Page 11 of Alpha Marked

Strider said something else in a low voice, and Bianca's small hand stopped banging on the door. Her sobbing lessened as Strider moved her away from the room.

River willed Bianca to run. To go to their Alpha or a Beta or anyone to get her help, but it wouldn't happen. Bianca would never go against what her father said. As much as her little sister loved her, she loved her dad more.

Cherry approached the bed as another round of cramps ripped through River. Cherry brought over the dark amber bottle Strider had given her and opened it.

"You need to drink this."

Die. She wanted to die. River groaned as Cherry pressed the bottle toward her lips.

River twisted away as her stomach roiled.

"Stop. You need to drink this, River. You have to. Please."

River peered at her mom through bleary eyes. She'd never once heard her mom say please for anything.

"I promise I'm trying to help." Cherry's voice shook.

River sat against her pillow, her body slick with sweat and her sheets so soaked that she feared she might slide right off the bed.

She'd never been sick a day in her life; shifters rarely if ever, got sick. But this…

River opened her mouth, and Cherry poured the liquid into it. River gagged at the bitter taste and almost spit it out, but Cherry shut her lips. The liquid burned, and River shook her head.

"Swallow it, River," her mom commanded.

Poison. Cherry was trying to poison her.

River fought against her mom, but Cherry was strong— the strongest female River had ever known. Even so, Cherry seemed to have trouble keeping River from overpowering her.

"Dammit, River, I'm trying to help you. Swallow the fucking liquid."

River didn't stop fighting, so Cherry jumped on her, pinned her down with her legs, and held River's nose.

Dead. Cherry wanted her dead.

Another wave of sharp pains shot through River's core, and she swallowed the liquid as the lack of oxygen made her head fuzz over.

River waited for the searing pain to shoot through her again, but like a wave crashing on the rocks, the pain dissipated, and the sharpness lost its edge. Within a minute, the burning in her mouth subsided, and her throat numbed.

Cherry released her, and River gulped in the air. Cherry watched her for several seconds, breathing heavily.

"I told you I wasn't trying to hurt you."

River touched the inside of her mouth with her tongue. It felt coated and strange.

"You need to take the rest." Cherry shoved the bottle at River.

River lifted a shaky hand, and another wave of pain built in her core, but not as intense as previously.

River closed her eyes and chugged the rest of the bottle, forcing herself to swallow it.

Again, the pain crested and dissipated but nowhere near as painful as it had been.

Cherry kept her eyes on River. River sucked in several breaths and fell against her pillow.

Her body felt like she'd sprinted the whole pack woods for hours without stopping.

She handed the empty bottle back to Cherry, and her body went limp. Sleep. She needed sleep.