Chapter Eleven

Mrs Blackwood stood at the gate and watched until Luna and Hazel disappeared completely out of her sight. She knew that Luna would be able to protect Hazel if need be. She had seen the way they looked at each other, knew about that necklace that Hazel always wore. She had been quite good friends with the girl's grandmother and grandfather while she had lived there. She wasn't blind and she wasn't ignorant; she knew what was going on between them, knew that it was fate that had brought them together, destiny. That was how it worked for them, for their kind.

She turned back and headed calmly back towards the house. Alex was still on high alert, looking out at the treeline and sniffing the air for something.

"What is it Alex? You've always had a keener sense of smell than me or your father. Is it a rival pack?" She asked tensely.

"No, it's-" Alex was cut off by a pained cry. "No.. no, no, no, no!" Alex whispered at first, getting louder towards the end.

"What is it Alex?" His mother demanded.

"He- He needs me!" Alex shouted and before she could stop him he had transformed into his wolf and was darting into the woods.

Alex felt something yanking him forwards at full speed. That howl had awoken something from deep within him. It was his mate, his Moon, he knew it was. He could feel it as it poured new life into every inch of him, like a bolt of something running through all of his veins, spreading throughout him and becoming a part of him. 

When he heard that pained sound coming from the source of this feeling that had been ignited within him, he couldn't stand still any longer. The danger was nothing in the face of possibly losing his soulmate, someone he hadn't even had the chance to meet yet.

What would they be like? What would the look like? If he didn't get to them in time then he would never have the chance to find out. His instincts lead him above anything else and he let them carry him forwards, through the trees to where he knew his fated one was in serious trouble. 

He stopped for a moment and sniffed the air, trying to get a sense of direction. He could hear growling and whimpering in the distance, but it was so much closer now. He picked up several different scents. Some of them, he recognised as members of their neighbouring pack, a pack that they had had a very good and friendly relationship with up until that point. The other scent was... something else, something much more intense and he knew who it had to belong to.

It was the smell of... pine wood, cotton and... spearmint. It was intoxicating, even at a distance.

Alex spurred himself forward as the smell of blood tainted the sweet scent of his destined mate. He charged forward until a scene came into his view. 

A large, black wolf with grey front paws was biting and swiping desperately at his attackers and four dark brown wolves surrounded him. He was backed into a corner, against the thick trunk of a tall tree. He was growling loudly.

Just as the ring leader of the attackers was about to make a killing blow, Alex leapt in front of the black wolf, baring his teeth and growling viciously.

The other three wolves backed off almost immediately. The ring leader growled loudly, but Alex stepped up, making himself as big as he could and snarled fiercely, causing the other to whimper slightly and back off. 

The wolf behind him looked confused, but so tired and his eyes so full of relief and a faint recognition; he was still on his feet but looked as though he would collapse at any second. Alex was nervous, sensing the urgency of getting him back to his house. 

The ring leader of the other wolves transformed back into his human form, Alex already knew that he was one of the Alphas from their neighbouring pack, the other two were Betas.

"What the hell are you doing, Alex? He was on our territory! We have the right to punish him!" He yelled.

"Punish him? You lot were going to kill him!" Alex yelled, transforming too. 

"It's none of your business what we do with him! Why do you care?" The other Alpha questioned.

"It is my business! You're in my territory now and he's my Moon!" Alex shouted, frustrated.

"Your Moon? What a joke!" The other rolled his eyes.

"This. Is. Not. A joke." Alex replied forcefully and the two betas had already backed off to behind their Alpha escort, keeping themselves low to the ground.

"This wretch is really your Moon? Unbelievable. He's a rogue! He's nothing but a worthless mutt some other pack chucked away! He's a bloody outcast, Alex!" He yelled again, clearly angry about not being able to finish the black wolf off.

"I don't care what he is!" Alex replied. "I knew the only thing that mattered the second I heard his howl, the moment I picked up his scent it was solidified! He's my Moon, my destined mate and I will protect him." He said darkly, glaring at the other Alpha.

"Well, there's only one of you and three of us, Alex. We want him dead. He crossed into our territory, made a big fuss about it too. Our pack rules that we should kill him and I fully intend to." the Alpha said, challenging him.

"If you dare to hurt him again, touch a single strand of fur on his body, I'll rip your throat out." Alex warned and shifted back into his wolf, raising himself up and fixing the others with a look of defiance, as if daring them to test him.

"Hah! You don't have the guts!" The Alpha sneered. "Get him!" He ordered the two betas behind him.

One of the two leapt forward in an attempt to bite down on the black wolf's leg, teeth gnashing. Alex spun around and sunk his teeth into the attacker's neck. He clamped down and locked his jaw as the other wolf let out a loud howl of pain and swung its body into the ground.

As Alex tossed its body down in front of the other two, they all knew that the wolf would die the second it transformed back into a human. Alex growled defensively, blood dripping from his sharp canines, waiting for the others to make a move. The alpha hauled the wolf up, ordering its fellow beta to help him carry it back to the rest of their pack.

He had warned them, he had told them perfectly clearly what he would do to them if they harmed his mate. He hated hurting others, but he wouldn't hesitate if the people he cared about were in danger. He pushed away the guilt he felt at hurting the other wolf in favour of the anger he felt at them trying to kill his mate.

"This isn't over, Alex. We're going to get him one way or another and next time we'll be bringing backup. I hate to see what our leader will do to you when he finds out that you stopped us. This will be the end of our truce, Alex and it'll be your fault.  I hope you know that." The man said nastily, shifting back into his wolf form and running back through the trees to his own pack's territory. 

Alex let out a breath, letting some of the tension leave him. 

He turned around to get a proper look at the black wolf behind him. It was looking up at him with shock and tired thankfulness. Alex shifted back to his human form and carefully reached out, placing his hand softly on the wolf's head.

"Hey there." He said ever so softly. "Sorry that it took me so long to get to you... Can you manage to shift back? I need to be able to carry you back to the house so I can treat those wounds and you can get some much-needed rest."

The black wolf looked at him with it's piercing, pale blue eyes for a long moment before turning its gaze to the ground. It was a painful process, shifting back while heavily injured, but they didn't have much of a choice if they wanted to get him to safety.

The transformation was over quickly, but it had taken longer than usual. A man now lay before Alex, slumped against the tree. He was tall, his skin was as pale as snow, but his curly hair was a black as obsidian, like the dark feathers of a raven. 

Alex knew that he was looking at his fated one; things didn't just fold into place for no reason. He had to protect him, to get him to safety.

"Hey, my name is Alex. I'm going to get you to safety, okay? I promise you, you'll be alright. Can you move?" he asked, placing a hand on the man's arm.

"I'm... I'm... Sovereign... Why... are you... helping me? You said... you said I was your Moon...Are... are you really... my... my Sol?" He asked back weakly, looking up into Alex's eyes. 

"I am and I'm going to protect you from now on, okay? You're going to be okay now." Alex assured.

"I... I could sense you... from here... I knew.... I didn't think it was real at first, but... you came... you came for me... my Sol...and you're so beautiful..." He said, eyes full of wonder. "I... I don't think I can walk alone. My... my leg might be broken."

"It's okay. I'll carry you." Alex said and carefully, he looped his arms under Sovereign's back and his legs, being extra cautious to not disturb his injuries further.

Immediately, Sovereign rested his head against Alex's shoulder and breathing in his scent, relaxing almost straight away and closing his eyes.

"Don't go to sleep, okay? You have to stay awake, Sovereign. You can do that for me, can't you?" Alex prompted, growing even more worried.

"Mm... freshly cut grass...orange blossom... and camomile..." Sovereign said, voice weak and exhausted.

"Sovereign, please... you have to stay awake." Alex begged as he tried to pick up his pace as much as he could without harming him further.

"I have a Sol... I have... I'm not... alone... not... not broken..." Sovereign whispered and Alex felt tears prickling the corners of his eyes. 

He couldn't bare seeing the man in his arms so hurt. He could feel the connection, he could feel it taking root within him, filling every part of him and he wasn't about to allow that to be cut off before it had the chance to blossom.

In such a small village, with no one for him in the neighbouring territories, he has somewhat resigned himself to living his life without a significant other. He had been perfectly content to live out his life on his own, knowing himself to be a complete person without the need for a partner.

But the moment he heard that howl, the moment he picked up that scent, he knew that there was more for him than just that; he knew that there was someone destined for him, someone that desperately needed his help. 

He needed to help him, to save him. He needed to show him the life that they could have together. He wanted to get to know him, to learn everything about him that there was to learn and he wanted him to know everything about himself as well. He felt this innate need to protect Sovereign, to take care of him and love him. He had never felt anything like it, it was exhilarating and nerve-wracking all at once. He didn't want to fail so soon, he couldn't... he wouldn't.

He was half way back when Luna came bolting through the woods in her wolf form. She saw him and came to a halt, looking up at him quizzically.

"Go back to the house! Go and tell mum and dad that I'm coming back with my Moon and he's heavily injured! He needs urgent medical care! Go! Go now!" Alex shouted desperately, still running towards the house.

Luna nodded slightly and went darting off back through the trees.

"It's okay, Sovereign, my Moon, you're going to be okay, just stay awake." He said.

"A-Alex..." He replied, bringing a hand up and placing it over Alex's heart, clutching lighting onto his shirt. 

"We're almost home, Sovereign. Just hold on. Hold on." Alex urged, trying to keep his voice even and calming despite the fear he was feeling for Sovereign's life.

When they arrived back at the farm, Sovereign was barely holding onto his consciousness. Alex ran to the front of the house, his Moon in his arms.

"Mum! Dad! Quickly! He's hurt!" Alex yelled and both of his parents came running to the front of the house, Luna in her human form, not far behind them.

"Alex! Are you hurt anywhere?" His mother asked.

"I'm not hurt! He is! We have to help him or he might die! Please!" He pleaded urgently.

"Bring him through to the back room, there's a bed ready and I have all my medical equipment waiting. You're lucky Luna came and warned us." His father said with hard eyes. He was almost glaring at the raven-haired boy in Alex's arms.

He chose to ignore the harshness of his father's gaze and moved through the house, placing Sovereign as gently as he could onto the bed. He was definitely looking worse for ware. He was covered in a sheen of sweat and blood and Alex was trying extremely hard to stay strong despite how much he wanted to burst into tears at the sight.

"Get his clothes off. We have to see the extent of his injuries and clean them before I can start treating them." Alex's dad instructed, stepping into the room with his sleeves rolled up to the elbows and wearing a pair of latex gloves.

Alex quickly bent down to pull the black tank top over Sovereign's head to get it off. The result was them seeing his body covered in a mixture of scars and fresh wounds. His arms were already covered in nicks and grazes, but his torso had some fresh gashes, including one on his back that stretched all the way from his left shoulder blade, all the way down to just above his right hip.

Alex moved to get rid of Sovereign's jeans. The needed to be able to clean that wound on his leg and they had to be extremely careful not to cause more damage. 

"Move." His father said, shouldering him out of the way and using a large pair of scissors to carefully and swiftly cut away the denim before chucking the jeans in a heap on the floor. "Right. This is a lot of damage. Get those cloths and bring them over. We need to clean these immediately."

Alex didn't waste any time in following his father's instructions. He passed one to his father and, with the other one, moved to  press the damp cloth against the wound on Sovereign's back, pulling a sharp hiss from the man. 

"Sorry, I'm so sorry. This is going to sting. It might hurt quite a bit, but we need to clean the wounds, okay? Some of these might even need stitches." Alex spoke softly and Sovereign nodded his head, biting his lip to hold back any exclamation of pain.

He was a tall man, probably about 6'3" and was proportionately muscular and toned. His physical strength probably played a part in him being able to make it so far into their territory while running away from the neighbouring pack, before getting caught by them. By the look of his scars, he must have been accustomed to being in fights. If he was a rogue, like the other alpha had said, then he must have been attacked while going through other territories quite frequently. 

Alex was as light-handed as he could be while cleaning the wounds, wanting to avoid causing Sovereign any more pain. His father, however, wasn't as forgiving as he somewhat hurried through his work. Alex pursed his lips in disapproval, but bit his tongue. He needed his father's help here and didn't want to make things worse.

Alex kept gently cleaning the long cuts on Sovereign's back as his dad called on his mother to bring the needles. A few of the wounds still needed stitches after all, and there wasn't exactly a hospital anywhere nearby. 

"Bite down on this." His father said coldly, shoving a cloth at Sovereign.

Alex took it and gave it to the man properly. Sovereign looked back at him with pleading eyes, but silently bit down on the cloth, preparing himself for the pain that would follow. 

"Wait! You're not even going to give him any painkillers? Or use any numbing solution?" Alex asked, aghast.

"Of course I'm not. We don't have the time for that." His father replied, going straight in and starting to sew up one of the wounds. "He'll need to go to hospital for the broken leg, but I can set it for now with a splint."

Sovereign winced and failed to hold back a pained whimper. Alex quickly moved around to the other side of the bed and grabbed his hand and squeezed it in an attempt to comfort him. Alex used his free hand to run his fingers through Sovereign's hair.

He peered up at Alex with those striking, icy blue eyes and stole his breath away. Alex could feel that Sovereign was in tremendous pain, but also that what he was doing was helping him, comforting him. Sovereign ran his thumb over the back of Alex's hand in a reciprocation of his affection. 

The moment didn't last for long as Mr Blackwood moved to the wound on Sovereign's back. Alex kept up his ministrations, running his hand through Sovereigns hair and holding his hand, telling him quietly that everything would be alright and that the pain would be over soon. Sovereign bit down hard on the cloth, squeezing Alex's hand hard as his eyes watered from the sensation of the wound being stitched up.

His father had been keeping everything sterile as he went, making sure everything was clean and appropriate. He quickly applied butterfly stitches on the smaller scratches that littered Sovereign's chest and stomach and applied plasters to the rest. When all was done, he wrapped the larger wounds in bandages and moved on to the leg. He had set broken bones before, so Alex knew that he knew what he was doing.

In a moment of daring, as his father aligned the leg and attached a splint, Alex leaned forward to place a kiss on Sovereign's forehead.

All the while, his mother and Luna had been watching from the doorway, not knowing exactly what they should do. Luna looked increasingly concerned as she watched everything in silence. It was weird to her, how Mr Blackwood was behaving so coldly to their new arrival. Sure, Sovereign was a rouge and it was unconventional, but surely that couldn't be a real reason for any possibly disapproval. If anything, Luna's own Moon being a human was more cause for objection. 

"There. Now leave the man alone. We need to talk." Mr Blackwood said, looking pointedly at Alex with a stern expression.

Alex moved to stand up, expression hardened, but Sovereign held on to his hand as a look of panic crossed over his face.

"D-don't leave." He said, imploringly.

"I... I'll just be in the next room. I'm not leaving you, okay? You're safe here, I'm going to make sure nothing like this ever happens to you again." Alex tried to reassure him.

"P-please... Sol... don't leave me." Sovereign whispered and Alex felt his heart break a little at that. He sat back down and placed his hand on Sovereign's cheek.

Alex heard his mother choke back a sob. She had always had an incredibly soft heart and gallons of empathy for others. Alex already knew that she would love Sovereign for as long as he did, she would accept him as her son's Moon with open arms. Alex just didn't know why his father seemed to be so put off.

"Alex. Now." Mr Blackwood demanded.

"Dad, please. Can't his wait a little while? Please? Just until he can fall asleep." Alex asked.

"No. You will come with me now. You can come back later. Is your so called Moon so weak that you can't leave him alone for an hour?" He replied venomously.

"Honey!" His mother gasped at her husband's words. "That is our son's fated mate! Watch your words!"

"Stay out of this." He ordered.

"What is wrong with you right now? Our son's Moon is in pain, he was attacked viciously and was almost killed. Of course Alex wants to stay with him! They need each other close right now. Their bond is fresh on top of all this. They must be allowed this time together." Mrs Blackwood scolded her husband and dragged him out of the room to the lounge. 

Their argument could be heard from the other room, even when Luna stepped fully inside and quietly closed the door. She had a worried look on her face, like she had something to say, but didn't know how to say it.

"Alex... what happened out there? Are you okay?" She asked after a while. 

"I'm okay, I'm more worried about Sovereign." He replied.

"I... I'll be okay... I... I have you here now." Sovereign said and Alex smiled softly at him as he attempted to do the same.

"I can't believe all of this happened tonight. You find your Moon and now my own Moon, Hazel... she knows about me, she knows that I'm a Moon Wolf." Luna said, suddenly finding the loose threads in the carpet by her feet, incredibly interesting.

"I feel like she would have figured it out eventually. She's smart and she seemed to know quite a bit about Moon wolves even before meeting us. It makes sense seeing as she's a Sparrow." Alex answered.

"If her grandparents are anything to go off of, I suppose you're right." Luna agreed.

The moment of silence that followed allowed them to hear the row that was escalating outside. His father was furious and Alex just didn't understand why he had such a serious issue. His mother was trying with all her might to defend him and his new Moon. Alex felt so unbelievably grateful for his mother in that moment, so thankful to have her there, accepting and defending Sovereign like that despite not knowing him.

"Alex..." Sovereign called to him.

"What is it? What do you need?" Alex asked softly.

"Go and placate your father... I understand... you can't let your mother face him alone." he replied.

"Sovereign..." 

"Go, it's okay. I'm all stitched up and bandaged now... I'll recover... and you'll be back here soon enough...as much as I feel compelled to stay closely by your side, this is important too." Sovereign said.

"Are you sure you'll be okay? I'll be right back and I'd only be in the next room." Alex asked.

"I'm sure... go settle things down. Talk with your parents." Sovereign insisted.

"Don't worry, Alex. I'll stay with him." Luna assured and moved over to sit next to the bed. "I'll keep him company until you can return."

"Thank you. Both of you." Alex said, standing up and heading out into the living room.

When he got there, his mother and father were both still yelling at each other.

"Right. What do you want to talk about?" Alex asked, felling anger bubble up within him. He didn't like his father's attitude and he didn't like having to leave Sovereign without him.

"That...thing is going to be a problem." His father hissed at him. "He is an Alpha, an Alpha rogue no less! What are you thinking? You can't possibly intend to mate a rogue Alpha!" 

"So what if he's an Alpha?" Alex countered, trying to keep his voice calm.

"You are also an Alpha, Alexander! Or had you forgotten? How is an Alpha supposed to be with another Alpha? It's unheard of and you won't be able to continue the bloodline! Not to mention the tension with our neighbouring pack now!" Mr Blackwood yelled.

"I guess the bloodline ends with me then. They were going to kill him. He is my fated one, we are connected. Our souls are bonded together and it cannot be broken. I am his Sol and he is my Moon. There is nothing you or anyone else can do to change that. Your opinions don't even factor into this." Alex replied evenly.

"Even overlooking everything else, he is a rouge, Alex! He was kicked out of his pack for a reason! You don't know anything about him!" His father shouted, angrily, face going red.

"Why does that matter? You and mum didn't know anything about each other either when you found out your were destined. I will get to know him over time. My heart and soul already know his and his knows mine, that's how this whole fate and destiny business works. It doesn't matter what you have to say about him or his history. I am going to stay with him no matter what, and I am going to love him." Alex said, resolutely.

"Alex. This is ridiculous. Be reasonable." His father chastised, rubbing a hand over his face in exasperation.

"Me be reasonable? What about you? You expect me to throw my destined partner back out to those bloodthirsty wolves who attacked him? I have to protect him." Alex answered.

"Alex is right, dear... and you know it. I know you have reservations, but you cannot come between two who are fated to be together. You would only harm them both, maybe even irreparably and I know you don't want that. Let them rest. Let them be in each others' presence. They need that. It's important for their bond." Mrs Blackwood said softly to her husband and he knew that she was right; she was always right on matters of the heart.

"Fine. For a trial run. But know that I do not approve of him." Mr Blackwood relented and immediately, Alex turned and re-entered the bedroom.

Luna stood up as Alex entered and allowed him to retake his place at Sovereign's side. Sovereign immediately reached out for him and Alex took his hand once more, placing a kiss to his forehead again for good measure. 

"Thank you for standing up for me... we heard everything... no one... no one has ever stood up for me before..." Sovereign trailed off, clearly feeling the effects of his exhaustion. "Can we rest now? Will you lie with me?" he asked.

"Of course." Alex replied simply as he lay down in front of Sovereign, running a hand through his soft, jet black curls. He knew already that it would become a habit. "You can relax now, I'll be right here with you." 

Luna left the room soundlessly, closing the door gently behind her, careful not to make any noise. She didn't think that it would be right to stick around and intrude on their moment together. They were both tired from fighting and needed the rest, and she had to get back to Hazel.

"Are they alright in there, dear? I'm going to leave them some painkillers and water, something to eat as well, for when they wake up. I do hope Sovereign will be okay." Mrs Blackwood asked. Mr Blackwood had already gone upstairs to the master bedroom.

"They'll be alright. Sovereign will be fine with Alex looking out for him. They are both strong and I'm sure they will compliment each other well." Luna replied. "I must get going though, I need to get back to Hazel... I have a lot to explain."

"Alright, dear. Thank you for staying with Sovereign while we talked with Alex. Will we see you tomorrow?" She asked.

"Perhaps, but I may be spending my time with Hazel." Luna replied.

"Off you go then, don't keep her waiting now." Mrs Blackwood bid Luna farewell.

And with that, Luna left the farm and made her way back to Hazel's house. She really did have a lot to explain.