Page 49 of Ruthless Alpha
I’d felt more love in the last two months than I had in the decade before I left Arbor. Xander’s warmth was soothing against my shaking body, his big hands solid against my bare skin. I didn’t know how I would leave him again, how I could let him go back to his island and leave me to my not-quite-happiness on Ferris, but that would come later. For now, I didn’t want to think about it, I only wanted to bask in his closeness, to greedily drink in as much of him as I could in the time we had.
The gentle rocking of his steps was relaxing, and I felt my eyes slipping closed as my head rested against his chest. I had been running for hours, and my head was still sore; I’d never expended so much magic in a day. In an effort to keep my eyes open, my gaze landed on a long, angry-looking wound on Xander’s chest. Now that I thought about it—with the fog of adrenaline cleared—he’d looked in bad shape when he arrived on Arbor. There had been other freshly healing cuts and gashes on his body, and his left hand was tightly bandaged where it rested against my thigh.
“What happened?” I asked, lightly touching the wound. Xander tensed.
“Later, angel,” he said. “I’ll tell you later. Get some rest.”
I wanted to keep prying, but Xander could be stubborn when he wanted to be. I doubted he would want to tell me whatever fresh atrocity had gone down on Ensign—I knew he still held out hope that one day I would return. I held that hope, too, in the deepest and most secret corner of my mind. I wanted to take my rightful place with my mate, to build a home together. Until today, I’d doubted I would ever be strong enough to survive on Ensign, but perhaps I was. Perhaps one day my magic would be strong enough to grant me the kind of respect that was granted to Eve. Perhaps one day I could use that power for more than myself.
With that delicate, fragile hope nestled in my heart, I let my eyelids slip shut, safe in my mate’s arms. I slept without dreaming, deeper than seemed possible while being held bridal style and carried across the country, and when I woke up, it was only because of a bright, artificial light.
As I blinked my eyes open, a town came into focus. It wasn’t one I recognized, not the familiar simple cottages of Arbor or Ferris, nor the austere buildings of Ensign. If I didn’t know better, I might have thought we were in a human town, with paved roads and bright streetlights and taller, more impressive buildings than any I’d seen on the archipelago.
We drew more than a few suspicious glances as we moved through the town—naked and covered in varying amounts of blood in the early morning—but Xander paid them no mind, walking confidently up to a large building made of a beautiful, smooth stone. He turned to bang on the door with his elbow, and when no one came to the door, he banged again, louder.
Eventually, the door was opened by a disgruntled-looking male with a mess of copper curls. He was shirtless, dressedonly in soft sleep trousers, clearly having been asleep only a few seconds ago.
“Arbor tried to steal Rosie back,” was all Xander said, and the man in the doorway sighed.
“Seriously?” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“What?”
“Never mind. Welcome to Leo’s home for wayward Alphas and their mates on the run from Arbor, I guess. Come on in.”
“It’s not my fault your neighbors are the worst,” Xander grumbled as he carried me over the threshold.
I expected to be put down once we were inside, but Xander’s arms stayed firm around me, so I unhooked one of my arms from around his neck to wave at Leo.
“Hello. I’m Rosie. Nice to meet you.”
Leo smiled, the expression warm and easy.
“I’ve heard so much about you, Rosie. Welcome to Argent.”
I returned Leo’s smile as I snuggled back down against Xander’s chest, gently stroking his skin to soothe the slight growl that had started rumbling in his chest. It was ridiculous of him to get possessive over a pleasant greeting, but I couldn’t deny that it sent a warm thrill through my tired body.
Leo didn’t seem to mind, either, rolling his eyes at me briefly before beckoning us both upstairs.
“I’ll leave you both here, and there’ll be a witch on her way to see to your wounds—both of you.” He gave Xander a pointed look of chastisement, and I decided that I liked Leo very much.
The room he led us to was large and comfortable, nicer than Xander’s back on Ensign, although it must have been one of many spare bedrooms in the luxurious house. Xander laid me gently on the bed, smoothing down my hair before he turned back to Leo.
“Is there—” he started, but Leo cut him off.
“There’s a bathroom through that door there.” He pointed to a door on the right-hand wall, and I had to hold back my incredulity at the idea of the room having its very ownbathroom.“There are towels and hot water for you to clean up a little.”
“Thank you,” said Xander, low and earnest, and Leo shrugged.
“It’s what I’m here for, apparently.”
He closed the door with a softsnick,leaving us alone in the plush room, dawn light creeping through the blinds.
We didn’t speak as Xander retreated to the bathroom, returning a minute or so later with a warm, wet washcloth. He set about cleaning the blood from my hair with gentle concentration, murmuring apologies whenever he brushed up against the tender spot on my head. It was sweet and intimate, and tears welled up in my eyes. I’d put him through hell, and here he still was, strong and kind and so, so gentle with me.
I put my hand on top of his, stilling him.
“My turn,” I managed.
