The Ruthless Alpha Begged Me Not to Leave

Athena

My entire body hurt like hell, but to realize that my mate didn’t love me was an even greater pain.

‘Enzo, please’, I forced through my groggy mindlink with him, coughing as a sharp, agonizing pain flared in my chest. ‘I was ambushed at the northern border. My ribs are hurt... I need help!’

Silence stretched across the link for three long seconds. Then Enzo’s voice came, flat and dripping with ice.

‘Are you serious right now, Athena?’

‘Enzo I’m serious! I’m bleeding out—’

‘Enough!’ he snapped, cutting me off. ‘The northern border hasn't seen a rogue in five years. You’re the Chief Warrior and Luna of this pack. If you think lying about an attack is going to get my attention and pull me away from Bonnie’s birthday party, you’re dead wrong. Do not ruin my mood tonight!’

‘Enzo—’

The link snapped shut. I tried to push through again, but a dull, metallic wall hit my mind.

He blocked me. He really actually blocked me.

A number of emotions flared in my chest at that. I felt anger, shame, hurt and even a bit of shame. As the chief warrior and Luna of the Moonlit Pack, I didn’t beg, and I never in a million years. I never thought I’d have to beg my own mate to save my life.

My wolf whimpered deep inside my chest, curling into herself as the physical and emotional pain hit her. The shattered bones pressing against my lung, and the raw, sickening realization that three years of marriage had bought me zero trust and zero love from Enzo really crushed me.

Footsteps crunched through the brush. I forced my eyes open, dragging my knife out of its sheath to fight to my last, before realizing it was Gamma Tyler. I released a breath and dropped the knife, the pain shooting through my ribs a bit sharper after the movement. Gamma Tyler looked frantic as he dropped to his knees beside me, his breath ragged and his clothes torn from the fight.

"The last of them are down, Luna Athena," Tyler panted. His eyes went wide as he saw the blood soaking my armor. "Goddess... Luna Athena, hold on!"

"Tyler..." My voice barely carried over the wind. "Get me to the hospital. Don't… don't call him. He won't come."

Tyler knew who I meant as the sadness took over his eyes.

Before I could say or do anything else, the darkness finally took me, and everything went black.

When I opened my eyes again, the harsh smell of bleach and soap hit my throat. White ceiling tiles swam into focus, and every breath felt like a hot blade pressing into my side.

"Don't move," a sharp voice warned from the side of the bed.

I glanced sideward, seeing that Holly, my doctor and friend, was standing over me, adjusting an IV line. Her green doctor scrub top was stained with old coffee, and her eyes were fierce with anger.

"Three broken ribs, a punctured lung, and enough blood loss to kill a lesser wolf," Holly gritted out, taping a bandage down on my shoulder. "You're lucky Tyler dragged you in when he did."

"Thanks, Holly," I rasped, my throat raw.

I looked past her to the corner of the room, where Tyler was leaning against the wall, staring at his boots.

"Tyler, where is he?" I asked softly.

Tyler shifted on his feet, refusing to make eye contact. He knew who I was asking about without a name.

"The Alpha... well… he wasn't at the packhouse when I brought you in."

A quiet, hollow feeling settled in my gut. I didn't need Tyler to spell it out. Ever since Beta Rudolf stepped down due to his age one month ago and brought Bonnie back to take over as the new Beta, Enzo had barely spent a single night at home. Last night was Bonnie’s birthday party. After three years of living in the shadow of Enzo’s former fiancée, I knew exactly where he had spent the night.

"That bastard Alpha," Holly spat, slamming a metal tray onto the bedside table. "He left you bleeding in the mud so he could play mate to Bonnie? I’m going to his office right now and throwing this IV tube in his face—"

"No," I said, my voice quiet but firm.

Holly stopped, glaring at me. "Athena, he’s your fated mate and your husband! He’s Alpha! He ignored his own Luna during a rogue ambush!"

"And if you tell him now, he’ll just say I used my position to fake the injuries or cover up a mistake," I said, sitting up slowly despite the blinding pain in my ribs. "I’m not giving him the satisfaction of calling me a liar again. Tyler, keep the rogue attack off the official log for now. Investigate where those rogues came from, and bring the evidence directly to me."

Tyler looked torn, but he gave a solemn nod. "Understood, Luna."

Once Tyler left, Holly sighed, rubbing her temples. "You need to rest, Athena. You’re a warrior, but you’re still made of flesh and bone."

"I'm fine," I muttered, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. My body was built thick and dense from years of combat training, but three broken ribs were taking every ounce of my strength to fight through. 

“I have something I need to do.”

Holly knew better than to try and stop me as I pulled an oversized hoodie over my bandages, grabbed my coat, and walked out toward the hospital lobby.

I had only taken three steps into the main corridor when I froze.

The double doors at the end of the hallway opened.

And standing there was Enzo.