Page 59 of The Alpha

“Whoa there.” Halden gently pushed her upright. “Why don’t you lie down again?”

Pair slowly looked at him. “Next to Bondrah Miah?”

“What does that mean?” Raina asked. “Where did you hear it?”

Pari tried to turn to look at the so-called bed but lurched the other way instead. Raina caught her. “Halden, some help.”

Pari blinked, heard her breathing pick up, then stared at Raina. “I’m…I’m… no…”

She felt a cushion beneath her face, heard Raina say something to Halden, then had a sense of being carried before she drifted off into a deep slumber.

“Kwaku!”Halden said from the table. “What did you do that for?”

Kwaku gently laid Pari on the bed next to Melvale. He lifted her enough to get Melvale’s arm positioned as a pillow, then laid her back, wrapping Melvale’s arm around her.

“Kwaku?” Halden prompted in his best captain’s voice. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not, but poor Pari had been through enough, they all had.

Kwaku stood, a satisfied look on his face, and turned to them. “She has had some time to study him widout interruption. Melvale must be given the same chance. When he wakes, let us hope he looks upon her wid his eyes, and not de eyes of de Alpha.”

“Are they really that different?” Raina asked.

“No, not so different,” Kwaku said. “De Alpha has always been inside Melvale. But unlike his Beta, de Alpha does not rise until he is ready for his mate.” He looked at Melvale and Pari. “De Alpha side of him will never harm his mate, any more dan Melvale would. When dey merge, Melvale will finally be whole.”

“We don’t know Melvale well,” Halden said. “What is he like?”

“You saw enough.” Kwaku smiled. “Melvale is… Melvale.”

“He did cry when you proposed,” Raina told Halden.

He laughed. “That he did. And he was in pain. Sick. Fighting for his life as far as we were told.” He looked at Kwaku and got to his feet. “Why is it Raina and I are still conscious?”

Kwaku grinned. “Two different compartments in de pitcher dat I used.”

“You sly dog.” Halden smiled and shook his head. “How long will she sleep?”

“A couple of hours, long enough for Melvale to take her in. Den we will have to be careful. We do not know how long it will take de two parts of Melvale to begin to become one. He knows us and will be more cautious with himself. But de oder side of him, does not care who you are. Dreaten his mate, and he will eliminate you.”

Raina looked at the slumbering couple. “Kwaku, she called himBondrah Miah.” She got to her feet. “Pari thought that was his name.”

Kwaku’s stared at them as a smile slowly curved his lips. He started to laugh, low in his throat. Before long, it turned into a deep belly laugh as Kwaku headed for the door. He reached it and turned. “Come, let us leave dem.” He opened the door and motioned to someone outside. Two Muiraran women hurried in and began to clear away the leftover food and plates.

“Inform Shaveer dat once Melvale wakens, someone will come to de kitchen for more food.”

One of the women bowed to him then hurried from the room.

“I don’t believe it,” came a woman’s voice from outside the door.

Halden recognized it, went to Raina, and put an arm around her.

Kwaku’s eyes narrowed. “Timmohn. You should not be here.”

Melvale’s great aunt slipped into the large room and headed straight for Melvale and Pari, her eyes riveted on the latter. “This is the girl?”

Kwaku was in front of Timmohn before Halden could so much as blink. “You should leave.”

Timmohn ignored him, her eyes still glued to Pari. “What’s the matter with her hair? Is it a defect?”

Kwaku growled low in his throat.

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