Rising Alpha

11

It's amazing what mothers will do for their children. I'd always hoped to be one someday, but I don't want them to have to live a hard life. I kneel down beside her and take her hand.

Dom places one hand right below her elbow and the other right around her wrist. "This will hurt bad, but it shouldn't last for very long."

She nods and firms her grip on my hand. "I'm ready."

"On the count of three." He focuses on her arm and takes a deep breath. "One... Two... Three." He jerks his hand and a growl escapes her throat.

Her hand squeezes mine so tight that my fingers feel as if they might be broken. "Oh, s**t that hurts." Tears stream down her face and her body shakes.

"It's over and done." Dom's tone is soft and soothing. "It'll heal properly now. We just need the splint."

As if on cue, the front door opens; Abigail reaches for her face with her good hand and wipes the tears away.

Charlotte has a branch that's a tad bit bigger than her mother's arm. "Will this work?"

"That's perfect." Dom rises and takes it from her. "Thanks for finding this."

"Are you okay, Mom?" Charlotte sits down beside her and touches her good arm.

"Of course, dear." Abigail reaches over and smiles patting her arm. "They fixed me all up. Now we just need to secure it."

"Here, let's finish this off." Dom holds out the branch to me and examines her arm.

Alison grabs the tattered shirt and rips it into two smaller sections. She stands next to us and waits.

Holding the branch steady, I put it on the edge of the couch and Dom sets her arm on top of the wood. I hate that she's having to go through this.

Once he’s satisfied with placement, Dom grabs a piece of the fabric from Alison and ties the first one on the top of her upper forearm, right before the crook of her elbow. Then he takes the second piece and secures it around her wrist. "How does that feel?"

"It feels okay." Her face is a mask of indifference as she touches her splint.

"All right." Dom grabs the last piece from Alison which is slightly bigger. "Savannah, can you lift her arm up carefully and place it against her chest?"

I stand and do what he asks. I move slowly hoping I don't hurt her more than she already is.

When her hand is positioned the correct way, Dom wraps the bigger piece so it's a sling and ties it securely behind her neck. "There. You should only have to do this for a day or two."

"That's one of the blessings about being a wolf." Alison gives a small smile and stares out the window in front of her. "Everything else is pain and torture."

"I'll be right back." Dom stands and heads to the door. "I'm going to check on everything and scout out the area." The door slams shut as he walks outside.

"I never would have imagined a man helping like that." Alison rubs her arms and coughs.

That's an understatement. Not wanting to make a big deal about it, because at the end of the day, we don't know him, I head over to the side of the room and lift up one of the wood panels. I found this secret spot the third time I came here and began stocking it with some snacks. You never know when it might come in handy. "Here, why don't you guys eat something. It's been a rough few hours." I hand them some beef jerky and granola bars.

"Thanks." Charlotte's eyes widen and she grabs the boxes.

"Let me go check on him and make sure he doesn't need any help." I'm not sure what he's doing outside, but I plan to find out.

I march outside without waiting for a response and find him standing a few feet away from the car. He's hunched over almost as if his wolf is about to break free and he turns to face me. His chocolate eyes glow and he moves toward me.

My wolf cowers under his glare. Dammit, my first impression was right. He's an alpha and a force to be reckoned with. He's way stronger than even Kevin so maybe it wasn't smart to bring him with us. The last thing we need is a stronger wolf to torture us, but he did take care of Abigail just now.

The tales of strong alpha-leaders who care for their people fill my head, but I've never experienced anything like that. My Daddy was a good man and treated both my momma and me well, but he wasn’t tough like an alpha. And with the way Dom’s looking at me, I'm not sure what to think. "What the hell is your problem?" I'm not going to take getting beat down again. This time, I'll die fighting.

"My problem?" He barks out a laugh and his eyes glow brighter. "I'll tell you what's f*****g wrong with me." He stomps right up to me and gets into my face. "How the hell does a wolf treat his pregnant mate like that? And what kind of alpha would allow a kid to be r***d?" His hands begin to turn to claws and his voice turns raspy because he's out of control and about to change. His wolf is taking over. "And then you come out here and act like it's normal." He's so close his breath is hitting me in the face.

"You aren't in control right now." If he thinks he's going to scare me, he's got another thing coming. "And you're acting just as bad as the ones you are talking about right now. So why don't you go on and leave." I point to the car and push him on his chest, making him back away. "We'll be fine without you."

DOM

W

hen she pushed me backwards, it was exactly the wake-up call I needed. Holy s**t, I'm so worked up right now. But my wolf is as angry as I am. "I'm so sorry. You're right." The last

thing I need to do is scare these women more than they already are.

She backs up a step and her mouth drops open. "Uh... Good. So I'll go in while you work through whatever this is. Don't come in until you're back to normal." She spins around and leaves me alone outside.

Dammit, those pouty lips may be my undoing. Right now I want to grab her and make her mine in all ways. The impulse is so much worse because my wolf is pushing to break free and he influences me more than I need him to right now. These women are scared and have been mistreated probably all their life. My mate needs someone patient, and I'll need to make sure to do that for her.