Page 27 of Bullied Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #2)

As we get up off the ground, Kit tries to support me but buckles over, almost falling. Galen and Cade appear immediately, holding him up under his arms.

“I’m alright,” Kit protests. “Jesus. Leave me alone.”

“I wouldn’t forsake Jesus if I were you,” I say. “He saved your ass today.”

Kit laughs, shaking his head. “Are you daring to assign my awesomeness to a deity other than myself?”

“It’s a good thing I love you,” I shoot back. “Otherwise, I’d have to walk right out over that kind of pride.”

Kit reaches for me again, but winces even worse than before. My humor fades instantly, and I rush in, running my hands over his body.

Massive bruises are appearing all over him, darkening his skin with red blooms. His limbs are misshapen with bulgy swellings, and his face has turned a dull, sickly white.

“Kit,” I whisper. “You’re really hurt.”

“Well, I just battled… uh, how many wolves was it? Felt like at least twenty.”

“Twenty-five,” Cade answers. “Saw it with my own eyes.”

“I don’t agree,” Galen replies. “That’s a ridiculous number. It was clearly fifty.”

“Okay, shut up!” I shriek. “Kit has internal injuries. We have to do something!”

“Yes, we do,” Cade says a little crossly. “Like, get off this mountain. With all due respect, Lexa, could you get out of the way?”

I give Kit a quick kiss, then scuttle back so his friends can help him walk. Seeing Kit leaning heavily on them with every step fills me with worry.

I can’t lose him now…

“Lexa!”

I hear Kate’s voice from behind me and turn around to see her running out of the trees with Misha and Mabel.

“Are you alright?” Kate asks, hugging me. “My God, that’s an ugly bruise on your head.”

“Oh? Oh, yeah.” I reach up to touch my head, feeling my fingers come away sticky. “They hit me. I’ve probably got a concussion.”

“Fuck!” Misha cries, wrapping an arm around my waist and making me lean on her. “We need to get you back!”

“Kit’s hurt worse than me—”

“That may be so,” Kate interrupts, supporting my other side, “but it still means you need care. Let us help you.”

“No protest from me,” I answer.

The walk down the mountain is a long, painful one. I watch Kit ahead of us, taking small steps as his brother wolves hold on to him. It sinks in that he didn’t just risk his life for me—he actually intended to give it up.

He would have died… just to save me.

The thought seems insane to me that I could be so important to someone. But then I think about my mother, who died to protect me.

And it wasn’t just Kit who came. It was both packs and all my friends.

I spent years thinking I had no value, but I had forgotten the whole time that there’s a place I always belonged.

By the time we get to the estate, the sun is sinking behind the horizon, and the wind is sweeping down from the peaks, carrying an icy chill. When we get inside, Susan has the fire in the study blazing and couches laid out with pillows and blankets.

While Cade and Galen get Kit comfortable, Susan and the other girls make me lie down so they can have a look at me. The pack healer, Skylar, has been waiting for us, and she gives me a quick examination before going to tend to Kit.

Meanwhile, Joe starts bringing in plates of sandwiches, fried chicken, and ribs. All the pack members gather around the fire, sharing food, laughter, and nips of black-label brandy.

After a couple of hours, once the other men have recovered, Susan chases everyone out. Kit has begun to heal, but is still in a lot of pain. Skylar orders us both to rest, and I promise her I’ll keep Kit in bed and relaxing.

“I don’t know about that,” Kit remarks, pulling me under the blanket with him. “If you’re keeping me in bed, it won’t be restful.”

“Hmm, I don’t know,” I dither. “I’m still pretty dizzy from the head wound, so I doubt it.”

“Really?” he asks, concerned. “Are you sure you’re okay? We can get Skylar back—”

“I’m okay,” I reassure him. “I trust Susan to look after us both, but I am really feeling better. I just need to sleep.”

“Me too,” Kit says, sighing. “I can’t believe so much has happened today, and we’re right back where we started this morning.”

“Almost,” I say, chuckling. “We’re not on the floor.”

“And there’s a full basket of wood,” Kit says. “I made Joe get extra. Don’t go walking around by yourself, please. For any reason.”

“Okay,” I reply, giggling. “I’ll drag you to the bathroom every time I have to go.”

Kit leans down and kisses me, but it’s a feather-light, gentle touch of the lips. I realize that his eyes are closing, and his head is sinking into the pillow. He literally can’t stay awake, so I wrap myself around him and let dreams claim us both.

Over the next couple of days, both of us recover, but slowly. Kit worries that he’s missing the planning for the festival, but the others assure him they have it all under control and he shouldn’t worry.

On the third day, we’re sitting out on the dock, watching the lake, when Kit gets a message from Cass.

I just want you to know that Loretta got involved with the festival planning. There was nothing we could do to stop her. See you soon, guys.

“Oh no,” Kit mutters. “She’s taken this opportunity to get control of the pack. She’ll undo all our good work. The people in the West End won’t get to come.”

“It’s okay,” I say. “We can make it better next year, and there’s a lot we can do in the meantime.”

“That’s true,” Kit acknowledges. “I just feel bad, you know? We promised the whole town they could come.”

“We’ll do something else,” I reassure him. “All I have to do is live through the formal dinner.”

“Well, you survived your father,” Kit reminds me with a grin. “How hard could it be to endure a formal dinner with Loretta and her social rivals?”

We both look at each other and laugh. I try to give him a teasing poke in the ribs, but he winces and doubles over.

“Shit!” I cry. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he says. “They’re almost fully healed up. Don’t worry about it.”

“But I do worry about it.”

Kit hugs me close, stroking my hair. “Don’t be scared. Not ever,” he says. “I’ve got you, and I’ll never let you go.”

“I am scared,” I admit, sighing. “I’m scared I’ve got nothing to wear to the festival.”

“Didn’t you bring all your new clothes? Don’t you have something in there?”

“I might,” I answer, thinking. “Otherwise, I could just freak out.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Kit says. “There’s a lot of old clothes upstairs, too.”

“I’d rather not wear an antique.”

“I don’t know, it could make Loretta pretty jealous.”

“Only because she is one.”

Kit laughs, holding me close, and we stay on the dock until the cold wind chases us back inside to the fire.

A few days later, I’m getting ready for the festival, and, as if it was some kind of prophecy, freaking the fuck out.

“Are you alright, dear miss?” Susan asks, knocking on the bathroom door.

“Yeah,” I answer. “I mean—no… I don’t know.”

“Let me in, please.”

I open the door, looking at Susan with panic. “I’ve never had to get ready for anything like this before,” I moan. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“There now, settle yourself,” Susan says. “Did you choose a dress?”

I pull out the dark crimson alpaca wool I bought at the fancy shop in town. It has long bell sleeves, a simple neckline, and a tight waist that accentuates my curves without being too revealing.

Susan nods her approval. “It doesn’t match the purple in your hair.”

“I didn’t even think of that!” I shriek.

“Calm, girl,” Susan says with a smile. “I’ll fix it.”

Over the next couple of hours, Susan gives me a full makeover. She dyes my purple streaks a dark, fiery red, gives me a facial, and does my nails. When I get dressed, she does my makeup as well, using light touches to enhance my features.

“Now this,” she says, offering me a dark crimson lipstick.

“I don’t know…” I say. “Isn’t it kind of slutty?”

“Not with that dress,” she says. “It’s a perfect match!”

“What shoes do I wear with this?”

“Oh, your long boots will be fine.”

I stare at her for a few seconds in disbelief. “ My fuck-me boots ?”

“Lord on high!” Susan gasps. “What did you say? Those knee-high, shiny black lace-ups are called… uh…”

“Forget I said it!” I say quickly. “I’m just shocked that my siren lipstick and fu—I mean, high boots—are appropriate for the ball.”

“If you think it looks cheap, it most certainly does not, especially with that dress,” Susan says, moving me over to the mirror. When I see myself, my jaw drops. The only way I know for sure that the reflection is actually me is that Susan’s jaw drops, too.

“Oh my God,” I whisper. “I look—”

“Stunning,” Susan says. “But not quite done yet.”

“What did we forget?”

Susan comes up behind me and lifts her hands over my shoulders, settling a ruby pendant around my neck. It’s exquisitely cut in the shape of a flame and set in pale white gold. As I look closer, I see chips of diamond around the edge, making the light catch and flicker.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.

“It was Alisa’s,” she says. “A lot of her things are still here. We must do an inventory, but enough of that. Let’s get you to your ball, Cinderella.”

I let Susan take my hand and lead me to the foyer, where Kit is waiting. He’s wearing a black suit with a dark red shirt that almost perfectly matches my dress.

“Well, look at you,” I say, going over to him. “You’re looking fine—and color-coordinated.”

“I had a little help,” he laughs, nodding at Joe. “I think we’d fall apart if it wasn’t for these two.”

“Enough, young master,” Susan says with a smile. “Off to your party.”

The drive into town is a quiet one, but the silence between us is no longer awkward. I hold Kit’s hand most of the way, and we talk about trivial things, as if both of us are trying to avoid talking about the ball.

When we arrive in town, the streets are practically empty.

“What’s going on?” Kit mutters. “Shops are closed. There’s no one around.”

“Let’s just head to the hall,” I answer. “We’ll need the others to investigate if something’s wrong.”

As we get closer to the hall, we pass groups of people. All of them are dressed in costumes, and some even have masks.

“What the fuck?” Kit mutters.

“I concur,” I whisper.

The streets get so full that we have to leave the car and go on foot. When we get closer, the thick, rich scent of fried batter reaches my nose.

“Oh,” I moan. “Kit, do you smell that?”

“I do,” he agrees. “But what the fuck—”

As we come up the last rise to the hall, we see the Ferris wheel stretching high above our heads and the rides gathered around its base. There are games and food stalls. Kids are running crazy all over the place, laughing and screaming as if they’re on a six-hour sugar high.

Most unbelievably of all, Loretta stands at the front gates, handing out balloons. She’s wearing an old pair of jeans and a flannel shirt smeared with paint.

“Loretta?” I ask in a hushed voice as we approach the gate.

She looks up and smiles, blinking shyly. “My alpha, my luna,” she says, giving a slight curtsy. “How do you like the festival?”

“I like it very much,” I answer. “But—”

“I was wrong to argue with you,” Loretta says firmly. “I apologize. I am still… confronted by the changes, but I was shown some things that helped me get on board.”

“And what was that?” Kit asks.

“Hungry children,” Loretta says, looking at the crowds of happy kids galloping around the fair. “Cass took me to the West End. I even heard some stories—oh, God, Kit, I’m so sorry! I didn’t really know what Leopold was doing—”

“It’s okay,” he says, waving a hand. “It’s enough to see you getting involved. You don’t have to worry about any of that, okay?”

“Okay,” she says, smiling. “Now, if you don’t mind, Alpha, I’ve got some ice cream to hand out.”

The kids charge her, screaming “ice cream!” in a great communal cry. Kit takes my hand and smiles at me, gesturing to the party.

“Are you ready, my love?” he asks, and I know he’s not just talking about the party.

He means the rest of our lives. Every day from now on—together.

“Yes, my love,” I answer, squeezing his hand. “I’m ready. Let’s go!”