Mated To The Wrong Alpha
Chapter 53

Ava awoke, sensing she wasn’t in her own room. The surface beneath her was too firm, the sheet covering her was too scratchy. She felt…numb…as if she was drifting on a cloud. Did that mean she was dead? She opened her eyes a crack to check, wincing as the bright light assaulted her pupils. A large expanse of white greeted her through the veil of her lashes. Hmm… No, definitely not dead unless the afterlife had a crack in the ceiling plaster. And she certainly wasn’t at home.

Her bed wasn’t this uncomfortable. The infirmary? Possibly. Licking her lips, she tried to swallow.

Her mouth was dry, and a bad chemical taste was assaulting her tongue. She needed water. Maybe beside the bed? Starting to turn her head, she frowned as something pulled at the skin on her throat. Carefully lifting her hand, she felt the gauze that was there and tried to recall what had happened.

A slight rustling sound drew her attention and she cautiously turned to see Arthur sleeping in a chair beside her. Dark circles under his eyes gave them a bruised look and stubble darkened his jaw line. A wave of love and warmth washed over her as she viewed his beloved features. She scanned down his powerful body only to stop when she noticed that his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing bandages wrapped around his chest.

The events of the past twenty-four hours came rushing back to her. As she relived those last few moments, tears pricked at the back of her eyes and she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay.

So much had happened; arguing with Arthur and then b***d-bonding, Ryne and Arthur fighting, Marla. Just the woman’s name caused a shiver to run through her. Ambivalence filled her over the woman’s fate. She hated what Marla had done, pitting the brothers against each other, killing Zack, trying to ruin Arthur’s relationship with her… Yet, no matter how she felt about the woman, her own part in Marla’s demise was hard to take.

It wasn’t in her nature to react violently, but she knew if the situation arose again, she’d do whatever was needed in order to protect her mate. She’d come so close to losing him. Watching the steady rise and fall of Arthur’s chest comforted her; knowing he was still alive and by her side.

Soon her breathing was in time with his own; steady and deep as she drifted off to sleep.

Sometime later, fingers gently brushing her forehead drew her from her rest. Arthur was leaning over her, softly calling her name. She blinked at him sleepily and curved her lips into a smile. “Hi!”

“Hi yourself.” His voice was deep and raspy as if he, too, had just woken up, and indeed that was how he looked. His dark hair was falling in his eyes and he still hadn’t shaved. She reached up to caress his stubbled jaw and he pressed a k**s to her palm. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” she automatically answered. “A bit stiff and sore.” She tried to shift herself up into a sitting position and was surprised to feel a sense of heaviness coming from her leg. Looking down, she saw a cast around her lower limb.

Arthur followed the direction of her gaze with his eyes and he answered her unspoken question. “You had surgery. Your leg was a real mess and it took some work to get it set properly. Nadia was swearing a blue streak when she saw it. Something about idiots that try to walk on a broken leg and the fact that she isn’t a miracle worker.” He chuckled at the memory and she winced, imagining the expression on the nurse practitioner’s face. “Your leg will be fine, but unfortunately, even with our rapid healing abilities, you’ll be stuck in a cast for some time.”

Grimacing, she eased herself back against the pillows. Well, at least she was alive. “How’s

Ryne?”

“He’s fine. They removed the bullet and stitched him up. He’s resting at the Alpha house right now. In a few days, he’ll be as good as new.”

She reached for Arthur’s hand and laced her fingers with his. “And you?”

“I’m good, now that I know you’re okay.” He stared at her as if memorizing her features then leaned down to give her a slow, warm k**s. She revelled in the sense of closeness she now had with him. Everything he was thinking and feeling came rushing at her and all of it was good and comforting, enveloping her in the warmth of his love. He pulled away and she traced his lips with her finger.

“I was so scared.” She admitted in a whisper.

“I know. I was, too. But it’s all over now. Marla’s gone and so is Rose, though I still can’t believe she was involved in this.”

“I can’t either. I wonder why she did it?”

Arthur shrugged. “We’ll never know. I’ve talked to her parents. They aren’t sure either but wonder if being involved with Marla and her scheme gave Rose a feeling of importance because someone was paying attention to her. It was also a chance to show off how clever she was; that’s something we never gave her enough credit for, I guess. Rose was so quiet, no one ever really noticed her. She was just…there.” He paused, a shadow passing over his face. “Maybe we’re all at fault for ignoring her.”

She nodded slowly. “And what about Daniel? I thought he and Rose were starting to become a pair.”

“He feels bad and thinks he should have known something was going on, but really, it was a new relationship. The whole thing started before he was even in the picture.”

“It will still take him a while to get over this.”

“Possibly. We’ve talked and he’s thinking of making a new start.”

“A new start? Where?”

“With Ryne.”

“Ryne is still leaving? Even though his name has been cleared?”

Arthur nodded. “I’ve asked him to stay and told him he could be co-Beta with John—there’s certainly enough work around here—but he’s not interested and I can see his point.”

Biting her l*p, she hesitated to ask the next question. She knew she could find out the answer by probing Arthur’s mind, but felt he needed to say the actual words. “Umm… How do you feel about what happened to Marla?”

His jaw tightened. “It’s all my fault. I should have believed what you told me—what everyone tried to tell me over the years—but I guess I didn’t want to hear it. In some ways, Marla was like my little sister when we were growing up. Later, I thought there was something else, but it was familiarity and a misplaced sense of responsibility. I know I should be sad that she’s gone, but

I’m not. The Marla I thought I knew never really existed.”

She wanted to ask more questions, but Nadia arrived and shooed Arthur outside while she delivered medication, checked Ava’s leg, and fixed the dressing on her neck. Nadia was efficient, but in Ava’s opinion, had no bedside manner. She endured the woman’s fussing by watching Arthur through the window. He was talking to someone, she just couldn’t see who. From the look on his face, he wasn’t pleased.

Hitching herself up in the bed, she earned a scolding from Nadia, but gained a better view of the activity outside. Arthur was talking…to Seth! Uh-oh! And he looked upset. This couldn’t be good. She had been sure that since she and Arthur now had their mental connection, the rivalry between the two would cease. Apparently, she was wrong. She considered eavesdropping on the conversation but that would be rude. Even though they now had a special bond between them, she believed each of them still deserved some privacy.

After a few more verbal exchanges, Seth left and Arthur stood watching him go, shaking his head. Arthur rubbed his neck, staring at the sky and exhaling gustily before turning to re-enter the infirmary. She braced herself for what she might hear. Without even trying, she could sense Arthur’s mental disquiet. Deciding to grab the proverbial bull by the horns, she broached the subject as soon as he was near.

“I saw you were talking to Seth. What’s wrong?”

Arthur glanced towards the window, obviously realizing she’d had a perfect view of their exchange. “You mean you don’t already know?” He quirked an eyebrow at her.

“No, I don’t already know. Just because we’re b***d-bonded doesn’t mean I’ll be constantly tiptoeing through your head.” She picked at the blanket covering her and glanced up at him through her lashes.

Sitting down beside the bed, Arthur stilled her agitated fingers and gently rubbed his thumb back and forth over her hand. “I know you won’t. I was only teasing. And don’t worry; I’ll try to give you some space, too.”

She squeezed his hand, but then lifted her brows in inquiry. “So, you and Seth?”

“Oh. Seth. Well, he had some disturbing news. After the…er…fight was over, I carried you here and Seth helped Ryne. We left the bodies there, planning to return for them later.” She nodded. She’d regained consciousness for that part.

Arthur looked away for a moment before speaking. “They’ve retrieved Rose’s body, but…”

He paused and then met her eye. “Marla’s body is gone.”

“What?” She sat bolt upright, then grimaced as her body protested. She paid it no mind however, too shocked at this news. “But she’s dead! I know I missed her with the knife, but I landed on her arm—the one with the gun. It bent back against her stomach so that it was pointed directly at her when it went off. I felt her body jerk and suddenly go limp beneath mine…” She gulped as the horror of the moment returned; feeling the kickback of the gun against her stomach, the hot stickiness of b***d seeping into her clothing.

“You’re right. She did shoot herself, but no one ever checked that she was dead. I was too worried about you, as was Seth. We assumed…” Arthur frowned. “I suppose she must have dragged herself off, but I don’t know how far she could have crawled. Seth says Ryne’s having a fit and is determined to head out right now to see if there’s still a trail to follow.”

“Surely he’s in no condition for that?”

“Of course not, but my brother’s more than a bit hard-headed and impulsive. I’ve told Seth to go out in the morning with a few of my patrols and see what they can find. In the meantime, he’s supposed to be trying to talk some sense into his Alpha.” Arthur snorted. “If Ryne heads out now, he’ll probably rip out his stitches and then Nadia will really be on his case. She hates having her handiwork messed up.”

She snuck a peak at the stern woman sitting at the far end of the room and figured that the threat of Nadia being upset should be enough to deter anyone.

A week later, Ava was home and sitting in the front room, her leg almost healed. Many times during the past few days, she’d thanked her genetics for the recuperative properties that Lycans possessed. She couldn’t imagine how normal humans endured an extended period of time lugging a cast around.

For once Arthur wasn’t with her, having rarely left her side since their ordeal. However, a meeting with the pack’s lawyers had required his presence, and he’d been forced to go into town. She didn’t mind. It was nice to have some time to herself. Snow was falling softly outside, and she stared at the scene, letting her mind drift. Tall snow encrusted pines lined one side of the property, casting interesting shadows across the blanket of white fluff. Individual crystals twinkled like diamonds, while lazy snowflakes slowly floated down, only to disappear and lose their identity in the pristine drifts that covered the landscape.

It was a beautiful territory to live in and she smiled, reminiscing how only a short while ago she’d thought her life was over when she came here. Now, she couldn’t begin to imagine living anywhere else.