My father is gone. And where I am happy that he is gone, it still hurts me. He could have changed his mind. He could have withdrawn from the fight and we could have been on good terms. But now I might lose my mate because of him.

The healers had taken her away and were rushing her off to the hospital. They had also put my mother on a gurney to bring her to the hospital so she can die there. They put a blanket over my father's corpse and I let out a shaky breath as I get in the ambulance that my mother was in as it hadn't left yet. I held her hand as I worried about Dakota. Just before the door shuts, Mr. Kennedy comes rushing in and just stares at my mother as the doors shut. My mother opens her eyes and they go slightly wide.

"How is this possible?" Mr. Kennedy whispered. I looked at him strangely and spoke up.

"What? What's possible?" My mother started to stabilize and her heart rate went back to normal.

"I feel the pull again. I haven't felt this way in so long." Mr. Kennedy started to tear up a little. My mother holds out her hand for him and he grabs her hand. Mr. Kennedy got startled and pulled his hand away. My mother's heart rate skyrocketed and she teared up.

"Oh my god," Mr. Kennedy gripped his hair and started to cry.

"Are you guys second chance mates?" My mother nodded slightly and I slumped in my seat. It was a relief on one hand, as I knew my mother wouldn't die, but her mate is my mates father.

My dying mate. 

I felt a pang in my chest and groaned in pain. I started to hyperventilate and I teared up.

"No, no, no!" I felt Ryder start to come up and he was just as upset as I was.

"What's happening to my daughter, Jax?" I sucked in a breath and the pain in my chest stopped for a moment.

"Dakota. She flatlined, but they were able to get her back." I started crying and hit the wall.

"Damnit, can you go any faster?" I screamed at the driver and he floored it to the pack hospital. My mother sat up on the gurney as the ambulance stopped.  They quickly opened the door and I rushed out to go and see Dakota. They would see my mother is okay with her new mate and wouldn't be as worried.

I ran throughout the hospital following Dakota's scent. I found her in ICU and I felt my heart drop to my stomach. My father hurt her that badly? I felt tears well in my eyes as I burst through the doors and saw Destiny, Layla, and Sean all in the waiting room. Sean looked over to me and ran over to me to hold me back. I growled loudly and I tried to make my way past him.

"Jax! Listen to me! She is going through surgery! If you go in there, you will get protective of her and you won't let the doctors do what they need to. You need to calm down." I fell to my knees and started to sob. I needed to see her. I wanted to see her. I wanted to hold her. I screamed in agony as I felt my heartache once more. I clutched my chest and choked on air. I could feel my heart starting to break and I started coughing as I tried to stand. Sean started to tear up because he knew what was going on. I felt like a piece of me was being ripped to shreds and that a piece of me had died. 

After another few moments, I was able to breathe and sucked in a huge breath of air. I felt myself slowly mending as I was terrified.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"They brought her back... This is the second time she's died on me." I started to sob and one of the doctors came out.

"Alpha Jax, we need you to mark your mate once again. She won't make it unless you speed up her healing process." I nodded and Sean helped me up and the doctor and Sean led me to Dakota's room. I choked on a sob as I saw her lying in the hospital bed.  She wasn't moving and was sewn up with stitches. She was hooked up to many machines, including oxygen and a liquid drip. I walked over to her and sniffled. I kissed her forehead and her heart rate sped up. My heart skipped a beat and I slowly let my canines come out. I bent down so I was hovering over her neck and sighed. I licked the area clean before I sunk my canines into her mark. Her heart rate sped up and her body started to shake. I quickly removed my canines and licked the wounds so they would close. Her body continued to shake and the doctors pushed me out of the room. I started to grow anxious, wondering if my mark made her worse. After a few agonizing minutes, her body stopped shaking and her heart rate went back to normal. She was still, but we waited if anything would happen. Nothing did.

I sighed as I sat down in a chair next to her bed. I put my face in my hands and started to cry once again.

Dakota didn't deserve this. Hell, she wasn't even supposed to get hurt. This was all my fault. I allowed her to go through with this. I should have stopped her. I should have fought my dad myself as a challenge for his position. He would have focused on me immediately as I've already been trained. He had to wait for Dakota to be ready because of our laws. I could have gotten my father out of the way ages ago. 

I still felt the pull, but it felt like it was numb in some sort of way. I knew she was there, and Ryder could still feel her cat, but something was off. She seemed far away. I don't know how, but she does. A doctor walked in and I sighed. He cleared his throat and began speaking.

"Alpha, we don't have the best news for you." I immediately turned to look at him and growled.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Luna Dakota, we don't know when she will wake up. Or if she will wake up. Currently, we believe she is in a coma, and will not wake up for quite some time. The injuries she acquired from the fight with late Alpha Jackson were very severe. I can assume you felt the bond start to break when she left us twice." I growled as a warning and the doctor started to shift from one foot to the other. 

"Anyway, just, don't expect her to awaken right away, Alpha. She needs all the rest she can get. We will be keeping a very close eye on her." I sighed and nodded. I played with her fingers and felt my heart break.  I let out a shaky breath as my mother and Mr. Kennedy came into the room. Mr. Kennedy choked on a sob as he went to the other side of Dakota's bed. He ran his hand over her hair and sniffled. 

"What did the doctor say?" 

"She's in a coma." I choked on a sob and Ryder started whining. Even Buttercup wasn't able to answer him. He still felt her presence, but it was just as faint as Dakota.

"But she'll live?" Mr. Kennedy spoke and I nodded.

"Yes, she will Mr. Kennedy." I cleared my throat and wiped my face.

"Please, Jax. Call me John." I nodded and my mother started to rub my back.

"I know, honey. But we couldn't change the rules. Your father had challenged her, and you had trained her really well. Especially since she technically wasn't ready to fight him anyway." I nodded and slouched in the chair. Layla, Destiny, and Sean then came into the room and Layla started to cry.

"She's in a coma." Layla glared at me and I was shocked by what she said next.

"You did this. You didn't help her!" Layla screamed at me and I rubbed my temples.

"It would have been against the law. I literally could not have done anything. I would have been banished or killed. Do not blame me because she agreed to a fight with my father." I was trying my best to not argue with her and she slapped me. I stood and growled at her and John got defensive.

"Jax, don't do anything stupid to my daughter," I growled.

"I can not change what Dakota did! She agreed to fight my father for his position! This is not my fault!" Layla hissed at me and tried to scratch me. I grabbed her arm and held it in a tight grip.

"You need to remember that I am your Alpha. You are part of my pack because you are mated to Jacob. You harm me, you won't like what happens next." I growled out and she glared at me. She removed her arm from my grip and stormed out of the room. 

"I want everyone to get the fuck out. Now!" I roared and everyone left the room. I slammed the door shut and moved the chair closer to Dakota's bed. I sighed and rubbed my face in frustration. 

"Please wake up soon, Dakota. Please."