips, and she hugged his arm. "Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I won't be able to do this. My treasures won't be here with me…"

"…it's my pleasure." Darius sat down next to the mother, sharing his body warmth with her and the three babies that were on their laps. His eyes were only on the swaying fire that burned on for a long while.

Soon enough, his eyes felt heavy, and he had fallen asleep.

Within a whisper, he heard the woman's voice thanking him again. The sound was so warm that Darius felt very happy hearing it. After suffering from exile and the heartbreak of getting rejected by his former mate, this was the first time he felt genuinely happy. However, her voice was too faint that he thought it was just a resounding memory.

When Darius opened his eyes, the fire was starting to wane. The sun was also gleaming through the skylight and high windows of the old warehouse. The storm was over, and the day had come.

"Hey, it's already morning." He couldn't help but smile when he turned to the mother. However, when his nose was hit by the mother's blood scent… he froze.