Page 30 of Fighting For The Pack

“I don’t suppose any of you brought a portable shower with you, too?” I asked.

They laughed. “We brought everything but that, it seems,” one of them responded, the female wolf whom Dom had called Frankie. “But don’t worry, we’ll get you out of here safe and sound, Bryn.”

“I know you will. Thank you.”

They took me upstairs, and out the front door. The first taste of night wind after a week of dampness and stagnant air was so sweet that I, again, almost cried. I was finally free, and I felt so much safer, even though I was still on Kings pack lands. Against the side of the cabin was a pile of Kings wolves lying still. I avoided looking at them too long, unsure how I felt about their deaths.

I glanced behind me to get a better look at the cabin, and realized that I’d seen it before, though I’d never been inside it. It was on the outskirts of the Kings’ territory and had once been the cabin that the Elders lived in. Now, its white paint had faded and weathered with age, and the building lacked upkeep.

The wolves helped me to a rock, at which point a man with ash-blond hair that grayed at the temples, a kind smile, and a lithe, muscular frame approached me. “I’m Dr. Damon Stan,” he said, crouching in front of me. “I don’t think we’ve ever formally met.”

“No, not formally.” I tried to smile at him. “It’s a relief to see you, doctor.”

“Call me Dr. Stan, or Doc. Now, I imagine you’d much rather me treat you than exchange pleasantries. Where is your pain at its worst?”

“My neck.”

He reached in the satchel he brought with him and pulled on a pair of gloves. He then gently positioned my head to the side so he could see it. He clicked his tongue, and then reached into his satchel again.

“That’s an Alpha wound,” he said. “It’ll take a long time to heal, but it’ll heal a hell of a lot faster when Night claims you.”

I blushed. “Y-you know that he hasn’t?”

He nodded, not at all perturbed that we were talking about such intimate matters. He was entirely focused on my wound as he dressed me with bandages and cleaning wipes. “He told me himself.”

“Did he say why he waited so long?”

He chuckled. “I think that’s a conversation you’ll want to have with him yourself.”

I perked up. “So, he’s somewhere nearby then? Where is he?”

“Ah, well, he’s working as a distraction so we can get you and Tavi out.”

That response was frustratingly vague, but it was enough that I could start putting together the missing pieces myself. “Wait, are you saying that he’s fighting Troy right now?” My relief at being rescued paled in comparison to the dread and worry I felt for Night. “No! Troy wants to fight him while he’s weak, so he’ll have a better chance at killing him. We need to get Night away from him right now.”

The doctor finished wrapping my neck and began to bandage the worst of the scratches on my arms and legs. The glance he gave me was sympathetic. “I know you want to go to him, and I know you’re worried, but he gave us strict orders to get you and Tavi safely back to our territory.”

“No, you’re not listening,” I said. “Doc, Night might be too weak to win against Troy. If we don’t do something, he could die.”

“I understand, Bryn. I don’t want you to think I’m minimizing your worry, because you have every right to be feeling this way. Especially after the hell you’ve been through.” He made quick work dressing the relatively minor wounds, and finally met my gaze. “We have to trust in Alpha Night and do as he says. He knows what he’s doing.”

I shook my head and cast a desperate eye around me for any Wargs who might have overheard. Unfortunately, the wolves I saw were all focused on their tasks. They were carrying out Night’s orders perfectly. Their obedience was admirable in many ways, and it was evidence of how well Night had trained them, but it also meant that none of them would help me save his life.

Frustration burned in my gut almost as much as the Alpha wound burned on my neck. The Wargs wouldn’t listen to me. I knew that Night was much, much stronger than me, that he had more experience and power that I wasn’t aware of. But if I did nothing, I knew he would die fighting Troy in his weakened state.

I have to get to Night myself to make sure he isn’t killed. No one else can go against his orders.

Dr. Stan looked at something behind me, and quickly stood. I followed his gaze, and gasped. Dom had emerged from the cabin with Tavi in his arms. It was the first time I’d seen her since we’d been separated, and Tavi had obviously suffered a lot since then. There was more blood on her clothes, and her arm dangled limply, likely broken. Where the collar had been around her neck, the skin had become almost black with bruises.

“Oh, Tavi.” I couldn’t have stopped the stinging tears even if I wanted to.

Dr. Stan reached out to touch Tavi, but a sharp growl from Dom made him back up a couple steps. The beta’s eyes blazed with danger and fury even as he cradled Tavi in his arms. There was a pause as the wolves nearby glanced between Dom and the doctor.

“Sorry, Doc,” he said, relaxing. “Let me give the signal.” He gave a whistle, loud and aimed up at the sky. It spread through the forest, sending nearby birds into flight. After a couple of seconds, it ended abruptly.

“Doc,” he said, “is Bryn good to move? I think Octavia needs a real hospital bed.”

“She’s injured, of course,” the doctor replied carefully, “but as long as we’ve got wolves assisting her, we can start heading out. The sooner, the better.”

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