Chapter 6

 

Chad's POV

I bent over Avyaane's still form, my heart pounding with a tumultuous mixture of concern and simmering anger. Her chest barely rose and fell, her skin pale and clammy.

Despite everything that had transpired, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry for her. My wolf whined softly within me, torn between rage at her attempt to shoot me and an instinctive need to protect our mate.

Logan's voice cut through my thoughts, dripping with venom. His eyes flashed dangerously, a muscle twitching in his clenched jaw as he snarled,

"Don't fake death with us, you little bitch. Because the actual death is just around your corner if you keep this up." His hands trembled with barely contained fury, itching to lash out.

I glanced up to see Killian rushing to Blair's side, his face a mask of concern as he examined the gunshot wound. The usually stoic Killian's voice wavered slightly as he said softly, "Let me see it."

His gentleness was a stark contrast to the murderous fury blazing in his eyes. "That ungrateful whore is going to pay for this," he added, his tone low and menacing.

Logan's patience had clearly run out. With a growl that rumbled deep in his chest, he seized one of Avyaane's bare breasts, squeezing it roughly. "Get up, bitch!" he roared, his face contorted with rage.

"Don't think you can fool us with this act." Veins bulged at his temples as he fought to control his wolf, which was howling for retribution.

But Avyaane didn't even flinch. A frown creased my brow as I studied her face, noticing the slight flutter of her eyelids.

"Let her be," I said, my voice low and authoritative. "I think she's actually unconscious." I felt an odd surge of protectiveness, even as anger still churned in my gut.

Blair let out a bark of laughter, though it was tinged with pain and bitterness. "Anyone would fake that when cornered without escape," he spat, wincing as he adjusted his injured arm.

"She's just trying to buy time." His eyes, usually twinkling with mischief, now burned with a combination of hurt and betrayal.

I shook my head, feeling oddly conflicted. "She can't escape us now," I stated firmly, trying to project an air of calm authority even as turmoil raged within me.

"We should take her to the hospital for treatment. After that, she moves in with us, and we can exact our revenge as we please." The words left a sour taste in my mouth, but I knew it was what my brothers expected to hear.

My brothers exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and grudging agreement. Logan's lips curled into a cruel smile, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

"Well, who's gonna carry the little slut?" he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.

Blair pushed himself to his feet, wincing slightly but determined to prove his strength. "Let me take care of that," he insisted, a hint of his usual bravado returning.

"She's not heavy, after all." I could see the pain etched in the lines of his face, but also the stubborn pride that refused to show weakness.

As we left the house, I couldn't help but notice that Avyaane's father still wasn't home. Probably out late drinking, as usual. The thought filled me with a mixture of disgust and pity, fueling the protective instincts that warred with my anger.

"I can't believe we've finally found a mate," I mused as we walked to the hospital, the unconscious Avyaane cradled in Blair's arms.

My voice was thick with conflicting emotions - relief at finally finding our destined partner, anger at her attempt to kill us, and a lingering fondness that I couldn't quite shake.

Blair snorted, his handsome face twisted with disdain. "And one lowlife, for that matter," he spat. "I wish we could reject her first, but our thirst to torment her won't let us."

The bitterness in his voice was palpable, masking the hurt of being shot by the very person meant to complete us.

At the hospital, the nurses bowed low, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and reverence. "What shall we offer you, your highnesses?" they asked, practically tripping over themselves to please us. Their obsequiousness grated on my already frayed nerves.

"A bed in the emergency ward," I ordered, my voice clipped and brooking no argument.

"Yes, Alpha," one nurse replied, quickly leading us to an empty room. The fear in her eyes as she glanced between us and Avyaane's limp form was evident, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

As we laid Avyaane on the bed, the doctor rushed in to examine her. After a few tense moments, during which I could feel my brothers' impatience radiating off them in waves, he straightened up with a sigh. "The weak thing is overpowered by her first shift. That's why she fainted."

Logan let out a bitter laugh, his eyes flashing with derision. "Isn't this a cruel joke?" he sneered. "Us strong Alphas mated to someone who can't even handle a simple shift?"

His words dripped with contempt, but I caught a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, quickly masked by anger.

"She'll be dead before satisfying us all," Killian added, his eyes gleaming with malice. But beneath the cruelty, I sensed a hint of frustration - perhaps even fear - at the vulnerability of our newfound mate.

I turned to the doctor, pushing down my own conflicted emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. "What does she need?" I asked, striving to maintain a facade of calm authority.

"Enough rest and medication," he replied, looking nervous under our collective gaze. I could smell the fear rolling off him in waves.

Blair, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke up. His voice was strained, whether from pain or emotion, I couldn't tell. "How long will that take?"

The doctor hesitated before answering, clearly intimidated by our presence. "Two weeks at least, from the looks of it."

Logan's face twisted into a sneer, his eyes darkening dangerously. "I do believe she'll need a permanent bed in the emergency. Because after pleasuring us every night, that's what will come next."

With that, he stomped out of the hospital, leaving a trail of frightened staff in his wake. The barely contained violence in his movements spoke volumes about the retribution he was already planning.

As we followed him out, I found myself lost in a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions. I didn't know whether to feel okay or not about sharing my ex-girlfriend as a mate with my brothers.

The situation was complicated, to say the least. Part of me still cared for Avyaane, remembering the good times we'd shared before everything went to hell. But another part of me burned with anger at her betrayal, at the rumors that had torn us apart.

And now this - she was our mate, but she had detested us violently, even going so far as to shoot Blair. The memory of the gunshot still echoed in my mind, a stark reminder of the chasm between us and our supposed destined partner. How were we supposed to move forward from this?

As we stepped out into the cool night air, I took a deep breath, trying to center myself. The crisp breeze did little to calm the turmoil within me.

I was sure I'd get over whatever I was feeling about the situation soon. I had to. As the Alpha, I couldn't afford to show weakness or indecision.

But as we made our way back home, Avyaane's unconscious form burned into my memory, I couldn't shake the feeling that our lives had just become infinitely more complicated.

The tension between my brothers was palpable - Logan's rage, Killian's cold fury, Blair's wounded pride, and my own conflicted emotions created a volatile mix.

Something told me that this was only the beginning of our troubles. As I glanced at my brothers' grim faces, illuminated by the harsh streetlights, I knew that the road ahead would be fraught with challenges.

Now that our mate turned out to be our most hated enemy, I didn't know whether we'll enjoy tormenting her or the pack will laugh at us for being mated to the lowest. 

The future I had once envisioned being mated to a strong she-wolf, seemed to crumble before my eyes, replaced by an uncertain path filled with uncertainty. As the Alpha, it would fall to me to guide us through this storm.

But as the cool night air whipped around us, carrying the scent of our injured mate, I wondered if I was truly ready for the trials that lay ahead.