The Runt's Human Mate

Chapter 16: Alec POV

Chapter 16: Alec POV

The only things I do are eat and think about Lily. I barely sleep. I barely feel anything. I can't mindlink with my mate for some reason. I feel as if I may go insane in this prison cell.

It felt like weeks passed although I'm sure it was only a few days. I felt Lily fading away from me and it scared me. Any time someone brought food I begged them to tell me about Lily's condition. No one would speak to me. They had it in their heads I was a hunter, a werewolf killer. The only thing I've ever killed in my life is spiders. I hate bugs.

One night during my imprisonment I heard a commotion from upstairs. I was sure I was delirious. I felt my cheek hurt like I'd been slapped. No one was there to cause the pain. Then a terrible searing pain hit both my cheeks as if someone had pressed my face to a burning fire. I screamed, thinking I was dying. Then a horrible thought occurred to me. What if Lily was dying? Was she being punished for having me as a mate?

The pain and anxiety overwhelmed me, causing me to pass out in the cell. When my eyes fluttered later I thought I'd finally died and gone to Heaven. I was on a bed. I heard machines beeping. There was a bright light illuminating the room. The walls were white. I turned my neck to the left. To my surprise Lily was in a bed a few feet away. We were both hooked up to machines.

"Lily," I whispered. I felt so weak. She didn't respond at first. I looked down at my wrist. I had an IV. "Lily?" I mind-linked her. I watched as her eyes fluttered. "Mate?" She asked out loud. "Over here," I said, smiling. She turned her face to look in my direction. I stared, shocked. She had horrific looking burns on her cheeks.

My instinct to run to her gave me an adrenaline rush. I climbed out of the bed and made my way to her. I cupped the lower parts of her cheeks and stared into her eyes. "What did they do to you? Oh god, this is my fault isn't it?" She put her hand on mine. "I did it," was all she managed to say before she passed out again. "Lily? Wake up, please baby!" Her eyes didn't flutter. Her breathing was even. I held my breath, wishing I knew what had happened.

"Let her rest. She has been through a lot." The voice floated in, laced with emotion. I turned around. Alpha was there in the doorway. I let new air into my lungs. "What happened? Why is her face burned?" He closed the door and walked to the other side of my mate's bed. We were in some kind of hospital. He touched her cheek, cautiously avoiding the burn. "She threatened to burn herself if her brother didn't release you. He was sure she was bluffing. He should have known better. Lily never lies, never bluffs. My little fighter here burned both her cheeks to make a point. Then she threatened to kill herself if we didn't return you to her." He looked up at me with tears in his eyes. "You better be f*****g innocent. If you turn out to be any kind of threat to my daughter or my pack I will kill you myself. I will make it look like an accident or you left. Do not think you're off the hook yet." I nodded, still processing what I had been told.

"Can I ask why you think I'm a hunter? I've never hunted anything in my life." I said, curiosity getting the best of me. Alpha huffed, "It started out as a ridiculous accusation from that mongrel Phillip. Then we researched it. The rare cases where humans mated with a wolf we couldn't find any mention of a mark appearing on the wolf. However, the one documented case of a hunter being mated to a werewolf mentioned a mark on the wolf." I stared, "I swear to you I'm not a hunter. I didn't know about werewolves or any of this before Lily told me on her birthday." He narrowed his eyes at me, watching my body language and how I spoke.

"I believe you. That doesn't prove your family aren't a danger to my pack. Can you say with certainty they aren't hunters?" I started to say yes but then stopped. I hadn't spoken to my family in 2 years since I left for school. I was the black sheep in a family of muscular gun carriers. I had been excommunicated at an early age because I wasn't their idea of "manly." I sighed, "I'm not close to them so no I can't say for sure. They don't like me because I don't fit their mold."

"Where are they?" He asked. "In a country town about two hours away. They run a business in town." And it hit me. Alpha glared, "You're holding something back." I sat down on my hospital bed. "My dad and brothers run a gun store and teach people how to shoot. I don't ever go there because guns and weapons make me uncomfortable. I'm such an idiot."

I touched my mark and looked up at him. "I'm sorry. I don't know how I missed it. If they are what you think they are I'm sorry I ever allowed myself to even lay eyes on Lily let alone love her. I'm a danger to her aren't I? I'm a disgrace as a mate." He shook his head. "Don't start this self loathing s**t just yet. We could all be wrong and this could all be a misunderstanding."

Silence filled the room for several minutes before he spoke again. "For now I need you to heal. The sooner you heal the sooner my baby girl will heal too. Her life depends on you staying alive." I stared, confused. He sighed, "Mates are linked mind and body. She may be of Alpha blood but you are physically stronger. She is very dependent on you staying strong meaning you can't be weak. You can't give into things like addiction or self loathing. Everything you experience she will experience as you saw with experiencing pain when she inflicted it upon herself." He touched his cheek indicating the place where Lily burned herself. I mimicked him, touching my cheek.

"You may not have a physical scar like Lily does but you will feel that pain for the rest of your life unless you figure out now how to be the strong mate she needs and deserves. Can you be strong for Lily?" I nodded, "Yes, Alpha." He nodded back in acknowledgment. "Call me Nate."