Page 39

After Alfred woke up, and the two alphas recovered from the shock and the excitement of seeing the man awake, Wolfaraine went ahead to dismiss Degar.

"I want to speak with him alone." He said.

"Of course," Degar inclined his head before turning towards the door.

"Get the conference hall ready for the tournament tomorrow. Send your sentinel to the Elephant's Clan to know if it's Rodarh or Onaries that is going to be at the three-day fiesta with us. I will see you tomorrow, Degar."

"I will do as you said."

"Oh, and Degar?"

"Yes, Alpha King?"

"Tell Maximus, your Head Sentinel, that his wife has conceived. Her scent has taken on a distinctive smell of citrus. "

"Really!?" Degar's eyes widened to saucers. Maximus's only daughter is six years old. He and his mate, Nini, has been trying for five years now. "I know it's not wise to question your sense of smell...but are you really sure...?"

A wry smile crossed Wolfariane’s face, "Since Maximus himself hasn't smelled it, I guess she just freshly conceived.

Citrus in her sense means the child is barely a week old.

Three weeks from now, when her scent takes on an ample smell of lavender, he will know that her scent has altered.

His mate is with child. Send my congratulations to him. "

"Your sense of smell," Degar awed, shaking his head in disbelief. Then a huge smile took over his features. "You really are born to be Alpha King. I will inform Maximus once I get back to the clan."

Wolfaraine heard the front door close before he faced the man lying on the bed, looking around in bewilderment. The smile on his face disappeared, his features going blank.

"Am I in...hell or in...heaven? My best guess...is hell but then again...hell is not supposed to have...a bed.” Alfred's voice was hoarse from months of un-use. "You are not dead." He responded, moving closer to stand beside the man.

"I'm not?" Disbelief echoed in his voice, "I was very...sure I died. I... felt life drain...out of me."

"You are in Naturiah. My world. I've been treating you for the past ten weeks. It is a miracle that you are finally awake." Wolfaraine allowed him time to process the information.

The disbelief on his tired face changed to surprise. "Oh, my God. But why...why would you do that for me?" He asked, at last, utterly perplexed.

"Your family is taking your death too hard. I could not stand by and watch the woman I love being eaten alive with misery over your death, so I just decided to try. The ring and my blood have never raised the dead before. Like I said, a miracle."

Alfred watched the unsmiling, intimating face of the man who saved his life. There were a lot of feelings coursing through him, the greatest of them was gratitude. He has done absolutely nothing to deserve his kindness. It made his eyes water.

"I...I don't know how to t-thank you. I feel so a-ashamed right now." He swallowed hard, "Thank you very much."

"I can smell your guilt, your remorse, and your gratitude.

Your sincere gratitude is enough for me.

I already forgave you for the part you played in my horrific past, and I forgive you for the part you play in my nightmares.

But the past already happened, we cannot let it keep getting in the way of our present and the future. "

Wolfaraine lowered himself on the chair directly opposite the bed, leaning back to relax on it.

"Everyone deserves a second chance. Your daughter gave me one.

I am giving you one too. Your wife loves you very much, she has taken your death the hardest way.

Make things right for your family. Be there for them as always, and this time around, be completely honest with them so that nothing will ever taint the love your family has. "

A tear fell from Alfred's eyes. He nodded his head vigorously. "Thank you very much. I will regret working for those monsters for the rest of my life, the guilt will always stay with me. But thank you for giving me this second chance again."

Wolfaraine nodded curtly. Silence descended upon them.

"There's something I've always wanted to know about.

" Alfred broke the silence, his eyes filled with remorse, "What about your.

..s-sister? I know she...didn't die back there like the others b-but she did not.

..t-turn back for the rest of the time spent there, even with all the injections we used t-to try and force her. How is she now?"

His savior's eyes darkened, the frown on his face became even more profound and his hands fisted on his sides. They fisted so hard, he saw them vibrate.

"I...I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry for asking." Alfred averted his eyes, "I'm sorry for everything."

Wolfaraine was raging, but his turmoil wasn't directed at Alfred. The thoughts of his sister and what she went through always have this effect on him.

He recalled Ismena's voice telling him that if he ever became so worked up, he should take deep breaths and count from one to twenty backward.

He counted backward from fifty. By the time he got to one, he was feeling better. Calmer.

"She hasn't recovered." he found himself speaking, "She is alive, but she has been in her wolf-form for the past eighteen years.

I don't think she knows her way back. She might remain in the form for the rest of her life.

It is heartbreaking to think about, but at least she is beginning to make progress in her condition. "

"I'm so sorry," the older man breathed, his heart filled with sorrow.

"It's okay." Wolfaraine straightened, rising from the chair. "Just concentrate on getting well, Alfred. I am traveling tomorrow. When I get back, I will arrange for you to reunite with your family."

When he got to the door, he stopped and turned back. His eyes softened as he looked at the older man again. "I am glad that you are awake, Alfred. "

The man was too emotional to get any word out so he nodded his head vigorously.

Wolfaraine gave him what came damn close to being a smile, before he turned and walked out of the door.

On his way back to his bedroom, he deviated and went to Nalaila's dungeon room.

With his sister's progress, he has become sure that his sister will never hurt innocent people, so he and Ismena are already working to get another room ready for her. One without bars and locks.

He has always hated seeing her behind these bars but his sense of duty to keep his people safe had always overrode his protectiveness of his sister. Guilt assailed him as he watched the rise and fall of her furry body as she sleeps.

Closing the door behind him, he walked soundlessly to one side of the room and lowered himself to the floor with his back pressing again the wall. He sat there, watching her sleep.

He lost himself in the thought of the past, the good part of the past, the time way before their captivity when Nalaila was all play, all smile and all...mortal form.

She will be twenty-nine next month. What will she look like as a twenty-eight-year-old female?

His sister was just a beautiful girl. If he could see her in mortal form, he'd bet that she will be a very beautiful woman now. Eyes as blue as the sky. Hair as dark as midnight .

The wolf whimpered in her sleep, drawing his mind back to the present. Its breathing stuttered before it settled back to sleep.

"I would take away the nightmares if I could, Aila. I would slay the bad-dream-dragon for you if only I could see it, honey. But I can't." he said aloud but in a low tone, "Sleep tight, Aila. I will watch over you."

And he did.

Hours passed. Time slipped away until only the silence of the night and the soft breathing of the wolf remained. By the time Wolfaraine went back to his bedroom, it was almost dawn.

He was emotionally and mentally exhausted as he opened the door of his bedroom and walked in. His step faltered when he saw the small, beautiful woman curled into a sleeping ball in the middle of his bed.

Did she wait for him? How long was she awake, waiting for him to get back?

A feeling of warmth spread over his chest as he stood there watching her beautiful face smoothened out in sleep. She looks even younger now almost childlike. Even in sleep, she was still the most gorgeous female he has ever seen in his life.

He went hard watching her. He stood there, rock-hard like granite, his erection standing proud, tenting up his pants, his sadness, and mental exhaustion were momentarily forgotten.

"Mine..." The wolf growled inside him, waking from slumber at the smell of their mate. Surprisingly, the cougar stretched out too, and purred like a big cat.

"Mine," It wasn't the first time the two predatory parts of him came on board with wanting to join the male in sleeping with their mate, together .

It wasn't the first time they both rose to the surface together with the need to join the male in mating with their woman. But, it was the first time the male did not do anything to suppress them.

For the first time, Wolfaraine allowed his animals to prowl the surface as he undressed and approached his mate...

Ismena woke to the strong, familiar hands roaming all over her body, he pressed kisses all over her neck before one of his hands rest over her belly and pulled her back so that her body molded perfectly with his naked body.

She smiled sleepily when she felt his hardness press against her ass.

Rolling over, she turned towards him. Instantly his lips took hers into a searing kiss. His mouth consumed her, he practically devoured hers until they shared the same breath.

There was something different today. His touch was rougher, more possessive. In jerky movements, he undressed her. She helped him to get her clothes out of the way until she was lying in his arms in just her panties.