Chapter 8
1207 Words
Rune's POV
I didn't say a word. I didn't have to. Nobody else spoke either, but the woman who was obviously the healer and the Beta said a lot through their eyes. I didn't care, though. Alaric was out of danger and that was all that mattered. I just wish I could convince myself to believe that with the way he looked so pale and hadn't moved a muscle yet.
“I'll keep a close eye till I understand the course of his healing before any blood transfusion,” she announced.
“Alright, then,” he answered and motioned for everyone to leave.
I didn't budge and he didn't push it either. However, confusion and surprise lingered in the eyes of the woman as to what was really going on. Believe me, I didn't know either. I just knew that I wasn't walking out of that door until Alaric was fine to my satisfaction.
“He'll be okay,” she whispered tenderly to the Beta.
The shift in the air made me realise just how much he was holding up before the men who were here earlier, and how sickened he looked. Aside from being numb and battered, he was no different from Alaric now.
A new wave of sadness swept through me at the sight. It made my curiosity grow even more. If he felt this bad, why let any of it happen in the first place? Does being the Beta not mean protecting the Alpha at all costs?
I shook my head at the thought because if he truly was protecting him, I was terrified to know what the worst fate could have awaited him in the end.
“I know,” he finally let out a deep breath. A shaky, fearful one. “He always makes it out in the end,” he whispered to himself, but audible enough for us to hear.
He rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his messy hair, then stroked Alaric's leg gently.
“You have to do it again as you always have.”
With that, he left the room as well.
After a brief moment of the woman holding my gaze, her lips finally broke into a smile. A sad one.
“I'm the pack’s healer, Freya,” she extended her hand for me to shake.
I hesitated before muttering.
“Rune.”
She furrowed her brows before letting out a nervous laugh. One from the embarrassment of not shaking her hand and the other for what I was yet to figure out.
“I'm sorry for how things went earlier. I was just worried about him,” she glanced over Alaric's body with anguish clear in her eyes. “I also haven't seen you in the pack before, so I thought I didn't owe you an explanation.”
“You still don't, but you'll give it anyway,” I assured her. She suddenly cracked up again leaving me confused at the sudden switch.
It was strange how she suddenly evoked warmth around us as well as relief. Plus, she was laughing with me… she barely couldn't stand me a while ago.
I assumed I was too harsh on her when I grabbed her wrist, and she was only acting nice so I wouldn't tear her from limb to limb now that it was just us. I stepped back and cleared my throat.
“I'm sorry for how I grabbed your wrist. You looked terrified and…” I trailed off not even sure why she looked so terrified. “It wasn't my intention.”
“It's okay,” she smiled genuinely at me as if picking up something I haven't yet. “I suggest you clean yourself up and rest as well. You've had a long night.”
“Oh…”
Right. I had a lot to clean up and I didn't even come with anything. I didn't even know my right from left here.
“Here,” she gave me a small-sized towel. “Use it to clean up. The bathroom is that way,” she pointed and I looked in the direction she pointed.
“Thank you,” I nodded, taking a mental note of the other direction she gave.
I waited patiently for her to pack her stuff and leave before walking towards the bathroom. A second away from Alaric felt unbearable in a very unfamiliar way, so I quickly cleaned up and returned next to him.
In the stillness of the night, I slowly began to take in everything that had happened for the first time. I started with the room I was in. The king-sized bed, the dark interior and a matching light hue to match… the room was void of memory like a picture frame. It just had every essential thing in a solid dark colour and luxurious taste.
Then again, he was the Alpha, not an ordinary wolf, nor a fanciful Luna. I sighed and sat next to him, interlocking my fingers safely with his. It was a strange gesture that brought calm to me and I didn't even know why.
I hadn't performed the rites I intended to perform tonight, and it didn't even move me to the slightest regret. I had given up my sacred devotion to save him… a stranger… the Alpha who bargained my matrimony without my consent. I didn't feel terrible though, if anything I felt a strange peace.
‘…not even a scratch.’
Luca's as well as Ivy's voice re-echoed in my head. I checked my arms instinctively, memories from the fight playing in my head. I gasped in shock at what I had done.
Blood.
Bodies.
I had done all of that without earning a single scratch.
The Beta didn't intervene in any of it, but how was I even able to do it? Surely my brother hid me from the outside world, but never trained me in combat… nor my dad… nor anyone…
I looked up Alaric's rising and falling chest, afraid that if I looked at his face, I'd get a sort of answer. Everything was because of him, but still, I couldn't wrap my head around it.
We definitely couldn't be mates, but there was no denying the wave of electricity, the strange sensation in my chest and the pull I felt towards him. I was afraid to find something darker as an answer for why he felt too familiar when we were utter strangers.
It felt like a piece of me. It felt like I saved a part of me I didn't know existed until I saved him.
Instead of forcing my gaze up to his face, I let the parts of my body move on instinct. I placed my hands carefully on his bare chest and leaned in to hear his beating heart.
Pain.
His pain was all I could feel.
I shut my eyes, wishing for it to go away. I stayed that way for a while until I felt convinced that he was doing just fine. Turning back to go to the bathroom, I felt a hand weakly grab mine.
“Please,” I watched his lips part but didn't say another word afterwards and just like that, I broke into many million pieces.
- Writer
