Chapter 11: 11: The Gentle Alpha
[CASSIAN POV]
"What?!" I exclaimed.
Violet pursed her lips and nodded.
"She asked me what I was doing hiding there instead of fighting at the front with the other warriors," she continued to explain. "Briar said that as the future Luna, I am supposed to put my life on the line for the pack." Violet sniffled, then said in a much softer voice, "She also said that I wasn’t fit to become the Luna of Shadowclaw, and someone... else... should."
"Someone else?" Rowan echoed. His expression had turned darker and darker. "Like who?"
I scoffed. "Is she implying that she would be a better Luna?" I asked.
Violet looked at me with large, watery eyes. Slowly, she nodded.
Anger instantly flooded my head.
"Who does she think she is?!" I flared up, yelling. Violet winced, recoiling a little back into the infirmary bed. "Does she really think that she will have a shot at becoming Luna if you’re not around?"
"Maybe that was what she thought about Willow..." Violet softly added. She sniffled, quickly wiping away a tear. "Maybe Briar is right. I am not fit to be the Luna of Shadowclaw. This was supposed to be Willow’s position and title, if not your fated mate’s. She was meant to rule by your sides―"
"Nonsense," Rowan said, effectively cutting her off. "We have selected you as our chosen mate."
"What about the fated bond?" Violet hesitantly asked. "Will you... cast me to one side?"
"Not even our fated mate will deny you the position of Luna," I seethed.
***
[BRIAR POV]
I groaned, shifting slightly in bed. My throat felt as though I had just swallowed sandpaper, and my body felt like I had been flattened by a stampede. Every inch of my body hurt, even more than all the suffering I had endured and the hours of long work.
A cold towel was pressed against my forehead, and my eyes immediately snapped open with a gasp. My movement caused the towel to slip and fall, and my eyes followed the towel to see a hand hovering in the air.
"Alpha Soren," I breathily said.
Soren had his lips slightly parted, his hand still poised in the air from when he held the towel. A quick glance around told me that I was back in my room, though some medical equipment had been squeezed into the small space.
Images of what happened prior to me blacking out flashed in my head. Violet saved by Rowan, leaving me vulnerable in the jaws of the rogue. A black wolf appearing out of nowhere, standing protectively over me. My last memory of my savior attacking the rogue before I blacked out.
"Ugh..." I groaned, holding onto my forehead. Those memories brought back a splitting ache, and I winced in pain.
"Lie back down," Soren ordered. His voice was commanding, but there was no heat behind his words.
In fact, he placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, guiding me to lean back onto the pillow once more. Picking up the dropped towel, he quickly rinsed it before wringing it dry and placing it on my forehead again.
Every single movement was soft and careful, and I felt my heart uncontrollably flutter. A whirlwind danced in my stomach, and I had to bite the inside of my cheeks to prevent myself from uttering a single word.
I had so many questions.
Why did Soren save me? What was he doing here, and not with Violet? Why was he looking at me with so much worry and remorse?
All these conflicting feelings swirled in my chest, and I felt nauseous. I was so happy — so, so happy — that at least one of my fated mates was here in my time of need. I wasn’t entirely abandoned by them, and they were willing to come save me, despite risking their own safety.
Even if they would’ve done it for anyone in the pack, even if it wasn’t because I was their fated mate, to be treated like an ordinary member of the pack was everything I could’ve ever wished for.
Everything that had happened felt like a dream come true.
I know I should hate them as much as they hated me. After all, they had a significant role to play in the mistreatment I had experienced ever since I returned. But how long had it been since the last time I had felt such care and affection?
The door creaked open, and in walked one of the pack healers. He looked at the clipboard in his hand, the sound of shuffling paper echoing through the room.
"Her vitals seem fine," he said. "Body is a little malnutritioned. She probably fainted from exhaustion and hunger."
"Thanks, Sam," Soren muttered, exhaling softly. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was relieved by my diagnosis.
No. I shouldn’t think like that. This was dangerous. If I continued to venture in this direction, I might eventually gain hope that my mate actually felt some sort of affection for me, when I wasn’t even sure if he felt pity.
Furthermore, one moment of affection would never erase everything that had happened. It would take more than that.
Healer Samuel merely nodded, adjusting his glasses. He cast me a blank look. I couldn’t tell what was going on in his mind. He did wonderful at controlling his emotions.
"Her wolf isn’t healing her wounds as quickly as she should be," he continued. "My suggestion is that she takes it easy the next few days. She should also eat something lighter for the stomach. Soup, maybe. She will need it to eat the medications."
My wolf...
At the mention of my wolf, my gaze instantly dropped back down.
Even though werewolves found their mates only at maturity, we could shift even as young as six or seven years old. However, ever since the kidnapping, I had never been able to shift. All other abilities that came with a werewolf — enhanced hearing, strength, endurance, and more — were also gone. It was as though I was nothing more than a human. It wasn’t a surprise to me that I hadn’t healed yet.
Soren stayed quiet. After a while, he gave Samuel a stiff nod.
"Understood," he said. "You’re excused for now."
"Yes, Alpha."
With that said, Samuel left us alone, closing the door behind us with a click.
Once he was gone, Soren and I just sat awkwardly in silence. I had never properly interacted with him before. Without the vile insults and the hurtful abuse disguised as pranks, we hardly spoke.
"I―"
"Don’t―"
Both of us spoke at the same time, and we paused, looking at each other for a split second in surprise. Soren cleared his throat, scratching the back of my neck.
"You first," he said, looking away.
My throat felt dry. Why did Soren look so cute all of a sudden? He had always been a strong, imposing alpha, so out of reach and seemingly perfect. I had never seen such a bashful side of him.
Was this how he acted in front of Willow? The thought of it made my heart throb a little, but I tried my best to ignore it.
"I just wanted to say thank you," I said. If the blanket was alive, it would’ve already been strangled to death a hundred times with the way I was wringing it. "You saved my life. I thought I was going to die."
"It’s a small matter," Soren said, waving it off. "I would’ve done it for anyone."
I smiled awkwardly, nodding with a short, half-hearted laugh. I wouldn’t doubt it. Soren was always the kindest out of the three brothers. At least, that was what the other omegas often said.
"What did you want to say?" I softly asked.
His eyes widened. Then, his expression shifted into something firm. He clenched his jaw before parting his lips, as though he was prepping himself to say something extremely difficult.
"Don’t―"
"Briar Argyris, how dare you?!"
