Page 36 of Marked By the Alphas

“She did a good job with you three. The healing salve was applied correctly, and it has allowed your wolves to begin healing you properly. I just have to speed up the process even more,” she said as she began applying a sweet-scented oil that felt surprisingly cool against my skin.

“You’re all good to go now. Your wolf has done a good job with healing you already, so the ache and strain should be gone in a few days. Although I do expect that your side will scar,” she said.

“Well, what’s another scar to add to the collection?” I said playfully, and the older woman smiled.

“I’ll leave these oils here. Should your wounds get itchy or painful at any point, you can apply them for relief,” she offered, moving to place a small vial on the drawer beside my bed.

“Thank you, Anyah. You look tired. It must have been a long night. You must get some rest,” I instructed as I pulled myself to my feet.

“Just like you have done your part in protecting us, I must do my part in healing,” she responded with a small bow before moving to exit my room.

I sighed heavily, moving to pull my shirt back over my head before emerging from my room and heading straight to the home office. Kai was bent over some papers, barely acknowledging my presence as I stepped into the space.

“How are you feeling?” he asked without raising his head to me. I nodded even though I knew he couldn’t see me.

“Much better. How's the situation?” I asked, my voice rough as I spoke.

“The attackers retreated after we took down a lot of them. I sent out a fresh set of warriors after them, but they seem to have disappeared into thin air. Although we found Silas’ insignias on some of the bodies. Now it’s obvious this was no ordinary attack. Looks like they were scouting for something.”

Scouting. It confirmed my fears. They were scouting for Elara, and knowing Silas, as long as he could confirm that she was alive, he would stop at nothing to try to get her back.

“What I don’t understand is, what could they possibly be scouting for on our lands? He might be well-known for his viciousness and dark magic, but it still doesn’t take away from how powerful we are as a pack. We might not have dark magic, but our reputation for viciousness precedes us. Why would he want to make an enemy of us for no reason?” Kai asked, finally raising his eyes to meet mine. For the first time in a very long time, I saw uncertainty dance within his grey orbs.

And although I knew the answer to his question, I chose to remain silent about my own truth and instead I said, “Where’s Rowan?”

“I already had a meeting with him earlier and he left to check up on the situation and reinforce the security at every border,” he explained, and I hummed in understanding.

“What were our losses last night?” I asked the final question that had been running through my mind.

Even though it had been years since I last experienced contact with Silas, I was still familiar with his thought processes. Last night was merely a warning from Silas, and I knew that the evil fucker was scheming in his castle. We needed to be prepared for a real attack.

“Not too many, thankfully, but I think we need to be prepared for another attack just in case,” he said, and I immediately agreed, bringing the meeting to a close.

I moved out of my seat after that, itching to find Elara. This last week without her had been so damn torturous, and I knew that I couldn’t continue to go on with her. I had been willing to give her the time to come to me, willing to give her the space that she wanted, but after last night, it was the last thing that I wanted. I needed her close to me, close enough so I could protect her, close enough to keep me grounded.

“Rhys,” Kai called just as I reached the door, and I paused in my steps before turning back around to face him.

“I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I know that skirting around this issue of our mate bond to Elara has been quite provoking for you and Rowan, but I thought that I needed more time toprocess it. After last night, I realized that time isn’t exactly a commodity that we can afford. I could have lost my life last night, but it’s not even that thought that scares me. It’s the thought that I would have never seen her again, I would have never explored the bond between us or gotten to at least try to build a relationship with her. The thought of that kept me awake all night, and it made me realize that you were right,” Kai said and the vulnerability in his voice resonated deep within me.

“At first, it was just the mate bond that attracted me, but now it’s starting to feel like more than just the mate bond. Instead of treating it with fear like I’ve been doing, I realize that it’s time to explore it. Try to figure it out, just like you suggested,” he said finally and the grin that painted my lips threatened to split my face in half. It grew even wider when Kai rolled his eyes.

“Well, you’re in luck because I was just on my way out to find her and ask her to spend the rest of the day with me. If you’re done here, you can join me, and I could try to reach out to Rowan to join us after his routine,” I offered and Kai nodded, pulling himself to his feet, reorganizing the documents he had been working with before moving out of his seat and following me out the door.

Once we were out of the door, Kai moved in the direction of the stairs instead of Elara’s room and I frowned in confusion. “Last I saw her, she was tending to the herb garden. I’m willing to bet that she’s still there,” he said and I chuckled, following him down the stairs.

Kai's gaze flicked toward me with a knowing grin, and I immediately knew I wasn’t going to like whatever came out of his mouth next. “Seems she made quite an impression on you last night, huh?”

I knew it. I rolled my eyes at his words, ignoring the heat that flared up my neck at those words.

“Don't be ridiculous. I'm just grateful she patched me up.” The excuse sounded flimsy even to my own ears.

Kai chuckled, the sound laced with amusement. “Sure, buddy. Whatever you say.”

Ignoring his playful jabs, I quickened my pace, my steps echoing on the wooden floorboards. Kai pushed open the back door, and I stepped out into the dappled sunlight that filtered through the leaves of the towering oak trees.

And there she was, kneeling amidst a riot of color and fragrance. Her raven hair was pulled back in a loose braid, and it shimmered in the sunlight. Her movements were measured and purposeful, as she pruned the vibrant herbs with a pair of small shears. Rowan was perched on a nearby bench, and he watched her with a goofy grin plastered on his face. I quickly whipped out my phone to capture it in a picture. The fool looked love-struck, and I fully intended to tease him about it later.

Elara's head snapped up as we approached and her beautiful emerald eyes widened in surprise, before a warm smile bloomed on her face. “Rhys! You're awake. How are you feeling?”

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