The Alpha by Jenika Snow

15

Evelyn

I’d never been woken up by pain before, not something so soul searing, to where it felt like my skull had been split in two. It was breathtaking, so concentrated that I actually woke with a start, a gasp being pulled from me. I squeezed my eyes tightly but then immediately regretted it, as the motion had a sledgehammer crushing the side of my head.

I heard a deep voice, the words muffled, my ears feeling like they were stuffed full of wool, like I was trying to hear them underwater. But with each passing second, things started to become clearer, my hearing returning to normal.

“Tha thu sàbhailte. Cha leig mi le duine do ghortachadh.”

At first I thought I was losing my mind, that I no longer understood English, or maybe I was dreaming. But could you feel pain in a dream? The deep voice kept speaking, the tone deep and masculine, the words soothing as they wrapped around me.

I realized I hadn’t lost my mind, and as a stab of pain pierced right behind my eyes, I knew I wasn’t dreaming. Whoever was speaking wasn’t doing it in English.

I opened my eyes and blinked a few times, so thankful that the light was dimmed, knowing the harsh glare would have been excruciating.

“I kept them low, because I figured the light would be too much.” The deep voice wrapped around me again, and I realized it was Cian.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my lips dry, my throat tight.

“Ye’re safe. I will no’ let anyone hurt ye.”

I blinked rapidly, my vision blurry at first, but it started to clear. I groaned and lifted my hand, touching my temple. Memory of what had happened and why my head hurt came crashing back.

“Oh God,” I moaned, my eyes closing on their own again.

The feeling of something cool and wet touching my forehead had me snapping my eyes open and looking over at Cian. He sat beside the bed, this severe, fierce expression on his face as he stared down at me, his worry clear.

We didn’t speak, and I didn't move again as he tended to me. He brought the washcloth to my head, cooling my skin, murmuring in a language I didn't understand, but his words sounded gentle.

“Where am I?” The last thing I remembered was being hit in the head, then being yanked up by my hair. I remembered hitting the woman, getting hit again, but everything after that, I drew a blank.

“Ye’re safe,” Cian said softly again, and I realized he was keeping his voice low to be considerate of the pain in my head.

“Where are we that’s safe?” I glanced around, the room standard if not a bit plain. It gave off vibes that it wasn’t really lived in. There was the bed I was on, a dresser to the side, a slightly open door that led to a hallway, another fully open door that led to a bathroom, the closet, then a few pictures hanging on the walls depicting landscapes or floral arrangements. The room was decked out in grays and creams. It looked like a room you’d see in a model house.

I shifted on the bed and instantly felt my stomach roiling. I knew I was going to throw up just as I leaned over the side of the bed, a small wastebasket filled with pink-and-red-tinged gauze directly below me. I reached for it just as I threw up. I felt Cian lift the heavy fall of my hair away from my face as I gagged and was in one of the most humiliating positions imaginable.

Once the nausea passed, I lay back in bed, grabbing the washcloth Cian gave me, and wiping off my mouth. “Thank you,” I said as he handed me a bottle of water and a couple of pills. I eyed them hesitantly.

“For the pain.”

Maybe I should have declined or questioned it more, but I didn’t as I popped the pills into my mouth and swallowed them with a large pull of water from the bottle. I rested back on the bed and just stared at him as he took the bottle from me, so many questions firing off in my head, yet I couldn’t find the energy to ask them.

“This is one of the properties owned by an associate of mine,” Cian said as if he knew I wanted to know things but was just too tired to ask them. “We’re safe here for the time being.”

I nodded but didn't know what I was agreeing with. All the what happens next reverberated in my head. “How long was I out?” I touched my temple again and felt the bandage covering my temple.

“We’ve only been here for the past couple of hours. Thankfully it was stocked with medical supplies… a lot of stuff tae soak up blood, I assume.” His eyes narrowed, his brows pulling down as if even thinking that pissed him off. That was another thing to tack on to what I needed to ask him about later. And when his eyes lifted to my face, his gaze softened. “Rest, a chiall mo chridhe.”

I felt the heavy pull of sleep start to take over. “What does that mean? What you just said.”

Cian leaned back in his chair and moved his head from side to side, the sight of him working out the kinks in his muscles strangely attractive. But the entire time, he kept his gaze locked on mine, as if he couldn't bear to not look at me. “My dearest darling.” He gave me a small smile that shouldn’t have made any heat lick through me, given my current state, but one that most certainly did.

The endearment made me feel as if I was something special, something profound to someone else. My dearest darling… two words that shouldn’t have meant as much as they did.

“I have so many questions,” I whispered as I started to feel even more tired.

“I know,” he said softly, his voice still pitched low. “And when ye wake up, I’ll be here tae answer everything.”

In the past twenty-four hours so much had gone upside down, had been so crazy. It made me feel very unnatural. Except where Cian is concerned, I thought. Where he was concerned, I felt like things had fallen into place, like I ran away for nothing—dare I say, the biggest mistake of my life.

Before I let that sinking darkness pull me under, I felt Cian take my hand in his and whisper, “Cha robh dithis riamh a’ fadadh teine nach do las eatarra.”

* * *

When I woke up again,I knew right away I was alone in the room. I sat up and noticed a plate with fresh fruit, cheese, and crackers on it, and another bottle of water sitting beside that on the bedside table.

The very idea of eating anything had my stomach roiling. I grabbed the water and drank half of it before setting it back down and sitting up even more, my back now fully against the headboard.

The lights in the room were off, but there was enough of a glow coming through the window to illuminate up the interior.

I looked toward the window, the curtains partially pulled open, the sunset clear in the horizon. I could see thick trees just behind the house and the outline of other houses in the distance. For long moments I just lay there staring at the oranges and pinks of the sky as the sun set.

The medicine Cian had given me, coupled with a full day’s worth of sleep, had clearly been what I needed. I felt relatively good, all things considered.

I shifted on the bed again and expected to feel that sharpness in my head, but when just a full throb made itself known, I exhaled. As if Cian sensed I was awake, the bedroom door opened, and he walked in carrying a stack of clothes tucked under his arm and holding a cell phone in his other hand.

Our gazes locked, and he stopped immediately. I heard him audibly exhale. His gaze raked me from head to toe, and even if the blanket covered half my body, I somehow felt totally bared to him and his appraisal.

“How do ye feel?”

I braced my hands on the mattress and pushed myself up. “Good, actually. Thank you.” Those last two words weren’t just because he’d saved me but because he’d taken care of me. Even though I didn’t have time to properly think about anything that was going on, it was very clear I hadn’t given this man a chance. I hadn’t given anything a chance. I let my disbelief and fear take over.

Although I didn’t know what the future held, without knowing the full story, without trying to figure things out, I’d been running from myself just as much as I had been from Cian.

He nodded slowly and shut the door behind him. “Good. I can’t stand to see ya hurt.”

My heart gave a little lurch at his words and how much I knew he meant them. He walked toward me and held out the clothes.

“I’m pretty sure these will be a little too big for ye, but there were some spare clothes in one of the dressers, and I figured ye’d rather have that than keep what ye had on. It was filthy and wet.” He cleared his throat. “Or wear my shirt.” He tipped his chin toward what I wore.

He lowered his gaze to my chest, and that’s when I also looked down and saw what I had on. It was a shirt that most definitely wasn't mine… but Cian’s. I picked at the material and felt my face heat at the fact that he’d changed me. I glanced up at him, and clearly the question was in my expression, because he lifted his free hand and rubbed it along the back of his neck.

“I dinna look. I was quick. But yer shirt was soaked, ye were shivering, passed out, and my only priority was making sure ye were okay, lass.” The shame in his eyes made it impossible for me to feel violated or upset with him. “I’d never hurt ye,” he said with determination. “I’d never take advantage of ye.” The conviction in his voice had me nodding, believing him wholly.

“I trust you. Thank you,” I whispered again, my cheeks flushed, my body sore, but I had this warm pleasure that didn’t have anything to do with being sexual moving through me.

Cian cleared his throat and handed me the phone. “I figured ye’d want tae talk tae Darragh.”

I couldn’t help the genuine smile that moved across my face. How could I have ever thought to run from this man? I didn’t even know him, yet he was doing everything in his power to keep me protected, safe, and happy.

My throat felt tight, too tight for me to even say any words. So I said nothing at all as I kept my smile in place and took the phone, my fingers brushing along his, that spark of electricity and pleasure moving up my arm and making me suck in a breath. I thought about our kiss as I stared at his blue eyes, my lips tingling, remembering how he plundered and pillaged me, taking what he wanted because he was so desperate for it.

His eyes grew hooded, a low hum leaving him. I swore I saw his eyes flash an eerie, glowing blue, but it only happened for a split second before he blinked rapidly, clearing it away.

He rubbed his hand across his face. “I’ll give ye some privacy. The bathroom’s right there.” He pointed to the side. “If ye’d like tae clean up, take yer time. If ye need me, just call. I’ll hear.” And then he was turning and leaving.

I watched his back as he retreated before he slipped out of the room and shut the door behind him, giving me privacy. I settled against the pillows and shifted on the bed a little bit, then looked down at the cell phone. I didn’t know why I was suddenly nervous to talk to Darragh, but as I dialed her number and put the phone to my ear, I felt that anxiousness try to suck me down.

I didn’t even know what time it was, but it didn’t matter. I knew she’d be happy to hear from me, even if I woke her. And when she answered and breathed out my name, relief in her voice, I felt myself tear up.

“Oh God, Evelyn.”

“Hey,” I said softly and closed my eyes, resting my head back on the headboard, staring at the ceiling. Her voice was a rush of words, asking me how I was, what was going on, saying Cian had called Banner, who I found out was the Scottish Lycan king and her mate's father, and told them everything he knew. I didn’t even know everything.

“You’re okay though?”

I exhaled. “I’m okay.” I rubbed my eyes as I thought of all the things that had happened so far. Being attacked, almost being abducted, strange tattoos… not to mention all the mate and Otherworld stuff. “I’m okay,” I said again.

“Physically. Mentally and emotionally, you’re okay there too?”

I smiled even though she couldn’t see me. “Yes, all my T’s are crossed and my I’s dotted. I’m good.” I swung my legs over and let my toes dangle off the edge, barely reaching the cold floor. “I’m a little banged up, but other than that, I’m whole. I can’t complain, all things considered.” I didn’t move for a moment, just to make sure I wasn’t too dizzy, but the bathroom was calling my name. My mouth tasted sour from throwing up earlier, and what I could really use was a bath.

“I miss you so much. I told Caelan we need to fly out there to be by your side, because things are going upside down, and nobody knows what the hell is going on.”

I shook my head. “No, stay there where you’re safe. Until anything is figured out, I’d much rather you be protected somewhere. I don’t want to worry about these assholes getting you too.”

“Yeah, that’s what Caelan said, even though I ranted and raved at him.”

I chuckled softly, loving that she had spit fire in my defense.

“But you’re staying at Adryan’s house? Or at least one of his?”

“I guess. Cian didn’t tell me whose house this was, and I’ve never met the owner. But it sounds like you know him?”

I could hear her softly speaking to someone and used that moment to push myself to a standing position. I had one hand braced on the mattress to steady myself, but I felt good. My head hurt a little bit, but whatever pain medicine he’d given me helped immensely. I started making my way toward the bathroom and braced myself for the harsh light that kicked on.

“I don’t know-know him. He’s Caelan’s uncle, but Caelan has been pretty vocal about how Adryan is batshit crazy.”

Great.She stopped speaking, and even though I couldn’t see her, I could picture her biting her bottom lip, knowing there was more she wanted to say. But her anxiousness had her stalling. “What? Darragh, just say it, because at this point, there’s nothing you can really say that’s going to shock me,” I teased, or at least tried to. “He’s a batshit crazy Lycan uncle—”

“Yeah, so he’s a vampire, not a Lycan. Caelan’s mother is a vampire.”

“Of course they are.” I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror, grimacing at the hot mess I was. Dark hair a tangled around my head, and a square bandage on my temple that was seeping pink in the center.Dark circles under my eyes, and my skin pasty white. I look down at the T-shirt I wore, the material even more oversize than the one I’d put on before at the motel. I picked at the fabric in the center of my chest and brought it to my nose, closing my eyes as I inhaled. It smelled just like Cian, that dark and spicy aroma that did wicked things to my body.

“Did you hear me?”

I shut the door and lifted my head to look at my reflection. “Yeah.”

Darragh started laughing. “I don’t even have to be right in front of you to know you’re lying.”

I couldn’t help but smile and was thankful I had someone in my life who could make things seem a little bit brighter when they all seemed fucked-up.