Page 11 of Alpha Bond
I’d sensed she was flagging, but when I’d checked in on her, she’d been adamant she was fine. She obviously wasn’t. I’d heard her breath rasping barely minutes after we set out. She stumbled too often, too. Barefoot out here? Just stupid. I realize it’s probably not her fault. What was I to do, though? Give her my boots? She’d already flatly turned down my offer to wear my jacket. A glance at her face had shown eyes that glittered too brightly. A sheen on her skin that was visible even in the night.
Fever.
No doubt about that. Though why, I don’t know. She’s not obviously sick, and our kind seldom suffers from ailments. Some sort of infection, most likely. But I haven’t been able to spot an injury of any kind. I guess it’ll be up to the healer to figure out – which will make a change from the usual birthings and battle injuries she’s used to tending to.
Right now, the woman’s out cold.
Great. Just great.
I swing her up over one shoulder, then ease her around the back of my neck in a fireman’s carry – crooking an elbow through her thighs to hook her knee and clasping her upper arm over my other shoulder. Her head lolls onto my bicep, hair trailing down my arm. It’s probably not the most comfortable position, but she’s in no condition to complain. Besides, it’s better than being lugged with her face dangling down my back for the next mile.
I settle back into a steady rhythm, picking up the pace now that she’s not trailing behind. Even hauling her dead weight, I can move faster without worrying about her. Probably should have carried her from the start.
“Yeah, right, Law.” I chuckle at myself. She’d have taken a chunk out of me for sure. She’d made the decision to come with me, but I knew she wasn’t happy about it. And aside from some one-word answers to my attempts at questions, she’d stayed silent. Reluctant to talk. But struggling to breathe, too.
“Goddammit. Just my fucking luck,” I mutter. Other crews go out and come back with bounty. Me? I get this.
I huff out a breath and pick up a jog, inhaling and exhaling through my mouth to avoid the smell of her. Fucking alpha stink. What did she do, anyhow? Roll in a damn urinal? Though, I have to give her credit for survival savvy. Not a lot of wolves would go actively seeking out an aggressive alpha. By posing as one, she kept herself hidden.
She moves against me slightly, giving a low groan.
“Easy there,” I say under my breath. “Not long now.” I can see the lights of Steel Lakes up ahead like a homing beacon. The outer walls of the steel mill loom high overhead, a barrier that guards the town beyond. The whole area was abandoned during an economic downturn that left the small town derelict. Old folks moved to the sunshine. Kids headed to the cities. And then the wolves moved in. We’re not completely invisible to the world. That’s impossible these days. But nobody knows what we are.
I stop at the huge gate. The metal roller door was designed to fit on a four-car garage for haulers, but now it’s the entrance to our pack quarters. Fortified and guarded 24/7, it’s our first line of defense against anyone out there. Uninvited wolves, mainly. Humans don’t bother us. I reach out and pound the giant knocker against the metal. An intercom would do the trick, but our leader has a flair for the dramatic. A moment later, I hear boots clattering on the steel platform overhead.
“Halt! Who goes there?” a male voice booms out.
“Cut it out, Cruise, you know it’s me.” I roll my eyes. The same boots clatter closer and stop above me. The guard on night duty is a kid I’ve worked with a couple of times. Wet behind the ears and inclined to fool around, but competent at basic assignments.
“Whatcha got there, Law?” Cruise calls out. I see the pale shimmer of his face as he peers down at me.
“None of your business,” I call back, half messing with him, half hoping to keep this to myself. As if that’s possible.
“Sure it is,” he replies. “I’m on guard duty. I won’t let you in if you don’t tell me.”
“What does it look like, Cruise?” I respond sarcastically, though I know I’m being an ass. The male’s just doing his job, after all.
“Uh…looks like a female,” he says.
“Then that’s what it is,” I reply. The gate grates as it begins to roll up and then there’s a loud clanging as Cruise clambers down from his sentry post. In moments, he’s beside me, sniffing at the unmoving form of the she-wolf over my shoulder. He grimaces.
“Whatcha gonna do with her?” he asks.
“Taking her to the boss,” I tell him.
“Can I have her when you’re done?” He cocks his head.
For fuck’s sake!
He’d better be joking. When he keeps sniffing, I get the feeling he isn’t. This might become a problem. Even past the stink, her scent is drawing him.
“Of course not, you ass. She’s injured. Titer will know what to do,” I snap. The male’s definitely not leadership material. I’m beginning to wonder if he’s mentally equipped for guard duty, either.
“Well, go on through, then,” Cruise says, as if I was asking permission. I’m already striding down the paved walkway that runs through the garrison toward our alpha’s headquarters. The walk feels longer than usual as I sense countless eyes following me closely. We’re a small community. Newcomers are viewed with interest at best. But often with suspicion. A new female, though? This spells trouble.
Greyson Titer is already on his feet as I make my way into his office. No doubt Cruise has called ahead to warn him. At least there’s one thing the kid got right. However, I’m not pleased with the expression on my alpha’s face as he stares at the woman I deposit on the couch that extends along one wall of the room.
“What the hell?” He glares at me as if I have some control over this situation. “Where’d she come from?”