Pursuit of Happiness 10

Dear Readers,

Sorry for the delay - I'm still learning how to do all this and got ahead of myself. I had to rewrite a lot of this section so it took longer than I expected.

Last chapter will be posted with this one.

*****

Emmett carries Lyssa's limp body from the basement, out the side door, and to the waiting car.

He gets in and Lyssa is passed to him. "Go, Erich."

Erich smells the blood, twitches his nose, and starts off.

He cradles his mate to his chest and looks her over more closely, listening to her heartbeat, not as strong as usual, and her breathing, shallower.

Her left arm was red, swollen. Marks on her body, probably broken ribs, maybe internal bleeding. Her face, the face he loved to look at, to wake to, bruised and bloodied. Her nose looked broken, lips split, and she had a black eye as well. Her face was distorted now.

How Joanna had gotten away, he didn't know, but he knew it was because of Lyssa.

Now, to get her home, and well. "I've got you, Lyssa. We'll be home soon."

Erich glanced back in the rearview mirror. His friend was quiet, focused on his mate. Lyssa had reverted to human form. He saw grim acceptance on Emmett's face. Emmett wasn't sure she'd live.

Erich had to admit, she didn't look good, but, under normal circumstances, it would take a few days for one of them to heal up completely from such abuse. Then it struck him, he tended to forget. She was changed. Would it be the same for her?

Now he understood Emmett's look. She might die.

He says a silent prayer, 'Selene. Watch over this female.'

Nathan rides home, feeling kind of empty. He'd helped Joanna get away from her kidnappers. She had said they were Ross pack.

He had delivered her to her parents, been thanked, and been dismissed.

He wanted to know what else had happened. If the Beta female had woken. If they had killed the wolves that took them.

Joanna had said he would come to her party. In two days he could see them again, find out more.

But, first, he would go home. And report to his Alpha.

He still had another half an hour to go and his mind wandered. He thought of the look of her face, peering through the window. Her arms, wrapped around him as they fled. Her body, warm, behind him on the bike, breasts pressed against his back.

He still had her scent on him.

Randall arrives back at the den with his daughter. The packs calls to their recovered pack member, sniffing, touching. As more of the pack comes out, he announces, "The Alpha daughter is returned to us! We celebrate her maturation in two days."

A cheer and a howl goes up from the assembled pack members.

As it dies down, a question is raised, "What of the Beta's mate? Where is Lyssa?"

Randall looks at the female who has asked the question. Stephanie. "Lyssa has been injured. Her mate returns with her as we speak."

"Then I will celebrate when all our pack is returned."

Everyone looks at her, shocked by the quiet statement. There was iron in her voice. It almost sounded like a challenge.

Ariel growls and takes a step in her direction. Randall puts a hand on her arm. [No, mate. She is correct.]

"And we will all celebrate with you. Please, healers, prepare for the return of two injured pack members."

Wade and Natalie answer, "Yes, Alpha." and head off.

Roland sees to it that Thomas is guided to a vehicle and Alan is muscled into the back of a car, flanked by two of the Wyeth wolves.

He was not speaking.

They leave the house and follow Erich, returning to the den.

Emmett dares do nothing but hold her, afraid of hurting her further.

He closes his eyes, listening to her breathing, feeling her warm body against him.

And he hoped she would wake and speak to him.

A few minutes from the den, she moves.

She groans, and whines, and Emmett's eyes fly open.

"Lyssa, I have you. You're safe. We're taking you home, sweetheart."

More whining. "I know it hurts. We're almost home. Hold on."

Her eyelids flicker and her right hand shifts. "No, Lyssa. Save your strength."

He watches her right hand creep up his body until she finds his chin. She forces her eyes open. "Emm..."

Her voice is rusty, pained, a moan.

His voice is full of emotion, he replies, "Don't say you're sorry. You're staying with me. Close your eyes, we'll be home soon."

"Nooo..", she moans quietly.

"Lyssa, please." Chocolate eyes look into pained dark brown as they pull into the garage.

Erich stops the car and opens the door. Emmett hands Lyssa out, exits the car, and takes her back into his arms, then turns for the door.

Erich watches and realizes suddenly that his face is wet. He roughly brushes away an errant tear, vowing never to be so ensnared by love that he felt that kind of pain.

The medical ward is not far from the garage, both underground, and the two wolves Emmett passes stand quietly to one side, and sniff.

Wade and Natalie are waiting as he enters. "Here, Emmett." Wade indicates the table before them.

[Lyssa, are you with us?] She whimpers as she is laid on the table.

[Yes.]

As Wade looks her over, [Where does it hurt?]

[Everywhere.]

She yelps as Wade palpates her arm. Emmett's lip lifts in a growl.

"Broken arm." He touches her face. "Broken nose. Didn't break the jaw or the orbit. Good."

Natalie says, "Her belly's rigid. At least a couple of broken ribs." She puts an ear to Lyssa's chest. "Lungs are OK."

Wade resets her nose and she whimpers again.

"OK. I'm gonna put her out."

[NO!]

"Lyssa, we have to set your arm and drain the fluid in your belly. It's gonna hurt," Natalie says.

[No.]

Emmett's chest heaves. "Give her half a dose. To knock down the pain."

[No.]

[Yes.] He looks to Wade and Natalie. "Do it."

Dark eyes flicker open to look at him. [What if I don't wake up?]

Joanna has washed up and put on fresh clothes. When she emerged from her room, her father requested a review of everything that had happened.

"Can I see Lyssa first? And, get something to eat?"

As Randall looked to object, Ariel grasped her daughter's arm. "Of course, Jo. Come on. Let's see how Lyssa is.."

Against her wishes, Lyssa has been given a pain killer and is a bit dopey.

[We should cast her arm. It may not heal right without one.]

[Now, mate, wrapping is usually sufficient.]

[For born wolves, yes, love. She seems to take longer to heal.]

[Oh. Yes. That's right. Very well.]

Natalie takes gauze strips and dips them in a solution of plaster.

"Emmett. Please hold her shoulder and left arm above the elbow." Wade takes her hand and looks up. "Tightly, Emmett." Emmett holds her more tightly. Wade looks to his mate. "Ready, dear?" Natalie nods.

"Emmett, hold her still."

Randall, Ariel, and Joanna walk in as Lyssa shrieks.

Eyes closed, breathing hard, Lyssa is having a plaster cast put on her arm. Emmett is murmuring in her ear.

Joanna watches, quietly, afraid to say anything when she sees her friend's injuries.

After placing a number of the gauze strips around Lyssa's arm, wrist, and elbow, Natalie wipes the back of her hand across her forehead, leaving a white smear.

"Alright, it'll take a few minutes for that to harden and dry. Hold still a bit longer. I'll tap her belly and then we need to get some food in her."

Joanna moves closer, looking at her friend.

"Oh. Lyssa."

Lyssa twists to look at her. "Ow. Jo. Oh, thank god. Are you alright?"

Joanna chokes a laugh. "Me? What about you?"

"Yeah, a lot of good my sparring did."

[Alpha. Coming in with Thomas and the prisoner.]

[Bring both to the Med ward when you arrive.]

[Yes, Alpha.]

"Healers. Thomas has also been injured and may need some care."

"Of course, Alpha."

"Simon will bring food. When everyone is settled, I wish to hear what happened."

Emmett looks over Lyssa's tense shoulder. "Randall, I want my mate freed from this collar."

"Paul will see to it, when she's been treated."

Thomas limps in and Alan is shoved into the room, surrounded by Wyeth wolves. Joanna shrinks back slightly. Ariel stops her. [Stand up to him, Jo. Don't back away.]

Joanna takes a deep breath and stands tall. All 5 feet 3 inches of her.

Randall walks up to him and his eyes dart around.

"Who are you?" Alan's breathing and heart rate speed up. Randall gestures the surrounding wolves back. He then circles Alan, firing questions, "Which pack are you? Who else was in on it with you? Who planned this? Whose orders were you following? Why take my daughter? My pack members? TELL ME!" Randall rounds on his prisoner and wraps his clawed hand around his throat.

"Just kill me." It comes out a bit shaky.

"Chain him in the back outbuilding and post a guard. I wish to contemplate his future."

"Of course, Alpha."

Alan is led off, fear rolling off him.

Thomas sits off to the side of the room, waiting for one of their healers to have a look at him. He looks up as Randall approaches him.

Randall's question is calm, conversational in tone. "Thomas. Explain to me how you came to be a part of this."

Thomas looks up, unsure of his Alpha's mood. "I listened to the discussions after they were kidnapped." Emmett perks an ear to the talk while trying to soothe his mate. "It didn't make sense that it was rogues. And since... the Beta female did not call again I believed it was someone that knew her and her ability. Which meant only our pack or the few in Ross who were introduced to her sending. That meant they were probably close by. So I started looking."

"You didn't think to share this idea with the others?"

"I didn't think anyone would take my idea seriously. I didn't think anyone would listen."

Randall closes his eyes and nods slightly. "And, today?"

"I was out looking. I heard her scream. I didn't know where but I thought she must be close. I thought she might tell us where she was."

"I came across Joanna, on the back of that young wolf's motorcycle. She told me where... the Beta's mate was, with two males."

"I drove to the house and heard them downstairs, yelling about getting out of there. I went down and found one of them choking her."

"There were two?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"And what did you do?"

"I did it to keep them from killing her, to play for more time." Emmett begins to growl, overhearing the admission.

"Go on." Thomas looks fearfully at Emmett. "Thomas."

Thomas inhales. "I said we should have some fun with her before they killed her."

Emmett's growl gets louder and Joanna gasps. "So I said I'd get to go first." Emmett's growl continues. "My plan was to fake it, to give the others time to find us. I knew you were on your way."

"Continue."

"The male had her over a chair, she turned and clawed him. Then he was on her again, said he was going to fuck her, and collapsed. So I went after the other one.

And Roland came."

Lyssa's eyes begin to close and her head lolls back against Emmett's shoulder. Natalie finishes her work as Wade checks Thomas.

Emmett quietly asks, "Should we keep her awake?"

"No. She doesn't have a concussion. She just needs to heal. Sleep is good but she has to eat. Feed her whenever she wakes. And she's dehydrated, so lots of water."

"Can I take her upstairs?"

Natalie nods. "Call us if you need help. Don't get the cast wet."

"Randall, Ariel, may I take my mate to our room?

"Of course, Emmett. See Paul first about the collar."

Joanna walks over, takes Lyssa's hand and whispers, "I'm sorry they hurt you. Thank you."

"El, why don't you take Jo up and get something to eat?"

"Sure. C'mon, Jo."

Ariel guides her daughter from the room as Emmett picks Lyssa up and heads for the door. [May, do we have a large plastic bag? Watertight?]

[I think I can find something.]

[Please bring it to our room.]

Randall walks over to Thomas. "Thomas. You did well in saving Lyssa. However, in future, tell me your theories. We work better together as a pack."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, Alpha."

Randall then walks upstairs to hear what his daughter has to say.

[Paul, I need bolt cutters. I'll be there shortly.]

[Uh, sure, Emmett.]

Emmett carries Lyssa back toward the garage and meets up with Paul, who's going into the toolbox. "What..? Oh, how awful. Hang on a second."

The lock is cut off and the collar and chain removed. It falls to the ground with a clank. "What should I do with it?"

"Pitch it in the lake for all I care."

Paul picks it up. "Sure. Um, how is she?" Paul indicates Lyssa.

"Safe. Home. Healing. I don't know how long it'll take until she's well again."

Joanna was escorted to the dining hall and Simon placed a large, rare steak before her, along with a glass of milk.

"OK, Joanna. Eat. Tell me what happened."

Joanna shoves a piece of steak in her mouth and groans. [This is great. They came from downwind while Lyssa and I were talking. They grabbed us, Lyssa bit the one holding her, and another came up with a syringe and knocked her out, but not me.]

[So, it was someone who knew about her ability.]

[Dad. It was...] Joanna pauses, looking embarrassed and fearful.

[Tell me. Ross pack?]

[Michael.] Randall and Ariel look at each other. [What?]

[Calvin has stepped down. Michael Ross is Alpha.]

Joanna's mouth drops open. It was true.

Lyssa groans and turns her face into his chest.

[Simon? Do we have a small microwave? I'd like to have some broth and foods I can heat up to feed my mate when she wakes.]

[I'll see what I can do.]

[Thank you.]

There is a plastic bag and some tape sitting on the desk when he enters their room. He lays her on their bed and goes to retrieve the bag.

"Emmett?"

"Here, sweetheart. I'm going to get you cleaned up."

She struggles to sit up. "Ow. Oh. Uh." She closes her eyes, breathes a bit quickly and wraps an arm around her waist, holding her side.

Emmett comes back over and sits on the edge of the bed. "Do you need something?"

"Water?"

"I'll be right back." She drains two glasses of water and sips at a third as Emmett secures the plastic bag around her arm.

"Alright, let's get these wrong smells off you."

She twists and swings her legs off the side of the bed. "Whoa, where are you going?"

"To the bathroom. To shower."

"Let me take you."

"I can walk." She pushes upright with her good arm, stands briefly, totters, and faints. Emmett catches her.

[Natalie?]

[What's wrong?]

[She tried to stand up and passed out.]

[It's her blood pressure, Emmett. If she doesn't come to shortly, let me know.]

[Thank you.] He carries Lyssa into the bathroom as she inhales and her eyes open again. "OK," she says quietly, "I guess I do need a little help."

"Mm, hm. For a little while. Now, you're going to sit quietly while I get you cleaned up."

"OK."

Joanna begins to tell her parents what had happened to her.

They are in a small meeting room: Randall, Ariel, Roland, and Joanna.

After Joanna's story is finished and the questions are answered the four of them are quiet again.

Joanna finally asks the question. "Do you think he'll try it again?"

Ariel growls out, "If he has any brains, he'll know better."

Roland looks at his parents. "We can't do anything, can we?"

Randall exhales and closes his eyes. "No. We didn't find him there. Only Joanna saw him. It's her word against his."

"What about our prisoner?"

"Only if he talks, but Michael can still claim it was someone trying to sabotage his role as a new Alpha. Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do."

"So he's gonna get away with it."

"It would seem so."

Emmett has soaped and rinsed off every part of his mate and washed her chestnut hair. He stands her up, carefully, then wraps her in a towel and sets her on the couch.

"Do you feel like going to dinner?"

She pauses, looking at him. "We could eat up here but I'm sure everyone would like to see you."

"How bad do I look?" She carefully touches her left eye and her nose, and winces. "No, don't tell me, bring my mirror."

Emmett reluctantly goes to her dressing table and picks up her hand mirror. He walks back over and puts it into her hands, then walks behind her and puts his hands on her shoulders.

Lyssa picks up the mirror and turns it to her face. Black eye. Swollen lump of a nose. Split lips. She smiles, lopsided, and pushes at a couple of her teeth. A couple were loose, but they were all still there. Then, lower. Heavy bruising on her neck.

"Wow."

His right hand gently cups her right cheek, where there was no bruising. "I understand if you don't want to go."

"Because you don't want to sit next to someone who's going to drop half chewed food in her lap because of the way her jaw hurts?"

He laughs. "That's my girl. It would be good for the pack to see you. If you feel up to it. Are you hungry?"

Lyssa blinks at tears. "Yes."

He comes around the couch, sits, and pulls her into his lap. The towel falls open and bunches up around her hips. She gasps, then groans. "Ribs?" She nods, sniffing. "Sorry. I just want to hold you so close, now that I have you back. Can you tell me why the tears?"

"I just can't believe I'm home. I wanna see Jo." She sniffs and more tears leak from her eyes. "I hoped she could get away. She had to. I couldn't let that happen to her. But, I knew they'd kill me when I sent her. I thought I'd never see you again."

She leans against him, resting her head against his shoulder, and reaching her right arm around his neck.

"I'm proud of you, mate. You're brave. You're strong. You're beautiful. I love you." She sits quietly, against the warm, strong body of her mate.

He looks down at her, had she fallen asleep again? No. "C'mon. Let's go see Joanna and get you something to eat."

She gusts a big sigh. "Yeah."

Lyssa is dressed and carried down to dinner. She curls up against him, hiding her bruised face against his chest as he brought her down the staircase. They were a few steps down, each one jarring her slightly and reminding her of her injuries, when someone starts clapping.

Emmett stops and turns slightly. Lyssa looks up and sees Stephanie looking at her and clapping, others beginning to join in. "Well done, Madam Beta. Welcome home."

Lyssa smiles and winces. It hurt. "Thank you."

At the bottom of the staircase, Lyssa stops Emmett. [I want to walk into the dining hall.]

[OK. Lean on me.]

[Just go slow, alright?]

He sets her on her feet and puts her arm in his. She steps forward and he matches his pace to hers. It takes some time for her to cross the front hall. Stephanie holds the door open for them. Everyone is aware of their entrance.

Randall stands as Lyssa and Emmett enter. "And now, my pack, with the Madam Beta returned, our pack is again whole." Several howls go up, led by Erich. "Welcome home, Lyssa."

She eats lightly, but with gusto, seated between her mate and Joanna.

She is asked after, congratulated, welcomed back.

As the meal continues, pack members come and go. Lyssa is startled to see Thomas limp out of the hall. [What's he doing here?]

Emmett picks up some anger in her send, and looks at what she's looking at. [Thomas? he kept them from killing you.]

[He talked them into raping me!]

[He was playing for time. After you killed the one, he fought the other, keeping him from leaving until the others got there.]

[And you believe..? What do you mean I killed one?]

Emmett takes a deep breath. [Roland's group got to you first. One of them had collapsed on you. He was dead. There was no mark on him. We assume you killed him.]

He watches her carefully as he relays the news. She looks scared, appalled, her breathing quickens.

Lyssa shoves out her chair, stumbles out of it onto the floor, and retches.

She's immediately surrounded. "Lyssa? What's wrong?" "Wade. Natalie. Come here."