Chapter 0261

Alexander

I grab a bottle of water and splash it over his motionless form. Julian groans weakly but doesn't stir.

"Get up now." I command.

Another groan escapes him, followed by slight movement. He lifts his hand and flips me off. Whether it was for the water or my presence, I couldn't tell.

"What do you mean she's coming?" I snap. My patience had worn dangerously thin.

"She's coming for me." His voice comes out as a ragged croak.

"Is that what you want?"

He remains silent.

I was accustomed to silent treatment from my sister. But not from Julian. He wouldn't recognize silence if it slapped him across the face.

Even during interrogations, he never gave us useful information about them. But that never stopped him from making every possible sarcastic remark.

His eyes flutter open, staring up at me from the cold floor. "I... messed up, Alexander." He breathes the words out painfully.

His breathing sounds hollow and strained. I had a feeling he wasn't just killing his wolf.

Our wolves are part of our very essence. Created from the Alpha blood that flows through our veins. Trying to kill Aspen's spirit was like trying to destroy himself.

"What does she want?"

His gaunt face stares back at me. Isabella was right - I had been too focused on punishing him to notice how ill he looked. He appeared to have one foot already in death's door.

"I can help you Julian, but you need to give me the information I require."

He rolls onto his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling as he presses a hand to his chest. "It's fading. Aspen is gone."

His chest barely rises when he attempts to take a deep breath. The effort sends him into a coughing fit.

"Athena." He chokes out.

"I know, but what does she want from Athena?"

He turns his face toward me. "Everything. Her life... her power... her family."

His lips still. His chest stops moving.

I won't let this happen. I quickly unlock his cell, linking Isabella to come immediately as I slam my fist over his heart. I hear his ribs crack, but that doesn't matter now.

Pressing my ear to his chest, I hear nothing and begin compressions.

Isabella and Zachary burst through the door just as Julian's heart begins beating again. But it remains weak, barely holding on.

Theodore arrives moments later with medical supplies from the hospital. Isabella nearly snatches them from his hands. She orders everyone back while she works, only allowing Theodore to pass her specific items.

We watch her inject Julian with multiple medications. She forces a tube down his throat attached to a bag, instructing Theodore to squeeze it at a steady pace. She might be scattered sometimes, but when it comes to medical emergencies, she knows exactly what she's doing.

"He needs hospital care." She mutters. "Immediately."

Zachary and Theodore move him as she stands. Her dark eyes meet mine. "You didn't let him die." She whispers as the men disappear.

"No, but Aspen..." I had to tell her.

"I know. Midnight is struggling. Can he survive this?"

I didn't have an answer for her.

"Go, keep him alive." I tell her. She throws her arms around me briefly. "Don't worry, Alexander. This is what I do best." She heads toward the steps. "I'll let you know when you can visit."

"I'll be at home, making preparations."

"Preparations?"

"Before he lost consciousness, he said she was coming." I see her hesitation. The last Rogue she dealt with was Gabriel, and he left her with lifelong scars. She's a healer, not a fighter. "Keep Zachary and Theodore close."

"Zachary is your Beta." She says nervously.

"It's fine. He's also your mate."

She nods and hurries up the remaining steps.

In the office, I find Sebastian. He stands before my desk, hands in his pockets.

"Sebastian." I say, surprised.

"Alexander." He dips his head in acknowledgment.

When I take my seat, he moves to the door and closes it with a sigh. "You figured it out." He murmurs, avoiding eye contact. "She told me."

"Secrets rarely stay hidden from me. Besides, there were obvious signs. You marked her."

"It wasn't planned. I was drunk. She made some comments and mentioned she might leave the pack."

"Because of Athena?"

He nods. "I lost control. I still don't know what came over me."

"That's exactly how I feel when something threatens Athena. What about Natalie?"

"She was never my true mate, was she? We got together as children, long before we could even shift. We stayed together because of the boys. Boys who weren't even mine. If she had been my true mate, she would have died from what she did with Julian. Just like you almost killed Athena by kissing her."