“Oh fuck,” she gasped, then dropped to her knees beside Sara. As a wolf, her one thought was to protect, keep Sara safe. But now… “She looks so pale.” Sara’s face, normally so much darker than Rachel’s thanks to her genes and the summer sun, looked ashen in the afternoon light. All colour drained away. Leaning down, Rachel placed a soft kiss on Sara’s lips, then scooped her up into her arms as gently as she could.
Sara moaned anyway, the sound cutting through Rachel like a knife.
“Shh,” she whispered and buried her nose in Sara’s hair.
“Take her over to my car.” Celia led the way, with Cam bringing up the rear.
When they were all in—Rachel in the back seat, with Sara in her arms—Rachel started to panic. The scent of Sara’s blood hung in the air, and it made her want to both whimper and rage at the same time. Her heart raced, and she’d never felt so out of control. “Shouldn’t she be awake by now?” she gritted out, gazing down at Sara’s face, willing her to open her eyes. “I can see she’s healing, so why isn’t she coming round? Is there something wrong? Is she—”
“Rachel.” Cam’s voice, soft but packed full of alpha power, brought her up short. She blinked and stared at him. “She’s fine. The cuts were deep, and it’s going to take a while for her to heal, but she’s going to be okay. Just breathe.”
Drawing in a ragged breath, Rachel focused on his voice.
“That’s it.” He shuffled in his seat and reached over to touch her arm. “Hang in there. We’re almost at Alpha Cornell’s cottage. We can get her cleaned up there, get rid of the blood.”
“Okay.” Rachel closed her eyes for a moment and took another deep breath in and out, trying to ignore the blood. “What’s going to happen to me?”
Alpha Cornell caught her gaze in the rear-view mirror. “Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
“But I—”
“Defended your potential mate from what you perceived as danger.” Celia indicated and turned off the main road onto a narrower one. “Your reaction was pure instinct. As I see it, Alpha Gallen attacked you for being with his daughter, and she defended you. Is that correct?”
“Yes, but—”
“That’s all you need to focus on. He should’ve known better to attack a bonded pair. Whether the bond has been completed or not, the need to protect is there. And whether or not he had cause to attack in the first place is a matter for the council to decide. But neither you nor Sara instigated this meeting. That’s on Alpha Harley and me. Technically, neither of you went against his wishes as alpha, so I would suggest he has no leg to stand on, as it were.”
Which all sounded too good to be true. “What happens now then?”
“After we get Sara settled, Alpha Harley and I will go over to the main council building and report the events as we saw them.”
“Will I need to go too?”
“No. They won’t separate the two of you while Sara’s injured. I would imagine a couple of the council members will come here to talk to you both. When Sara regains consciousness.”
“Not you?” she asked. The thought of meeting any of the others made her apprehensive.
Celia shook her head, and she pulled up in front of a cottage that was bigger than what Rachel had expected. “I can’t be involved in the investigation where family is concerned.”
“Oh.”
Cam got out of the car and hurried to open the door for Rachel while Celia unlocked the cottage.
“Bring her through here.” Leading them through the kitchen, Celia stood back when they reached a small hallway. “That’s her room.”
Rachel manoeuvred through the doorway, careful not to bang against the frame, and laid Sara on the bed. She shook out her arms with a sigh. Beta strength meant she could carry Sara easily enough, but she was a dead weight and all muscle. Rachel ached, but she shrugged it off, crawling onto the bed next to Sara and stretching out.
Celia tsked. “If you were bonded she’d heal a lot quicker, but you being here will still help. Stay with her until we get back.” Like Rachel would be anywhere else. “I’m not sure how long this’ll take.”
“Yes, Alpha.” Rachel laid her head on the pillow and her gaze immediately fell on the smooth expanse of Sara’s neck. Some of her colour had returned, the skin no longer pale but back to its rich olive tones. Rachel licked her lips.I could bite her now. Help her heal.
“Rachel.” Alpha Cornell waited until Rachel looked her way before continuing. “It might be tempting, but now is neither the time nor the place to complete a mating bond. Also, it’s preferable that both parties are conscious.” She raised an eyebrow, and Rachel flushed. “Have a nap, it’s been a stressful afternoon.”
With that, she left. Cam said his goodbyes and followed leaving Rachel alone with a still-unconscious Sara.
Who was also still covered in blood.
Fuck, she couldn’t nap with that scent in the air. Sitting up, Rachel peered through the open door and caught sight of a bathroom opposite.
