The Beta's Alpha 2

Chapter 18-Stepping into the light

Rayne

I run toward the first light I have seen in weeks, the darkness less suffocating , the black fading from dark to grey until I can finally hear something other than this damnable silence, voices, one I know and I run as fast as I can toward it faster and faster until

“Oh…Oh…she’s awake!” The voice yells as I shield my eyes from the intrusive light but when I close them again I’m back in the dark and I decide to bear the pain instead.

Someone grabs my wrist and I glance over, a stranger looks back at me and I am in panic mode; who was she? Was I not in my own pack? Was I at the Oaks pack?

I feel my chest heave as I try and gulp in air when suddenly there is a face in front of me, one I know and she is smiling through tears. “Rayne?” I open my mouth but the voice that comes out sounds like sandpaper, barely audible and the stranger puts her hands on my throat and I react without thinking, lashing out. “No Rayne its ok, she’s not hear to hurt you, she’s been helping us heal you honey.”

I stop and look at Corrine then the stranger. “I’m Chloe, Alpha Bates asked me to look you over, I come from a long line of healers.” She puts her hand out and I take it slowly but release it quickly as my hand burns and she smiles. “Yeah, not quite a wolf, more of a witch.”

My eyebrows pop up and they smile when the loudest commotion from down the hall has me on edge until the door flies open and Stone comes barreling into the room, freezing as his eyes fall to me, Silver right behind him followed by Cade and Elise, everyone is smiling except Stone and I.

Images flash through my mind; the way he simply left the night of the party, how I texted him over and over with no answer, the pain , the rush of thinking he was back only to discover it wasn’t him, the beating I endured, the pain and burn in my neck and the worst was the darkness.

Utter nothing.

I feel his elation, the relief but my anger and hurt wage war and I see his face fall as he feels it.

“Could we have a minute please.” He says, the smiling falling from everyone’s faces as the nod and slip out of the room.

He walks toward me slowly, gauging my reaction. “I know you’re angry, I know you’re upset and hurt and I know an apology will not fix any of it but I am sorry Rayne.”

I swallow as much saliva as I have. “Why?” I croak

“I thought you chose him.” He replies and I huff as I shake my head. “He was sneaky, planned it all from the start, fed everyone different stories to align with what he wanted us to believe and,”

“ENOUGH!” I hiss and he stops talking. I swallow a few more times. “You should have known.” I manage expecting a fight but his shoulders sag and I feel his defeat.

He nods. “I should have no matter what my brother said, I should have known you would never have done that to me.” I open my mouth to speak but my throat feels like I have swallowed the Sahara. Stone notices and grabs some water from the table next to me, placing a straw in it before handing it to me and I take it, our fingers brushing as the mate bond flares and I close my eyes against it before the darkness reminds me it is waiting and my eyes shoot open, my heart pounds. “ Hey you’re safe dew drop.” My nickname on his lips is bittersweet and tears collect in my eyes, one rolling down my cheek. His fingers brush it away. “Please don’t cry.” He whispers. “I’ll do whatever you want, anything.”

I try to speak but decide against it and I make a writing motion. He nods and brings me a pen and paper.

My head is telling me to tell you to leave, just walk away again, to reject me and leave me this way I KNOW I will be alone and I can live my life that way but my heart and soul cannot fathom not having you by my side, unsure we could survive being without you.

How can I trust you to be there when I need you if every time our bond is tested you walk away, do you think so little of me? Am I not worth it?

I hand it over and watch him read it, knowing and expecting the ache in my chest as his hand begins to tremble but when I see the tears drop into the page my eyes go wide in surprise. He folds the paper in half and looks at me. “You’re right but it isn’t you I think so little of dew drop, it’s me.”

I frown about to ask when the door to the room bursts open and my mother rushes in. “Rayne?” She is beside me in a heartbeat as Stone steps back and I sigh internally knowing he will most likely leave but to my surprise he comes around the other side. “Oh Rayne it is so good to see you awake, how do you feel? Any pain? Should I get the doctor?” She goes to call out for the doc when I grab her hand softly.

“I’m ok.” My scratchy voice has her on the verge of tears.

“Oh my poor girl,” She kisses my forehead before smiling at Stone. “Thank you.” He smiles and I frown as I glance between them. “He swore he would get you back, refused to let you go, even when your heart stopped.”

I glance at him and he smiles softly at me but he says nothing as two more bodies fill the room. Stone’s mother rushes over to me and smiles at my mother. “Oh Melanie this is great.” Stone’s father smiles at Stone before looking at me.

“How are you feeling Rayne?”

“Ok all things considered.” I reply my voice still that hoarse scratchy sound.

“Oh my, let me find the doctor.” He tries to get Stone’s mother to follow but she swats his hand and he sighs, opting for the ringer next to my bed.

Takes a few seconds before the doctor steps in and his eyes go wide when he sees me awake. “Well seems I owe you an apology Mr. Varcolac, seems it was really more than an involuntary muscle twitch.” I frown again.

Stone’s father clears his throat. “Yes no doubt about that now; Rayne’s voice is quite hoarse, anything we can give her to help.”

“Well I can take a look but liquids would be the best thing for her right now Alpha.”

My ears perk at that; Alpha, why was he the alpha, come to think of it where was my father, he should have been right behind my mother unless.

Goddess, no, it couldn’t be but it made sense; I was incapacitated, the pack needed someone to be Alpha the Beta’s would be the next logical conclusion if…

My heart pounds loudly in my ear at the inevitable meaning of Stone’s father being Alpha.

My father was dead.