The Alpha's Prize

Fear and panic began to rise within me as I stared down at the knife that had struck Cain in the back, just below his shoulder. The blade didn't appear to be embedded too deep, but blood was now pooling around the wound. I didn’t know what to do, and my frazzled nerves were getting the better of me as my wolf howled with sorrow at the sight of our fallen mate. I leaned down and placed my ear to his back, listening for a heartbeat, and I almost cried at the relief I felt when I heard the faint sound of a beating heart. Reeling back, I did the only thing I could think of and pulled the knife from his back, then tore pieces of my shirt off and tried my best to wrap his wound, hoping to stop the bleeding or at least slow it down enough to get him home.

After I had horribly wrapped him up, I stood to my feet and realized that Erik was still here. He was just standing there, appearing to be half dazed, but he also had a look of satisfaction in his eyes. My upper lip twitched, and a growl erupted from deep within my belly. “You fucking bastard.” I sneered at him, and his attention turned to me now.

A sadistic smile spread across his face. “He doesn't deserve to live, and he doesn't deserve you,” Erik said, not giving two shits about what he had just done.

My chest heaved, and I started to see red, only able to focus on Erik and the depths of his betrayal. I lunged forward and tackled him to the ground, throwing punch after punch. We struggled on the ground, fighting for dominance, battling each other for the win

Erik was stronger than me, there was no doubt about that, but I was fueled with anger and vengeance at this moment. He hauled his arm back and swung, hitting me right in the jaw, and I flew off him. For a brief moment, the impact left me feeling dazed. However, I quickly regained myself and jumped to my feet. Erik followed my movements, and now, we both stood there, staring one another down. As we continued to glare at each other, something on the ground caught my attention. I looked down and noticed it was the knife; I picked it up, held it tightly in my grasp, and pointed it at Erik.

He snorted, “Put that down before you hurt yourself, and we both know you won't use it anyways.” Erik said cockily.

I grinned wickedly. “You would be surprised at what I would be willing to do for those that I love,” I said in a cold tone, hoping that Erik would catch on to the hidden message that he was no longer one of those people.

His face fell, and those blue eyes of his darkened, telling me he caught onto the hidden meaning in my words. Erik's lip tilted up in a snarl, and he narrowed his eyes. “You used to love me until that monster brainwashed you.” He said harshly, and I laughed at his words. Erik furrowed his brows and was taken aback by my laughter as he stared at me with a bewildered expression. “I never loved you, Erik, not like I love Cain. I just cared deeply for you and loved you on a different level. Now, I feel nothing but hatred towards you.” My words were like venom, striking him in the chest as he sucked in a deep breath and held onto it. I could see the hurt on his face and the heartbreak in his eyes. However, Erik quickly masked those emotions, and fury took over his features now.

I had once thought I knew the man standing before me, but it was clear to me now that I never really did. Today I had seen a side of him that was dark and sinister, a side that he had hidden from me and everyone else.

That was the difference between the two of them. Cain didn’t hide his dark side; he didn't give people a false sense of character. Instead, Cain showed everyone precisely who he was and ruled with that side of himself that people feared. Cain was so much more than that, though, and there was more to him than the fearsome monster everyone saw him as.

We stood there, glaring at each other, and I tightened my hold around the handle of the knife, prepared to strike as the rage coursed through me, wanting revenge for what he did to Cain. Just as I was ready to plunge the blade deep into his chest, a noise to the right of us grabbed our attention. Both of us froze where we stood, and our heads whipped in the direction of the noise.

I stared off into the distance, trying to find the source of the noise, and as I focused on the trees, Gunnar finally emerged, looking like something from a nightmare. Gunnar was covered in blood, and a thin layer of dirt covered his skin. As I continued to look him over, I noticed a few scrapes on his body, but nothing too serious. I was ecstatic to see my brother, even though he looked rather intense and furious right now. However, the angry beast would work in my favour in dealing with Erik.

I turned my attention back to Erik, but to my dismay, the little fucker took off when he had the chance because my dumbass was distracted. Sighing in frustration, I rubbed a hand down my face before glancing around me again to look for Erik, but he was nowhere to be seen, and I felt stupid for letting him get away. I turned back around and rushed over to Gunnar, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. He returned the hug, squeezing me tightly, before pulling back. “Are you alright? Are you injured?” Gunnar asked while inspecting my body.

I put my hands up and shook my head. “Stop, I'm fine. Are you alright? Like you are standing here covered in blood?”

Gunnar's expression turned neutral. “It's not mine, they scratched me a few times, but it's nothing that won't heal. One of them got away, though.” His lip twitched at his own words, clearly angry with himself.

I pursed my lips, understanding his frustration. “Do you know which one it was?” I asked him.

He gently shook his head. “No, I don't know. Now, you need to tell me what in the fuck is going on here? And was that Erik I just saw a moment ago?” He questioned in a dark and demanding tone.

I sucked in a deep breath. “First, I need you to help me get Cain back to the pack house. He needs a doctor and, on the way, I will tell you everything.” I told him.

He hesitated for a beat and ground his teeth together, telling me he didn’t want to do this, that he didn’t want to help Cain. Then, finally, his features softened a little. “Fine, where is he?” He asked me in a huff.

I started to walk in the direction of where I had left Cain. “He is over here,” I told Gunnar.

We reached Cain, and he was still lying there, looking lifeless. But I could hear the faint beats of his heart still, which eased some of the turmoil that stirred within my belly.

Gunnar furrowed his brows. “I don't see any major injuries that would immobilize him. So, what happened?” He questioned me, and I realized I was still holding the weapon responsible for Cain's fall. “Erik stabbed Cain in the back with this,” I said, raising my arm and showing him the knife.

His eyes widened, and his chest rumbled. “Get that fucking thing away from me!” He snarled.

I lowered my arm back down. “What is the big deal?” I remembered bits and pieces of Adela's information regarding the danger that the blade posed for supernaturals.

He frowned. “That blade was forged by a Volva, Freja. It is perilous, and you shouldn't even be holding it.” Gunnar said as he scowled at the knife in my hand.

I looked down at the blade curiously and wondered why it was created in the first place. When I was younger, dad had told me stories about Volva's or also known as witches. He said that they were good people, and they helped our kind. So, why did one create such a deadly weapon and what made it so lethal?

I turned my gaze to Gunnar and then down at my mate, knowing that my questions would have to wait until later. Right now, I needed to get Cain some help. “I need you to carry him back to the packhouse, please?”

Gunnar exhaled heavily. “I will do my best, but he is a big boy, and it may be difficult for me to carry him that far.” He told me truthfully, and I knew it would be a struggle, but if we could get close enough, then I could try to mind-link with someone in the pack to help.

He bent down, then flipped Cain over and onto his back before picking him up bridal style and standing to his feet. Gunnar scowled at me, “You fucking owe me big for this shit!”

I snorted and gave him a frivolous expression. “Yea, yea. Now come on, we need to hurry.” Gunnar gave me a deadpan stare and shook his head at my impatience; before we started to walk. Now, we faced a new dilemma, finding our way back to the pack house as neither of us was familiar with this land, and trying to navigate through the woods, in the dark, was going to be tricky.

As we continued to walk through the dense forest, Gunnar peered down at me. “You still haven't told me what the fuck is going on, Freja?” He said while struggling to carry my mate.

"So, I had told you that there was someone who was planning to kill Cain and me, right?” I asked him.

He nodded slowly, glancing between me and the path ahead of us. “Yes, why do you think I showed up tonight? Since you told me that, I feared even more for your safety. So, I decided to come back and on my way there, was when I heard the commotion. I was just glad that I decided to cut through the trail that connects our lands.” Gunnar confessed, and I was thankful that I had such a caring and loving brother even though he was a pain in my ass and a big goofball at times.

I smiled cheekily at him. “Aww, that's so sweet.” I teased, and Gunnar just glared at me. “Well, I discovered that it was Cain's brother, Calyx, that was devising this plan, but I also found out that there was someone else working with him. At first, I had an idea of who it might have been, but I was very wrong.” I looked up at Gunnar, giving him a commiserating look. “Lazarus and Adela had been working with him the whole time,” I choked out, still distraught over my own sister's betrayal. Gunnar stopped in his tracks, and his body tensed. “What? Adela was working with him to kill you and Cain?” He questioned with an incredulous tone.

I sighed heavily. “Yes, and Erik was working alongside her. Adela said she hated me, that I made her an outcast and made her life miserable. So, she wanted me dead, hoping it would make things better for her, that she would be the favourite finally. Erik just wanted me back, said I belonged with him and not Cain. When I told him no, he snapped and tried to kill me, but..." I looked at Cain and closed my eyes, holding onto the memory of his confession before he fell. My throat began to tighten, and the words now lingered on the tip of my tongue, unable to get them out.

Gunnar's features softened. “Come on, let's keep going.”

We continued walking through the forest, beginning to feel a little lost and hopeless, when a figure emerged from the shadows. Both of us stopped and remained silent as the figure came closer towards us. We were both on edge, waiting for the person to reveal themselves, but I was relieved to see that it was one of Cain's pack members, Ryder.

I finally released the breath I had been holding in and slapped a hand to my chest. “Ryder, I am glad to see you,” I said.

Ryder stopped a few feet from us and took in the situation inquisitively. His eyes slightly widened upon landing on Cain's limp body. “What happened, Luna?” He questioned me.

Following his line of sight, I looked at Cain. “We were ambushed, and the Alpha needs urgent medical care,” I said in a rush.

He went silent for a moment, and his eyes glazed over, telling me he was mind linking someone. A few moments later, four other men arrived. Ryder looked towards a few of the men that gathered in front of him. “Take the Alpha and get him to the medical wing immediately.” Then, he turned to one of the men that stood by his side. “Mind link with Doctor Stephens, inform him of the situation and tell Nurse Rose that the Luna is coming in as well.” The man then nodded before his eyes glazed over.

The other men came towards Gunnar and me. We were both still on edge, and we took a cautious step back, suspicious about the idea of strange men approaching us. I had never met any of these pack members before, aside from Ryder, which made me uneasy about trusting my mate's life with them. I stood in front of Gunnar, protecting him and Cain, and the men all stopped, looking at each other unknowingly. Ryder then pushed his way through and stood before me now. “Luna, they have to take him so that they can help him. I promise he will be in good hands, and nothing will happen to him.”

My jaw clenched tightly, and a growl rumbled in my chest at the thought of them taking Cain from me. But deep down, I knew they were only trying to help Cain, although my wolf and I were against the idea of being separated from our mate at such a crucial time. I peered around my shoulder at Cain, taking in his state, before squeezing my eyes shut and nodding in agreement. I moved aside, and the men stepped closer to us, now urging Gunnar to hand Cain over. However, Gunnar looked down at me hesitantly, needing his own confirmation. I nodded, assuring him it was alright, then the men took my mate and rushed off into the distance, taking a piece of me with them.

Ryder then approached us. “Luna, we need to get you to the medical wing as well; you are injured and need to be examined. You will be of no good to him if you are injured and unwell” His tone softened as he noticed that I continued to look off into the direction that Cain had been taken. Reluctantly, I turned my gaze to Ryder. “He'll make it, right? Promise me that he will be alright?” I choked out, my voice deceiving me.

Ryder’s expression became neutral. “The pack Doctor will do everything he can to save the Alpha. However, he will need your strength, if you are strong, he is strong, and you need to be taken care of for that to be achieved.” He told me sternly, and he was right; I needed to have faith, and, most of all, I needed to be strong for Cain.

I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm my overactive nerves. “You are right, and I am going to try my hardest to be strong. So let's head to the medical wing.” I said, agreeing with Ryder.

He gave me a curt nod and then turned to Gunnar. “Do you need attention as well?” Ryder asked my brother.

Gunnar just shook his head. “No, I am fine and already healing, from what little damage they did.” He looked down at me, getting my attention. “She is the only one you need to be concerned about right now,” Gunnar told Ryder in a concerned tone.

I looked at my brother, grief and worry consuming me. Gunnar wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him and attempting to comfort me. I felt better knowing Gunnar was with me, that he stood by my side and fought to protect me, as well as Cain. I knew his thoughts and feelings towards my mate, that he and Cain, were enemies and yet, he had put all of that aside for me because he knew that I was in love with Cain.

Suddenly, the realization of everything that had just happened hit me like a cannon ball, discovering the truth about Adela’s feelings towards me and killing her. The betrayal of someone who I thought to be a true friend and him trying to kill me, as well as my mate. Now, Cain's life hung in the balance, and I didn't know whether or not he would survive. My chest began to heave as the dark thoughts swirled in my head, my vision became blurry, and my ears started to ring, everything spinning around me now, before it all went dark.