Marked by the Alpha (9 page)

The female wolf was touching her head now. “It’s the effect of the drugs leaving your system. Let us get you something?”

Dani
shook her off and looked down. She felt gross. “Just let me
—”

She threw up again without warning and could do nothing as the blond wolf held her up. Could she be right?

“Go get her something, please, Phil
,
”
the female wolf said.

Dani
began to cry. The woman rinsed her mouth out with cool water and helped her out of her clothes. She twisted a quick braid into
Dani’s
hair and glanced towards the door. “Phil and I were both taken once
, so we know what it’s like.
Just try to relax.”

“Where is Mason?”
Dani
whispered. “Can you please just tell him to come up here?”

“He’s out right now.” The female wiped at
Dani’s
mouth again. “I’m Portia.”

Dani
groaned again and was immediately brought up and over the bowl. She laid her head in Portia’s lap and continued to cry.

“You were taken?”
she asked Portia after a while.

“A lot of us have been. We owe our lives to Mason. He is one of the best trackers I have ever met. He just cares that much.” Portia was rubbing
Dani’s
head.
“Mason was taken many years ago
and kept
for almost a year. It kills him
when
one of our own is out there being held captive like an animal.
”

Dani
heard footsteps walking towards them
and she looked up. “I don’t think I can swallow anything.”

Phil kne
lt
down. “It will start to work as soon as you drink it.” He held out a small plastic cup to her lips. “Open your mouth.”

Dani
shook her head no. She was not trying to be
difficult
;
she
truly
was concerned
that
it would just come back up.

“I guess I can give Cal a call. He works at the hospital. I’m sure he’d be more than happy to come over and give you a shot of something.” Phil looked over
Dani’s
head
at Portia.

Portia reached up and took the cup from Phil. She wrapped her arm around
Dani’s
shoulders.
“Open your mouth, please, or nothing will stay in your system and we will have to call for someone else.”

Dani
shook her head again
, and then
Phil leaned down and firmly squeezed her nostrils together. She glared up at him but could do little else as her mouth eventually popped open and Portia poured the liquid down her throat. She felt like a little kid
being given icky-tasting medicine
.

Dani
felt Phil pick her up
and
set her down carefully on the bed
.
The medication immediately quieted her stomach and she felt the cramps ease.
Dani
yawned as Portia pressed next to her and draped her long hair over
Dani’s
shoulder
.

“You are so cold,
Dani
, please let me and Phil keep you warm. We don’t want you to get
any
sicker.” Portia wrapped her arms around
Dani’s
waist.

Dani
wanted to argue but her teeth were chattering. She could not remember a time in her life that she
had been this
cold. She opened her mouth and then closed it without protest.
Phil
lay
on the other side
of her
and
Dani
stiffened.

“Just try to get some rest. Mason will be back in the morning and he will take care of you. Please don’t fight us any
more tonight.” Phil moved so that his body was touching hers.

Dani
said nothing as he linked his hand in hers.
She felt oddly safe in between
the
two wolves
, and
for the first time
Dani
began to feel
like she was home. The icy feeling that had spread through her was now a distant memory as the heat of the
other
two combined together and wrapped around her body like a robe. She sighed into Phil’s back and let herself drift off to sleep.

* * *

Someone was rubbing small circles on her back.
Dani
opened her eyes and turned. The blond wolf, Portia, was sitting next to her.

“How’s your stomach?” Portia
had re
moved her hand and was staring at her.

Dani
let out a breath. “I’m okay now, it’s just that I’m not used to
…” s
he faltered. She wasn’t used to any of this.
Dani
had never had that comfort, or someone to care for her when she was sick, and certainly not someone to discipline her.
They feel like family.
Her brain offered the word hesitantly. How could two people that she just met feel like family?

Portia shrugged. “I don’t know you,
Dani
, and I won’t pretend that being part of pack is all
about
running free without any repercussions.
I just want you to realize that what Phil and I did for you last night is what we would do for anyone here. We took care of you when you really needed it.
”
She smiled warmly at
Dani
and patted her
leg. “I really hope that you can learn to trust us.”

“Mason is no longer giving me a choice
,
”
Dani
grumbled.

Portia scoffed. “How could you not want to be here? I’m not telling you to drink the Kool-Aid,
Dani
, I’m giving you reality.
T
he only strength we truly have is in a pack.
”
She shook her head. “It never ends well when a female tries to make it on her own. There are an unusual amount of hunters in the area. It’s just not safe!”

“Listen, I’ve been on my own
—”

“Damn your past!” Portia snapped and stood up. “Nothing in your past can possibly teach you how to be a part of a pack.”

Dani
fought the urge to growl. She was technically not part of the pack yet and had no authority over Portia. She glared for a moment before getting up and grabbing her duffle bag.

Portia flopped back down on the bed. “Mason wants you to be the
leader
of the females. He wants to make you his. I just wish you could see how excited we are.”

Dani
found an outfit and shrugged it on
, then
turned back toward the bed. “I don’t know what any of you have been through and I know that my attitude
could
use some work
,” she conceded.

“I didn’t mean to snap at you
,” Portia said quietly.
“
It’s just that Mason doesn’t offer his protection to just anyone. He
doesn't just invite someone
to be part of
the
pack
; he
invites them to
become
part of his family.”

The family that you never had,
her brain offered again.
Dani
crawled back onto the bed and curled up on Portia’s chest. “I don’t know how to be a part of a family.”

Portia kissed
Dani’s
forehead. “We already adore you,
Dani
, can’t you just try?”

Dani
nodded as Portia rubbed her head. “Yes, I will try.” They lay there for a while longer until
Dani
heard her stomach growl.

“I’ll be downstairs
,
”
Portia
said, then
stood and walked to the door. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Thank you for helping me last night.”
Dani
said
sincerely as Portia left.
T
his pack business
was
quite a bit
to swallow
, but she decided that she was going to try.

* * *

Dani
had spent all day lying in bed and
she
had no plans to leave the room anytime soon.
She
stretched as she heard a loud knock on the door
, and
she propped up on her elbow
as it
swung open. Mason stepped into the bedroom and
marched
over to her. His features were
painted
with worry.

“I’m fine, Mason
,
”
she said, hoping to reassure him, and then
sat up all the way and touched his hand. “It was just the drugs wearing off, honest.”

He touched her forehead
and then
ran his hand down over her arm. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t here for you last night.”

“Phil and Portia took care of me
,
”
Dani
replied, but
did not offer
any
more
information
. If he knew just how much of a fight she
had
put up he might hold it against her.

“
Yes, they told me that you were not exactly a model patient,” he said with a slight smile. “Don’t worry though
;
I know that you weren’t trying to be difficult and I’m not angry about it
.
I’m just glad that you’re feeling a little better.” He had a small bag with him
,
from which
he produced a thermometer. “Are you still feeling cold?”

Dani
huffed and curled back under the covers. “I don’t need you to play doctor, Mason, I’m fine.
I’m not putting that in my mouth.
” She pulled
the covers
up to her chin and narrowed her eyes.

Mason took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling.
“
Must you always be difficult?
Alright, then I’ll go
and
get a thermometer that doesn’t
require
your cooperation.”

He turned and left quickly and
Dani
grew alarmed.
She began to sweat as his words played
over
and over
in her mind. He could not mean that he would…
Dani
shook off the thought. The idea of being over his lap again was appealing
—even if she hated to admit it—
but
she
certainly
didn’t want to be over his lap for… for that
!

Dani
pulled her hair up into a bun and tried to calm her frantic heartbeat. She was literally dripping with sweat now and to her utter mortification she felt wetness between her legs. She growled as if that would calm her arousal
. Finally
the door swung open and Mason reappeared
with a different thermometer in his hand.

“I’m not a baby
,
”
s
he
stated
as he approached the bed
, trying to sound determined but instead sounding quite a bit like a baby.

Mason laughed loud and deep as he saw her obvious misunderstanding of the situation. He held up the digital thermometer in his hand. “This one goes in your ear
,
”
he informed her with a grin.
He reached down before she could react
, held her in place with one hand while slipping the thermometer into her ear with the other,
and got a quick reading. “Though with way you are acting I kind of wish that I had found
a different type
.”

Dani
blushed furiously, and she
wanted to scream at hi
m, but
she decided to keep quiet
to avoid provoking him.

“I do have some medication for you that you’re not going to like much.” Mason opened the bag and set something down on the bed. “I do need you to roll over for these.”

Dani’s
eyebrows shot up to the top of her head and she tried to
gauge
if Mason was playing on the
previous
miscommunication or if he was in fact serious this time. “My stomach is better, I can swallow pills
,
”
she said, trying to sound perfectly healthy.