My Forbidden Alpha (The Power of Bonds Saga #1)

What She Means To Me

Elijah

“ I didn’t want to get you into this mess,” I say quietly, looking at Rafael who stands opposite me. “I’m sorry for bringing this fight to you.”

“Don’t apologise, Elijah. I know we are a pack whose reputation has been marred, but I can assure you, the Black Storm Pack is not one that even Zidane Malone can harm. We are strong, Elijah, and I am beginning to win the respect of the elders. They will understand and back me fully.”

“Thanks…”

“May I ask something?” he asks, glancing down the quiet halls of the pack hospital. It’s an impressive building, and it’s larger than ours back home.

We’re currently waiting for the doctors to finish tending to Scarlett. I was forced to wait outside to allow them to do their work. Right now, only the head doctor is inside, yet she still hasn’t stepped out.

“Sure. What is it?” I ask.

“You said Zidane is Scarlett’s father. Scarlett, who is the woman in there right now. Your sister.” His voice is soft, but I know what he’s trying to clarify.

I clench my jaw and nod. “Stepsister, yeah.” Our eyes meet, brown against blue, but there’s no judgement in his eyes, although I’m certain he understood our relationship.

He smirks. “Now I understand why she was off-limits.”

“She was off-limits regardless, and we both know she’s not your type.” I frown at him.

He shrugs before he looks at me innocently. “I don’t know about that. I mean, she’s a woman.”

I narrow my eyes, and he grins. “Just don’t hurt her, alright? You care, I can see that, but everything you told me about Zidane, trauma like that doesn’t just go away.”

“Yeah…”

Yet I fucking failed.

He smiles sadly. “At least she has you in her corner. This isn’t your fault, Elijah. You did your best.”

I hate how the asshole always seems to know how I’m feeling.

“Thanks, Raf. I appreciate you, man.”

“Of course, that’s my charm.” He winks at me just as the door to Scarlett’s hospital room opens and a middle-aged woman quietly steps out into the hall, shutting the door behind her.

Both Rafael and I turn to her.

“How is she? Can I see her?” I ask, pushing away from the wall. Running my fingers through my dishevelled hair.

“She needs rest-”

“I want to be with her, I need-”

“Alpha, please calm down.” The doctor gives me a stern look. “First of all, the wolfsbane must have been very minimal. There is barely any trace of it in her blood. That is good news.”

I say nothing. It was a lot, which was obvious from the way Scarlett had been forced to shift back. But I’m assuming with her special abilities, her body was able to get rid of it.

“That’s good to hear. And?”

She sighs. “To be honest, we are extremely baffled. The speed she’s healed at is faster than even that of an alpha,” she says, looking intrigued as she observes me. “Far faster than even you, Alpha Rafael, and you are here often…” she trails off as if suddenly regretting her words as she looks at Rafael, a flash of fear in her eyes.

I glance at the man, who chuckles. “That’s impressive, and yeah, I like to train hard. So, this is good news, right?”

“Her healing, yes. But I’m afraid there’s bad news, too. The mark on her neck… it’s something I have never seen. Even if it’s a forced marking, those heal. But this, it’s poisoning her. I am not sure how it occurred, but it never should have happened,” she says, her words making worry flood me.

I’m unable to respond, feeling numb. I clench my trembling fists, trying to wrap my head around it.

“Martha, what do you mean it’s poisoning her?” Rafael asks, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Something about the very nature of the mark goes against our blessed Goddess. That much is clear. It should never have been placed upon her.”

Because a father marking his daughter is against the very law of nature itself. That sick bastard.

“Her body is fighting it, impressively I might add; if she was a normal she-wolf I would presume she would be dead by now,” Martha explains. I growl threateningly at the thought of her dying, and Rafael gives my shoulder a squeeze.

“She’s alive and fighting it,” he reminds me calmly.

“Is there still a risk? Is there a chance it’ll get worse?” I ask, my voice strained. Martha looks at me sympathetically.

“She seems to be fine, for now. All her wounds are healed, and her body is fighting this. However, I do not know if it will have an adverse effect on her more than it already has. Only time will tell how long she can fight it and if her body is able to overcome it and heal properly.”

“What do you suggest? There has to be something we can do?” The desperation I’m feeling is indescribable.

The doctor is silent for a moment, the heaviness in the air hanging between us.

“This is the first time I have seen such a thing, but I would say that if her fated mate can mark her, the mark will disappear as her true mate’s will take its rightful place.” She smiles at me before bowing her head politely. “As I said earlier, I am not sure how long her body can continue to fight it. So, what I’m saying is, Alpha, you should mark her when she awakens. That would make the most sense. I understand nowadays couples wish to wait and plan something special, but this situation requires haste.”

Her fated mate. Just as I assumed…

A stabbing pain rushes through my gut. How I hated this.

“I’m… we don’t know if we’re mates,” I admit, wishing the Blood Moon was here already. Wishing I was her mate.

Martha looks visibly shocked but hides it quickly.

“Oh, I see...”

“Can I- I mean, if I marked her… it wouldn’t help, would it?” I ask, desperation and pain clear in my eyes. Maybe there’s a way? Are my feelings for her not enough?

The sadness in her eyes answers my question before the woman even shakes her head.

“If you were to turn out to be her true mate, it may work, but the risk is too high. Two alphas marking her, and neither belonging to her true mate, is dangerous. Especially as a non-fated mate can’t cancel out another non-fated mate mark. It may end up killing her. I doubt that’s a risk you would be willing to take.” I turn away, nodding.

“Yeah, it isn’t,” I say hoarsely, licking my lips in frustration and clasping my hands behind my neck as I stare at the ceiling and close my eyes.

No, it is not a risk I will ever take.

“What if I killed the fucker?” I ask, looking at the woman. She sighs.

“Tell me, Alpha, when one wolf dies, does the mark disappear from the other?”

“No,” I growl, my eyes flashing dark cobalt blue. The woman flinches, feeling my Alpha aura rolling off of me in waves.

“Hey, Elijah, relax. We’ll figure this out,” Rafael says.

“It’s quite alright, Alpha Rafael. Alpha Elijah, that is your answer. I’m sorry there is nothing more I can offer,” she apologises sincerely and even I can see she has tried her best. “But you are free to go and see her.”

I say nothing not wasting any time as I walk to the door. Opening it I step inside, my heart thudding in my chest.

The pain is more than I can put into words. In the dimly lit room, she looks to be at peace as she sleeps.

She’s in a pale blue hospital gown, a linen sheet pulled up to her waist. Her chest rises and falls with each breath she takes. I walk over to her, each step heavier than the last, as though I am wading through tar. The guilt that I was not able to protect her eats up at me.

I’m fucking sorry, Red. I was meant to protect you, but I failed.

I drop to my knees beside her bed, my eyes falling to the mark on her neck that has now formed.

A mark I have seen before, the same roaring wolf with a slash down its left eye. The very same mark that graced Jessica’s neck before she had it covered with several tattoos. Even then, the mark shone through in the deepest shade of black possible.

A mark that I never pondered or cared about, but now I hate it with a deep passion. But there’s one big difference between Jessica’s and Scarlett’s. Scarlett’s is surrounded by pulsating angry black veins.

Anger rushes through me, and I clench my fists as my eyes blaze. It enrages me that another man has dared to mark her – to hurt her. I have never hated anyone as much as I hate Zidane Malone, and I will make sure he dies a fucking painful death.

I may not know exactly when my feelings changed, but I feel so strongly for the woman in the bed that I will give up everything for her. I take her slender hand in mine, holding it to my lips, wishing I could take away all her pain, wishing that I could give her every happiness in this world.

Wishing I could fucking turn back time and fix this. My eyes sting, blurring my vision as the words that have been on the cusp of my lips twice come to the forefront of my mind once more.

Words that I am not ashamed of, nor can I deny.

“I love you, Red. I fucking love you,” I whisper, my heart racing. Saying those words out loud hit. “I fucking love you so much.”

The world around is silent.

Gazing down at her, I admire her beauty. Her flawless skin, her perfect plump lips, her hair that I now brush away from her face.

I love you.

I lower my head, listening to the rhythm of her heart.

I remain leaning against her bed, kissing her hand softly, her fresh floral scent filling my nose, calming my troubled mind. Welcoming the silence, occasionally a distant howl from outside can be heard and somewhere in the distance, the sound of a door shutting.

A while later, her heartbeat spikes and she whimpers, making my head jerk up when a whimper leaves her lips.

“Baby?” I breathe, shooting to my feet, her hand still in mine as she writhes slightly, a deep frown now crossing her brows. And when I notice the beads of sweat on her brow, I realise that she’s having a nightmare.