Her Savior Alpha

The front door clicked closed behind me as I entered the front hall. Voices carried from inside; Grant’s clear tone ringing out orders as usual, with occasional guards giving their input or naming their concerns.

I stepped softly down the hall, going up the main staircase passed the first door - the alpha’s office, not Dane’s old office. I had to remember the distinction in my mind. The door was open just a few inches, voices spilling out. Then as I passed, I heard the hinges creak open further.

“Vera,” Grant’s haughty voice called out, but these days was sounding more mature and reigned in.

I turned to see the door opened further by a guard, two others behind him. I had a perfect view of Grant standing before the desk, back straight and regal, arms crossed. She wore black, a difference from her usual glitz and glamour; practical washed jeans, a long-sleeve tight fitting shirt, and a belt with a dagger, for some reason. Well, what ever helped her slip into her position, I supposed. In my opinion, she’d already claimed the spot long ago, with her bossiness and unending arrogance. Except now, it was gradually turning into quiet confidence.

She still had the glimmering eyeshadow and the glossy red lips though. Her love of presenting herself in the best way possible would never leave.

To the guards awaiting her next words, she said, “Please excuse us.” With nods, they left, padding down the hall and descended the stairs. I went through the doorway, closing it behind me upon crossing the threshold into the office - which was in a state of organized disarray. Having become the new alpha, Grant had full permission to do whatever she willed with the room. Thus, she had started to put away and replace all of Dane’s previous belongings, putting away photos of ghosts, boxing old dusty books about power and political manipulation tactics. Boxes in various states of fullness laid around the dark redwood floors, the shelves half-empty. Only the desk was immaculate and cleared, except for perfectly placed files of relevance.

Grant sauntered slowly around her desk to sit in the large, indulgently high-backed black leather chair.

“Vera, you can sit down,” she said, crossing her fingers. I sat on the chair, after displacing some random stack of books and putting them on a nearby box - across from her, deeply curious for what she had to say.

“What’s up, Grant?” I tried to nudge her to get to the meat of it, my casual tone feeling weird in the tense silence.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke, her eyes looking anywhere but mine. “Vera, I called you here because I have something to tell you, something that’s been long over-due.”

“Go on,” I said, feeling a tiny bit impatient to know what she was trying to say.

“I am...sorry. In light of Dane’s...horrifying act towards you, along with all the other mistreatment, I have realized that I have fallen to copy the masses, doing the status-quo to fit in as the alpha’s granddaughter and as the next leader. I am deeply ashamed of my actions because by doing so, I became exactly what I feared most - an unfair, oppressive bully. And you didn’t deserve any of it.”

Struck silent by the reveal, I simply stared at her, pursing my lips. I mulled over her words in my head. My lack of response made Grant finally flicker her eyes up at me, roving my expression to read it.

Coughing to clear my throat, I finally replied, “I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to apologize outright. But I can see that you really mean it and I do appreciate it.” My voice was sincere. I really meant it after all. My chest felt light and free, as though I had been let go of a terribly toxic connection. Grant wasn’t the time to fool others; it was a waste of her precious time. She was forward and honest, which much of the time made her unpleasant to be with.

“Actually, could you do me a favor?”

“Of course, Alpha Grant.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh shut up. I was meaning to go to the medical hall to survey things...you know, see how it’s going, if the pack is doing well.”

I nodded, although I had been there a few days ago to see Clive during his discharge, I didn’t mind stopping by again. I want to check the supply room anyway to see if my own tinctures were still ample or if I needed to restock them. Excitement filled me as I realized I could play around wth my herbs and healing substances as much as I wanted at home. No more creeping around and hiding random, unidentifiable plants.

“Sounds good,” I replied enthusiastically.

We left the house, a guard that usually was stationed outside our front doors following us to the location. It was a quick trip, especially since Grant tended to walk fast and purposefully.

***

Clive

After my light workout, I headed straight to the medical hall, which was quickly becoming my second most common hang-out spot, after the training ground and my bed.

I was cleared to exercise as usual, so long as I didn’t do unnecessary lifting or strenuous activity; and that meant long wolf sprints through the woods. With a chest wound, the activity would impact my lungs and breathing. Regardless, the ability to finally move was a god-send, and I indulged in it as much as I could.

My muscles buzzed with the post-workout pleasure as I entered the medical hall, waving at the young lady at the front desk. The small entrance hall was milling with wolves, but the receptionist recognized me immediately, gesturing for me to go ahead. I had come here everyday after getting discharged, so she knew who I was and what I was doing here.

When I got to Reily’s door on the third floor, I knocked, not entering until I head a “Come in!”

“Hi there, Rei,” I greeted him with a grin on my face, shutting the door behind me. My brother sat upright in his bed, propped up by pillows, scrolling through his phone with his hand. A vase of flowers sat on his bedside, probably from Gina or his other friends.

His other arm lay at his side, bound at the end, in a blunt stump that would remain that way forever. I swallowed at the sight of it, at my failure to protect him, but I quickly washed away my thoughts. The best thing to do was to act normal, and get used to Reily as he was. Living with a new, long-term injury couldn’t be an easy thing to get used to. The sooner I accepted it, the sooner Reily could also accept it.

“So you know how I said that Grant is now the Alpha? She’s enlisting us to help her run the pack.”

His brows perked up at that, interested. “Us?”

“Yeah, you and me. And of course the others - Vera, Thelma, Archer - to give our inputs on important decisions. She thinks that it good to have a younger set of advisors who can assist in carrying out whatever new rules or changes she implements.”

Reily nodded slowly, seeming to turn the information over in his mind. While it wasn’t the first time I had visited him while he was conscious since getting admitted to the ICU (again) for his amputation, he’d been closed off. I wanted to change that.

“Okay?” he said, as if waiting for the point.

I took a deep breath. “Well, I was wondering if we could start again, put our differences aside and work together to make this pack a better place. I won’t grill you about your past deeds anymore, because I know I had my own mistakes to atone for. But I really want to do better for you, and I want you to see them.”

Lips in a straight line, Reily stared at me, his brown eyes blank, with only a hint of sorrow. He cleared his voice.

“I don’t know what use I would be...with this,” he lifted his bandaged arm.

“Of course you’d be of use, Reily. You have so much skill and talent that this whole pack could benefit from. I - We really want to work with you. I think with your passion and energy, redirected into a greater cause, you could make amazing changes to Mount Hunter.”

Reily nodded at my words, still seeming to make a decision within his stormy gaze. Then the clouds cleared, as if he began to see a new future, a new beginning. He looked up at me, his face still pale and scratched, his stringy dirty blonde hair longer now. His cheeks had hollowed out over the past couple weeks, and he looked much older than I ever remembered him to be. But finally, finally, light was in his eyes.

He sighed. “Fine, Clive,” he gave in, looking freed from a personal torment. “I forgive you. I...probably don’t understand you, but you did your best with what you had...or whatever.”

My heart swelled with pride and emotion made my throat thick.

He wasn’t done. “And...I am sorry. For not giving you a chance. For being difficult. For all the things I did to Vera... I know it was only because I lost a paw that I’m saying this stuff, but I realize that I went too far. I was consumed, Clive. I didn’t know what to do. Murder felt like salvation to me. I’m so sorry.”

I nodded solemnly, nearing him and sitting on the chair near the bed. “I understand, Reily.” Leaning forward, I clasped his shoulder, feeling him relax under my palm. “Thank you for your apology. It means a lot, and...I can’t wait to work together.” I grinned, and hesitantly, he looked up at me with his own small smile.

A small knock echoed on the door.

The middle-aged blonde woman who was Reily’s current doctor entered. “Hi there, Reily, Reily’s brother. It looks like today’s your last day here. Just stopping by for a final check-up before you go.”

I stepped back to let the doctor do her thing, elated at what had just transpired between Reily and me.

After checking Reily’s vitals; his heart beat, his inhalations, his chest cavity, asking him questions about how he’s feelings, she jotted something down on her checklist.

“He’s good to go,” the doctor said, unhooking Reily’s IV and placing a bag of the belongings with which he checked into the place.

“Any measures we should to for him to heal faster?” I asked, noticing Reily huff with a roll of his eyes, although the act wasn’t as aggressive as usual.

Reily scooted over to the edge of the bed, ripping off his hospital gown as if he had been so ready to take it off all week.

We left when he dressed, going down to the first floor. When we reached the front entrance, two familiar heads were at the desk, surrounded by some guards and a few civilian wolves. The new alpha, Grant, was speaking with the receptionist, who stood and smiled at her brightly. Beside her, Vera caught my eye, her black hair pulled into a low ponytail, her hazel eyes shining as usual. She grinned upon seeing me, but when she noticed Reily beside me, it dimmed a little, enough to be polite.

“Clive,” she said in greeting. Her eyes glided to my brother, who was looking away. “Hope you’re going well, Reily.”

At the direct attention, Reily looked up. He let out a breath, “Thanks. You... too.”

After that interaction, I never saw the two say another word to each other or of each other. For Vera, that was good news, because it meant he no longer pestered or bullied her. In fact, the only time she brought him up was to ask how he was doing.

“Why do you ask?” I decided to question her one time, after my curiosity had long since grown. We had been sparring in the gym, taking turns to hitting a swinging punching bag, trying not to get in the face.

“Oh, you know. I can’t really help it... the mate bond,” she said, exertion in her voice and her cheeks tinged pink, sweat dripping down temples.

Ah, I had forgotten about that.

“So you still feel him? Like his state, his health, emotions...?”

Biting a lip, she nodded, clearly displeased about the situation. If she was asking how Reily was, did that mean he wasn’t okay?

She answered me a second later. “Since the failed mating thing, the bond has been numb. But from time to time, my wolf longs for him, and I can feel faint sadness and...I don’t know, like, dejection and despair on his end. Just a bunch of really dark feelings.”

I stayed silent, letting her words sink in.

“You know, Clive,” she continued, punching the bag with a frenzy; I steadied it for her. “What made us finally come back from Cianwood was the fact that I couldn’t stop feeling what Reily was feeling when Dane...took him. His pain, his fear. I felt it as though I went through it.”

“Is it still like that?”

“Not to that degree, but yeah. When the emotions are strong, they can get really distracting.” She heaved, taking a break from the punching bag to take a sip of water.

After that conversation, I began to notice how much more subdued Reily was. He certainly never brought Vera up, nor did he mention the mate bond. I think even if he did feel what Vera felt, it was overshadow by his personal turmoil. I caught him from time to time staring at his stump as if he couldn’t believe his hand wasn’t there. During training, he was trying to get used to one hand, and I had to urge every cell inside me not to leave my station as mentor for the newly turned to go help him.

During training one day, a wooden sword flew near us, landing a few feet away. Thelma, Vera, and paused, looking up in the direction from which it came.

Reily stood in a slumped forma quite a distance away, breathing harshly in exhaustion, brows arched into rough, frustrated shapes over his eyes. It was clear he was trying to acclimate to sword fighting with his only hand, which was the one he wasn’t used to using. Stricken, he glared at the sword that had soared out of his grip. He huffed but made no move to get it. Instead, he turned away, his fist clenching.

Vera was the first to move.

Before I could do anything, she had already picked up the wooden sword and had crossed over to Reily, who still hadn’t noticed her.

Once she neared him, Reily seemed to feel someone approaching and turned his head a little. Surprise sprang into his eyes as Vera offered him the sword.

“Here,” she said. “You’re doing great.”

He didn’t reply, instead nodding, a tiny hint of gratitude in the way he took the word back.

Never would he apologize, but for Reily, that was a break-through.