Page 40 of Fated Alpha Baby

The pain in my chest and the loss of blood eventually consume me, the haze of my vision blurring until everything goes black.

***

“Gah!” I cry out in pain, my eyes flying open.

Dorothy’s face is inches away, her gray eyes glowing as she mutters under her breath with her hands hovering over my exposed chest.

“Shh, Conan…you’re going to be fine. I just need to finish healing you,” she assures me, pressing a hand to my shoulder to coax me to remain lying down.

The pain is torturous as she chants healing mantras over my chest, using her gift of healing to allow the skin to reattach where it had been ripped open.

To distract myself, I look around the room, keeping my eyes away from her work until she’s done, and only a dull ache remains. I finally look back at the damage, noticing how gruesome the injury was, and even after she’s healed me, it’s like my powers have regressed, and it’s taking longer for my natural healing abilities to kick in.

It shouldn’t be taking this long, especially since I’ve been regaining my powers.

“The demon that attacked you left some of its corruption behind,” Dorothy explains. “I was able to remove it, but I cannot quicken the process of the rest of your healing. You will require more rest.”

I nod slowly, staring at the ceiling as I recall everything that’s happened tonight.

“Why was she here, Dorothy? Why was Hannah here to see you?”

Dorothy sighs as she pulls up a chair. “She grew up with me, Conan. Of course, she came to see me.”

I turn my face toward Dorothy, noticing the way she watches me carefully.

“You know, don’t you?”

She nods gently. “I do. And I will not breathe a word of this to anyone else. I promise.”

“I don’t doubt your loyalty, Dorothy.” I turn back to the ceiling and run a hand through my hair. “But I need to know why she lied to me. I’m guessing you know why.”

“I do know why, but I cannot understand it. I told her the very same thing.”

Frowning, I turn back to Dorothy. “What do you mean?”

She shakes her head slowly. “You told me she left you a note saying that she couldn’t be the luna of this pack. That she couldn’t be your mate. That’s why she had to leave.”

“Yeah, because she did that, Dorothy. She left me and—”

“That’s not what she says. It’s not even what I see, Conan. She was banished from the pack.”

“She’s lying.”

Dorothy shrugs. “I saw it when I hugged her, Conan. She was banished from the pack by your grandfather. The stolen gem was reported to the alpha at the time, and he banished her from the pack.”

I shake my head determinedly. “She’s lying, Dorothy. That’s not what happened. If anyone was banished from the pack, I would have known about it.”

“I don’t know, Conan. She also mentioned something about a note. Perhaps you should ask her about it.”

“A note, huh?” I scoff, becoming irritated again as I roll my eyes. “She means the note she left behind for me. That doesn’t prove anything.”

“Well, it seems like the two of you need to talk. Not fight the way you did earlier. But actually talk and figure things out.”

“I do not wish to speak to a liar,” I huff, getting up on my elbows. My face contorts as I struggle through the pain, but I’m too upset to care or rest.

“You need to, Conan,” Dorothy insists. “I hate to break it to you, but the only way you can truly heal is through your mate. She’s the only one who can heal you. Your true mate—”

“My true mate is a liar,” I snap as I get to my feet, rolling out my shoulder and wincing from the sharp pain that suddenly shoots through my arm. “I don’t need her for anything.”