The Pack's Luna: The Pack Series Book 4 novel Chapter 404

Zach

I can’t believe I didn’t even made it twenty-four hours and I’m being sent back to recuperate. I’m so angry, so frustrated with myself. I thought for sure that the last year at the Academy would have given me what I needed to be a valuable asset to the team, but the reality of the job is very different than the case scenarios at the Academy.

The entire way back to the Academy, I fight the pain of the leg cramps that just refuse to stop. I’m not sure if I’m dehydrated, or if the freezing cold water brought them on, but they just won’t let up.

I close my eyes, remembering the fear that had grabbed me when I realized I wasn’t able to get out of that current. I was being dragged downstream and I felt completely incapable of rescuing myself for the first time in my life. That’s not a comfortable feeling for anyone, but definitely not an Alpha.

As soon as we arrive, I’m taken to the medical center.

“Zachary, I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.”

“Hey, Luna Murmur. I wasn’t expecting to be back here so soon,” I say, happy that she’s here. Now I know I’ll be better in no time. 1

“Tell me what happened.”

I tell her about the river, the cold, and the cramps.

“Your body feels warm, but let’s take your temperature,” she says, putting a thermometer under my tongue.

“Do you still have leg cramps?” she asks, looking at me. I nod yes.

She pulls the blanket off my legs. “Oh, this is a warming blanket,” she murmurs as she begins palpating my legs. I moan as the touch only increases the pain in my legs.

“These are some nasty cramps, Zachary,” she says, as the thermometer beeps.

She pulls it out and frowns at it. “The warming blanket must be making your skin warmer than your insides. Your temperature is much too low. How is your wolf?”

Since I know Luna Yara, I know she’ll need to hear how Merric is doing from him.

“I’m good Luna, but I’m cold,” he says, pushing forward to answer her.

“I bet you are. Are you able to heal Zach, Merric?”

“I’m trying, Luna, but the cold is making it hard to keep his muscles from cramping.”

“Okay, I’m going to give you a dose of magnesium and I’m going to surround your body with warming bottles to bring your body temperature back to normal.”

I smell her before I see her.

“Sadique!”

“Where is he? Where’s my mate?” I can hear the panic in her voice.

“In here, Sadique,” Luna Yara says.

She rushes into the room and stops, staring at me.

“Did you really almost die?” she asks. “No,” I say, not wanting to cause her stress.

“But you’re here,” she says, looking from me to Luna Yara. “You’re either dying or you were close to dying to be here.”

“Luna Yara is going to make sure I’m back to normal and in the meantime, I get to spend a few hours with my new mate.” “Come in, Sadique. Usually, the best medicine is the mate bond,” she tells her.

She nods, then comes to stand beside me. I reach out and take her hand.

“I didn’t think you’d still be here,” I say.

“I was at Yorick and Cyra’s pack when they called for Luna Piper to switch out with Cipher. I knew that was you, so I got a ride back here.”

“What a sweet girl,” Luna Murmur says, but she’s looking at my IV and injecting the magnesium or whatever into it.

“Thank you?” Sadique says, but it’s more like a question.

“For what?” Luna Murmur asks, turning to look at her.

“She didn’t know she was saying that out loud, Sadique. I call her Luna Murmur for a reason. She tends to say what she’s thinking out loud without realizing it.”

“I did it again?” she asks me.

“You did, Luna. But, it’s cute. Most of us like it. Did you hear they’re going to give you a codename? Personally, I’m voting for Murmur.”

“There has to be a better name than that,” she says, smiling at me.

“What about Sanatrix?” Sadique asks.

“Sanatrix? What is that?” I ask.

I smell the salt of her tears before she sniffles.

“Sadique?”

“I almost lost you. I just found you and I almost lost you already.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I say, pressing my lips to the top of her head again.

“Please be careful, Zach. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I promise, Sadique. I promise I’ll be careful. This was a fluke, but Raptor already said that Siren and I will be getting pool time, whatever that means. He told me that he wasn’t quitting on me and he didn’t want me quitting on him. I need to get stronger, better, faster, tougher, whatever the squad needs, but I’ll get there. And every time something goes wrong, I’ll remember that I have you, waiting for me back home.”

She snuggles closer to me.

“Goddess, it feels good having you in my arms,” I say.

“It feels good being here.”

“Tell me about Yorick and Cyra’s pack. You said you were there. Does everyone feel like it’s safe for Cyra and Lila?”

She lets me know that they have increased their patrols and are monitoring the border’s sensors while having additional guards from C-Squad on both Cyra and Lila.

“Alpha Cyra wasn’t thrilled about it, but when Alpha Yorick reminded her that if anyone gets to her, they could hurt her pup, she relented.” “Good, that’s good,” I say, starting to feel tired.

“Get some sleep, Zach. We could both use it,” she says.

I sleep better than I expected and, in the morning, I feel good as new. By the time they bring me breakfast, I’m ready to get back to Alpha Squad and continue hunting Stellan.

“You still have a few hours, Alpha. I’m not sending you back until I’m sure that you’re ready,” Luna Yara says.

“As long as I get to spend the time with my mate, I’ll suffer through,” I say, grinning at Sadique.

“I’ve just finished eating breakfast when Alpha Warren comes in. He nods at Sadique, then looks at me.

“Tell me about my daughter.”