Page 145 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

“Yes, Alpha,” he replied, nodding at me, using the title that wasn’t mine yet to show his respect.

But then he pressed his lips together as his eyes slid to Haven, pointing at her. “Sparkles, you have to get better so you can keep my brother in line.”

I looked at him again with a glare, but he just winked at me and scurried out of the room before I could growl at him again.

When I turned back to Haven, she had the glint of a laugh in her eyes. Her hand pulled away from mine, and she rubbed her thumb over the frown between my eyebrows. Then her hand moved down my face and my neck to my chest, her eyes tracking the movements, her own frown now marring her features.

She pulled her hand away, then put it back, right over my heart. “What is—”

A grimace of pain cut her words off as the doctor placed stitches on the gash closest to her neck. I snarled at him, my lycan pushing forward at our mate’s pain.

“I’m sorry, Alpha, but I have to stitch her up. We gave her a local anesthetic, but it might not have kicked in fully yet,” Dr. Russo said, apologizing as he continued stitching her wounds.

I looked back at my mate, at the determined set of her jaw. She was so brave, so brave and so strong, trying to hold in her pain and her tears.

“Here, Alpha,” a nurse said, pushing a chair close to the bed for me.

I sat in it and held Haven’s hand, pushing warmth and love to her through the bond. I wasn’t sure how much of it she could feel since she was human, but I did it anyway.

With a gentle squeeze of her hand, I apologized. “I’m so sorry, Sugar Plum. I should have been there with you. I should have protected you.”

I brought her hand back up to my mouth, pressing a kiss to it and holding it there. My eyes squeezed shut as tears tried to force their way out, but I wouldn’t let them fall. Not until the nurses were gone, at least.

Her eyes drooped, her breathing evened out, and soon she was asleep, and the nurses placed the last of the bandages on her now healing wound.

“The gashes ran deep, but the slices were clean, and by some miracle, her artery hadn’t been hit,” Dr. Russo told me as he removed his gloves. “It seems Selene was watching out for your mate tonight.”

“It does look that way,” I agreed, keeping my eyes on her finally peaceful face.

“I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but you should stay with her. The bond should help her heal. It already is,” he added. “She will probably have some scarring since she’s human, but the bond is a powerful force. The closer you can be to her, the better, but be mindful of her injury.”

I nodded and scooted the chair closer to the bed, taking her hand into both of mine instead of just the one and leaning my elbows onto the mattress.

“And you should try to sleep too, Alpha,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder.

He opened the door, and a smile appeared on his face as his eyes scanned the hallway.

“The future luna is already well-loved,” he said to me over his shoulder.

I rose to my feet and moved to the doorway as he stepped out, and my eyes watered at what I saw.

Nolan sat in wolf form next to the door, proud and tall and ready to defend his luna. Rachel sat next to him, her hand on his back as she stroked his fur absentmindedly. My dad and mom held hands as they sat on two chairs across from the door. Reid leaned against the wall with his arms around a crying Maddie, and Maya sat on the floor, biting her nails.

Even Nicole and her new mate Alton were there, standing a few paces away from my pack members. I gave them a nod to thank them for their support, then turned to go back into Haven’s hospital room.

I knew I would need to talk to my dad and find out what happened with Pierce after I ran out of the packhouse, but that could wait until later. Because my priority at the moment was my mate.

I leaned over her and kissed her forehead, letting my lips linger as I breathed in her jasmine and plum scent. Then I settled back into my chair, taking her hand again as I readied myself for a long night.

CHAPTER 49

WESLEY

I tried to sleep like Dr. Russo suggested, but I couldn’t get more than a few minutes at a time. The chair was cold and uncomfortable, and my mind moved a mile a minute as I sat in the almost silent room.

All the events from that evening played over and over in my mind as I tried to figure out if there was anything I could have done to change the outcome. And the only solution I could come up with was to have never agreed to Alpha Tim’s proposal in the first place.

Which, I didn’t even know what had happened with all of that. It wasn’t my priority, and I knew my dad would handle it and fill me in.

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