The sight brought back memories of midnight runs and playfulness and joy. Alex felt a sharp pang in her chest. She’d really thought she loved him. But all the love she’d felt from him had been a lie.
Chapter 15
Ben tightened his arm around Alex. Brett was a bigger wolf than Ben had expected. Quite a bit bigger than Keith had been. Chris still stood at least a hand taller but it didn’t make Ben feel better. Keith had gotten Chris good in spite of being smaller. What would Brett do?
Alex’s arm slid around Ben’s waist. She helped steady him. And no matter what happened in the fight, he’d keep her safe.
She squeezed him as the two wolves jumped at each other, meeting in mid-air, their legs kicking and their sharp teeth aiming for each other’s necks. Their growls echoed through the crowd, many of the pack wolves straining as though they wanted to jump into the fight. Just as Ben did.
The wolves hit the ground, Chris on top of Brett, and rolled in the grass, continuing to kick at each other. Both landed blows but none of them were severe enough to even draw blood. Then Brett hugged Chris with his front legs and kicked both his hind legs at Chris’ injured thigh.
“Bastard,” Alex hissed.
Thank God they’d anesthetized his wound. Chris rolled, dislodging Brett then jumping to his feet. His gait seemed fine but a sheen on his leg showed that the wound had been re-opened. Chris and Brett circled each other, Brett’s tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth.
“Brett looks winded,” Ben whispered in Alex’s ear.
“He doesn’t like to work out.”
A-ha. A weakness.
“He lifts because he likes to be big, but he won’t do cardio,” she said. “He hates it. So he gets out of breath sometimes.”
Maybe if the fight went on long enough, Brett would drop from sheer exhaustion. Yeah, right.
Brett launched himself at Chris, who flattened himself onto the ground and rolled. Brett whined when he landed flat on his belly on the ground. Chris pounced on him from above. As his teeth were about to close over Brett’s neck, Brett shifted position. Chris caught his shoulder instead. Brett twisted his head around almost unnaturally and bit Chris’ nose.
Chris released him and stumbled back. Ben growled when he saw the blood smeared across the top of Chris’ nose. He felt only slightly better when he saw the gash in Brett’s shoulder.
Chris darted forward, kicking at Brett with his forelegs then clamping his teeth around Brett’s injured shoulder. Brett let out a sharp yip of pain. He twisted, shook Chris loose then bit down hard on Chris’ injured leg.
Not a sound came out of Chris, not even a startled cry. Alex dug her nails into Ben’s side but didn’t say anything either. Brett gnawed Chris’ leg while Chris snapped at his flank and finally got his teeth into Brett’s underbelly. Brett released him with a howl. Chris dug his fangs deeper.
Brett twisted and lunged for Chris’ neck. Everyone heard the rip as Brett’s skin came apart at his quick move. Chris dodged out of range to protect his neck, freeing Brett, whose belly was coated with blood.
When Chris moved, he limped.
Brett leapt forward, yipping in pain, and sunk his teeth into Chris’ back before he could get away. Chris twisted back and forth, flinging Brett’s body to and fro, but Brett had sunk his teeth so deep Chris couldn’t dislodge him. Chris paused a second, breathing.
Ben dug his fingers into Alex’s shoulder. God. Brett couldn’t win. If Brett won, Ben would challenge him instantly. He would challenge him before he could kill Chris. Brett couldn’t kill Ben’s mate when Ben had only just found him.
Chris flung himself to the ground, Brett still clinging to his back. The impact jarred Brett loose. In a split second, Chris stood a few feet away, baring his teeth.
He looked as strong as ever. Except for the bloody mess on his back.
Brett got to his feet a little more slowly. The two wolves stared at each other. Then Chris charged, tumbling on top of Brett. The two rolled over and over, kicking and biting and trying to get hold of each other’s throats. Then they stopped.
Chris lay on top of Brett. It wasn’t until Chris pushed up onto his feet that everyone could see his teeth embedded in Brett’s neck. Brett was alive, but there was no doubt.
Chris had won.
A wave of relief washed over Ben so violently he nearly fell to his knees. But he knew Chris wouldn’t want Ben to show any weakness. No matter how scared he’d been, the pack needed to think Ben had had total confidence that Chris would win. Sometimes being mated to the pack Alpha sucked.
Chris bit down a little harder, holding Brett’s neck until Brett submitted. Then Chris released him and stepped back, allowing Brett to stumble to his feet and walk the few yards to Keith and Mad Dog.
Ben and Alex stepped forward to guard Chris while he changed. Ben couldn’t wait to escort Brett to his car. Maybe rough him up on the way. Nick and Matt were both back on pack territory in case Brett’s invisible partner tried anything, so Ben would take a couple of the other wolves with him when they ejected Brett, Keith and Mad Dog.
“Help me up,” Chris said.
Alex immediately knelt beside him and helped him stand. Ben tried to keep his eyes on the rogues but couldn’t help but glance behind him every so often. Chris’ back looked awful. Like a piece of ground meat. Good thing this was the last fight.
Another wave of relief flooded through him. The last fight. Thank God.
“Sophia,” Alex called.
The pack doctor hurried forward with her bag. “Lie down.”
“I’ll stand,” Chris said. His voice sounded forced, like his teeth were grinding together.
Sophia huffed out a breath. “Fine. But that’ll make it harder. For one thing, you’re damned tall.” Sophia herself was barely taller than five feet.
Chris continued to hold onto Alex’s shoulder.
Ben’s only consolation was that Brett seemed just as bad off. His two minions helped him dress, smearing blood on his clothes. He should really get patched up first, but packs didn’t minister to challengers unless they won. And apparently neither Keith nor Mad Dog could do it. Either that or they wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Which was a very good idea. With each pained breath from his mate, Ben felt more and more like ripping Brett apart.
But that wouldn’t be good form. Fights were brutal but well-regulated. Unless Brett challenged him or threatened him, he had no standing to attack. Which just sucked. He owed Brett a good beating or two. One for Alex, a second one for Chris.
“You won,” Alex said.
“Yeah,” Chris said.
“It’ll all be better now,” she said.
Brett finished dressing. He limped toward his car, holding onto Keith and Mad Dog. Ben signaled to a couple of the other pack wolves and the three of them followed the three rogue wolves to their car.
“Leave town,” Ben said.
Brett turned his head and snarled at him.
“Leave town. There’s nothing for you here but misery.”
“Are you threatening me?” Brett attempted to stand up straighter but didn’t get very far.
“No. Just letting you know your future. You’ll be better off somewhere else. Healthier.”
The two pack wolves with Ben chuckled.
Brett took a step toward him, Keith and Mad Dog still holding him up. “Listen, asshole—”
”No, you listen. You come near my mates or my pack again and I’ll mess you up. Leave town. Or you’ll be sorry.”
Brett lunged for him, lost his grip on Keith and Mad Dog, and landed in the dirt. Ben stayed silent as Brett’s wolves picked him up and carried him to the car. He wanted more than anything to punch Brett for what he did to Alex. He even thought most of the pack would be behind him on that. But Chris wouldn’t like it so he held himself back.
He waited until he couldn’t see their taillights anymore then walked back to Chris.
***
Alex held onto Chris’s forearm
s, taking some of his weight, as she watched Brett’s car drive out of view. There had been times when she thought Brett was going to win. Thank God it was over. She could nurse Chris back to health and then the three of them could build a life together. Her parents would be proud.
At least, she thought they would. Was Chris right? Should she reach out to them again? Her stomach flipped. What if they still didn’t want to talk to her?
But they’d have to sometime, wouldn’t they? Chris and Ben had talked about having kids. Her parents would want to know about their grandkids, right? She’d have to talk to them then. And they’d have to talk to her. Maybe if she kept calling them she’d wear them down.
Chris winced. Up until this point, he’d been stoic while Sophia cleaned the wound and stitched him up. She must have hit an especially sore spot.
“You okay?” Alex said.
“I’ll be fine.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
He didn’t answer, his jaw clenched tight, and her thoughts wandered again. She’d call them. There wasn’t anything else to do. She wanted them back in her life, and if they wouldn’t make the first move, she would.
Maybe she’d even call tonight. It had been a good night so far. Maybe her luck would hold.
Ben came up beside her, putting his hand on her back. “How’s everything going here?”
“He’ll be fine,” Sophia said. “A few days of rest and then another week or so for the wounds to completely heal and he’ll be like new.”
“I have work,” Chris said. He continued to hold onto Alex’s arms.
“Call in sick. That’s an order. If they give you any grief, I’ll give you a note.” Sophia pulled gauze out of her bag. “When I finish your back, I still need to look at your leg.”
“I can’t think of anyone else who could get away with giving him an order,” Ben said to Alex.
“Are you kidding?” Chris said. “Just yesterday Alex ordered me around like a schoolboy.”
Ben laughed. “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.”
“She’ll be a fabulous Alpha Female,” Chris said.
She hadn’t known he thought that. “You called me a bully.”
“I was teasing.” Chris squeezed her arms.
“I’m going to have to figure out what’s teasing and what’s not,” she said.
“Plenty of time,” Chris said.
Plenty of time, now that Brett had been vanquished. “I’m going to call my parents,” she blurted out.
Her two men shared a glance.
“Why don’t I take over for you here?” Ben said. He put his left arm next to hers. “You can go do it now.”
Chris moved his grip from Alex’s arms to Ben’s.
“Okay,” she said. That’s exactly what she’d hoped they’d say. Except now her stomach sat in her throat. She stood next to them for a second.
“Go on,” Ben said. “We’ll be here when you get back.”
Alex pulled out her cell and walked to the far end of the field. She didn’t want anyone to overhear. She also wanted to make sure she had enough bars. When she found the perfect spot, she stood and stared at the phone for a few minutes, her palms growing damp.
She should just do it. It couldn’t be worse than any of the other times she’d called and left a message. She hit speed dial and listened while the phone rang.
When their message came on, her stomach dropped. Tears filled her eyes as she listened to her mother’s voice saying they weren’t available. They hadn’t picked up. They still didn’t want to talk to her.
Maybe they just weren’t home. But Alex knew there was usually someone at home. Someone.
The machine beeped. “Hi,” she said. “It’s Alex. I…um…I wanted to talk to you.” Tears rolled down her face in earnest. “I’m so sorry. You were right about Brett all along.” She took a deep breath.
“But something good came from this. I found my mates. They’re amazing. Chris is the Alpha of Roanoke pack and Ben is—Ben. Anyway, please call me back? I miss you.” She said the last in a small voice then hung up.
She stood at the far end of the field and cried until the tears dried up. Would they ever forgive her? Would she ever see her family again?
With no bathroom, she couldn’t splash cold water on her face or freshen up at all. She dried off her cheeks and walked slowly back to her mates, hoping any puffiness would disappear before she got to them. Good luck.
As she approached, Ben was helping Chris back into his clothes while Sophia packed her bag up. The pack wolves streamed all around them, many heading back for their cars. They stopped to congratulate Chris as they walked by.
When she reached her mates, she kept her head averted. She was a messy crier, always had been. The only real cure was time, and she didn’t have that.
“Hey,” Ben said. He tipped her face up. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Ben pulled her into a hug.
“They wouldn’t talk to me.” She felt the tears welling up again. Damn it! She’d thought she was all cried out.
Chris put his hand on the back of her head and she felt that same calm she always did when the three of them touched. “What did they say?”
“They didn’t pick up.” She held the tears back, just barely, sucking in big gulps of air.
“Maybe they weren’t home.” Ben rubbed her back.
“Maybe. But there’s usually someone home. And it’s like eleven o’clock at night there.”
“I forgot what time it was,” Chris said. “Are they usually awake this late? Maybe they’re asleep.”
“No, they stay up late.” She disentangled herself from her mates. “It’s fine. I’m okay.”
“Did you leave your number?” Ben said.
“They have it. I gave it to them the last time I called. This time I just told them about you two and asked them to call me.” Now she wished she’d said more, but she didn’t know what.
“Maybe they just need some time to digest it all,” Chris said. “Maybe they’ll call in a few days.”
“Maybe.”
Chapter 16
Alex pushed her hair behind one ear. She couldn’t think about her parents any more or she’d go crazy. “Ready? Let’s get going.”
Chris took a deep breath. “Let’s wait.”
“What’s the matter?” Ben said.
After looking around at the wolves still there, Chris said, “I just want to wait until everyone leaves.”
Of course. He’d re-injured his leg and now his back was messed up, too. He’d need help getting to the car. And Mr. Macho Man wouldn’t want anyone to see him accepting help.
“You think we could drive the car closer?” Ben said.
“Maybe,” Chris said. “But not just yet.”
They waited while the rest of the pack straggled toward their cars. As the last one reached the makeshift parking area, Ben said, “I’m going to go get the car. They’ll be gone before I even get there. Just wait here.”
“How’s your back?” Alex said. She had waited until all the other wolves were out of earshot to ask. “Did Sophia give you painkillers?”
“Yeah, but they won’t last long. Hopefully long enough to get home but maybe not.” He shifted from one leg to the other and winced.
Werewolves had such fast metabolism that their bodies burned medicines away very quickly. “I heard what she said. You’re on bed rest for a few days.”
Chris smiled. “Bed sounds good.”
“None of that. Flat on your stomach, healing.”
“I bet if I lay on my side, you and Ben could—”
”Men are such horndogs. Healing. Not fucking.”
He laughed at her crudeness. “You don’t usually swear.”
“Sometimes it’s called for.”
Across the field, Ben reached the car. He got inside and waited a few minutes while the rest of the wolves left. Then he drove toward them slowly.
“I hope he doesn’t hurt his car,” Alex said. The last thing they needed was to get
stranded out here at midnight.
“It’ll be fine. The field’s pretty flat.”
Ben stopped not too far away from them. He hopped out and opened the door for Chris.
“This is going to hurt your back,” Alex said. “Can you lie on your stomach in the back seat?”
“I’m too tall. If the painkillers hold on, I’ll be okay.” Chris folded himself into the back seat.
Alex and Ben got into the front and Ben drove slowly back to the road. Chris held himself very carefully away from the back of the seat. The rest of the ride home was hard, particularly when Chris started to cringe and she knew the painkiller must have worn off.
“Did she give you any extra drugs? Could you take another dose?” Alex said.
“She did, but I can wait until we get home,” Chris said.
“No need to be a hero,” Ben said. “I saw your back. You have every right to be in pain.”
“I’ll be okay. If I take it now, it’ll wear off before I go to bed and then I won’t be able to get to sleep.” Chris cringed again as they went over a pothole.
“Sorry,” Ben said.
The rest of the trip passed in silence. Alex wished she could do something more for Chris. Even helping him into the house hurt him, since they couldn’t give him good support for his leg without touching his back.
When they got inside, they stopped at the foot of the stairs, gazing up its length. That was going to hurt like hell.
“You could sleep on the couch,” Ben said.
“I can make it.” Chris put his foot on the bottom step.
“Why don’t you take the painkiller now?” Alex said. “It should last long enough for you to fall asleep.” And help him get up the stairs.
Chris gazed at her and finally nodded. “It’s in my jacket pocket.”
“I’ll get water,” Ben said.
Alex carefully pulled a bottle from Chris’ pocket. He didn’t move an inch. “How many?” she said.
“Two.”
She shook two pills into her palm. When Ben came back, Chris swallowed the pills and stood there for a few more minutes.
“I’m afraid if I move it’ll hurt,” he said.
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