"I'm asking you for the last time. Step out of my way Jake," Carter could feel the last string of his patience that was holding on to his rationality starting to snap. He could just barge past Jake to get inside the infirmary and check on Thalia himself, but Jake didn't budge in the slightest. Every time Carter tried to step past him, Jake would intercept him. He felt the overwhelming urge to just punch that pretty face and make it worthy of a mugshot."You cannot go inside, Carter," was all Jake said. Standing in front of the infirmary door like a fucking guard dog. "Alice is checking Thalia, and she isn't a healer. Which means that her treatment involves needles and stitches. Do you really want to see that? Can you handle seeing that?" When Carter opened his mouth, Jake interrupted him, "You know what, I didn't ask. It is better not to answer that. I know what you will say. What I meant to ask is, can you take it? Right now, Thalia's skin is being pierced and
Alex winced when Carter glared at him. He pulled away his hand changed the topic, "I didn't think that Marcus would bomb someone," and neither could Carter. He knew that Marcus would try to do something sooner or later. A shifter who lost his pride wouldn't sit still for long. But he never thought that bombs would be involved in their struggle. A shifter wins his pride by claws and fangs - not by guns and bombs.Using bombs was cowardly.Jake crossed his arms in front of himself and finished smoothing his crumpled clothes. "I thought that he was crazy, but I never thought he was this crazy. It's an outright provocation, trying to harm our packmates. Submissive or not, the two of them belong to our pack. Whether to protect or abandon, we are the ones who make decisions for them.""All because he can't use his own strength to get what he wants, he acts out like a feckless child," sneered Carter with a smile. He was strivin
Silence. Then Kim hesitantly spoke, breaking the awkwardness around the two of them, "She foresaw the explosion. I am fairly sure that she did."Carter, who was staring point blankly at Thalia, finally turned to look at Kim. His demeanor was lazy as always, but it was a sharp contrast to the sharp glint in his eyes a few moments ago. "Foresaw? Wasn't her powers sealed, so how can she see the future?""I don't know. I'm just telling you what I saw. One second, Thalia was fine standing next to me, and then the next, her marks started to bleed. Not like they usually do, the blood was dark, almost black, like poison, and I think it was some sort of backlash because she can't use her powers. Her eyes turned glassy, and she was bleeding so much that she scared the shit out of me. I tried to call her, but she didn't respond and then -" Kim swallowed hard. "and then she turned to look at me like she had seen a ghost or something. Once
Thalia swallowed and looked away. "It was the right thing to do. I knew I could save him. If I left him alone, then it would have weighed on my conscience.""You didn't have to.""Would you have let me go if I didn't," said Thalia with a self-deprecating smile. "He is your head enforcer, and I'm nothing. If I let him die, who knows what you have done to me."Carter felt his lips twitch, and his temple suddenly throbbed. "Do you think of that as being unreasonable, darling? I wouldn't have punished you just because you chose to save yourself instead of someone else. People are selfish. I understand that."Thalia inhaled sharply and glared at him. "Do you have to be such an asshole? I just saved your friend! The least you can do is thank me, there is no need for your sharp jabs.""I'm sorry," said Carter, his eyes gleaming though this time they looked more playful than sadistic. "I
"You-" Thalia was done. She was done being played around like this. One second he was warm like a summer breeze, and the next second he would freeze her until she was chilled to the bone. She raised her hand to slap his hand away but then the door to the infirmary burst open, and the two of them came face to face with a flustered and sheepish-looking Shayne."It looks like I came in at the wrong time?" Muttered Shayne."Shayne," said Carter, not sounding embarrassed at all about being caught. He raised his head and smiled at Shayne, his eyes cold and threatening. "Make sure to run ten laps around the territory, alright?""What! Why?" spluttered Shayne, his eyes widening as he stared at Carter with a look of injustice on his face."For being an ass," said Carter smoothly. "A dominant shifter, because of his prejudices, ignored his Alpha's order. Instead of taking care of his duties skulk
Once they left the infirmary, Kim came running to see Thalia. She was obviously relieved upon seeing her alright. Kim rushed ahead and embraced her in a tight hug. "I'm so glad to see you doing alright! I was so scared when you fainted like that," with a smile, she pulled back to look over Thalia, "You look better already!"Thalia accepted her hug even though it stung against her skin. "I'm glad to see you safe too.""Kim," drawled Carter. He pulled Thalia back behind him as if realizing her discomfort from being touched while her curse marks were healing.Kim waved her hand at Carter and kept her eyes locked on Thalia. "I'm so sorry. I was so worried that I forgot about your curse marks. But can you stop with the growling Alpha, please? She saved my life. I would have literally been burned to a crisp if not for her. As far as I'm concerned, she walks on air like an angel, so stop hogging her like that!"
Thalia walked out of her bathroom after letting the hot shower clean away the blood on her body. She didn't know why but the smell of blood made her nauseated. It felt like she was missing something, an essential piece of the puzzle to her life, but every time she tried to catch a hold of that piece, it vanished into thin air. It was annoying and downright frustrating that she couldn't even remember that forgotten part of her life. How weird it was to live a life when half of your memories of the past are gone. She didn't remember her parents, the house where she grew up, and any childhood friends and family vacations. The only thing she could remember now was her past traumas. All the happy memories were gone.Dressed in grey sweatpants and a long hoodie, she stepped out only to see Carter still standing in her room. She wanted to tell him to leave, but then her gaze fell on his dark brown eyes. Those eyes of his seemed to have been chilled t
Thalia felt her pulse quicken upon hearing Carter's response. "Why?"Carter moved closer, and she could easily breathe his musky scent mingled with his spicy perfume. "As I told you, you are mine. Understandably, I am curious about you."Also, he wanted to know why she didn't remember him. It was such a freak accident that the nightmares haunted him even now, so how could she not remember it. He wanted to find out if she had really forgotten about him or was she trying to play dumb. Maybe she was playing dumb because he wasn't what she anticipated him to be these years later. If that was the case, Carter would have to go above and beyond to change her perception of him and let her know her place. But if it's the former, then he will burn into her mind the memory of him fucking her so hard that she would never forget to whom she belonged. There was no escape from him.Even if she died, she had to leave this world with his mark on her body.