Chapter: 21
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"Alpha?" A voice called followed by a soft knock on the bedroom door. "Alpha, are you awake?" She waited for the Alpha's response but none was forthcoming. She sighed, she must admit, their Alpha hasn't been at his best of late. The Alpha spends days sitting in his office, attending meetings, and often forgetting to eat in between. As if he is desperately trying to fill his mind with thoughts of distractions. He didn't come home for the last two nights and she heard from her husband that it was because he had stayed up all night working. This behavior would break him if he doesn't slow down. It wasn't something they were used to and so she couldn't help but be worried. She knocked once again, louder this time, and called his name once but he did not respond. So, she turned and walked away.

Lady sat in her kitchen, sipping slowly from her cup of tea, she had just sent her kids off to school and now alone waiting for her husband's return and for when the Alpha is ready for breakfast so she can make him whatever he would like to eat. Omegas from the Manor wanted to come stay at her home to help her attend to their Alpha's needs but the angry Omega has forbidden them from doing so. Lady didn't blame the Omega but she also wished that he knew how frightened the Alpha of Alphas hated loneliness. He has other private mansions scattered all over the Island of River Bay but he wouldn't be caught dead living there by himself. The thoughts of being alone, without a Mate nearly drove him to madness when his twin sisters found their Fated Mates. It almost killed him when his Betas one by one found their Halfs and once again he was left alone. He indulged in sex and alcohol, and he became careless and irresponsible but when it comes to his family and his Pack, he is always protective and never abandons his responsibilities as the Alpha of Alphas. Alphas from many PackLands answer to him, bringing him news and situations and he assists with difficult matters and threats.

She has prayed to the Goddess more times than she could count that he finds his Fated, and when he did, and she heard from her Mate, how the Alpha shot an arrow into the heart of his Mate and killed him, she was confused beyond belief. She never saw the Alpha as one so heartless that he would kill his Mate, the one he has waited for all his life. It didn't make sense. But there was little she could do in the matter. Then she heard of Xiher, the god and Keeper of the Calms, the same Tiger who is known as Caleb and the Mate to their Alpha, the one she had thought was dead from the Alpha's arrow. They all thought the same and the Pack worried for their Alpha's wellbeing. She was glad that he didn't die, but now, she was back to square one.

Xiher has sent the Alpha away from the Manor and would not see him.

The back door opened and her Mate walked in, Lady rushed into the arms of her Mate and Colleen immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against his body. Lady inhaled deeply to ease her racing heartbeat before whispering in Colleen's ear, "I have missed you, My Love," To which Colleen pulled her away from his chest and cupped her face in his palms, pressing a kiss upon her lips.

"I've missed you too, my Darling." They kissed for several long moments before Colleen pulled back and gently pushed her hair behind her ears, caressing her cheek with a gentle finger. "How has the Alpha been? And our children?"

"He has barely slept," Lady replied quietly. "I heard him panting and grunting throughout the night. I think he is overdosing on the Suppressant." She replied worriedly.

"What?" Colleen sounded panicked. "How many bottles?"

"When he left his bedroom four days ago and I went in for cleaning I counted three empty bottles," Lady answered, fear laced her voice.

Colleen shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "This is not good," He muttered. "Has he had something to eat?" He asked and she shook her head.

"He is only feeding on alcohol and Suppressant at this point. I'm worried he will hurt himself," She sighed, clearly shaken by that knowledge. "Colleen, please, do something." Lady pleaded with her Beta husband as tears pooled in her eyes.

"I am going to talk to him right now," Colleen replied, squeezing his wife's hand. "Call his Doctor, inform him what the situation is and I will send Dom to speak with Xiher, he is most good at communication." He addressed softly, kissing his wife on the forehead. Lady smiled weakly at her husband, nodded, and Colleen squeezed her hand and picked up his phone to call Dom.

"Half?" Dom sounded excited from the other end of the phone, it almost had the worried Beta chuckling. He couldn't phantom how energetic his Half is half the time. Almost like he didn't have any care in the world. Hardly ever angry. This strike of innocence almost drew him into lust for his Half before he found his Fated Mate. Glad he did not indulge.

"Dominic, go speak with Xiher, Rafa needs him," He said in reply. "He is overdosing on Suppressant at this point, please." Dom made an affirmative sound before he disconnected. Colleen turned back to his Mate and nodded for her to get on the phone with the doctor while he proceeded to mount the stairs to the Alpha's wing.

Unlike his wife, he did not need to wait for an invitation before barging into the room and so once he reached the door he picked the lock with his claws and pushed the door open once inside, he quickly covered his nose from inhaling the Alpha's Pheromones, the room clouded in gold and red, the colors of the Alpha's Pheromones. Since the incident the last time, the Alpha has learned to lock his Pheromones and not let them get away to cause harm to those nearby and so his Pheromones didn't escape the room he was in. Colleen stood at the door, to allow himself to get used to the Pheromones, as a Beta, they can detect Pheromones but not as strongly as Alphas nor get affected as Omegas, not immune but they have a high tolerance to Pheromones be that of Alphas or Omegas. Once his senses had accepted the Pheromones, Colleen proceeded to walk further into the room and to the bed where the Alpha lay still. His eyes scanned the bedroom floor and he could spot about two empty bottles of Suppressant and three bottles of whiskey. The room was dark and he had to see with his Wolf's eyes. He didn't want to turn on the lights and disturb his Alpha so he approached the bed and very calmly sat on it, his hands reached for the Alpha's shoulder and shook him slightly but Conri did not respond.

"Alpha?" He tried again, shaking him once more. This time the Alpha woke up groggily and lifted his head to look around but he remained silent, his eyes staring straight ahead as if he was looking at nothing in particular. Colleen saw the mixture of colors in his eyes and he knew the Alpha was in no good state. He raised a hand and touched the Alpha's forehead, it burnt like the heat from an oven. His skin is hot to the touch and not only from the fever. It seems his body temperature has risen a considerable amount. The smell of whiskey and sweat filled Colleen's nostrils. When he removed his palm from the Alpha's forehead he noticed that there was sweat forming underneath the Alpha's clothes.

His shirt and pants cling onto his body in a way they would if he just finished his shift. And when he looked lower, he noticed the Alpha was in his Half-man Half-Lycan form. "Alpha?" Colleen spoke again and this time the Alpha moved his head to meet his eyes. "You're burning up," He spoke and took in every detail of his Alpha's appearance. He noticed that there was blood seeping out of his ears and nose, the blood smeared across the Alpha's chin and neck. A pained sound slipped past the Alpha's throat as he tried to sit up. "Please, lie back down. You are bleeding, Alpha." Colleen said firmly as he grabbed onto the Alpha's shoulders and pushed him back onto the pillows. "Lie back, Alpha, I'll get something to wipe you with." He said and helped the Alpha to lay back down. Once the Alpha was laid down, Colleen rushed out of the room and back downstairs where his wife was sitting in the kitchen.

Lady got up to immediately approach him but stopped halfway when she inhaled the strong Pheromones coming from him, her palms clenched her nose strongly and she walked back to the living room, leaving the kitchen to her husband. "Is he alright?!" She called from the living room and Colleen shook his head no but remembering she wasn't with him he yelled back.

"No, he is bleeding from ears and nose and his temperature could bake a pie!" He filled a bowl with water and tossed a towel into it then went to search the cabinets for something to stop the bleeding.

"Oh, my!" Lady exclaimed. "The doctor is on his way." She called back. "Should I send him in when he's here?" She asked.

"Only if he's alone," He replied and went back to searching. He soon found it, the small bag that held all their med supplies. He grabbed a bottle and quickly sprayed its contents around the kitchen, then returned the bottle and grabbed the bag of supplies and water bowl, and proceeded to leave the kitchen. "I sprayed the Anti-phero, you can go into the kitchen now." He told his wife as he mounted the stairs, four at a time. "Oh and make him something to eat!" He shouted as he ascended. He hurried toward the Alpha's room, and once inside, he closed the door and placed everything on the nightstand, returning to the Alpha he helped him undress down to his briefs and took the towel, wiping him down carefully, but it was turning out futile as the more he wiped the hotter he became as if he were on fire.

"SHIT!" He muttered with gritted teeth. "How much longer will you continue to endure this pain?" Colleen felt his heart breaking for his Alpha. If he wasn't a Lycan, this much would have killed him a long time.

Then, suddenly, there came a knock on the door, and he called in. The doctor entered as instructed. "Hello, Beta. May I come in?" The man asked from the door.

"Yes," Colleen replied curtly as he continued to wipe the Alpha down.

A moment later the door opened wide and Dr. Creiff walked in, closing the door behind him.

"Doctor." The Beta greeted politely as he continued to rub down the Alpha's sweaty skin.

"Whoa, that's a lot of Pheromones, I don't think we are meant to see the colors of the Alpha's Pheromones, he must be in a lot of pain," Creiff raised as he approached the bed and examined the Alpha. "His temperature is up, his breathing is becoming heavy and shallow, and his pupils are dilated," He noted as he started feeling around the Alpha's body for any injuries. "He doesn't seem to be injured," He whispered, as he continued to probe and examine the Alpha's body.

"Yes, but he was bleeding through the nose and ears earlier, so I wiped it clean," Colleen informed him.

"I see, that could be caused by his Lycan getting agitated,"

"Is Rafa alright?" Colleen asked.

"He should be, they both seem to be holding up the best they can,"

"This isn't good, I don't like it," Colleen mumbled worriedly.