Savior of the Wolves

Ethan's POV

I stood at the front of the house waiting for the lights to show their approach. The entire compound was on high alert. I was surrounded by my third strongest detail.

The first was protecting my mate in our room.

The second was following the car now coming into view.

As the car quickly pulled up to the front of the house, Aiden got out with only a pair of shorts on, his upper body clinging to the girl...both of them covered in her blood.

“Son, the infirmary is ready.”

He said nothing. He only glanced at me to acknowledge that he heard me, then looked quickly back down onto the girl in his arms.

I could hear her heart. It was weak.

I could hear my son’s. It was racing.

I concentrated on what I was sensing. It surrounded her. I couldn’t see it though. But it seemed to distort the air around her. It almost shifted. It was definitely supernatural. But whether it was from the goddess or something else...I still didn’t know.

I lightly reached over to touch her. Aiden’s eyes glanced down at my hand as I tried to muster a reassuring smile to help him while I rested my hand on her shoulder.

Nothing happened.

My smile quickly faded, and my son realized just as quickly that my power did not touch whatever was affecting her.

How was that possible?

My gift, the one from my imprinting, was the ability to absorb energy. Energy from the world like lightening, wind, rain, and earthquakes. Not to mention the sun and moon. I could absorb them and manipulate them at will. I could neutralize them if I wanted and make them absolutely harmless.

Or I could use them.

I haven’t experienced a power that I was unable to absorb. Until right now.

I wanted badly to call Emma down to me. To see if she could read this young girl’s mind. But I didn’t want her close to this stranger yet. Not, until I knew more. I wasn’t convinced that this wasn’t a trap.

After all, we were hiding Sophie for a reason. We don’t know how the other packs were tricked which led to the capture and destruction of their fems, but I had to consider that anything unknown was an attempt.

For years now, I have kept both of my sons close. I have let them patrol just close enough to the house that all details could be by their side in seconds if a threat arose. But Sophie had less freedom than anyone. Even less than her mother.

Emma was nearly as strong as I was, so she was less of a target than Sophie. Sophie hadn’t transitioned, hadn’t imprinted, and hadn’t had noble children yet. She was the biggest target of all and unfortunately, that meant more protection. That equaled less freedom.

Sophie didn’t see this protection as imprisonment like I know my sons do. Partially because she has the patience of her mom, and it seemed that nothing bothered her. Even this makeshift prison seemed to be accepted by her. Loved even!

I could only imagine what her power might be one day...because she had enough hope for us all.

But this girl...this unknown threat...couldn’t be a coincidence. Sophie would turn eighteen in a few weeks and every male noble would be looking for her. If he had already turned, that is. But that doesn’t change the fact that a lot of young nobles or future Alphas would show up to see if they were her mate. They would be driven to protect her. That could attract scourges to us. We had to be ready.

And that would keep happening until her fated mate imprinted with her.

Now, I felt the weight of our species depended on her and the few left like my daughter. I would do whatever it took to secure her safety. Not just because she’s my daughter, but that alone would have been enough reason.

I cautiously followed Aiden down the hall. I stepped in front of him twice and opened the door to help him rush through in his haste to the infirmary.

Three women were standing by a hospital bed dressed in scrubs. There was a nearby table with medical instruments already prepared, machines turned on and ready, and an IV bag already hanging from its pole.

“She’s human. Do everything you can. She won’t heal like us,” Aiden urged.

Lexie looked up at him with a puzzled look on her face. “Aiden, are you sure she’s human,” she asked while rushing to the young girl’s aid.

“Why?” he asked quickly.

The first sign of hope appeared on his face. I could imagine what he was thinking. Hoping for even. I knew because I couldn’t help but hope so myself. But the power around her wasn’t that of a wolf’s.

Lexie, a pack witch, stayed with us out of loyalty, but originally for protection. Years ago, she would’ve been killed had our pack not found her.

“I don’t know what this power is surrounding her. But it’s definitely one of ours. She is likely a witch,” Lexie explained.

I watched as the hope faded from Aiden’s eyes.

But I relaxed with the speculation that she could be a witch. They were our allies. The scourges were their biggest enemy...which made them our closest friends. But they were our allies even before the war began.

“Can you study her? I need to understand what this power is...because I can’t absorb it,” I stressed to Lexie.

She looked puzzled at my admission, “Yes, Ethan.”

Aiden had softly laid her down and was dissecting every move the women made. He was scanning her constantly for something that would tell him the extent of her injuries.

As the women worked meticulously on her, he never left her side...except to step out of the way for one of the women as they moved around her.

He immediately returned to his original position.

One of the women looked up to the side at us, “We need to cut her clothes off to see the extent of her injuries. We’ll call once she’s dressed.” It wasn’t a command as the delta wolf never commanded her Alpha or noble, but it was a hurried observation that inadvertently made the request direct, nonetheless.

I stepped over to Lexie, “Please update me as soon as you know more” pausing just a moment before adding, “or if there’s any change in her condition.”

“Of course.”

Walking toward the door to the hallway I looked to Aiden, who was still looking back at the girl, “I’ll be in my room if you need me...at any time, son.”

“I’ll be here dad,” he instructed. It was clear that he wasn’t asking. I couldn’t have denied that request anyway. Something about this magic on her had him pulled to her. Even though I wanted him safe, his wolf was telling him to stay. I couldn’t ask him to betray his wolf. They needed to be here.

Why? I didn’t know yet.

But I understood it just a little more as we stepped out into the hallway.

Josh was sitting on the floor, just outside the door. He looked up to me and linked, “Is she okay?”

“We don’t know,” I privately replied.

His head dropped, looking back down at the floor.

Aiden stepped out, closing the door behind him. He leaned against the wall, just beside the door, and slid to the floor. His fingers ran through his hair as his head also dropped heavily with the weight of what had happened.

A huff escaped his mouth and Josh looked up quickly.

Aiden’s face turned to his brother angrily. His expression looked desperate.

I could hear their wolves let out the softest defensive growl against the presence of the other.

But I did the only thing a father can do sometimes...I let them be men.

“Good night sons,” I whispered softly as I walked down the hall to my room.