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I flinch at the sudden movement but relax a little when I feel a blanket being wrapped around me. Its warmth engulfs me, lessening my uncontrollable shivering. Aurelia still keeps rubbing my back. The waste basket has disappeared from sight, and my cheeks flush in shame again.

I’m able to think a little clearer now, and my sight is less blurry as my eyes slowly come back into focus. I can see Aurelia’s worried face in front of me now. Nox is standing a bit further away, looking equally worried. I look around, panic taking over me. Where is Marilou? Where is she? Is she hurt? “Marilou?” I ask, panicked.

“She’s alright,” Aurelia says softly. “Look.” She moves to the side and points toward the door leading outside. Marilou is sitting on the ground outside, a blanket around her and a female warrior attending to her.

Aurelia hands me a cup with liquid. “Here, drink this,” she says. “There is an antidote in it. It will make the wolfsbane vanish faster.”

Wolfsbane… right…

I burst into tears again. I feel so weak and pathetic. I couldn’t even fend off these guys. They almost raped me, and I couldn’t do anything to stop them. Even without wolfsbane, I would have been helpless. I’m so sorry for everyone for having to rescue me yet again. Oh, Goddess! The shame to my wolf in particular. Ailia deserves so much better.

“Okay,” Aurelia says with finality in her voice. “We really need to get her out of here. She’s shivering like crazy, and her heartbeat is erratic. She’s going into shock.”

“Should I carry her?” Nox offers.

“No, that’s not a good idea now.” Aurelia shakes her head, before wrapping an arm around my back and another beneath my knees. “I’ll do it.”

“No,” I mutter, teeth chattering, “I’m too heavy, I—”

“I’m a lycan alpha,” she smiles at me. “I’m strong, and you are my friend, Val. I can carry you.”

I nod weakly, allowing her to lift me into her arms. In the back of my mind, I register how strong she must be to be able to lift someone like this. Sure, I might be petite, but still… lifting someone like this and carrying them shows some serious strength.

“We are going to the infirmary immediately,” she tells everyone surrounding us. She looks at me. “Don’t worry. Some of my warriors are chasing the guys and tracking their scents. So, let’s go and get you checked up.”

A Strong Wolf

*VALERIE*

Idon’tknowhowmuch time has passed, but I remember falling asleep in Aurelia’s arms and waking up in the infirmary. Marilou and I are given a thorough examination. An I.V. is put in my arm to flush the drugs out of my system while the nurse takes blood samples. Over on the other bed, a doctor is checking Marilou’s cheek and shoulder for any fractures. Luckily, most of our injuries are superficial. It’s the shock and fear that sit far deeper than any bruises.

Nox and Aurelia are still with us, and I’m glad they didn’t leave Marilou and me alone here. She looks at Nox now. “My mother?”

“The Luna is here already,” Nox tells her.

My eyes snap open. Right. “Jazz and Tori.” I look at Nox, panicked.

“They’re alright,” he tells me softly. “Got some bruises, but there was no major damage.”

I nod, relief flooding me. At least the girls are alright. I turn my head to look at Marilou. The nurse helps her walk towards me. She’s a bit shaky on her legs, but alright other than that, and the color slowly returns to her cheeks. “I’m okay,” she smiles weakly. “Just the shitty wolfsbane messing with me and the other drugs. But the antidote works really fast.”

“It’s our own formula,” Aurelia says proudly. “We upped it a while ago when Liam and Annie were in danger.”

“See,” Marilou smiles at me. “We are going to be alright in a minute.”

“I’m so sorry, Marilou,” I mutter. “This is all my fault.”

“No,” she shakes her head wildly, her gaze sad. “It’s not… I know guys like them. To them, I’m just a lousy omega.” She looks sad and broken all of a sudden. I only know stories about her pack before Alpha Liam killed the previous alpha. The fact that this is not the first time for her to deal with such an attack is terrible and infuriating. And incredibly sad.

I reach out my hand to take hers, squeezing it lightly.

Her lips are quivering.

“There’s nothing wrong with being an omega,” Nox says gently. “Tori is an omega, and she is great. And you’re great too, Marilou.”

Marilou blushes a bit; she looks away from him and down at her fingers. I want to tell her that rank means shit. Look at me, I’m a beta wolf, yet they didn’t even notice. We are certainly not their first victims, and I doubt they only stick to omegas. But no words leave my lips, my brain still feels too mushy to form a coherent sentence.

“Thankfully, you came in time, Aurelia,” Marilou says.