Page 25 of The Alpha’s Rejected Arranged Mate (Bluebell Valley Wolves #3)

The next morning, Elin woke feeling like she was being ripped apart. Her breath came in jagged bursts as she curled around herself, the pain of a firestorm in her body. A cry burst from her lips, and Finn jerked awake next to her. He pushed himself upright, and his eyes widened as he took in her sight.

“Christine,” he yelled, reaching for Elin.

A fresh wave of pain heaved over her, and she screamed, pushing him away. The baby! Something was wrong with the baby!

Christine burst into the room, stumbling on a pair of pants she yanked up over herself. She wore a cotton shirt so thin it was no better than wearing nothing. Elin would have been embarrassed if she weren’t in so much pain. Derek entered the room behind Christine.

“Get to the clinic,” she yelled over her shoulder. “She needs morphine.”

Elin shook her head, fear gripping her. “The baby!”

“By the Goddess,” Christine breathed. Her eyes went huge as she stared at Elin’s stomach.

Elin looked down. Her skin was red and taunt, being stretched out. The distinctive imprint of a foot appeared on her skin. And then the pain came back, so intense it left her blind. Everything seemed to be coming from far away, and all that was left was the pain until that, too, disappeared.

***

A steady beeping sounded in her ears. Elin cracked her eyes open, wishing she was in a nightmare. Her head felt fuzzy, but even though the pain was still there. Christine stood near the bed, doing something with one of those water bag things. It was attached to a long tube that seemed to go into Elin’s arm.

“Baby,” she said.

Christine jumped. “Fuck!”

Elin lifted a finger to wag at her. “Not in front of the baby.”

“The baby can’t hear us yet,” Christine said. She ran a hand through her hair. “You shouldn’t be up. I’ve given you enough morphine to put down a woman twice your size.”

“I’m a drug sponge,” Elin said wisely. She giggled, but it didn’t last. “Is my baby okay?”

“He went through a growth spurt. You seem to have progressed almost three weeks overnight,” Christine said, her eyebrows pulled together in concern. “For a while there, I thought we were going to lose you. The strain on your body… You seem to have stabilized for now.”

Elin closed her eyes. It was difficult to think clearly. “Okay. But what happens now? Do we still have time for the equipment to come here?”

“No. Finn’s arranging for us to take you to the city hospital. We need a better setup and someone to do emergency surgery if necessary.” Christine sighed. “The baby is healthy. His heartbeat is still strong. So you just focus on yourself, okay? He’s only as safe as you are.”

Elin nodded, her eyes drifting shut again.

***

Finn carried her to the van. They didn’t have much choice but to drive to the city, though Finn was clearly nervous about the prospect. He gave her a confident grin as he buckled her in. “You’ll notice that this is full of salt.” He gestured to the glittering white grains on the van floor. “And we painted protective symbols on the outside of the van.”

“And on me again,” Elin added, lifting her arm. It was covered in Sharpie ink.

“Can’t be too careful,” Finn quipped.

Elin smiled at her. Christine had eased her off the morphine at Elin’s insistence. Now, she fiddled with the IV bag still attached to Elin. Deep creases lined her face, making her look older than she was. It was clear that this wasn’t the situation she wanted. Elin had heard her and Derek arguing outside her door about an airlift into town. Apparently, Christine was under the impression Derek could call in favors to get them a hospital but was refusing.

“Fucking dammit, Christine!” Derek had finally roared. “Do you really think I’d hold back on this just to spite you? I’ve done everything I can. I’d cut off my own dick if it meant getting a chopper. I can’t do it.”

As far as Elin knew, they hadn’t spoken since. Derek slid into the driver’s seat, his shoulders tense. What had happened between them? How could such a tight trio that grew up as one unit become a fractured group? They still loved Finn as much as ever but seemed to hate each other. Why?

Elin shook her head, instead focusing on Finn. The team moved quickly and smoothly under his command. The aura of an Alpha pulsed out from him. She watched him with a smile, admiring the way he organized them. Even though he was sick with worry, he took care of the situation with a calm efficiency.

Her wolf preened, exhausted as they both were. She was proud to be able to call such a strong, handsome man her mate.

Finally, Finn sank into the seat next to Elin. It was a convoy of several vehicles around the van, filled with warriors ready in case something went wrong. The tension stretched, heavy and oppressive. Elin leaned into Finn’s side. She could feel her body uncomfortable and stretched out. Though the morphine had cut out the worst of the pain, there lingered a deep ache Elin knew wasn’t going to go away any time soon.

“Do you see the demon influence on me?” she asked as she tucked herself into Finn’s arms.

He didn’t answer.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Finn sighed. “Yes. It’s gotten stronger again. It's not strong enough to be possession, but I don’t like this. But I’m going to protect you, Elin. I promise you. I won’t let him hurt you or the baby.”

He really can’t promise you that, Dukiel whispered in her head. If he could, then I wouldn’t be able to reach you at all. Do you really think these protections are working?

Shut the fuck up, Elin snapped back. She closed her eyes as she snuggled closer to Finn. Dukiel didn’t speak again. She wasn’t sure if he was just waiting or if he could only get through to her in short bursts. In any case, she felt safe and secure in Finn’s arms. He would protect her and their baby. She was absolutely certain of it.

“You know, the first time I knew there was something special about you was when you went with Hayden to save me from Monroe,” Elin told him. She’d been locked in the attic, waiting for Monroe to claim her as his mate. She’d tried to run and had earned herself a savage bite on her leg. “You didn’t have to come, but you did.”

“Of course I did. I wasn’t going to leave you there, even if Mica hadn’t asked Hayden to save you,” Finn said, his voice gruff, like he was embarrassed by her thanks.

Elin took his hand and started to trace the lines on his palm. “You carried me away from the house. You made sure I was calm and that I knew I was safe. That’s when I knew.”

“I don’t understand why that’s so unusual.”

“And that’s another reason why I love you,” Elin said, poking him in the chest. “Because that was such an ‘of course’ thing for you to do. In Bluebell Valley, we weren’t raised to care about each other. And yet, there you were. A complete stranger who knew nothing about me: you cared. Even though I was nothing to you, even though you had no reason to care.”

Finn hesitated. “I did have reason to care.”

Elin couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m trying to compliment you. You’re allowed to say thank you.”

“I just don’t want you to have a false impression of me,” Finn protested.

Christine leaned over the back seat and playfully swatted the back of his head. “She sees you just fine, Finn. Just kiss your mate already.”

Finn wrinkled his nose at her but did as she said. Their lips pressed together, and a sweet heat swept through her. Tension she didn’t realize was lingering disappeared. Elin breathed in her mate’s scent, grateful for him to be here with her. Grateful that they’d been able to reach each other through their own self-doubt.

“You have a good heart,” she told him, whispering into his lips as she pressed her hand to his chest. “Despite that rough exterior, you have a big heart and so much love and gentleness. You care so much, even when you try not to show it. I love that about you. How strong you are. How very, very kind.”

Finn pulled back and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I like the way you see me.” He kissed her again and whispered, “You make my heart feel safe, Elin.”

Elin suddenly imagined a baby bird cupped in her hands. It was small and fragile, so easily broken. But it looked up at her with complete trust. That was how she felt right now. As though she held Finn’s hand in her hands. Gratitude swept through her. He trusted her with his heart. He trusted her .

A sudden curse from Derek broke the moment. The van came to a stop. Elin turned, confused. She peered out the front window. Finn’s arms tightened around her. A growl ripped up his throat.

“Fuck,” Elin breathed as she saw why they had stopped.

Ahead of them was a blockage of several vehicles arranged to prevent them from passing. Dozens of people stood in front of or on top of the vehicles. The blockade stretched across the road and into the forest on either side. They risked serious damage to the van if they attempted to smash through it. She swallowed hard.

“Finn, how many are possessed?” Derek asked, his voice tense.

“All of them.”

Goosebumps sprang to life on Elin’s arms. She swallowed hard, her gaze sweeping over the scene again. Was there any way for them to get through? Maybe if the entire convoy rushed the blockade all at once?

Do you really think that’s going to work?

“He’s here,” Elin blurted.

As though on cue, Dukiel stepped around a flatbed truck. He strode to the center of the road. He was wearing that same damn suit. Did he think it made him look impressive? He looked like a fucking penguin! A three-piece suit was hardly intimidating, especially when his face looked like it was about to fall off.

Wait…

It did look like it was about to fall off. His skin sagged. It was a sallow color, and it seemed he’d brushed his hair in a combover to hide a bald patch. The host was failing. It was nearly gone, and then Dukiel would be left bodiless… and vulnerable to the attack from other demons.

Just as she was about to share her revelation with Finn, Dukiel started to speak.

“She’s getting close, isn’t she? Ready to burst open,” the archdemon said lazily. “Ready to die.”

Finn growled.

Elin grabbed his hand. “Don’t listen to him.”

“Give it up, my son. Remove the protections on your person and give your body up to be my host. I will take you instead of her child. I will spare her and her baby.” Dukiel lifted both his hands. “If you doubt me, let me give you a demonstration. I’m the reason why her pregnancy had such a… burst,” the demon said with a grin. “I can kill her here and now and take the child as my host. Or I can have you instead.”

Elin’s grip tightened on Finn’s hands.

Like fuck was she letting this happen. She lurched forward, making the IV fall over. Christine shouted, but Elin ignored her, sticking her head through the window.

“Leave us the fuck alone, you fucking creep!” she screamed.

Dukiel smile. He waved a hand—and pain ripped through Elin’s body, making her vision go dark. Her back arched, and something snapped inside of her. A scream tore out of her throat, deafening her to everything except the laughter in her mind.