Page 183 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)
AUDREY
We headed off the Residence’s grounds without stopping for breakfast or supplies. Knox was going to pack what we needed and meet us at the edge of town with rations, and it was better for us to be seen in Stonehaven early so the merchants would think Bishop was with the other leaders.
For the most part, the streets were quiet, but I could see lights on behind windows and smell bacon and pastries cooking, a sure sign that the town was waking up.
We walked out of Old Town into New Town, the buildings becoming less residential and more commercial, to the large, square hospital with its mismatched architecture. Again, we avoided the courtyard at the front and entered through a modest foyer with the reception desk and comfortable chairs.
A few people napped in the chairs, but there was no one at the desk. It had only been a few days since the grimalkin attack, a lot of people had gotten hurt, and I suspected the staff was still stretched thin. No doubt they’d rationed the healing elixirs for the worst cases and the humans. Nova wouldn’t use them all just in case the grimalkins attacked again. Which was smart but meant a lot of people were still suffering.
We took the stairs to the second floor, pausing at the top, and Bishop squeezed my hand.
“Meet me in the garden outside after you’ve checked on Quinn and Zavier. And remember we still haven’t caught that assassin.”
A shiver rolled down my spine. That was the last thing we needed on top of everything else.
The memory of his attack shuddered through me. It had been awful feeling so helpless… except, I hadn’t been. Bile had burned my throat and my stomach had heaved. Maybe the assailant hadn’t run away because Bishop was going to kill him, but because I’d compelled him.
Which was ridiculous. That would mean he was connected to the grimalkins.
“Be careful.” Bishop captured my lips in a quick kiss, his love and worry pouring through our mating bond.
“Always,” I said, breathless.
He rolled his eyes at me.
Yeah, I hadn’t been careful during the grimalkin attack and if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change a thing. We both knew careful went out the window the second someone needed saving.
Bishop headed to the nurses’ station at the end of the hall, but I stopped halfway down at Zavier’s room.
The door was open a crack and I peeked in. Zavier still lay on the bed in his wolf form and I couldn’t tell if he’d moved or not. Shifters could heal some serious injuries, especially if they stayed in whatever form they were in instead of shifting and draining their life force, so if Zavier was still out of it, that wasn’t good.
Quinn sat in the chair beside his bed, also asleep clutching Zavier’s paw, her face pale and drawn. She’d told me she thought of Zavier like a brother, but there was something more between them, and it was obvious, probably to everyone else but them.
I pushed the door open a little more. Every fiber of my being wanted to reach out and comfort Quinn, to reassure her that everything would be okay. But the truth was, I didn’t know.
I had a bad feeling about Anakar and a lot of people could die if we couldn’t keep the grimalkins in their pens — and not just those going to fight the merchants. The grimalkins could attack the town again, and Zavier being Zavier would jump into trouble not because it was his job, but because that was the type of man he was.
And if I could keep him from danger— If I could keep anyone in the pack safe, I would.
A flicker of wildness whispered through my soul, adding to my determination that I couldn’t hide and let everyone else deal with this situation.
I had the power — hopefully. I had to help.
I eased the door shut and forced myself to step away. They needed sleep more than I needed to know how they were doing.
And I needed to get out of the hospital and find some breathing room before I lost it. Every room I passed with the beds filled with injured people was a reminder of the attack.
I couldn’t let it happen again.
Funny how just a little while ago, I would have thought I was powerless to do anything, that no one would listen to me or want my help.
And now I didn’t care what they thought. My wildness was steadily growing with each step down the hall, each whimper and sob and pained expression I heard and saw.
I didn’t think I’d ever felt so angry or so determined. This was my pack and the merchants had hurt them. Mine.
I stormed down the back stairs, shoved open the door at the bottom, and strode into the garden where I was supposed to meet Bishop.
Dozens of people looked up at the sound of the door crashing open, and all eyes locked on me.
Shit.
I didn’t want anyone to see me like this, but with the influx of patients, I should have known the hospital garden wouldn’t be empty.
I sucked in a sharp breath, determined to will my wildness away. I couldn’t do anything about anything right this moment and I needed to look calm.
I also needed to ignore my first instinct to hide from all those eyes along with my fury that hiding was my first instinct.
“Alpha,” a tall woman in scrubs said. “I heard you saved the children in the smithy.”
My gaze darted around the garden for an escape route while my wildness flared, enraged that I couldn’t even control my body.
“Yes,” I replied quietly, forcing a tight smile that I hoped conveyed some semblance of strength. “But Jaxon and Finn were there, too.”
“I heard you killed a grimalkin,” the woman said.
“I heard she killed two,” a tired looking man added.
“I heard it was all a lie.” Velora’s sharp voice cut through the voices of the crowd and everyone fell silent.
The crowd in front of me parted and stepped back, and Velora strolled toward me.
“Everything about you is a lie,” she added with a smirk. “I heard you used magic to trick Knox and Bishop into mating with you.”
A few people gasped at her words, and a few others hardened their expressions, and everyone else looked upset at Velora. People might have believed her before the grimalkin attack, but even Finn, who’d once agreed with Velora, was supporting me now. No doubt he, along with the children, were talking about how I killed two grimalkins without even shifting.
“Now you’re lying about killing grimalkins.” She glanced at the crowd. “How could a shifter who’s so weak kill a grimalkin?”
My insides twisted, her tone too much like Merrick’s when his question was a trap. How could I convince anyone that I’d killed those beasts when everyone could tell I was powerless?
Except I’d killed one, even before my alpha power started to manifest. I’d accidentally killed that grimalkin in Kelna when we’re traveling north to break my bond with Knox.
“I challenge you,” Velora yelled loud enough that people a block over could probably hear her. “You’re a liar and a manipulator. Bishop was supposed to be my mate and you stole him from me. I’m taking him back.”
Her claws extended from her fingertips and a soft thump of alpha power hit me. It caught me off guard, forcing me to take a step back, and Velora’s sneer deepened.
My pulse thudded. I didn’t know this pack’s rules for a formal challenge. In my old pack, a challenge was to the death. But if I died, Bishop would die or go crazy.
“Bishop and I have already sealed our mate bond. You can’t get rid of me or break us apart.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Velora snarled. “I’m going to tear you up, make you so hideous he’ll never be able to look at you again. Then he’ll have to take a second mate. He’ll make me his alpha mate.”
“If you hurt me, Bishop won’t love you. He’ll hate you.”
“He’ll finally be able to see the truth!” A manic gleam flashed in her eyes. “Your spell will be broken and Bishop will love me. He’ll never look at you again and I’ll lock you away to be forgotten. You’re weak and pathetic. An alpha shouldn’t even bother looking at you let alone one like Bishop.”
“Velora—”
“Remember your place and respect me,” she screeched. “I’m going to be your alpha. I deserve to be alpha.”
My wildness surged, my power thudding hard within my chest.
“Deserve?” I snarled. “You don’t deserve anything.”
The woman was completely insane. I didn’t know how Cyrus or Bishop hadn’t seen it. I was sure they’d been aware of Velora’s crush, but I had no idea how she’d managed to keep this level of crazy hidden for so long.
And that pissed me off.
She didn’t deserve to be alpha and she sure as hell didn’t deserve my mate. She wasn’t going anywhere near Bishop and I’d be damned if she had any influence over this pack. I’d already lived in a pack with a cruel dictator. I’d never let the people of this pack live with an insane one.
“Being alpha isn’t something to be won or deserved,” I said, my voice low, dangerous. “It shouldn’t be something the strong take because they can or because they want power over others. It’s something to be earned. It’s an act of full submission to serving the pack.”
“An alpha never submits,” Velora screamed at me, her power rolling over me in a weak demand to kneel before her.
I squared my shoulders and let her power hit me. She didn’t have a strong alpha power and only a few of the bystanders sagged to their knees.
“Why aren’t you kneeling?” she demanded, jerking forward a step as if drawing closer to me would make her power stronger.
But she was nothing compared to Cyrus. Hell, half of the people watching this challenge were stronger than her.
“Kneel!” she roared, with another weak slap.
“You kneel,” I roared back, and my wildness let loose. My power surged from my body, slamming over her and everyone in the garden.
She gasped and dropped to her knees, her eyes wide with shock, along with everyone else.
“I’m not weak and pathetic,” I told her, fighting to hold my power back so as not to flatten her like the wildness inside me wanted. “And even if I wasn’t an alpha, I wouldn’t be weak. My strength comes from my compassion and my determination to protect. I’ll never let you take my place. I’ll never let a selfish, cruel alpha lead my pack, because it’s my pack. Mine. Bishop and Knox. They’re mine.”
A wave of power slipped my grip and slammed into Velora, forcing her to press her forehead against the ground, her power weakly fluttering against mine, unable to even compete.
“This whole pack is mine,” I growled. “Mine to serve and protect like an alpha is supposed to. Do you understand me?”
Velora groaned and twisted her head the fraction of an inch necessary to glare up at me with one eye.
“Do. You. Understand?”