The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 114

KACEY

I watch Alpha Derek talk to the pack doctor while they walk into a room and close the door behind him after a few moments.

I sigh as I can feel a hand wrap around my hand; I glance down.

Charley had her hand in mine, giving it a slight squeeze. I feel completely numb; I lost my father tonight. Also, I don’t know what my sister’s condition is. I can’t take any more losses.

When my mother died, it was justice for what she did all those years ago. Everything that she did to our father and his mate. I noticed someone walking towards the door that Alpha Derek entered; I saw it was Allie.

Allie tiptoes and heads to the door. I want to go to her, but she opens the door and walks in.

That kid has had it rough tonight, but I can’t help but glance at Alice, who was comforted by Paul and the young hybrid boy. He was holding her hand while watching Allie walk away.

This is so heartbreaking to watch.

I can’t help but sigh, but I notice Alpha Derek walk out of the room and head straight towards us with the pack doctor following right behind him.

When they both walked into the waiting room, everyone stared at them.

Everyone had mixed emotions, but we all stayed quiet.

“The pack doctor wants to let you know what’s going on,” says Alpha Derek as he walks over to Luna Lauren. She holds his hand as he sits next to her.

As the pack doctor stares at us all. “I’m sorry for everyone who has lost someone tonight, but I have some news,” he says. “Young Alpha Blake had serious burns on his pack; he is awake but needs to heal and rest. He should be healed by tomorrow.”

I can feel a sense of relief as I hear that my best friend is alive and will be fine.

The pack doctor turns his action to Alice. “Alice, your mum lost a lot of blood,” he says. Alice lets out a sob. I can’t help but stare at the pack doctor, his face full of sorrow and heartache for everything. I bet he has seen so much death this evening.

“We have been giving her some blood and IV fluids to help, but I must admit,” he says. “She lost her mate this evening; she may not make it because of the heartbreak.”

Another sob leaves Alice. A tear slides down her face as she rests her head against the wall behind her. I turn to look at her as she has her eyes closed. I could tell she was trying to compose herself.

Paul stares at the doctor. “Could Alice sit with Kat?” he asks, placing his hand on her arm.

I turned to look at the doctor, who was nodding. “Yeah, she can,” he said. “I think if Alice sits with her. She may stand a chance, but I have to say, we have to see how she is in the next twenty-four hours.”

There was silence.

“What about Izzy?” asks Charley.

I stare at the doctor. Everyone wants to know how she is; we all care about her.

The pack doctor looked towards an empty chair, which was opposite us. He walks over and sits down, sighing, “I know there are loads of people working around her as we speak, but we need to replace information about what we are dealing with.”

I move up in my seat, watching him; this doesn’t sound good. I watch as the doctor glances down the corridor but turns back towards us. He struggled to tell us, “Please, tell us,” I asked him.

The doctor looks at me but says nothing. “She’s my sister,” I say as I feel a tear slide down my cheek. “I need to know how she is,” I say. “We all do, including Allie.” I thought throwing Allie’s name out there might tell us something.

The doctor looks at me but leans back in the chair.

After a few moments, "Izzy was stabbed with a silver blade in her abdomen, which went in deep,” he says. “There is no trace of burns anywhere on her body, so it was magical. It only hurt the young Alpha as he was nearby when the fire exploded.”

He stops and looks at me. I don’t like this, “what aren’t you telling us?” I ask him, sounding slightly pissed off.

The doctor takes another few moments but opens his mouth to speak. “We can’t sense her panther, and Izzy is completely cold.”

I can see a few confused faces in my eyesight. “What do you mean you can’t feel her panther?” asks Alice, looking concerned, sitting up.

We all stare at him, but he continues. “I mean, her panther is not there, and if I am being honest, I can’t even feel the human side either,” he says.

My brother stands up abruptly, which causes the doctor to jump in his seat. “What do you mean you can’t feel either of them?” he yells.

Lena stands up, walks over to him, and places her arms around his waist. I can see Lena’s trying to calm him down, but I know my brother is hurting. I am too, but we need to keep a level head about this.

I stare back at the doctor, but he glances at Alpha Derek. They were mind-linking each other.

“Please tell us what you mean,” says a small voice.

I glanced to where Alice was, where the voice came from. The hybrid boy stood up and looked at the doctor with red eyes.

The fear rolling from the doctor takes over, but I look at him. “I think you best give us answers,” I say as I look at him. “He asked you a question.”

The doctor looks at me, startled, but nods. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful or anything,” he says. “Izzy and her panther are not in their bodies; they have disappeared, which is what it looks like.”

The doctor looks at me, but it is Alice who speaks next. “I think I know what is happening to them,” she says.

I glance towards her. She stares at the doctor, but the young boy looks at her. He places his hand in hers, and she gives him a small smile.

“My panther thinks they are in sleep mode but also can’t suss out whether they are dead or alive,” she says, turning to me. “Remember when she used her power before on the witch? She used so much power that she passed out.”

I nodded, remembering the whole situation. But I could tell she was looking toward Lena.

I turned to look at her. Her eyes were full of sadness, but she stared at us.

“I think you’re right,” she says, “I think her body is in like a sleep state; she used up all of her built-up power on the war to kill the witch, but not only that, she used some of Blake’s aura too. That’s what ignited the fire.” She places her hand in Dale’s hand but leans forward. “I could feel all her power, so I shouted for everyone to hide. She has used everything she had. She held many emotions back due to what happened over the years and must have used everything she had.”

I stare at her, and I remember feeling her power. It was like a volcano that was about to abrupt, but the energy from Izzy was so intense; it was like she was drawing from everyone and not just from her emotions and Blake’s but everyone else’s. We all have lost someone this evening, and she might have used every grief and rage known from everyone on that fighting field.

Lena moves and stares at the doctor. “I want to see her; I can use my magic to see if I can place her in some sort of sleep state,” she says.

The doctor looks at her, confused. “I thought she was already in one,” he asks. “I know she is, but that is her body protecting her and Puna,” she says, glancing at Alpha Derek. “Alpha, I want to place a spell on her body. It will help her return to her body, but it will also give her time to heal.”

Alpha Derek nods but stares at her. “What do we do about Blake and Allie?” he asks. “They will want to know what’s going on.”

I glance at Lena. She gives him a small smile. “They can know about all this, but I think once Blake is better, he may want to be with her,” she says. “Their mate bond will help with the healing process, and Allie can be there too. Even if she falls asleep with her, I think we all should sit in with her, and she will need all of us.”

Lena looks at each of us, but her eyes land on Alice. “I think you should stay with your mum and take Archer with you,” she says.

Lena stands up and lets go of Dale’s hand. “I will put that protection spell on her body,” she says, turning to Dale. “I think once I’m done, both Kacey and you can sit with her for a while.”

I nod. I need to see her.

Dales nods.

Lena turns to Alpha Derek. “I think we all need to rest and get some sleep,” she said. “Tell Blake what’s going on.” He nods to her.

Lena moved to the side, and I didn’t notice the doctor move from the seat until he was standing next to Lena.

Lena and the pack doctor leave the waiting room. I lean back in my chair once more.

I need to be with my sister, but there is so much uncertainty. I watch Alice and Archer walk out of the waiting room and head down the corridor towards a nearby room, keeping Kat in.

Paul stays in the chair as he watches his mate leave. We all stare at the corridor where they all left.

I have to wait till Lena comes back. I know both Dale and I need to be with our sister; our father would want us to be together.