Page 43 of Cruel Alpha Bully

“Ready, Bae?” I ask as I prepare to jump. He nods, leaning on my shoulder.

A howl cuts through the air, far too close. Not waiting another second, I grab Bae and jump.

The shock of the cold water rips through me, but at least it isn’t freezing. Even in human shape, being a shifter will protect me against the cold for some time.

But it can’t protect Bae… not with those injuries.

I kick hard, trying to move with the current and keep Bae’s head above water at the same time. He’s barely conscious, and seeing fresh blood pouring out of his wounds into the water sickens me with worry.

He’s lost so much blood.

My instinct about the river was right, and soon, I see familiar landmarks. I keep a tight hold on Bae’s shoulders as the stream begins to run slower and curve into a flat meadow. I kick towards the edge, dragging Bae with me until our feet touch the sand.

“Huh, what?” Bae mutters.

“Get up,” I growl at him, tugging on his arm. “Get up and walk with me right now!”

He clings to me, staggering as we crawl out of the river. I get his arm over my shoulders and lift, letting him lean on me as I take us into the forest. Before long, I see the shape of a cabin up ahead, and relief floods through me.

Please let it still be in one piece.

Back in high school, when I felt like I wasn’t good enough for anyone, I’d run out into the woods by myself and disappear. In one of my adventures, I found a little cabin tucked away in a thicket that looked almost like a fairytale cottage. It was so well-hidden and carefully made, I was always curious about who built it, and why.

Today, all I want to know is if it’s still standing.

The sun is slipping away as I push through the last screen of bushes into the small clearing. Even though it’s completely wrapped in black shadows, the cabin is still standing, and it looks like it’s still in good shape.

Bae falls against my shoulder when I stop, and I have to shake him awake again. If he falls, I won’t be able to lift him up and carry him, and I wouldn’t want to drag him, with his injuries.

I’ve been carefully avoiding looking at him because I know I might lose it if I see how deep those wounds really are.

I grip Bae’s arm again and cry out with effort as I lift him and half-drag him to the cabin. The stairs are a challenge, but Bae manages to get his feet under him and lean on me. When I finally shove the door open, I almost cry with relief.

Safe. Safe for now.

I try to put Bae straight on the bed, but he insists on helping me secure the cabin. With his help, I push cupboards against the front and back doors and pull down heavy storm shutters on the windows, locking them with iron bars.

The place has been abandoned for a long time, but doesn’t smell of decay, just pine needles and dry wood. The place is dusty but not dirty, and fairly insulated.

I help Bae to the bed and lay him down, covering him with old blankets. When I visited here regularly, I used to play house a little, pretending I was a shifter witch who’d left both humanity and the world of shifters to live alone, like a fairytale character. I stockpiled candy bars, cans of soda, spare clothes, and even a few baskets of wood.

I hurry down to the creek to get a bucket of fresh water, then run straight back to Bae, jamming the door shut behind me. He’s fully passed out when I return, his breathing fast and shallow. When I pull back the blanket to clean his wounds, I gasp in shock, covering my mouth and trying not to cry.

He’s covered in huge bruises, cuts, and grazes. There is a very deep bite mark right under his ribs and one on his thigh, where a chunk was taken out. Where the other alpha bit his forearm, it looks like the bone is broken. His head wound is a massive furrow through his skull, so deep and full of blood, I don’t want to touch it.

I clean him up as best I can, finding the cleanest rags to press against the deepest wounds. When I’m done, I cover him with blankets and sit next to him, gently holding his hand.

It’s almost dark outside, and the cabin is even darker. Still, Bae shines like gold in my eyes. I can see the gold in his hair, the sheen of his skin. I imagine the glinting amber of his beautiful eyes.

I squeeze his hand gently, but his breathing doesn’t change, and he doesn’t move. He’s always seemed so strong to me, I could never have imagined seeing him like this.

He sacrificed himself for his pack… and for me.

My heart swells with love for him, and suddenly, I wish I could take back the last few days. My fear might be justified, but I should never have let it hold me back.

I have a chance to be with him—to know him, to really know him—and I might have missed out on it completely.

I raise his hand to my lips and kiss his knuckles gently, closing my eyes and wishing with my whole heart and soul.

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