Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Leo

“Don’t worry about me, little mate, I’ll be okay.” I assured Austyn. I couldn’t help but feel excitement over the concern in her wide eyes and the slight quiver of her bottom lip. For a second, I forgot about her no touching rule. I reached out and grabbed her waist. She gasped and quickly moved away from me, her face lighting up in pain.

“I’m sorry, did that hurt?” I panicked. She winced and gently held her side. I saw fresh tears swimming in her eyes.

“Austyn, what happened?” I moved as close as she would let me.

“It’s nothing.” She could barely speak, she was in so much pain.

“That’s not nothing.” I argued.

She wouldn’t answer me so I had to take matters into my own hands. I grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up just enough to see the area she was holding. From one side of her body to the other was a large gauze wrapping.

“What is this?” I asked between clenched teeth.

“I broke some ribs.” She whispered.

“From Kayden?” I was barely in control of Quinn now. She just nodded.

I couldn’t even focus on the fact that she wasn’t healing and how that made no sense because I could still feel her wolf. Instead, I felt my eyes go black as Quinn took over. I phased quickly and pounced into the ring. Kayden joined seconds later.

Quinn snarled at Kayden’s wolf, baring his teeth and pounding his paws into the ground. We would make quick work of this. Quinn lunged towards the wolf and pinned him to the ground, ripping out a piece of his hindleg. The wolf whimpered and reacted, twisting against Quinn’s body and pushing him away. Quinn growled and attacked again. He was out for blood. In a matter of minutes, Kayden’s wolf was a mangled mess of furr and blood on the ground.

“Leo!” My sweet mate’s voice cut through all of the noise. Quinn turned towards her and saw her scared expression. She had a hand covering her mouth, her eyes wide. I realized what she was trying to tell me.

I stepped away from the wolf and shifted.

“Submit and I will let you live.” I ordered him. The wolf’s head bowed and averted its eyes, submitting to me.

Jacks tossed me some clothes and I noticed my mate was avoiding looking at me. I laughed at her innocence. I quickly got dressed and jogged over to Austyn.

“Are you okay?” I asked her, resisting the urge to comfort her.

“Are you?” She asked instead of answering.

“Never better.” I grinned wickedly and she just shook her head at me.

“Be right back.” I told her as Alpha Victor approached. I didn’t want him anywhere near Austyn.

“Well, a deal is a deal. You have won the duel and Austyn. I suppose the dinner is canceled.” Alpha Victor sighed.

“Yes.” I didn’t waste anymore time with Alpha Victor. I turned my back to him and returned to my mate.

“We’re leaving.” I instructed Jacks and Nick. I wanted to give Nick more time here with his mate’s family, but he was my Gamma and I needed him to do his duty. Neither one of them complained.

“Do you have anything you want to take with you?” I asked Austyn as we walked towards the car.

“Just what’s in my camp in the basement.” She said. I nodded towards Nick who took off to gather up her things. He also needed to collect Amber and bring her back with us. She had to choose where her loyalties lied now or never.

“Nick will get everything for you. We’re getting out of here.” I said, opening the passenger door for her. She didn’t argue. I had a feeling she was going to be the quiet type. We had a lot of work to do.

“Are you okay?” I asked Austyn as she flinched in her seat.

“Just a little sore.” She grumbled. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

“Austyn, why aren’t you healing?” I asked. She shifted uncomfortably and I knew it wasn’t just out of pain. She was looking out the window, avoiding me.

“Austyn….”

“My wolf….is….broken.” She said, like she wasn’t quite sure how to explain it.

“Broken?” I eyed her curiously before returning my focus to the road,

“I can sense your wolf.” I said.

“Yes, she’s in there, she’s just not able to come out. I can’t shift or heal, and I just have normal human senses.” She shrugged.

“How did that happen?” I swear, if Kayden and Alpha Victor had anything to do with this I was going to turn this car around and murder them.

“The night of the rogue attack, when my parents were killed, they injected me with something that took her away.” Austyn explained.

“Why would they do that?” I didn’t even know something like that existed.

“I could speak to my wolf since I was four. My parents thought that made me a target so they kept it a secret. I guess the rogues found out.” She said, rubbing her arms like she was cold,

“See why Kayden rejected me?” She added with a stubborn pout on her lips.

“Don’t say his name,” I growled,

“It’s not worthy of your lips.” She blushed deeply.

“I don’t care if you have a wolf or not, Austyn, I love you.” I wasn’t shy about my feelings and I didn’t care that Austyn wasn’t ready to say it back. All I cared about was proving to her that it was true.