Page 47 of Unknowingly Adopting the Alpha
Still in wolf form, I hurried over to where Dad stood with Darius over two wolf bodies, one of them Milo, the other Fillian, then I saw Cass.
My relief was quickly replaced by fear. Milo’s wolf form was bleeding out, and it was clear he’d taken all of Fillian’s attack on himself, trying to save Cass. He’d been Cass’ shield.
“Milo?” I tried, but there was nothing. Fillian was clearly dead, his head barely hanging on.
“We need to take him to Nicmondus,” Darius said from where he kneeled next to Milo’s unconscious wolf form. Dad nodded and helped him carry Milo.
Shifting, not caring about my nudity now that my mate was out cold, I bent and picked Cass up, following them to our pack healer. Nicmondus was a lone wolf that joined our pack when Dad was only a kid. He could very well be a hundred since shifters lived to around one hundred and twenty on average.Nic had some kind of gift that allowed him to help the natural healing process progress faster than normal. We didn’t really have a word for what he could do, so he was just known as the Pack Healer.
I trusted my Pack Mates would clean up the fight scene and remove Fillian and Marcus from our territory. Because they broke the rules, they wouldn’t be buried on our land. Whenever a wolf went against pack rules, they lost their place in the pack. They would die as lone wolves. We wolves believed that even in death, we remained in the same pack, spending the afterlife with those we’d shared our life with. I hoped it to be true, so I wouldn’t have to see Fillian or Marcus ever again.
I’d seen Nic at the ceremony just before the fight started, so I trusted that he’d run ahead to get his supplies ready for us. He lived three houses down from the community center, a conscious decision, seeing as we wolves tended to get injured from time to time.
Cass’ heartbeat was a steady assurance as we dashed forward. My mate would be fine; I could tell as much. Knowing that did nothing for my frayed nerves, though. Recalling the moment Cass’ eyes flashed with fear as Fillian rushed towards him… I should’ve protected Cass better. I should’ve foreseen Fillian and Marcus wouldn’t play fair, but until today, they hadn’t done anything cruel enough for me to feel worried. I should’ve been. At least he’d stood next to Dad, having him close by was good enough protection, and with Darius right behind him, my mate had been watched over by those I trusted the most. Milo had been the hero here, no doubt. It was surprising, yes, but that didn’t mean I’d forgiven him.
Nic’s front door stood wide open, a clear indication that he was ready for us. He lived in a small cottage, all stones on the outside and a thatched roof. There was only enough room for two patients. It was just what we needed.
Stepping aside to let Darius and Dad go in first, I suddenly noticed the scent of Cass’ blood. I hadn’t realized he was bleeding until then. All my senses had been focused on bringing them to Nic and the only metallic scent had been Milo’s.
A whimper escaped me. Had my Cass’ head been hurt badly enough to break? Would he need stitches? I’d truly failed him today. What was supposed to be a day to celebrate our love, ended up a bloody mess instead.
I was supposed to tell Cass I loved him today. A word that held less meaning than his title as my mate did, but needed to be said regardless. I’d loved Cass ever since he’d named me Red. That was just how it worked with fated mates. I had no idea if Cass felt the same, what with him being human, but I wanted him to know howIfelt.
“Put Milo over here,” Nic urged, helping them place him gently on the covered mattress. “I’m sorry, Paul, but you need to leave the room.”
There simply wasn’t room enough for all of us. Even though I felt sorry for Dad having to leave, I was immensely glad I got to stay. Nic likely knew Darius was Milo’s fated, or he would’ve gotten booted out instead of Dad.
“Okay,” Dad said, stepping back. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
Nic got to work, starting with Milo while I stood by Cass’ mattress. His had a cover on it, protecting the soft fabric underneath from blood.
“Hand me the vial labeled ‘Quick Up’” Nic ordered and Darius left Milo’s side to grab whatever Nic needed.
I knew very little of Nic’s healing work. All I knew was that he used natural ingredients he found in the woods. If he did anything special to them, I had no clue. But I trusted the man with Cass’ life, and that was the highest level of trust I could give anyone. I would fetch him whatever he needed, too.
“Damn,” Nic muttered, pouring the vial down Milo’s muzzle. The fact he was still in his wolf form proved how badly wounded he was. We healed faster when shifted, but often we shifted back once healed enough, even in sleep.
“What is it?” Darius rasped, his nerves clear.
“That vial was supposed to make him shift,” Nic explained. “If he doesn’t shift back soon, it will be harder to stitch him up.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because then he’ll need to stay in his wolf form until the stitches are removed.”
“Oh, and that’s a bad thing?” I questioned.
Nic continued to work, wiping blood away from Milo’s body and cutting off fur with clippers. “It’s not a bad thing, I just can’t risk him shifting suddenly, it will pull the stitches, making his injuries worse.”
“Do whatever you have to do,” Darius said, sounding confident. “I’ll make sure he stays in wolf form for however long is needed.”
“Good,” Nic said. “I’ll start stitching him up so he doesn't lose any more blood.”
It only took Nic twenty minutes and then Milo was all stitched up. Cass hadn’t stirred once, and I was beginning to worry. Milo needed Nic’s help first, that was obvious to us all, but I still hated that my poor mate had to wait for his turn.
“Make him drink this,” Nic ordered, handing me a vial with the word ‘Clarity’ on it. I undid the cork top and gently held Cass’ nape, pouring the light blue liquid down his throat.
His eyes fluttered open a few seconds later, but they were disoriented and sort of hazy.
