Page 19 of The Alpha's Rejected Mate

I admired the huge timber of the mantlepiece and the open brickwork of the chimney stack as I sat down. Someone had stoked up the fire, and it crackled cheerfully in the hearth.

“I’ll need to get to your side,” Helen said.

I nodded, unzipping the running top and taking it off, and then the T-shirt. She laid her hands on my side and started to chant, “Voda, vitr, vatra, terra. Voda, vitr, vatra, terra. Voda, vitr, vatra, terra.” I recognized the ancient language of Vana. She was summoning the elements to help her with her healing spell. I remembered how the Dalesbloom Pack healer had used the same incantation when I’d broken my arm. I felt the electric charge flow through the room as sacred energy gathered to the healer’s call.

Helen opened a bottle on the table and, with a cloth, dabbed the liquid onto my skin. “Telo kes voda. Telo kes voda,” She chanted, repeating the phrase over and over. It was hypnotic, and as I stared at the dancing flames, I felt coolness spreading from the ointment she bathed my skin with deep down into my body. The sharpness that I’d been suffering from was dulling. Instead, a cooling current swept through me and seemed to carry away the sting of the wound completely.

Helen’s pressure on my side lessened, and her dark eyebrows drew together. “That’s… incredible,” she said.

“What?” I asked.

Instead of answering, Helen asked, “How do you feel?”

“Much better, thanks,” I said. “The pain’s gone. What’s in your ointment?” I asked.

“A variety of water-growing plants, as well as water from the Gunnison,” Helen explained. Her hazel eyes met mine, and she asked, “Did you know that Vana was said to have infused the Grandbay waters with richness and an abundance of life?”

I shook my head. “I only know the myths about the Dalesbloom Pack,” I said, “where I grew up.”

She nodded. “Well, you’ve taken well to the healing magic here, Billie. I think we’re all done. Just make sure you rest up over the next few days. No shifting or running for three days at least, okay?”

Thanking her, I pulled the T-shirt back on, and then we left the cabin together. A strange flurry of something was building in my chest. I rubbed my sternum, wondering at this sensation. After Aislin had been so friendly and Muriel so kind, and then Helen healed me and said that I responded to the Grandbay magic, a storm of confusion had begun to take hold.

A strange warmth was gathering in my belly, too, as I thought about the handful of people I’d met here. A sense of belonging seemed to be seeping into my bones. Once again, bewilderment stirred. Becausethatmade no sense, did it? How could I belong here when Gavin had utterly neglected me?

To my dismay, as Helen and I made our way out of the cabin, Gavin came toward us. Helen excused herself and went over to Aislin’s cabin. For a moment, I was distracted by the waves of Gavin’s dark brown hair and his strong, clean-shaven face in the firelight. The glimmer behind him accentuated the strength in his features. I met his hazel stare with trepidation, wondering why he’d deigned to notice me now after neglecting me all night.

“I’ve called David,” he explained. “He should be here to pick you up soon.” And with that, he wandered past me, back toward his cabin. Feeling as if I’d had the breath knocked out of me, I realized that it didn’t matter how I felt about the Grandbay Pack … I would never belong here because of Gavin’s dislike for me.

I swept my hands down my arms, feeling the coldness of the night on my bare arms.

Damn it.

I realized I’d left Aislin’s top in Gavin’s living room when I’d gotten dressed after Helen had treated me. David would be bringing his truck, and if Catrina and Colt were with him, it would mean I’d be riding out in the open air. I was definitely going to need the top Aislin had lent me.

So, reluctantly and with a deep breath, I wandered back up to Gavin’s cabin door. I knocked, not wanting to startle him or take any liberties.

“Come in,” his deep voice resounded from inside.

He stood in the living room, leaning against the huge hardwood mantlepiece.

As I rounded the door, he blinked in surprise.

“Sorry, I left my top,” I explained, gesturing to the sofa, where Aislin’s running top lay. I went over and shrugged on Aislin’s top.

“It fits you well,” Gavin commented.

I frowned, wondering why he was even bothering to try to make conversation. “Yeah,” I said, “Aislin’s more my size than Catrina.”

As I met his gaze, he frowned, and I quickly explained, “All my clothes are Catrina’s hand-me-downs, so they kinda have a habit of swallowing me because she’s such a giant.” I realized I’d just criticized his girlfriend and decided not to linger and inflict my company on Gavin anymore. So I made for the door.

But my eyes snagged on the Pack Rules sign by the door, winding over the rules: 1) Be a team player, 2) Wipe your paws, 3) Respect your elders, 4) Follow your nose.

I chuckled, realizing that in between each of the serious ones were fun, tongue-in-cheek rules.

“These are great,” I offered Gavin, turning around to face him with a smile.

“My dad’s décor choice,” he explained. “I always thought them a bit corny.”

---