Chapter 9: Awakening

Ethan

The scent of nutmeg pulled me from the darkness. My eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, but that familiar scent—her scent—gave me the strength to fight through the fog clouding my mind. Grace Montgomery. My mate. The realization hit me like a freight train, and I tried to sit up too quickly.

Easy there. You'll tear open your wounds again, Shadow cautioned, his presence strong in my mind.

I stilled immediately. Is she still here? I asked my wolf, desperate to confirm she hadn't disappeared.

See for yourself.

I forced my eyes open and found her. Grace was slumped forward in a chair beside my bed, her head resting on her folded arms at the edge of my mattress. Her chestnut hair spilled across the white sheets like liquid copper in the dim light. My hand was already tangled in those silky strands, my fingers gently stroking through them of their own accord.

I took inventory of my body without moving. My leg was heavily bandaged, the bone reset and skin expertly stitched back together. No wonder I wasn't in excruciating pain anymore.

We should thank her, I told Shadow. Without her medical skills...

Without her, you might need to have your limb amputated, Shadow finished my thought. Our mate makes us stronger just by being near. Imagine how powerful we'll be once she allows us to mark her.

My wolf was right. With Grace at my side as my Luna, our pack would stand a much better chance against the multiple threats we faced. Kane's attack was just the beginning. And then there was Blake Blackthorn—nothing like his father William. Blake preferred fighting and killing, setting traps and watching his enemies die slowly.

I thought as I gazed at Grace's sleeping form.

With her, our chances of surviving this endless war improved dramatically. As a doctor, she was invaluable. As my mate, she was irreplaceable.

Alpha? Jackson's voice entered my mind through our pack link. How are you feeling?

Even through the mental connection, I could hear the exhaustion in my Beta's voice. How long has it been since you slept, Jackson?

A while, he admitted. We're spread too thin, Ethan. Kane's attack was just the beginning. Our scouts report increased activity along our eastern border. We can't afford any... complications right now.

The hesitation in his tone was clear. You mean Grace, I stated rather than asked.

I mean an unmarked female who suddenly appears out of nowhere with someone clearly hunting her. It could bring more trouble down on us.

Go rest. I'm awake now. I can handle the pack.

We need to discuss this further, he insisted.

I sighed. Jackson was as stubborn as I was. Fine. Is she still asleep? I asked, my eyes never leaving Grace's face.

Yes. Did she manage to treat the other warriors?

She did, Jackson replied. I made sure they understood that when she gave orders, they were to be followed.

And did you agree with her assessments? I prodded.

She noticed things I missed, Jackson admitted. Like how Liam Hayes was making mistakes because he was too exhausted. She ordered him to take 24 hours to recover.

Pride swelled in my chest. Her orders stand. She'll make an excellent Luna.

The door to my room opened quietly as Jackson slipped inside. "She examined every warrior in the medical center over the past few hours," he reported in a low voice. "Evaluated them all. Put some on recovery time, warned others that if they didn't rest within 24 hours, she'd formally request they stand down." He shook his head admiringly. "Makes Dr. Richards look lazy by comparison."

"Or worse," I said, my voice hardening as old suspicions resurfaced. "Did she say anything about the warriors' treatments?"

Jackson's expression turned grim. "She questioned several of Dr. Richards' procedures. Said the muscle tissue in Liam's shoulder shouldn't still be inflamed after treatment." He leaned closer. "She seemed... confused by how slow their healing was progressing."

We'd both harbored doubts about our pack doctor for months, but without proof or a replacement, we'd been stuck.

"Keep an eye on Richards," I ordered. "If Grace has concerns about his treatments, I want to know immediately."

"The warriors seemed to like her," Jackson continued with a smirk. "Especially the way she talks to herself. Made them all laugh. Haven't heard that sound in a while."

A possessive growl rumbled in my chest. "They should all know she's mine."

Jackson raised his eyebrows. "She's exactly what this pack needs in a Luna."

His gaze lingered on Grace's sleeping form a moment too long, and a warning growl escaped my lips. He quickly averted his eyes, acknowledging my territory.

"I found these." Jackson placed several small devices on the table beside my bed.

I carefully untangled my fingers from Grace's hair and picked up one of the metallic objects. "Trackers?"

"Five of them," Jackson confirmed. "All over her car. One in the trunk, two in the engine, one under the driver's seat, another shoved between the back seats." He paused. "Her clothes are missing too."

I turned the tracker over in my hand, examining it closely. "Any scent?"

"Nothing I recognize. But definitely werewolf."

The implications were clear. Some pack was hunting Grace. She'd been studying at Princeton University Medical School for years instead of attending a werewolf university for her medical training. She'd been hiding.

"I need you to do one more thing before you rest," I said, my mind racing through possibilities. "Send someone to Princeton University Medical School up north."

Jackson nodded in understanding. "Local hospitals and medical centers too? Find her records and wipe them from the system?"

"Yes. We need to erase her trail before whoever's looking for her finds her."

"If they want her this badly, they'll eventually come looking," Jackson pointed out.

I met his gaze, letting my Alpha power flare briefly in my eyes. "By then, I hope she'll be wearing my mark. And I'll kill anyone who tries to take her from me."

"Once the pack knows she's our Luna, they'll protect her too," Jackson assured me, but his expression remained troubled.

"You don't look convinced," I challenged him.

Jackson glanced at Grace before meeting my eyes again. "I'm concerned about what follows her here. We've lost three warriors this month already. The pack is exhausted." He lowered his voice further. "If someone powerful wants her badly enough to track her like this, we could be dragging ourselves into another war we can't afford."

"She's my mate," I growled, my tone making it clear this wasn't up for debate.

"I understand that," Jackson replied carefully. "But my job is to think about the safety of the entire pack. What if Blake is behind this? Or worse—what if she's connected to someone even more dangerous we don't know about?"

I was about to respond when Grace stirred beside me. Her eyes fluttered open, immediately focusing on the tracker in my hand.

"What are those?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.