Chapter 9 - The stone Alpha

It wasn’t until Cassy spotted a bird, frozen in mid-air, over Alpha Jason’s shoulder that she realised her new bloodline ability had activated again. Immediate heat flushed to her cheeks — another aspect not affected by her slowing down time... Delightful. She had thought they were sharing a moment, but she couldn’t tell when the ability had kicked it. It had felt like an endless moment of intrigue to her, but what if the power had activated immediately? Had he been staring at her too, feeling the same, or had she frozen him in simple moment of eye contact?

Cassy had no way of knowing, and even if she did, what would it matter? Anyone would feel something after being rescued, right? Zac was still the mate she wanted.

With a bit of trial and error, and a touch of willpower, time moved on again. Immediately, she looked away from her Alpha, knowing she’d gone beet-red, though she hoped he chalked it up to adrenaline from the fall. Thankfully, the pain returned to her hands with unapologetic force, stealing her attention in one fresh blow of heat and aches.  

“Your plan?” She spoke through gritted teeth.

‘Oh, yes, right.’ Alpha Jason released his claws, allowing his wolf to carefully slide down the mountain side until he was beneath her where he stopped again. ‘I need you to let go.’

“What?”

‘I’ll catch you. Trust me.’

Cassy chewed her lip, but what option did she have? Her hands were already going blue and numb, and he was her Alpha, wasn’t it natural to trust him? She couldn’t deny that she was confident he would catch her and get her to safety, but she was still letting go of her grip on the mountain, risking another plunge down it’s depths if he didn’t.

Before she could second guess herself, she released her fingers. The immediate relief of no longer clinging to the branch was quickly swapped by cramping pain and sharp burns. She hissed and cradled her hands to her chest, but they were frozen in a cupped position, any move to close them sending renewed fire up her arms. 

She only fell for a heartbeat before soft black fur and a strong body caught her.

‘I’ve got... Cassandra, your hands...’ Alpha Jason murmured, eyes fixed to them before he shook his head and focused. ‘I’m going to slide us to the mountain's base. Stay pressed against me, okay?’

Through a whimper, Cassy nodded. Alpha Jason moved, easing them down the rest of the mountain. She tucked against his body, only her feet and bum feeling the friction of rocks as they descended. She closed her eyes and trusted him to get her to safety. 

Knowing she was safe should’ve been a blessing but without danger her adrenaline fizzled away, letting pain swarm in and remind her of every bump and cut the fall bestowed upon her. Her hands were the worse, swollen and stuck in a clawed shape as if they were still trying to hold onto the branch. She didn’t know what she looked like, but she was certain she was a mess. 

‘So much for going to the opening ball later.’ She thought, bitterly thinking of Katie wearing a slutty dress and wrapping herself around Zac.

Nothing short of a long soak in the packhouse natural hot springs would help her unwind enough to dress up and go to the celebration, except maybe her mum’s healing ability, but she’d be tired from helping Emily. 

Finally, they came to a stop.

Though she knew they were at the base of the mountain, Cassy didn’t move immediately. Small tremours worked over her body as if it only just realised how close she had been to dying. If it wasn’t for her bloodline ability and Alpha Jason, she probably would’ve. She curled in on herself, well as much as she could do with the groans and protests of her muscles. But in that moment, she liked feeling them. They were a rough reminder that she was alive.

The Alpha wolf beneath her didn’t move. His body stayed wrapped around her as if shielding her moment of weakness from the world. He tucked his head against her, closing her in on all sides, and pressing his nose to her hair. It was an instinct most wolves had — protect the pack, help with weak — but still, it was surprisingly... Gentle of the stone Alpha. Emotions running high, she found her own nose turning into his body as she nestled further into the black fur that comforted her and inhaled his scent. It was warming and surprisingly sweet, and made her wonder what his pheromones would be like.

“What the fuck, Jace, get off her.” Alex’s shout tore through Cassy’s peace, making her jerk and feel the pains of her body anew. 

She didn’t know how long they had been curled together, but like a bucket of cold water over her head, she scrambled away from Alpha Jason, wincing as she got her legs under her. Before they could crumple, her friend was at her side, arm around her waist. She was naked, from freshly shifting, and angry, a fierce look on any woman but terrifying on Alex.

She pinned her brother with a glare. “The medical team are stuck at the packhouse with the other injured wolves; you were supposed to bring Cassy straight there. Not let her bleed out here.” 

Despite never letting his sister talk to him that way, Alpha Jason stayed quiet. His eyes didn’t even glaze over with a private mindlink to his sibling. Alex huffed at the lack of response and lifted Cassy into her arms. That finally got the Alpha wolf moving as if to join them.

“I’m taking her to the doctor. I’m sure you have more important things to do.” She threw him a venomous glare. “Like, don’t you have your male High Guard to congratulate?”

Without waiting for an answer, Alex ran off to find the quickest path up the mountain. Cassy groaned at the movement but all her energy to cry or argue was gone. She wanted to tell her friend that the Alpha had been giving her a moment to recover, but the words failed her.

“It’s okay Cass, Zac’s bringing some help. You’ll be okay.”

Alex kept talking, maybe to keep her awake, or maybe to calm the racing heart under Cassy’s ear. Either way, Cassy believed her words and knew she was safe. Maybe there was something about the Briggs family that she connected to. Zac, Alex, and now Alpha Jason... Exhaustion closed in, saving her from the hour long run to medical help, letting her drift into peaceful sleep.