Page 124 of My Forbidden Alpha

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.

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