Beyond the Pack’s Law: My stepsister or nobody else

Hayley’s POV

The nurse moved fast, her hands working with precision over Aiden’s wounds that had been painted so many times before. She was applying pressure, cleaning the blood, and tightly wrapping her gashes, but deep concern was showing on her face. “He has lost so much blood,” she whispered softly, mostly to herself.

Aiden’s eyes fluttered open in pain as confusion and determination battled within them. “Hayley,” he croaked, as if it were hard for him to talk.

“I’m here,” I replied while holding tightly onto his hand. “I’m just right here.”

He took a shivering breath but spoke more firmly now. “The bite… it’s from an Alpha… like me.”

I felt a cold shiver through my spine at this point. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” he said, trying to sit up, “I have to return back to the Moonlight Moon pack. This medication will not work on me. We should leave Australia at once.”

Turning towards the nurse and doctor, who had just arrived with a grave face, I said urgently, “We have to go.” “Your treatment will be useless on him. I’m aware of something better.”

The doctor frowned as he shook his head disapprovingly. “Miss, he needs immediate medical attention. We can stabilise him here.”

“No,” I said, harsher than I intended. “You don’t understand. This is no ordinary wound. It is an Alpha bite. Your treatments will not work on it; I know what he needs.”

We’re getting you out of here,” I told Aiden while turning back from the doctor’s argument.

Ryan stood beside me, determination etched on his face. “We need to move, now.”

Together, we lifted Aiden onto the gurney, starting to wheel him towards the exit. The nurse behind us followed, but I didn’t listen to her. “You’re making a mistake!” she called, but I didn’t stop.

Ryan shot me a look that seemed worrisome. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” I said firmly. “We don’t have time for anything else.”

We burst out of the hospital doors into blinding sunlight, with the airport’s chaos all around us. Ryan signalled down a taxi cab, which we loaded Aiden into at the back.

“Take us to the airport,” I told the driver immediately, making sure he knew we were in a hurry.

The taxi drove off at once with the speediest possible speed because its driver understood what was going on already. In my heart, I could feel Aiden’s hand gripping mine tightly, as if it were going to fall off my body anytime now. “Hang on, Aiden,” I said. “We’re almost there.”

He smiled back weakly. “Always together, remember?”

“Forever” was what came out of me shortly afterwards while trying so hard not to shed tears.

It took forever for us to get to the airport, but finally we made it to our destination after ages later than usual time taken within terms of travel, like a few minutes.

The airport was a chaotic place, with people hurrying everywhere and creating a lot of noise. They did not care that we were dying. Aiden was breathing heavily while his face was ghostly pale. We had to hurry him on board that plane, but it was urgent.

“Ryan, check the flight status,” I instructed in an urgent voice.

He nodded before sprinting in the direction of the nearest information desk.

I remained by Aiden’s side to make sure that he remained conscious. ‘Aiden stay with me. We are almost there.”Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

His eyelids fluttered open as he managed to smile faintly at me. ‘I am not going anywhere!”

After some painful minutes, Ryan managed to return slightly out of breath. “The flight to Moonlight Moon base will be leaving in an hour; we should get through this security gate.”

“Yes,” I said, my heart racing. “Let’s go.”

As we moved across the busy terminal, it felt like every second lasted forever. Aiden’s condition was getting worse by the minute, and I could see concern reflected in Ryan’s eyes, which looked exactly like mine did at that moment too!

We arrived at security, where I turned towards the officer and said, “Please! We need quick access! My brother is seriously injured.”

The officer glanced at Aiden before looking upon us with increased warmth on his previously grim face, saying, ‘Follow me’.

We were led into a priority queue and passed through security quickly. However, other passengers in line eyed us, but my mind was not bothered by all those. Getting Aiden into that airplane was what we had to do.

After passing the security checks, we rushed towards the gate. Seeing the urgent look on the faces of airline officials allowed us to board the plane earlier than expected. I took care of his injuries once again, settling Aiden down in an array of seats.

“Hayley,” he murmured weakly.

“I’m here,” I replied while stroking his forehead’s hair back. “We are almost there.”

Ryan stayed across from us, never taking his gaze from Aiden, whose breath sounded like a raspy noise coming from the drainpipe when water was oozing out after a lot of rain fell heavily for two long weeks without stopping.

“Hang in there, Alpha. We’re getting you home.”

An exceptional flight attendant brought us blankets and water cans; moreover, they even proposed to shuffle other passengers around just so we could have more legroom. I took care of Aiden’s wounds by regularly changing dressings as well as ensuring that he remained hydrated.

“Hayley,” Aiden whispered at one point, opening his eyes slightly.

“I’m here,” I said, clutching his hand fiercely.

“Thank you.” He squeezed my fingers weakly with gratitude emanating from within him to me. “For everything.”

“Don’t say thank you yet,” I answered with a false smile.

“We still have quite a distance ahead.”

The hours dragged on like eternity, each painful hour being worse than the one before it. Fever-ridden Aiden constantly lapsed between sleep and wakefulness. I kept talking to him, attempting to keep him alert.

“Do you recall those days of our childhood whenever we used to play in the woods in our hinterland?” I asked in a trembling voice. “You were very protective of me, even then.”

A faint smile played on his pale lips. “Always together, right?”

“Forever,” I whispered, fighting back tears.

At long last, the plane started descending, and for the first time, I could see a glimpse of hope-we were nearly arriving at our destination, just like at home, where we could save him.

When we landed, members of our pack awaited us, as they had received news of our arrival. They assisted Aiden in going off the plane and getting into a waiting car.

“Drive fast,” I said to the driver. “Time is not on our side.”

The fast-moving vehicle went through streets heading towards Moonlight Moon Pack territory. My eyes were glued on Aiden; I wished he could hold on just a little more.

“Aiden, hold on,” I whispered. “We’re almost there.”

He nodded weakly but did not open his eyes properly. “Trying so hard,” he said as Hayley.

Ryan sat next to me with his right hand placed gently upon my shoulders, saying, “He is tough; this thing isn’t done yet.”

Arriving at their place of healing, some healers were already there, waiting for them.

They rushed to move Aiden out of the auto and into place within moments after taking him off it.

I shadowed them, my throat full of emotions.

“Kindly save him, please” I pleaded with the medics