Don't Wake the Sleeping Luna

I clutched my neck tightly even though I was faint from the deep bite on it. I had Mabel, my daughter, in my free hand as I carried her into the packhouse through the backdoor.

Mabel's sobs filled my ears and the hurt from hearing her sob made me wish there was something I could do to pacify her. But I was losing it and needed to get help for myself as soon as possible.

'Randolph...' I tried reaching out to my mate through the mind link I shared with him. I called his name the second time but I got no response.

I was already in my chamber. But at that point, I was weak and had to collapse to the floor.

"Mommy. Are you okay?" Mabel asked me as she held my hand tightly. She looked really scared. I couldn't blame her after everything she witnessed in the last thirty minutes.

I had gone to pick up my Mabel from her evening pack training when I suddenly got attacked by rogue wolves. Not two, but about five of them. My biggest mistake was not going with any of the guards.

Just to protect my daughter from any harm, I had resorted to go against them even though I knew the odds were against me. And during the course of fighting them, I got a nasty bite in the neck.

How I managed to escape the scene of the attack still baffles me. But I had to do anything to keep my daughter safe.

The pack healers were unreachable as well as I tried to mind link them to come tend to me. My intense loss of blood had a great deal in my situation that even being the Luna of the pack couldn't get me any help.

I was dying and there was no one to save me.

"Mommy. Where is daddy? You don't look okay, mommy," Mabel said as she began crying uncontrollably.

I watched as she picked up my phone which was lying on the floor. She tried handling it but it seemed she was having a tough time doing that.

I wanted to speak and instruct her on what to do but I found it hard to speak. I couldn't even utter a word just to explain how I was feeling to her.

The one thing I could do was stretch my hand to her. She picked up on it and handed the phone to me. With the little strength I had, I managed to dial Randolph's number before handing the phone back to her.

Since I put the phone on speaker, when Randolph spoke, I was able to hear him speak.

"Lauren," he called my name harshly, "what is the meaning of this? Didn't I tell you never to disturb me whenever I'm out?"

Even in my most vulnerable state, Randolph still decided to treat me like I was garbage. What did I ever do to deserve this?

"Daddy!" Mabel said into the phone with her teary voice. "Mommy is not feeling well. Where are you?"

"Oh. So this is the new strategy, isn't it? To use your daughter as a pity card just to get my attention? What do you even think you are doing?"

If I could speak, I would scream into the phone and tell Randolph that I was not trying to gain his attention without a reason. I was dying here and needed saving.

"Daddy. Please, come home," Mabel said into the phone.

"You are just like your mother. Acting all ill-mannered," Randolph responded harshly again and tears slipped out of my eyes from that statement.

He spoke to her like she wasn't his daughter. More like he was talking down on one of the slaves as the alpha that he was.

Just then, I heard someone speak to Randolph in the background.

"Baby. I've been waiting for you. Come cut the cake with me."

Randolph answered the person in a very quiet voice that I could still hear nevertheless: "I'll join you in a few seconds."

Immediately after he said that, he hung up the call.

My heart shattered. I recognized the voice that spoke to him in the background. It was Charlotte's voice. Yes, the same Charlotte who has always been the reason my marriage with Randolph began to fall apart.

Randolph could be here with me and his daughter but he was spending the night with his lover. The whole thought of it made my situation get worse.

Mabel had no idea what to do as she stared blankly at my phone which didn't seem to emanate any sound again. She crawled to me and held my legs in a manner that made me want to reach out but I couldn't.

"Mommy. Please, talk to me," she said.

I wish I could, baby. I really wish.