Alpha Underdog

Chapter Five

"Bonds and Scars."

"Why isn't she waking up?" A voice boomed, followed by a low growl.

"Alpha, please calm down. She needs time to recover from the oxygen loss. I could run some more tests if you'd like," another man suggested gently, carefully selecting his words.

Realization dawned on me; it was Fenrir who was present. That explained the scent of wood and spice lingering in the air.

Recalling Kai's attack and Fenrir's intervention, my mind raced. I was now identified as the alpha's mate. But why would he be concerned about my awakening? He outranked me, and I was merely an underdog.

Perhaps he intended to reject me soon. The thought pierced through me, anticipating the inevitable pain. Life without a mate was said to be unbearable, yet mine was already filled with suffering.

My thoughts swirled, and I wondered where Kai had disappeared to.

As someone approached to adjust my sleeve, instinctively, I recoiled, opening my eyes to identify the intruder.

"Luna," Fenrir's voice cut through the tension, causing my heart to race. Glancing at the heart monitor, I heard its incessant beeping. "Hey, it's okay," his fingers gently tilted my chin, urging me to meet his gaze.

Was he not going to reject me? In that moment, I couldn't deny the sparks igniting between us. Gradually, the heart monitor's tempo began to slow as our eyes locked. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the doctor departing.

Insecurities flooded my mind as I grappled with the reality of my situation. He was an alpha, and I was a mere underdog. And not just any alpha, but a ruthless one at that. What would I even look like beside him? The uncertainty of his intentions only added to my fear.

Pulling my head away from his gentle grip, I found solace in staring down at my hands. I was at a loss for words. What could I possibly say after he found me on the brink of death, at the hands of his own beta no less? And what would happen when he inevitably learned about the rest of it? Would I have to confess, despite Silas likely disapproval?

The heart monitor's sudden increase in beeping disrupted my thoughts. "Luna, please calm down. You're safe," his voice, soft and reassuring, reached out, landing on my hand in my lap. His words brought an unexpected sense of security, something I hadn't felt in years. As he spoke, the heart monitor gradually slowed its pace.

"I was worried about you," he confessed softly, prompting me to snap my head towards him, genuine confusion clouding my expression.

"Why?" I asked, my voice tinged with bewilderment.

The way he looked at me only deepened my confusion. "Luna, you died. The doctor had to revive you," he explained, his brow furrowing as he averted his gaze, as if the memory pained him.

The notion of having died and been brought back to life was jarring, to say the least. I couldn't help but feel somewhat ungrateful for the act, though perhaps it was the life I had grown accustomed to. After all, Kai's beatings often left me unconscious, only this time, there was a chance I might not have woken up at all. Happy birthday to me, I suppose.

"Where is Kai?" I managed to ask quietly, my fingers fidgeting nervously as I struggled with the words.

The growl that emanated from Fenrir sent shivers down my spine. "Being taken care of," he replied in a low, menacing tone, his eyes swirling with black and brown. But as they met mine, they settled on brown, though the intensity remained palpable. It was a minute before the doctor walked in.

"Sorry to intrude, Alpha. I was wondering if I could run a few tests on her to make sure she's stable," he said, approaching my bed. His name tag read Ryan, and I realized I hadn't seen a doctor in years. I wondered if he would notice the broken ribs that were currently causing me immense pain. Glancing over at Fenrir, I saw him already watching me intently before he rose from his seat and nodded.

As Ryan moved towards the heart monitor, Landon positioned himself in the corner of the room, his gaze fixed on Ryan's every move like a hawk.

When Ryan attempted to roll up my sleeve, I instinctively pulled my arm away. "D-don't," I whispered softly, cradling my wrist. Some of my cuts were still fresh, while others had scarred over, but it was embarrassing to have anyone other than myself see them. As Ryan reached for my sleeve again, a deep growl filled the room.

"She said don't," Fenrir reiterated, his glare piercing as his eyes continued to swirl with colors.

Ryan sighed before addressing me, "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help you see if you're stable enough to get out of here. Don't you want that?" he asked, trying to persuade me.

Desperately, I did want to leave this room and return to mine; it felt suffocating being around Fenrir, though I couldn't quite wrap my head around the fact that he actually cared. Even if it was a trick, I couldn't see why. In the end, I nodded slowly and offered him my arm, squeezing my eyes shut.

As the cloth passed over the scars, I hissed in pain, eliciting another growl from Fenrir. I heard his footsteps, but I was too scared to open my eyes. If he hadn't rejected me earlier, he surely would now that he had seen my scars.

"I'll get you some cream for these," Ryan said gently, and I could only nod as I heard the door open and shut.

"Luna," Fenrir's voice filled my ears, and I couldn't help but relax at the sound.

Exhaling, I opened my eyes. "Yes?"

When I did, I noticed he was looking at the scars on my other arm. I hadn't even felt him pull up the sleeve. The concern in his eyes was unfamiliar; I hadn't experienced anyone caring about me lately. One thing I didn't see was disgust, unlike the looks I received from Kai and the others.

Slowly, I brought my other hand to cover the scars, feeling self-conscious. "You don't have to look at them," I whispered, focusing on the white blanket covering me.

Before he could answer, the doctor walked back in with a white tube in his hand. "This should help with the scarring."

The scarring... No, it wouldn't. I had cut way too deep. "Thank you," I muttered, cursing myself for speaking so quietly every time I said something.

Ryan nodded as he applied the cream to my scars, all eight of them, four on each wrist, deep. After he finished, he gently pulled my sleeves back down over the cream. Oddly, it felt comforting.

"Now, if you could stand up, I'll just take a few x-rays and check a couple more things, then you'll be good to go," he informed me with a light smile.

Sitting up was the hardest thing I had to do, courtesy of the broken ribs. What would Fenrir think when he saw them? I hoped the x-ray machine was broken for my sake. As I mustered the energy to let my legs hang off the bed, I realized standing up was going to hurt. Nevertheless, I tried it anyway and instantly fell back against the bed, with Fenrir's hand catching my arm.

Sparks.

"I can't," I said quietly as I sat back down on the bed.

Fenrir and Ryan both seemed confused. "Why is that?" Ryan asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I... I think my ribs are broken," I stated quietly, meeting Fenrir's eyes, which had turned red, indicating his wolf was definitely out.