Page 110 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

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Dr. Stan breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped back.

His hands were slick with Night’s blood, and one them held a needle and remnants of the thread used to sew up Night’s wound.

I ran my hand through my mate’s hair, damp with sweat.

He seemed much, much calmer now. He hadn’t stirred once when Dr. Stan was stitching him up; in fact, he seemed to be sleeping.

“Is he going to be okay, Doc?” Dom asked.

“Yes,” the doctor dabbed at his sweaty forehead with a t-shirt that wasn’t stained with blood, “now that this thing is out of him.” He wiped his hands on that same t-shirt and then held something in his hand.

I stood to see what it was. A bloody bullet, the tip of it bent in on itself, sat in his palm.

Dom took a sharp breath in through his teeth. “Is that thing made of silver?”

Dr. Stan nodded.

My eyes widened. It made me sick all over again to think that my mate had been hit with something so poisonous. My wolf began to growl, but there was nothing to aim our rage at. Evan was dead. And I was the one who did it.

“Will there be any long-term effects?” I asked.

“He shouldn’t shift for at least a week, and during that time, he’ll be weaker than he’s used to.”

My eyes widened. “But wouldn't shifting make him heal faster?”

“Under normal circumstances, yes, but silver is a wolf’s greatest weakness. When he was hit with it, his wolf receded inside him. The silver is in Alpha Night’s blood, and until it’s run its course, he’ll need to take it as easy as possible.”

“I’ve never heard of that before.”

“You wouldn’t have. Alphas aren’t open about their weaknesses for this reason.

Centuries ago, challengers would dip their claws in silver or otherwise hide silver on their bodies to better their odds of winning.

It wasn’t against the rules back then, and these days, Alphas keep the information under wraps.

It’s important for you to know that, too, now that you’re an Alpha, Bryn. ”

I resisted the urge to wince. Like Night and all other Alphas before me, I would begin my rule with blood on my hands. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. Is there anything I can do to help Night more?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but no. His body needs to deal with this on its own.”

“I understand. Thank you, Dr. Stan.”

He nodded with a small smile, and then left. Dom and I were left alone with the sleeping Night. I sat on the bed beside him and touched his hair, his thick locks curled around my fingers.

“I’ll have wolves stationed around the cabin,” Dom said. “I have to get back to the fight. I imagine you’ve got things covered here?”

I nodded. It was hard not to feel awful for being away from my people, but even the idea of being more than a few feet away from Night made my wolf whine and gnash her teeth. I felt the same. I didn’t want to leave him alone while he was so vulnerable.

“I’ll check back in soon.”

“Okay. Be careful, Dom.”

He gave me a half smile. “Always.”

As Dom headed out, I continued to pet Night in his sleep, watching the occasional twitch of an eyelid or the corner of his mouth. If he so much as gasped in his sleep, I would be there to smooth his brow and soothe his worries.

Hours later, after a night of fitful, dreamless sleep, I rolled out of bed.

Night was still lying on his side. Bandages were still stuck to either end of the bullet wound and spots of blood had seeped through while he slept.

I’d need to change them, but first I needed to wash off my own grime and sweat and blood.

I climbed into the shower, made the water as hot as possible, and stepped in.

It burned, but I didn’t turn down the temperature.

It needed to be boiling if I wanted to scrub my skin free of the memory of what I’d done.

The ripple that went through me as Evan’s bones snapped in my jaws, the flash of heat as his blood hit my tongue.

I shivered in spite of the temperature and scrubbed myself almost raw.

When I finally felt clean, I stepped out.

My skin was bright red, but I still felt dirty.

In the mirror, I could see no trace of the wounds I’d sustained during the fight, and there was no evidence of the life I’d stolen.

I brushed my teeth until I spat blood with the toothpaste in the sink, and then I brushed more.

It had been only hours since I killed Evan.

Through the window in the bathroom, I saw that the sun had only just begun to rise.

It was a blessing that I hadn’t had any nightmares last night, but I was sure that they would come to haunt me soon enough.

There was a knock on the front door. I spat more red-stained toothpaste into the sink, pulled on another robe, and jogged downstairs to answer. Already, my skin had healed from the abuse I’d put it through.

Dom was there when I answered the door. “Hey, how are you holding up?” he asked.

I couldn’t give voice to the emotions that plumed like thick smoke in my mind, so I said nothing.

Dom, correctly interpreting my silence, gave me a sad smile and moved on to the next topic. “The ferals finally retreated.”

“That’s great news. What were our casualties?”

“Dozens are injured, and about ten of those injured are in critical condition. As for deaths, we lost five Wargs and twenty-five Kings.”

I should have been braced for the news, but I wasn’t.

Last night, I’d seen fifteen total dead, but that number had now doubled.

I knew that in the grand scheme of things, these numbers were only a fraction of the populations of either pack, and I knew that things could have gone a lot worse.

But that didn’t make me feel less guilty.

It was a win, but to me, losing even one life was a huge loss.

How could I not feel responsible? I’d failed my pack because I hadn’t been prepared for this to happen.

I hadn’t even been able to help in battle because I wasn’t trained for it.

If you had been trained, you wouldn’t have had to kill Evan.

That cruel voice slithered into my thoughts and left me feeling raw and restless.

I need to learn how to fight. ASAP. I refused to let this happen again.

I owed it to my people. Even when I was no longer Alpha, I would still be the Den Mother, and that carried almost as much responsibility.

“I heard that the council wants to speak with you when you’re available,” Dom said.

“Of course they do.” As much as I wanted to spend the day watching over Night, I couldn’t exactly take the day off. We’d just had a war. “Did they mention a time?”

“Around three.”

“I can make that work.”

“Good. Us Wargs will be there too, so you won’t be alone.”

“I’m glad.” My smile felt a bit more genuine. “I’ll have friends there.”

The rest of the conversation was brief. Dom let me know that Violet, Tavi, and my mother weren’t among those injured, and then he left to help deal with the injured. I returned to the bedroom.

Night had still been snoring when I left to answer the door, but as I entered the bedroom I found him not only awake, but trying to sit up. I rushed to his side.

“Wait, wait.” I adjusted the pillows behind him and helped him lean back against them. “Be careful, you’re still injured.”

“Yeah, I feel like shit.” His voice was raspy. “What happened?”

“You were shot with a silver bullet. By Evan.”

As I spoke, I watched confusion change to surprise on his handsome face. The memories slowly came back to him until his emerald eyes darkened with sorrow. I wished I didn’t have to remind him.

“I’m so sorry, Bryn.”

Those four words clutched at my heart and made my eyes sting with tears. “Wh-why would you be sorry?”

He touched my face and caressed my cheek. “I never wanted to put you in the position of having to take a life, especially someone that we knew.”

His touch sent me over the edge, and I couldn’t stop the tears. “He was going to kill you,” I hiccupped. “And before I could stop myself or think things through, I had him, and I-I—”

Night pulled me close, tucking my head under his chin. I sobbed into his chest, feeling the weight of everything we’d endured crashing down on me.

Night kissed the top of my head while I cried. “It’s not your fault, Bryn. It’s not.”

My hands clenched in the sheets at either side of him. The worst part of this was that if I had to choose between taking a life and saving Night’s, I knew I would always, always choose Night without hesitation. It was a side of myself I hadn’t known I’d need to address.

My mind went back to the fight with Troy, when I’d had the ability to kill him. I’d narrowly stopped myself. After all those days of pain and the constant beatings, I’d almost let my rage push me over the edge. And now, I’d taken that step with Evan.

My sobs became deep, shuddering breaths, and my tears dried. As I calmed, Night started to tell me about his first kill.

“I was sixteen when I challenged the Alpha of the Wargs. Peter was awful. He didn’t care about our land or his people, and he let the Kings take everything from us. I knew the Wargs deserved more, so I fought for it. I killed him for it.”

As he spoke, he rubbed my back in soothing up and down motions.

“Everyone told me how proud of me they were. They said how grateful they were that I was bringing in a newer, more successful era. I spent months preparing for the fight because I knew I’d have to go through wolves that were bigger and stronger than I was.

I thought I could live with taking a life, but I felt dead inside.

Mom told me I was allowed some time for grief and regret, but that mourning period changed nothing in my life.

I still had to live with my decision, and even though she supported me, I bore that responsibility alone. ”

He touched my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

“You will have to live with your decision, too. It won’t be easy, and I’m sure it’ll be even more difficult because you’re the most gentle woman I’ve ever met.

” He pushed my hair behind my ear. “Know that I believe in you, and there isn’t a wolf worth his weight in fur who wouldn’t make the same choice you made for your mate. ”

“I would do it again,” I murmured. “I love you, Night.”

“I know you would.” He kissed me gently. “I love you, too. I hate that you had to do something that was so outside your morals for me, when I’m supposed to be the one protecting you.”

“You’re worth it.” The memory of what I’d done was still fresh in my mind, but listening to Night talk about his past made me feel a bit better. It made me feel less alone.

“It doesn’t matter what time of day or what I’m doing,” he said, “if you need to talk about this, I’ll always be available to you.” He kissed me again. “You’re so strong, Bryn, and so smart. You’re not a monster, you’re an Alpha. You’re fierce and wonderful and you care deeply about your people.”

“Thank you, Night.” I almost started crying again, but managed to hold it together.

This time, I initiated the kiss. I’d intended for it to be tender and sweet like the others before it, but Night pulled me closer and closer until I was pressed flush against him.

His hands snaked under my robe to touch my bare skin.

I shivered and pulled back. “Night, no,” I said, though I was panting, though I wanted him, though I saw the sizable tent he pitched beneath the covers. “You’re still hurt.”

He smirked. “So what?” He met my lips again, his teeth catching my bottom lip.

I pulled back again, my face hot, my body even hotter. Still, I tried to stay firm. “Night Shepherd. Dr. Stan said you can’t do anything strenuous. You have to take it easy because—and I can’t believe I have to remind you of this—you were shot with a silver bullet.”

His smirk became a wolfish grin. “So caring, so considerate, even when I can smell the perfume of your arousal.” His hand slipped lower, his finger stroking up and down my slit. “And you’re already dripping wet.”

“N-Night…” Despite my best efforts, his name came out like a moan rather than a reprimand. “You should be resting…”

“So help me rest.” He circled around and around my clit until I was shivering and biting my lip. His eyes were bright with hunger. “I promise I won’t move.”

I groaned even as I straddled him. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

“Can’t you?”

I kissed him, just to wipe that sexy smirk off his lips, and pushed away the covers so his erection could stand free.

I let my tongue run along his bottom lip as I positioned him at my entrance.

I swallowed his growl as I teased him, stroking the tip of his penis back and forth, getting him slick with my lust. I broke the kiss with a giggle that turned into a moan as I finally let him inside me.

“Mm, Bryn…” he moaned. He pulled the sash that held my robe closed and watched me take in every inch of him. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful.”

His hands slipped around my waist as I began to gently ride him.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, peppering him in kisses, trailing down to the spot where I’d bitten him.

I didn’t want to excite him too much, as much as he filled my body with tingling pleasure, but I couldn’t resist licking him there and tasting the salt of his skin.

He’d already worked me up before I started riding him, and I knew it wouldn’t take much to send me over that sweet edge.

His breaths came in quick pants, his fingers pressing more firmly into my waist. The robe slipped down my shoulders, raising goosebumps down my arms. Though I was going slow and easy, he filled me up just right.

On each bounce, I felt him pressing against that special spot, sending me closer and closer to my peak.

One of his hands caressed up my back to bury into my hair. “I love you,” he murmured.

“I-I love you t—ohh…” My orgasm eased over me, like a warm bubble bath. It seeped into my muscles, relaxing every tense or aching inch. My sweet, shivering bliss was punctuated by Night’s climax. He hissed his pleasure, filling me with his hot cum.

“Mate,” I whispered, pressing my forehead to his.

“Mate,” he replied, and held me close.