The Alpha Who Saved Me

Chapter 30

I stumble a little. I don’t know whether it’s from the state I’m in or from having Declan gaze at me like I’m the most important person in his life, but I do, and he catches me. Slowly, he continues to unbutton the rest of the shirt, but he never once takes his eyes from mine to feast upon my body. Once the last button is freed, he lifts me bridal-style and sets me down in the bubbling water.

Sighing, I close my eyes and let my achy body relax into the heated water. My wolf might have healed my wounds, but I will still feel the achiness for at least another day. Soft tunes begin to play, and the light dims. Opening my eyes, Declan is moving around silently, bringing me soaps and towels. He then leaves but is quick to come back with another one of his shirts, this time a V-neck t-shirt.

“Declan…”

“Hm?”

“Please, sit down and talk to me.”

He chuckles, “Sorry, I guess I’m just a little nervous.”

I raise a brow at him, “Alpha Declan is nervous? Whatever would you be nervous about?” I grin.

“You.” Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

The grin drops from my face, “Me? What does that mean?” Is he disgusted by what has happened to me now and he doesn’t want to be around me but is afraid to tell me?

“I’m nervous, because I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say to you or around you right now. I don’t want to set anything off that’s going to cause you pain. You know, sort of like PTSD.” He slides his hand over his face.

The relief I feel is immediate and I smile at him, “Declan, there isn’t anything you can say or do that will cause me pain. Thank you for thinking of me, though. It could have been so much worse for me had they not worried about *the Goddess Selene off by taking one of her Alpha’s against their will. Apparently, they didn’t think that kidnapping one was an offense against the Goddess as well…”

Declan comes close to the edge and points to my back, “May 1?”

I nod.

He’s already in basketball shorts, so he climbs up and sits on the ledge of the tub’s platform right behind me. His feet come into the water on each side of me and I hand him the loofah as I sit up, bringing my knees up in front of me. A moment later he’s massaging my back pulling little moans from my lips.

I lay my cheek on top of my knees and wrap my arms around my shins, “What happened after I passed out? Where is Summer?”

“Well, first off, the Desert Sand pack, along with their rogue pets, were no match for ten other packs, even without all of our numbers.”

“Ten packs came…for me?”

“Of course! They are allies and you are an Alpha.”

“I only know of five packs that have resigned with us.”

“Well, I’m guessing after this, the other four will resign as well.” He drops the loofah into the water and starts working the knotted muscles with his hands, “Anyway, without their Alpha or alpha heir, they turned themselves over to us.”

“So, Jasper is dead too?” I ask, thanking the Goddess.

“I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I think he might have run.” I tense at his words, “Hey, you have nothing to worry about. Now that we know what he looks like, we will track him down, and he will pay with his life.”

I try to relax again as I nod my head.

“Summer stayed behind for now, only to help with who needs to be relocated.”

“What do you mean? Both the males and females in that pack are vile creatures!”

“Calm down, Cujo,” he chuckles as he uses the name of the *dog that I had nightmares about for months after he made me watch the movie, “That is why she stayed behind. Summer will inform my guys which ones are worth relocating.”

“Where will they go?”

“It will be up to them, but Summer thinks that most will probably want to join whichever pack she goes to.”

I look back at him, “She’s coming to mine, though, isn’t she?”

He grins and nods, “looks like your pack just grew a little bit more.”

It makes me happy that I can offer these people a new home after who knows how long they suffered at the hands of Luther. How many wolves were abused or taken captive just for Luther’s enjoyment? How many she-wolves had to suffer a worse fate than myself?

Declan and I sit here and just gaze at each other, neither one of us say anything more with our lips, but so much is being said with our eyes. I was wrong before when I said I would wait for my fated mate. I would choose Declan, I do choose Declan, but he can no longer be mine. He belongs to someone else now, even if there is no intimacy between them.

A knock at the bedroom door draws us out of our trans-like state. Declan dries his legs quickly and goes to see who it is. Just when I close my eyes, Amelia sweeps into the ensuite and comes over to hug me, not caring if she gets wet.

“Oh, my poor girl! I’m so glad you are back, baby!” Her hug is warm and inviting, and so I reach up and hug her back.

“It’s so good to be back, Amelia.”

“I’m going to go see if I can round up some food for you.” Declan informs us and no sooner are his words out, my stomach rumbles.

*Thank you, Declan. All they gave me was two slices of bread a day and water.”

Declan curses and Amelia clucks her tongue,”No wonder you look thin as a rail! Declan, bring her a feast fit for a queen!”

I laugh. “Please don’t. I won’t be able to eat it all and I don’t want to make myself sick.”

“I know exactly what you need.” He winks and then disappears.

The room goes silent until I ask what I’ve been dreading since I realized where I was, “How is the Luna taking me being here?”

“You need not worry about her! This is your home, and you are welcome to stay as long as you need to.”

“You have always been so kind to me, Amelia, but we both know that I could never stay here as long as she carries the heir. I couldn’t do that to your son. She would make his life miserable.”

The former Luna shrugs, “Maybe, maybe not. She tried to stop him from going after you, and now she sits in the cells until he decides to let her out.”

“What? He has his pregnant Luna in the cells?” I’m blown away that Declan would do something like that. I mean, lock her in her room, but the cells?

“1. for one, think she deserves it and more. As long as the pup is taken care of, then I don’t see what the problem is, and it’s not like she’s sleeping beside criminals. She has a nicer cell that has four walls, and they even carried a comfy bed down there. She’s got a television and a laptop, but no wifi. She’s hardly being neglected.”

“Then why is she even down there? Why not lock her in her room in the Luna suite?”

Amelia sighs, “Declan refused to give her the Luna suite, because she’s not his rightful Luna, so she’s on the second floor with the unmated warriors. Apparently, my son thinks that she would be right at home with the unmated wolves.”

I bite back the snicker, because I would have to agree with the Alpha on that one. It’s got to be a hard blow for Lila though, having the Luna title with barely any of the perks when it comes to anything dealing with this pack. Of course, if it’s something that the Elders would have to be included in, they would take the Luna’s side no matter what.

“Besides,” Amelia continues, “He already locked her in her room the day you went missing because he was trying to search for you and she threw her tantrum, so he put her in confinement. A lot of good that did, she didn’t learn her lesson.” Amalia sighs and smiles warmly at me, “I really wish it could have been you and my son together. He adores you, Quinn, and you will always come first over Lila. That’s what upsets her so much. If she would just accept her fate, then we can all live in peace.”

I give Amelia a small smile, but my heart really isn’t in it. Maybe it’s time that we all accept our fate and move on. Declan and I will never be together. Maybe once we move on then Declan and Lila can try

and build a decent family for their pup. As long as I’m in the picture, though, he will always choose me, and I’m really not sure that I can live with that.

Declan is back and carrying a tray with what smells like Amelia’s famous clam chowder that I love so much, and some warm buttermilk biscuits. Amelia says her goodbyes and Declan comes to help me from the tub after placing the tray of food by the bed. Holding out the large fluffy towel, he turns his head while I step out, and I smirk.

Declan found a new toothbrush and toothpaste for me, so now I’m feeling clean and fresh for the first time in over a week. Most of the bite marks on gone, but there are a few that she wasn’t careful with and tore me, so there is a bit of scarring and of course, the brand, but otherwise, my body looks whole once again.

I jump up on the bed, all excited to be eating Amelia’s clam chowder and Declan laughs, “I knew you would be on cloud nine. Mom made

this especially for you after we left to come get you.”

I take the first bite and it’s almost like an instant *. It’s so c*y, with just enough of salt and other spices that the flavor just bursts in my mouth, and I’m left moaning. I don’t know how she does it, but I will never eat clam chowder from anywhere else.

“That good? I’m a little jealous right now.” Declan jokes.

He sits with me through the whole meal and then some. Most of it I don’t pay too much attention to because I’m thinking about what Amelia and I were discussing, and the fact that I need to let go. How do I let go to someone that has come to mean the world to me; someone who has saved me not once, but twice now? How do I ever repay him if I can’t do it with my love? Then it comes to me, and I know that what I’m about to do probably goes against everything I have ever valued, but it no longer matters at this point.

“Will you stay with me tonight, Declan?”

He squeezes my thigh, “Of course, I will stay with you,” and then he stands up, “Let me grab the t-shirt I brought for you, so you don’t have to sleep in the towel.” He chuckles and turns his back on me to retrieve the shirt from the ensuite bathroom.

“No Declan,” I call out to him, and he turns back to me, “I mean, stay with me.” I open the towel and let it fall to the mattress.