5

CARI RYTHORN

The ticking of the clock, steady and precise, tugged at my consciousness, rousing me from my sleep.

Peeling my eyes open, a white blurry ceiling greeted me, and I blinked a couple of times before angling my head to the side.

“Get the sage.” A baritone voice ordered in a low mutter. “Tell her my mate is awake.”

I snapped my head to the direction of the voice, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw a man with titan shoulders, sitting on a chair a few meters away from me.

Mate? How could I have another mate after Tyris rejected me? It was impossible. I shook my head, dispelling the thoughts of having another mate.

My vision cleared, and panic kicked into my heart, causing me to cling to the blanket which was over my body, keeping me warm from the terrible cold.

“Who are you?” I asked, springing up to sit only to wince in pain when I felt a sharp pain slicing through my stomach. I gripped it, hoping the pain would subside.

“Calm down,” he stated softly, rising from his chair with his hands held up in surrender. “You are safe.”

My heart hammered in my chest and confusion swirled around my head.

The moment I remembered what Tyris and Ivy did to me, my chest heaved, and my body began to shake as sorrow racked through me.

“Who are you?” I mustered the courage to still ask further questions.

“I am Liam Hendrix,” he started, exuding dominance with his Greek jaw. “Alpha of the Clawson pack.”

I eyed him, watching his Adam's apple move as he spoke. My brows kissed each other in a frown as question upon question lined up in my head.

“Where am I?” I averted my gaze to glimpse around the elegant and spacious room. “And how did I get here?”

“My pack. I saw you in the woods, you were unconscious and-”

Just before he could finish his sentence, all the air left my lungs and my face turned crimson as a realization hit me–the baby in my womb.

“Wait, wait,” I rasped, desperately feeling my stomach. “Oh, no, no.” My stomach tied itself into knots when I felt empty and couldn't hear a second heartbeat.

“What troubles you?” Liam asked with a wary gaze on me.

Looking up at him, my face was void of all its emotions as I pulled myself together to ask, “What about my unborn child?” Tears stung my eyelids, making my vision foggy.

His eyes which were softly interwoven with blue threads flashed with sadness and sympathy as he pressed his lips into a grim line.

His silence delivered a scary message to me, and a lump formed in my throat.

“Please, what happened to my unborn child?” I asked in a shaky voice.

His head fell, and he closed his eyes for a split second before saying, “I am sorry, but we lost your unborn child.”

My breath caught up in my throat, and my eyes burned as tears rolled down my cheeks.

“What-what do you mean?” I stammered, swallowing hard to push down the stubborn lump that was lodged in my throat.

“I'm sorry,” he muttered, and my joints grew weak.

“No,” I said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. Tears streamed down my cheeks as the shock and heart ache racked through my soul.

My fingers found my hair, and gripped them tightly, threatening to pull them out of my scalp.

“Please, calm down,” Liam urged, drawing closer to me.

I didn't listen to him. I was devastated at the discovery. My heart tightened painfully in my chest as my lips began to shiver. Tears stung my eye lids and every breath was difficult and painful.

“Get a grip of yourself,” he stated with severity, causing my hands to fall from my hair.

I raised my head, eyeing him with my mouth curled into a snarl.

“Get a grip of myself?” I echoed his question, lines of disapproval Cressing my forehead. “Don't you tell me to get a grip of myself. Do you know what it feels like to lose a child?”

Anger brewed in my stomach at his nonchalant words. How could he be so inhumane? Had I been mated to another cocky alpha?

Liam's face contorted, and I was unable to decipher the emotion that was rooted deep in his heart.

Ignoring him, I yanked at my hair, feeling the pain slice through my scalp.

“Stop,” Liam said in a resolute voice, rushing to clasp my hands.

He gently pulled my hands away from my hair, and hugged me. Terror-stricken, my body vibrated.

The feel of his body against mine sent shivers down my spine. My heart which initially pounded violently against the walls of my chest stabilized. I swallowed deep breaths, feeling his fingers trace suiting lines against my back, leaving a warm feeling and a sense of equanimity.

“My alpha, I came as fast as I could,” a voice called Liam's attention from the door, and he glanced over his shoulder.

“Sage Becky,” Liam uttered, letting go of my body. “She is awake.”

Ceaseless thoughts whirled around my head, and the news delivered numerous phantom blows to my stomach.

Images of Tyris's face and how he believed Ivy's lies hurt every fiber of my being. I pressed my lips into a thin line, suppressing a scream of agony.

“I will just run a quick check on her to ensure there is nothing wrong,” the sage who looked to be in her late forties said.

She picked up my hand, but my muscles tensed and I flinched, traumatized from Ivy's brutal beating.

“Calm down, sweetie,” she started, offering me a small smile. “I only want to check your vitals.”

I relaxed my muscles, letting her do her thing. After checking my eyes, palms, heart rate, pulse and everything, she assured Liam everything was well with me.

“She just needs a lot of rest. Apply this on her wounds daily,” the sage instructed, dropping two bottles of oil on the bedside table before taking her leave. “The more religiously you apply them, the faster she will heal.”

“Thank you, sage Becky.” I heard Liam say.

“Why didn't you use your abilities at the woods?” My ears picked up her question, and I tilted my head to her direction, watching her angle her gaze towards Liam.

I averted my gaze to him, noticing the eyebags he had acquired from sleepless nights as he blinked, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It didn't work before, I doubt it would work now,” he responded with a resolute tone.

“Maybe you killed that part of you that night?” The sage asked, eyeing him with orbs that held great wisdom.

He looked away, raking his fingers through his black, shoulder length hair.

“Maybe you just need to unlock it again,” the sage added when she didn't get a response to her earlier question.

He clenched his jaw, his eyes getting harder than they were the first time I saw them.

“I don't think now is the right time to have this conversation,” he admitted, not breaking a smile or a polite look.

My forehead furrowed when I wondered what it was that they were discussing about. I blinked rapidly, tossing away the thoughts of what they were speaking about, I had bigger problems than that.

“Sorry, alpha. I'll be on my way soon. Administer the ointments and syrup as instructed, and she'd bounce back to her feet,” the sage said before leaving us in utmost silence.

I took my eyes off him and stared into nothingness, lost in my thoughts, feeling a slight headache making its way to my head. Each breath felt like a struggle as I sat on the bed, feeling the world fade around me.

“What is your name?” Liam's voice broke the silence that hovered over us like a thunder cloud.

I blinked my gaze to his face, memories pierced my heart like the edge of a sword, leaving behind a scar.

My mouth opened and I tried to speak, but nothing came out of it. I snapped it shut, feeling my sadness wrap around me like a cloak, causing my shoulders to sag.

"What happened to you?" Liam asked again, his wary eyes scanning my body and lingering on my forehead. I raised a hand to touch my head, feeling the gauze wrapped around it. Flashbacks of Ivy dashing my head against a stone flooded my mind, causing my throat to constrict and restricting my airflow.

"Hello?" Liam's voice drew me out of my trance, and I snapped my head to gaze at him. "Can you tell me what happened to you and why you were left to die under the rain?" But I remained silent, staring at him in a dumbfounded manner.

Liam's expression turned slightly impatient. "Were you cast out of your pack?" He threw another question at me, his eyes narrowing. I swallowed hard, fidgeting with my fingers. "What even are you?" His tone changed, and I could sense a hint of irritation in his eyes as he raked me from head to toe with his predatory gaze.

"A she-wolf," I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper.

Liam's lips curled up in distaste and his brows knitted into a small frown. "Of course, I know that's what you are. What are you, an omega?" He asked, his voice laced with disdain as he arched his brows.

I bristled at his tone, protesting, "I am not an omega."

His brows snapped together, and a lump formed in my throat. "Then why do you have wolf blood but not a wolf?" He asked, his eyes piercing mine as if they could read my soul.

I needed an escape from his relentless questions. "I need to use the restroom," I said, my lips wobbling and my voice shaking. Liam stepped away from my bed, and I swung my feet to the floor, curling my toes at the cold tiles.

Willing my legs to the bathroom, sadness weighed upon my shoulders, making every moment and movement exhausting.

“Wait,” Liam said, stopping me in my tracks. I swallowed a deep breath, squeezing my eyes shut. What did he want to ask me again?

“Do you have a name?” He inquired.

I threw a glance over my shoulder, saying, “Cari,” before rushing away.

Getting into the bathroom, my eyes stared at my reflection. My head was bandaged and my face appeared red with puffy eyes that sat above a pointed nose and full lips.

“I hate you, Ivy,” I muttered, wrinkling my nose in distaste when her picture popped up in my head. “And I will get back at you for this, no matter how long it takes.”

I gripped the sink with determination before relieving myself in the toilet. My joints cried in protests, cracking with pain.

“How on earth was my mate pregnant?” My ears picked up on his conversation just as I was about to open the door.

Squinting, I leaned forward, pressing my ear against the door to listen.

“Beats me,” the male voice responded. “I am even more surprised you were blessed with a second chance mate.”

“Could it be that I can't feel the mate bond because my wolf is dead?” I asked in my head before returning my attention to what they were saying.

Liam's voice brimmed with a mixture of frustration and insecurity as he voiced his concerns.

"I'm not sure I want a partner who's been with someone else," he admitted, and I could sense that his words were laced with a hint of anger. "Just the thought of another guy touching her makes me feel... uneasy.”

My heart leapt to my throat. Was I about to face another rejection?