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  Surprising them all, he stood up and hugged Ivan. “Thank you for that,” he said, unashamed of

  the tears running down his cheeks as Ivan hugged him back. This was pack, a group of people that loved and respected him as if he were family... And he felt the same. Bloodlines didn't matter, not when it came to the werewolves.

  The elder male slapped him on the back. “We're going to get through this, Marrok.”

  He nodded, moving to sit back down. Alonzo pulled some chairs in, placing them around the

  bed. “We're all here for you, and we won't let you go through this by yourself. Nobody is leaving until this is done, Marrok. There is nothing more important to any of us than seeing you through this, and none of us would rather be anywhere else but here.”

  “What about the change? It will be painful to you if you refuse the moon's call.” He wasn't

  concerned about his own pain. It would be nothing compared to the pain he was in, now. His wolf was oddly settled, though. Maybe the tragic events were enough to forestall it.

  “We're tough, alpha boys,” Alexander replied, firmly. “I'm sure we can take it. If the women

  need to go, they can.” He looked at Alonzo. “Were you planning on changing Nicole tonight?”

  Alonzo shrugged, his expression unconcerned. “I was, but it can wait. She's not in any kind of danger. I've waited all these years, another month won't kill me.”

  With that, they all fell silent. The next two hours passed quietly. The men rotated out with the women, although Marrok hardly noticed. Every moment of the last month was flashing behind his eyes, playing like a projector style movie in his mind.

  So much had been packed into the last month. In his mind, he replayed them, the details vibrant and colorful. The first time he'd kissed Taylor after her abduction. Taking her virginity, and how uninhibited she'd been. The night they'd professed their love for each other.

  Their future had been so bright, the dreariness of his life gone at his first sight of her in that room. She'd given him a reason to live again. This couldn't be the end, fate couldn't be cruel enough to take her, not when he'd just gotten her back again.

  He knew what he had to do. “Alonzo, will you bring me my backpack? It's in the bedroom

  closet at the house.”

  The chief shot him a curious look but stood up. “Sure, I'll be back shortly.”

  Doctor Sanders arrived a few moments later. “Any change?”

  Marrok gave him a short shake of his head, never taking his eyes off of Taylor.

  “The moon is up now,” he told him, as he checked her vitals. “I might have to shift for a little while. Doctor Brown is out taking his run, now. We will alternate, if needed, until this is done.”

  Marrok nodded. The doctor patted him on the back before walking to the monitors to make

  some adjustments.

  Alonzo returned, carrying his backpack. He handed it to Marrok and returned to his seat, all the men watching to see what he'd do next.

  Marrok stared at Taylor, his expression resigned. Time was ticking away, and she still hadn't

  regained consciousness. Laying her hand back on the bed gently, he unzipped his bag and pulled out a large knife in a sheath. They were hundreds of years old, but kept in pristine condition.

  The sheath was made of brain-tanned deer hide, with a long fringe and beads. The knife was as

  long as his forearm. It was another family heirloom, passed down from his father to him. If needed, it would suit his purposes.

  Placing it on the cart next to him, he zipped his bag back up and laid it on the floor to the side.

  His thoughts heavy, he turned to the other men. “Should something go wrong, I want you to use that on me.”

  Alexander shook his head, his expression angry. “You know we won't do that, Marrok. Don't

  bother even asking.”

  “You will,” he hissed, his red eyes glaring. “If you don't, I'll do it myself. I meant what I said. I refuse to live without Taylor again.”

  “Quiet, now,” Doctor Sanders bit out, shaking his finger at the upset werewolf. “This isn't good for Taylor. You better settle it down, Marrok, and I don't mean maybe.”

  Marrok settled down, leaning back in the chair. “You're right, Doctor. I'm sorry.” He exhaled

  deeply.

  Doctor Sanders nodded. “I'm sure it doesn't help that you're having to contain your wolf. Keep talking to her. If she wakes, push that button.” He indicated a button on the wall. “Don't wait for me or Doctor Brown, though. Do what you need to do because time will be of the essence.”

  “I understand.”

  Doctor Sanders looked at him, his expression a mix of pity and aggravation. “I know this is

  hard, but you can take comfort in one thing. One way or another, this will be over soon.” He pulled the metal door open and left without another word.

  Several minutes passed, the only sound the beeping of the monitors in the quiet room. Alonzo

  stood up. “Nature's calling, and I'd like a coffee. I think the caffeine might help with the restlessness.

  My wolf is prowling inside of me like a caged animal.”

  Alexander nodded in agreement, standing up. “I'll join you. Can I bring either of you anything back?” Marrok and Ivan shook their heads.

  They barely reached the door when all hell broke loose. Taylor gasped on the bed, her eyes

  opening wide as she struggled to breath. Her heart raced, the sound like an out of control train, chugging along the tracks.

  As suddenly as it started, it stopped. She collapsed against the pillows, her head falling to the side. Marrok jumped up and hit the button on the wall, before grabbing the knife and pulling it from the sheath.

  The men stood there helplessly in horror. Roaring in grief, Marrok grabbed his low ponytail and cut through it with clean slice. It fell to the ground, unforgotten. Dropping the knife on the cart, he yanked his shirt off and said, “To-anah-zont-tee-dah, don't be gone.”

  Doctor Sanders and Doctor Brown rushed into the room. Doctor Brown was in nothing but

  pants, having just arrived back from his run. The women followed, stopping in the doorway with unspeakable grief in their eyes. Marrok was shoved out of the way by Doctor Sanders as he leaned over Taylor and checked her pulse.

  “Her heart has stopped,” he advised Doctor Brown, who stood on the other side of the bed. “We

  are going to have to shock her.” They moved fast, grabbing another cart with a defibrillator and turning it on.

  Doctor Sanders began CPR. The machine hummed as it charged up, while Doctor Brown

  squirted jelly on chest. “All clear,” he yelled, before grabbing the paddles and shocking her. Doctor Sanders barely jerked away in time.

  Taylor's body rose off the bed from the force of the shock. Her eyelids remained closed as

  Marrok's heart plummeted. He didn't need to hear them confirm the lack of pulse. With his hearing, he already knew. Her body was completely silent, inside and out.

  “One more time, Doctors,” he hissed out. “We're running out of time to change her.”

  “Again,” Doctor Brown said, applying the paddles. Immediately, one sluggish heartbeat was

  heard, followed by another one. Stepping back, he laid the paddles on the machine before facing Marrok. “You've got five minutes, if that. Either change her, or tell her goodbye. We're playing with fire here, not knowing how much oxygen her brain has been deprived of. ”

  Marrok nodded. Stepping up to the bed, he stared down at her. “Taylor,” he ordered, his

  authoritative, deep voice demanding she hear him. Inside he was raging, terrified he'd lost her. “I need you to wake up now.”

  A second passed, then two, as he held his breath and waited. Her eyelids fluttered, much to the amazement of everyone in the room. “Marrok?” she asked, her voice nothing more than a slight wisp of air.

  “I'm here,” he replied, watching her with hungry, wet eyes
. There was so much he wanted to

  say, but there was no time. Her heart was slowing again, just the simple act of coming to consciousness draining it. “I have to change you, now. Will you agree?”

  Her heart stuttered and then stopped, but not before she got one word out. “Yes.”

  The doctors moved, immediately starting CPR again. Marrok didn't waste any time. Quickly, he

  shifted into wolf form, before standing up on his back legs. He opened his mouth and closed it around her calf, gently piercing the skin until a drop of her blood hit his tongue.

  Shifting back, he grabbed the knife and pricked his thumb. “By the power of the moon, and the

  bond that has united our life forces, I share my blood and wolf essence consensually with my mate.”

  Doctor Sanders pulled away as Marrok milked a drop of blood from his thumb, letting it fall down into her opened mouth.

  Doctor Brown continued the chest compressions, encouraging the blood circulation in her still

  body. Every now and then, a faint heartbeat could be heard. Nobody said a word, just watching and waiting to see what would happen next. Marrok blocked out everything, focusing on the sounds coming from the bed. The doctors exchanged a long, meaningful look, one Marrok read easily.

  “No,” Marrok denied, his dark eyebrows drawing together as he leaned forward, a clear threat

  intended with his body language. “You damn well keep going, and don't you dare think about giving up on my mate. This isn't a DNR, not if you want to live to walk out of this room.”

  Doctor Sanders bent over Taylor, repeating the breaths of air into her lungs. Alexander stepped up to him, his expression full of regret. “Marrok,” he said gently, grabbing him by the arm and preparing to lead him away.

  Marrok shrugged him off. “Wait,” Doctor Brown said, pulling his hands away. He stared down

  at her in disbelief. Taylor's heart was beating loudly, growing in intensity with every pump.

  “Thank God,” Carole Anne said from the doorway, her voice hoarse. “Thank you, Lord.”

  Marrok leaned over the bed, resting his weight on his hands. His arms trembled as the tension

  ebbed away. She was alive, and that was all that mattered.

  The doctors didn't bother telling him to move. Instead, they worked around him, checking her

  vitals and removing the IV’s. Doctor Sanders stopped to look at him, shaking his head ruefully. “You know, for awhile there, I thought we were going to lose her. Another few seconds, and it would have been too late.”

  “I know,” he said simply, but his words held a world of meaning. In this night, he'd experienced death, fear, and pain as he watched his mate die. Nobody knew more than him how close it had really been.

  Doctor Brown draped a sheet over her chest. “We've done all we can do now, Marrok,” he said,

  as he faced him. “One of us will be on duty in the office. With her weakened state, I can't tell you if she will shift tonight or not. All we can do is let the wolf work its magic, and see how it goes.”

  They started out the door, but Marrok stopped them. “Thank you, Doctors, for all you've done

  tonight.”

  They gave him a tired look before nodding and stepping out of the room.

  Alonzo clapped him on the back. “I'm going to take Nicole outside and tell the other wolves

  that Taylor is going to live. While we're gone, you can put some pants on. I don't want my mate enjoying the scenery too much.” He laughed as the others chuckled. It released a lot of the tension in the room.

  “Sorry,” Marrok replied, a tinge of red coloring his tanned cheekbones. He quickly located

  them. Miraculously they'd survived the change, at least, enough for him to be decent.

  They left the room, while Elena and Carole Anne moved up to the other side of the bed to see

  Taylor. “She's already getting some color back,” Carole Anne observed softly, her eyes welling up with tears again. “I'm just so relieved that she survived all that. It was so horrible to watch and wait, not knowing.”

  “Let's give them some time alone,” Ivan recommended, one sparkling blue eye winking at

  Marrok. “We are going to hang around for awhile. Just holler if you need us.” They departed, Ivan shutting the door behind them.

  Marrok sent up a quick prayer of gratitude before gently climbing in the bed next to Taylor. It was a tight fit, but lying on his side, he was able to manage it. He pulled her close, relieved to feel the warmth in her skin.

  Time passed. Ivan and Elena left first, followed by Alexander and Carole Anne. They would

  spend the rest of the evening in the woods in wolf form, frolicking and celebrating life. He anticipated the many nights he would get to do the same with Taylor.

  Alonzo and Nicole stepped back in. His eyes were tinged with red, his wolf demanding to be set free. “We're going to call it a night, my friend.” He looked down at Nicole, his expression possessive.

  “My mate has agreed to the change, and there are still plenty of moon hours left for us to do it tonight.”

  “Congratulations,” Marrok replied. “Thanks for all that you did.”

  Alonzo nodded. “We'll talk soon.”

  Marrok watched them leave, glad his old pack mate and friend had found his mate. It was funny

  how life worked out, sometimes. The two friends had mated two friends, but had they not been

  discovered, they would have spent their lives without them.

  He ran a hand through his much shorter hair. It was a custom in his tribe for the ones in

  mourning to cut their hair off. He'd been no different. Against all the odds, though, his mourning period was over. His hair would grow back quick enough.

  Taylor stirred on the bed, moaning softly. His heart sped up in anticipation. She was coming

  back to consciousness.

  He reached over to push the button, elated and overjoyed in the moment. Her coloring was back

  to normal. Even the knot and bruising on her forehead was quickly healing. Her eyelids flickered.

  “Is our patient waking up?” Doctor Brown asked as he walked in the room. He was fully

  dressed, his olive green eyes gleaming.

  “I think so.” Marrok slid out of the bed and picked up his shirt. Taylor's eyes opened right as the doctor moved beside her. “How are you feeling?”

  “I feel all right, I think.” She blinked rapidly before her eyes settled on Marrok. Her lips parted in a wide smile. “Hi,” she stated simply, blushing.

  “Hi, yourself,” he replied, grinning back.

  Doctor Brown rolled his eyes as he examined her. “Mates,” he muttered to himself, as Taylor

  stared at him with a puzzled expression on her face. “Do you remember the events that led up to you being here?”

  She frowned, remaining silent for a long moment. “I actually do,” she finally replied slowly.

  “I'm a werewolf now, aren't I?”

  Doctor Brown stepped back and looked at Marrok. “I think it's safe to say your mate doesn't

  have any type of brain damage from the lack of oxygen. Whenever she feels up to it, I don't see any reason why you can't take her home.”

  Marrok looked at Taylor. “Are you ready to leave? I can carry you home, if needed.”

  Taylor swung her legs over the side of the bed. “I don't think you'll have to carry me. I actually feel almost normal, but I have to admit I'm starving.”

  The two men chuckled. “Welcome to life as a wolf,” Doctor Brown added, turning to leave. “If

  you need us, you know where to find us. I don't anticipate any problems, though. I'm glad you made it, Taylor. You guys have a good night.”

  “You do the same,” Marrok replied, helping Taylor to stand up. She stood still for a moment,

  letting her body adjust.

  In the mirror, she noticed the gown she was wearing. “Do you know where my clothes are? I'd

  h
ate to have to go home in this.”

  Marrok slowly released her, his hands hovering close to her body. “I'll grab them. Are you okay to stand?”

  At her nod, he walked over and picked them up from the table. Despite her protests, he helped

  her to change before leading her to the door. “The restaurant is closed already, but I can make you something to eat when we get back to the house.”

  They walked to the elevator. “That sounds good. To be honest, I wouldn't have wanted to go

  even if it was open. I'm just not up to crowds right now.”

  She looked up at him with excitement after they stepped in. “I can't believe I'm actually a

  werewolf. When will I shift?”

  Marrok was extremely pleased to see Taylor adapting so quickly. “You can change anytime. We

  can work on it, when you're feeling better. Tonight is a full moon, and you'll always want to shift on those. The need will be extremely powerful, and it's not something you can miss. I'm guessing because of the trauma you've went through, the need isn't so strong right now. It will be, though.”

  “Why haven't you shifted?” she asked, puzzled.

  The elevator doors opened. He led her down the hallway and out the front door. There was only

  one guardian on duty, and he didn't look to pleased to be there. The rest were out, enjoying the full moon. “Normally I would have, but there was no way in hell I would have ever left you in that

  condition.”

  “Are you in pain?”

  He shrugged. “None that you need to worry about.”

  She stopped, putting her hands on her hips. “Marrok, I don't want you in pain over me. Please

  shift. I can make it home on my own.”

  He smiled at her show of stubbornness but didn't reply. Instead, he pulled her into his arms,

  staring down into her face. She was always beautiful, but in the glow of the moon, she looked like an angel. “I really thought I'd lost you tonight, Taylor. You don't know how relieved I am that you're still alive.”

  “You don't know how relieved I am to still be here,” she replied, jokingly. Her eyes met his.

  “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

  “Never,” he said, vehemently. “I would never give up on you. Without you, there is no future