The Black Forest's Beta

Chapter 13

I wanted to vomit, I knew from the moment I saw the young pup my insides flipped and churned, he looked just like my mate. “I don’t trust you Teresa, I want a test.” I could feel how stiff my mate was beside me, it was hard, trying to breath while a huge weight crushed my lungs. 

“Michael looks exactly like you.” She growled. 

“So what? You have slept with a ton of men Teresa, and you have a type. We’re going to Doc Walter now.” He stood up, my hand was still in his meaning I had to stand up as well. 

“I don’t think she has to be there.” Teresa sneered at me. Raphael snarled at her, she winced and the little boy in the stroller looked at Raphael in fear before he began crying. 

“This is my mate Teresa, she has every right to know what the truth is.” He led us all to the clinic where Doc Walter had a sign in his front lawn. He walked into the front parlor as soon as we came in, his eyes scanned us all before going cloudy in a mind link. I heard Cassie whimpering in the back of my head, she and I both feared that the pup in the stroller was his. It was obvious he wasn’t a virgin, he wanted a paternity test done. I wanted to be his first, but I guess he had other ideas. 

“Folgen Sie mir in den Rücken und wir werden einige Blutproben nehmen.” (Follow me into the back and we’ll take some blood samples.) “You look much better than I last saw you Miss Emmaline.” Doc Walter said as we tensely walked into the back. Ozzy had stayed in the waiting room, it was a good thing seeing as the room was small and it was hard to fit the five of us in there anyway.

“The only mark I have left are the bruises on my ribs….well that and a bite mark on my leg from an incident two days agao.” 

“I’ll take a look and make sure it’s healing as it should be.” I nodded as he began by drawing Raphael’s blood. He held my hand the entire time. I became aware he kept his grip for himself and no longer for me. The thought made my heart flutter like a hummingbird in my chest. He needed me, as much as I needed him, I was able to comfort him by just holding his hand. I reached out with my far hand and began tracing the veins in his hand that was holding mine. 

He squeezed my hand gently before leaning down and pressing his lips to my temple. I watched as Doctor Walter took a bit of blood from Micheal who was good about it seeing as he got a lollipop. “Teresa, you can take Michael to the waiting room, I’ll get these analyzed, Beta Raphael, Miss Emmaline, stay here so I can take a look at that leg.” I nodded and got on the padded bed-like chair. Teresa growled as she left, Raphael traced the healing wound on my leg. 

I looked at my mate's face, he looked horrible. It had only been three hours since we woke up, but he had bags under his eyes and his lips were frowned, which was unusual. His hair was a mess as he kept running his free hand through it. It was obvious he was stressed, but I didn’t know what to say to calm him down. 

Doc Walter walked back in and looked at the marks on my leg, they looked like wounds from a week prior and not the two days that I had previously stated. He smiled as he looked at the marks, then he pointed to my ribs. “I would like to see your ribs too if that’s alright.” I nodded and pulled the straps of the romper free, the nude bra showed nothing inappropriate, but that didn’t stop Raphael from trying to see my breasts as Doctor Walter examined my sides. I smiled down at them, the yellow mark was gradually becoming the color of my normal skin tone once again. “I would say two more days without injury and you should be able to shift without a hitch.” 

I smiled and looked at Raphael who was also grinning at the news. The question I had wanted to ask him earlier in the day was brought back by the news I would be able to shift again. “I remember what I wanted to ask you now.” I told him as I pulled the straps over my shoulders. Doctor Walter gave us the room, closing the door on the way out. 

“Ask away.” Raphael said as he raked his eyes over me again. 

“Why do you have a wolf/human shape?” He blinked and twitched his nose before taking his hand from mine and rubbing the back of his neck. 

“I should have known that would have come up.” He muttered before sighing deeply. “It’s a rather long story.” I nodded and felt the urge to pee, which could not have come at a worse time. 

“Where is the bathroom?” He raised an eyebrow but smirked as he led me out of the room to a door with a sign that read women. I walked in and relieved myself, as I pulled off my romper I heard Raphael speak through the door. 

“I’ll be back in a minute Miele, I’m going to check on Ozzy.” 

“Okay.” I said back before I grabbed toilet paper and wiped myself clean of any remaining piss. Once I was done I left the room and walked down the hall stopping when I heard the voice of Teresa. 

“Who handled the blood sample?” Her Italian accent was not nearly as pleasing as Raphael’s. 

“Doc Walter, he is handling this one, on the orders of Beta Raphael.” 

“I need it switched, no one can know I slept with his bastard brother Francis.” Cassie growled, that b***h was using our mate for her own agenda. “I didn’t even get the chance to tell him I already ran a test, of course I used Francis’s hair and said it was Raphael’s.” Evil b***h. I growled to myself in my head. 

“I can’t do anything Teresa.” The other voice said. I smirked and walked away as quietly as I could, heading back to the bathroom where Raphael came bounding toward. He smiled at me and I put a finger to my lips and pointed to the room we had been in. He nodded and led me inside before closing the door. 

“What is it?” I sighed furrowed my eyebrows. 

“Is there any way you can look into my memories? I just heard a conversation you should know about, but I don’t want to twist anything.” He nodded and placed his hands on my head and pressed his forehead to mine. 

“This may hurt a little and you have to stay still, alright.” 

“Okay.” I felt his hand brush the back of my neck before a sharp pain pierced my skin. I yelped but stayed as still as possible. 

“Focus on what you need me to see.” I focused on the conversation, Cassie was uncomfortable with the intrusion in our mind and she growled at our mate. When the memory had played itself out Raphael removed his claws from my neck and spun me around before licking the wounds, sealing them with his saliva. 

Werewolf saliva contains an enzyme that stops bleeding immediately if the wound is small enough, like a scratch or the wound they leave when marking their mates. I looked back at his face which was twisted in anger, I felt myself cower. I knew he wasn’t mad at me, but unlike in some fairy tales the fear of being beaten doesn’t stop overnight. You flinch and cower in fear because it takes time to heal, you can’t magically be beaten to the brink of death and be perfectly fine when someone before you looks like they want to go on a murdering spree. 

Raphael noticed my weakness and calmed himself down before he pulled me into his chest. His chest rumbled and I shivered as his angry snarl filled the silence that had surrounded us. “I’ll be back in a little while Emmaline, Keifer will be here in a moment.” I nodded and let him go, I knew he needed to blow off a lot of angry steam. He was still snarling as he tried to keep from murdering everyone he saw on his way out. I followed him to the waiting room where I sat with Ozzy. Everyone shrunk back as Raphael left the building, the doors slammed and Ozzy winced as I sat beside him. 

Both of us shivered when a loud and angry howl sounded from outside, but it wasn’t the howl of a wolf, it was the howl of a beast, and it was followed by a terrifying roar. Keifer ran into the building, his eyes were wide as he looked around. 

“Are you both alright?” He asked scanning Ozzy and I. Teresa walked into the room holding her bastard baby, her eyes were wide and filled with terror as she strapped him in. 

“We’re okay, have you seen Evangeline?” I asked hoping to lighten the mood. Keifer’s face lit up as he sat beside me with a nod. 

“I went to her house this morning, she is even more beautiful than I remember her being. In three weeks she can identify me as her mate. Then we can complete the mate bond and start our life together.”

“I would like to meet her.” I said with a smile. “Is she a warrior?” He shook his head and a relieved smile fell on his lips. 

“No, thank the goddess she isn’t. I would hate to have to worry about her in every battle we took part in. Evangeline is more of the teacher type, kind, warm, non-violent.” Ozzy and I chuckled at his words and he smirked. “She completes me.”

“That is good news, I would hate to have any warrior of ours incomplete.” He laughed and nodded before he ruffled my hair. He twisted my head and hissed when he saw the wounds on the back of my neck. 

“Why?” I turned back once he let my face go and he asked the question while sitting in a tense position. 

“That is something we will have to discuss elsewhere.” 

“Beta Raphael.” Doc Walter said as he walked into the room with a clip board. 

“He is occupied at the moment doc, Emma will relay the news to him.” Keifer said, what he didn’t know was that he already knew. I got up anyway and followed him into the back, along with Teresa, we got into a room and he gave her a deadly glare. 

“Micheal is not Beta Rapheal’s son, but he is related. At least that’s what the blood analysis tells me.” 

“Thank you doctor Walter.” I told him, I left the room and I heard Teresa following me. I was nearly to the waiting room when she shoved me into a closet and grabbed me by the neck. I clawed at her and snarled as she applied pressure. 

“He is mine, you no good freak.” I kicked my legs as I struggled to breath. She chuckled darkly as she applied more pressure. I was terrified that she was going to kill me, my vision began to fade and my limbs got heavy, I still fought, hoping someone would come. My wishes were answered as the door flew off the hinges and a booming snarl shook the shelves. I heard Teresa yelp and I was dropped to the ground. 

I sucked in deep breaths as my eyes watered, I used one hand to pull myself up while the other clutched my neck as I coughed sucked in air. Raphael had come, I knew it was him seeing as the mate sparks warmed my skin when he lifted me up. “It’s alright miele.” I rested my head on his chest before he set me down on the chair/bed again. 

I wanted to speak, but the pain in my throat wouldn’t allow me to. Doctor Walter rushed in and examined me once again before putting some cream on my neck. He sighed as Raphael played with my hair. 

“You’ll heal in a few days, I suggest for the next two days you don’t speak, give your larynx time to heal, soft foods only so the trachea will heal as well.” I nodded and he turned, leaving the room. I looked back at Raphael, his body was tense as both anger and fear poured off of him in waves. He put his arms around me as I moved myself and wrapped my body around his. 

His face went into my shoulder as he used a hand to play with my hair. “I’m so sorry Emmaline.” I wanted to whimper, the pain in his voice broke my heart. “I should have been here.” I didn’t blame him, I knew he made a promise, but he had every right to try and take his anger out elsewhere. “It’s my fault.” I shook my head and pulled back so I could look him in the eyes, his were filled with pain. I knew my eyes watered when he looked even more hurt, he thought I was afraid or something. “I’m so sorry Em.” 

I blinked and sniffled before leaning down, I did the only thing I could think of and I pressed my lips to his. He came back to me, he pulled her off and saved my life again. He proved himself to me, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to leave him. He was my mate and I prayed it would stay that way. I pulled back and looked at Raphael’s stunned face, his eyes were wide and his face was frozen, he blinked and flicked his focus to me. 

He was using one arm to hold me up by placing it under my bottom. The other hand went to his face where he used his thumb to brush his bottom lip. “Was I dreaming?” I shook my head with and leaned down again, this time his free hand gently grabbed the side of my face. His lips moved against mine, I followed his lead which he seemed to enjoy judging by the small growl that emitted from his lips. 

“Emmaline.” I felt the familiar knot in my gut as he moaned out my name. One of my hands moved into his hair and tangled itself in the strands before I tugged lightly. He pulled his lips from mine, the sound of a suction cup being pulled from a wall was heard as our sealed lips broke. I sucked in deep breaths as I looked at Raphael, he had a smirk on his face as he used his thumb to brush my lips. “You’re perfect.” I smiled and blushed before putting my head on his shoulder. 

I used my index finger to draw letters on his shirts. “H-O-M-E.” He said each letter aloud as I drew it. “Okay miele, I’ll take you home.” I smiled and kissed his exposed neck before I let myself down. He took my hand in his and we walked back to the waiting room where Alpha Gunter and Luna Gisela were waiting with a frazzled Ozzy.