Page 111 of Mate to the Alpha Predator

He wants her to the point of madness, and that is the problem.

On another male, the pains from the bruises on his body, from fighting Wild Ones would have been unbearable and visible on their faces. But the Alpha King barely shrugged it off, completely ignoring how badly he was bleeding.

Instead, he walked out of the bedroom to go check up on Nalaila and also clear his head at the same time.

A few minutes later, he stood in front of her dungeon-room. His arms crossed, pain on his unguarded features as he watched the rise and fall of the body of the wolf.

When will she wake again?

Tomorrow or next week?

Or...never...?

No. He will not think like that. Ever.

Nalaila will stay alive. She has to.

This Wolf behind those bars is his weakness. His greatest pain. His greatest guilt.

Unbiddenly, he remembered the underlying pain in Ismena's eyes when she 'reminded' him that he doesn't want her.

He wasn't supposed to care about that, but he did. He'd hurt her. He'd been too harsh on her during the evening.

Can he tell her about Nalaila?

Can he tell her about himself, no matter how little?

The urge surprised him. He has never been a male that talks about himself. Ever.

The wolf before him whimpered pitifully.

His cold heart burned at the sound of it.

Even in her sleep, his sister is being tormented by the past. By humans. By him.

Hating himself, hating humans, he closed the door as gently as he could and walked away. But he didn't go back upstairs to his bedroom, instead, he stopped by another bedroom.

Alphose was still sleeping soundly. Taking in the bandages that covered the cougar Alpha's body, and his sound breathing, the Alpha King breathed deeply and exhaled.

Alphose will be fine in a few days like the physicians said. He found a little bit of peace in those words.

Finally, when he closed the door, turned, and took the stairs to his bedroom; his raging hunger for the small human woman in his bathroom has calmed a bit, his heart heavy with renewed inner pains and burden of the past.

And his body suddenly began throbbing from the loss of blood from his bruises.

The remnants of Ismena's anger flew out of the window as she came out of the bathroom in white towels and saw the Alpha King slumped on the white throne-like chair that dominated a big part of his bedroom. He looked ashen and so tired.

"Are you alright!?" She gasped, almost flying across the bedroom in her hurry to get to him.

"It's nothing. I'm fine, it's nothing that a few bandages cannot help." He replied in a reluctant tone, his eyes still closed. His head was thrown back and hanging off the top of the chair.

"It's NOT nothing! You are seriously hurt and bleeding badly!" Worry clouded her features as she caressed the ghastly bruise on his shoulders. Suddenly, she felt bad for raging at him when he got hurt trying to protect her.

"I have already summoned Alpha Degar to come put some bandages on—"

"I'll do it." She said quickly, cutting him off. "Are there any bandages around here? Or is there a nearest packmate's home I can get it from? I don't mind going, I just need to dress up."

"No. You don't have to worry about it. I will—"

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