Page 93 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
“I know you wouldn’t want me to blame myself, but how can I not? I hate when anyone gets hurt on my watch—especially when it comes to the people I love most.” I took her hand in mine and squeezed gently. “You’ll pull through, won’t you? There’s still so much that you need to experience, so many people who need you. For one, my future children—Tavi’s future children, and Dom’s, too—they all need to know you. You’ll spoil our pups endlessly with treats and snacks, but that’s what grandmothers are supposed to do, right?”
Her lip twitched again.
I leaned down and pressed her hand to my forehead. I had watched these hands dig through soil, fend off men when I was a pup, and handle planks of jagged wood to assist in the construction and repair of cabins throughout the village. How was it possible that they could feel so thin and fragile to me now?
“I swear to you,” I whispered, “I will make sure Troy suffers for this. I’ll get Bryn and Tavi back safe and sound. But you need to be there to see it.” I squeezed her hand again. “Please, please, be there to see it.”
38
NIGHT
Hours passed, and I didn’t sleep for even one of them. I spent all night reminding Mom of the fun we had when we were younger, the adventures we went on, the plants I helped her harvest (or stomped on as I played), and all the trouble I’d gotten into as a pup. I spoke both for her benefit—to let her know that I was there and that I wasn’t going anywhere until she was better—and for my own.
As the night wore on, the ache in my chest worsened. I felt like I was going crazy the longer I sat there, but I couldn’t get up to leave because what if she took her last breath while I was away?
The stories I told Mom were all I had to keep myself sane. The stories, and the memory of Bryn’s smile. If she were with me, I knew I wouldn’t feel so lost. If I could hold her in my arms or feel her touch, I knew I’d be able to do anything. As it was, I felt weak, like an Alpha wound was sapping my strength in addition to Mom’s.
As dawn pierced through the midnight-blue sky, I heard Doc open my bedroom door. Seconds later, he walked into the room.
“Morning, Alpha Night,” he said, kneeling next to Mom. “How did she do last night?”
“She’s alive, thank everything.”
Doc pressed his fingers to her wrist and nodded to himself. “When did her wheezing stop?”
I blinked. I hadn’t even noticed. “Ah—to be honest, Doc, I’m not sure. But that’s a good thing, right?”
“Yes, it’s an improvement.” He smiled. “She’s far from her usual, exuberant self, but she’smuchbetter than she was last night.”
My heart ached. I breathed a sigh of relief. Even that little bit of good news was enough to make me want to cry.
“She could wake up at any time,” Doc said. “If it’s alright with you, Alpha, I’d love to stick around until she’s awake.”
“That would put my mind at ease, but will things be alright at the infirmary?”
He nodded. “I’ve got good doctors on shift, and if there’s an issue, they know where to find me. The only thing I’d like to do is bring a few more supplies over.”
I nodded. As he headed for the door, I pulled him in for a tight hug. “Thank you, Doc. Thank you so much.”
A bit awkward, Doc lightly patted my back. “I did hardly anything, Alpha. She did most of the work. Your mother is an incredible woman.”
I let him go and smiled. “Yes, she is.”
Doc straightened his shirt and avoided looking at me. I knew that he’d never been good with compliments or expressions ofgratitude. The man could live without ever receiving a single word of thanks from any of his patients, but when it came to my family, I couldn’t let him off so easily.
I walked him out, and as we opened the door, we spotted Dom jogging toward us. Doc nodded at me, and then left as Dom neared.
“Any updates?” I asked, letting him inside.
Dom sighed and shook his head. “No. I’ve got everyone on this, but they don’t have any updates for us. I thought I’d check on you and Violet in the meantime.”
We walked back upstairs. “Doc says she’s doing better. He told me that she should wake up soon.”
“Finally, some good news.”
“You’re telling me.” We went into Mom’s room to find her breathing peacefully. Even in the short time since I had walked Dr. Stan to the door, she looked much better. There was more color to her cheeks, and she wasn’t sweating. I could still see the ends of the veins that spread from the wound like the rays of a black sun, but she was alive, and hopefully she would be waking up soon.
“How are you, Night?” Dom asked. “Did you sleep?”
