Chapter 24 - A kind moment.

PACING BACK AND FORTH in his office, Alaric wondered if he could change Lena’s mind about her people. If she could see what his people saw, then wouldn’t they accept her? If she could see what her magic did … What her father did … Alaric sighed. He could understand that she couldn’t see it.

His people were the ones who wiped out her entire species. If he was brutally honest with himself, he would have to see that she wouldn’t be able to forgive them. They went to war after what her father did. He sighed and sat down on the couch pulling his fingers through his hair. There was no way he could see that they could have a future together, no matter which way he thought about it. Even with all the books in the world telling everyone they had to be together.

On the flip side of this story, he also couldn’t reject her or kill her because the powers that be were convinced his wolf would die. He wondered for a moment if he should make someone else alpha of the pack. That way he could at least save his pack from all of this. He could take Lena to some deserted place and they could live out the rest of their lives in solitude. Just the two of them without harming anyone else.

He knew he would never be able to take another mate while there was still the bond between him and Lena. It was the main thing that made the mate bond so incredibly special. As soon as a wolf meets its mate, then it isn’t able to be intimate with anybody else. He hadn’t even felt the need these past couple of days unless he was near her. He walked over to the wall covered in books.

On the other side of that wall was the empty room with the cage and inside that cage was his mate. His wolf howled at the mere thought of her being in there and Alaric sighed. It was clear that there were no clear answers to this incredibly difficult conundrum and he would just have to figure a way out of this on his own. Starting with getting Lena out of that damn cage.

If he was ever going to convince her of anything, he would have to be the first one to show her that they weren’t the animals she thought they were. He called the doctor to meet him in her room and then he told Max to make sure a bed was moved in there. He knew he was probably going to get resistance from a couple of people, but he would deal with them when the time came.

Unlocking the door, he saw her huddled up in the cage and his wolf howled out in pain. She looked thin and pale and he didn’t even notice it before. It wasn’t as if he spent a lot of time with her, was it?! He unlocked the cage and held onto her while two guards dragged it out of the room. Alaric kept his eyes on Max as they brought the bed back into the room and one of the omegas made up the bed before Alaric softly put Lena down.

He could have sworn he saw her flinch in pain but she didn’t say a word and suddenly he hated himself for the way he treated her. The doctor showed up and his glare was enough to chase Alaric to the next village, but still he didn’t leave. He needed to see that she would be okay, especially since he was the reason she was hurt so badly.

Her wrists and ankles were raw and Alaric flinched as the doctor removed the chains. He glared at Alaric again and told him that putting those damn chains back would cause her permanent damage. Alaric sighed and took the chains out of the room before returning. He had to admit that he was impressed as Lena didn’t flinch or move while the doctor cleaned her wounds. She was one hell of a strong woman!

The doctor explained that the damage was pretty bad and if Alaric intended on putting the chains back and stuffing her into that cage again, he might just as well kill her right now, which stunned both Lena and Alaric. The doctor had never spoken to Alaric like that and he agreed that she wouldn’t be chained and locked up like that again.

Alaric’s pride wouldn’t allow him to apologize no matter how much his wolf whined and howled and he was having one hell of a time keeping the beast in check. All his wolf wanted to do was submit to the witch and beg for her forgiveness in the hopes that she would forgive him and love him like a mate should, but Alaric’s pride gave him the strength he needed and he stood there watching the doctor work like some Greek statue.

When the doctor was done, Alaric mind linked Rebecca. Argus had retired for the day and Rebecca and her new omega were free to help Lena. He wanted them to help her take a bath and put on clean clothes and then Rebecca could make sure that Lena had something to eat. From the looks of things, it had to be awfully painful just to move her fingers.

The doctor told Lena that he would be back in the morning to check on her and he left some medicine with Alaric that Lena had to take after dinner. As soon as Rebecca arrived with her omega and food and a bath, he handed them the medication. He couldn’t stay there a second longer without growing to hate himself completely. On his way out, he mumbled that he was sorry and he closed the door so fast that he almost didn’t hear himself apologize.

LENA WASN’T SURE WHAT WAS happening. He looked sorry for what he had done, but why now? Why, after he told her she would never be let out of the cage? Did he suddenly look as though he was sorry for what he did to her? But it seemed to actually be more than that.

“Has your brother been struck by lightning?” Lena frowned, looking at Rebecca while the omega helped her to get undressed and climb into the bath. The water burned her open wounds and she flinched, but she knew she had to take a bath. She really stank and the water would soothe her aching muscles.

“No, why?” Rebecca burst out laughing and her eyes snapped at the omega before they returned to Lena.

“Why is he doing all of this then?” Lena couldn’t understand. Besides, for Rebecca, no beast had ever shown her any kindness. When Alaric originally told Rebecca that Lena could be her omega, it was because of Rebecca. This time things felt different. He looked different. When Rebecca shrugged, Lena knew that she wasn’t going to get any answers out of the little girl. She really wanted to talk to her about the books, but not in front of the omega, so she bathed in silence and waited until it was just the two of them.

Rebecca had to help Lena eat since her hands were still awfully painful and she took bite after bite. The food tasted incredible and she could physically feel herself getting better with every bite. When she was done, Rebecca handed her two tablets and Lena flinched as she popped them into her mouth and took the glass of water to wash them down. She lay back on the bed and studied the young girl for a moment before deciding she had waited long enough.

“So, you are part blood witch?” Lena smiled and Rebecca rolled her eyes, throwing her hands in the air.

“You read the diaries!” She turned on Lena and glared at her for a moment before she went and sat down beside her. “Please, nobody else knows. Not even Alaric.” Rebecca tugged at her nails and Lena promised not to say a word. She wanted to know why Rebecca kept it a secret for so long and Rebecca pulled the diaries out from their hiding place.

She opened one that Lena hadn’t read yet and sighed before reading. Rebecca and Alaric’s mother had been banished from her coven after shacking up with the wolf. It seemed not everyone was happy that she didn’t follow tradition. When she didn’t return after she fell pregnant, the high priestess banished her. Then, when they found out she was pregnant with Rebecca, they demanded that Rebecca be brought to them as payment for her insolence.

She refused, of course, and the coven threatened her. Lena’s mind started to form the picture. She listened as Rebecca read from the diary, but she already knew what it would say. Rebecca’s mother had been marked for death because she defied her high priestess’s orders. Lena wondered if it was the priestess who ordered the hit on Rebecca’s parents and then she wondered how her father was involved in all of it.