Secret Worlds (353 page)

“Relax, babe.” Aiden stroked my forehead with a cold wet towel. “It’ll be okay. Just lie back and breathe.”

“Diana. Anyone but her. Not Diana.”

“Maybe I should go. I don’t want to upset your girlfriend.” She sounded sincere, but I didn’t believe it.

“Stay close, in case I need you. She’s just feeling a little vulnerable, I think.” Aiden turned his attention back to me. “What’s wrong, babe? Diana is part of the pack. You remember, right?”

“Pack. Werewolves, right? I’m not one.” I couldn’t form a coherent sentence to save my life.

I tried to sit up again, but my muscles didn’t want to respond, and the effort it took to speak drained me of what little reserves I had left. I needed to close my eyes and sleep. Just for a moment. That’s all I needed.

“Babe, wake up.” Aiden’s voice was accompanied by icy liquid being poured on the top of my head. Rather than soothe, this time it intensified the pain and angered me.

“I need to sleep,” I moaned.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Aiden countered. “Diana, can you get Fallon some coffee?”

“Poison.” It was all I could think to say. Diana was bad. She did this to me. She couldn’t be trusted. She was going to kill me or keep me from turning. “Turning. Wolf. No Diana.”

“You’re not making any sense, babe. Just relax.”

Sleep called out to me. I closed my eyes again for the briefest of moments and teetered on the edge of consciousness. There, I could make sense of it all. But when I opened my eyes again it all went away.

“Here. Drink this.” Aiden held a cup to my mouth.

“Poison.” I was sure of it. “No!” I fought to turn my head. “It’s bad.”

“She’s really delusional.” The woman Diana spoke again. “I hope she snaps out of this soon. Poor thing won’t be ready for the transition if her brain is broken.”

“She’s a fighter. She’ll recover.” Aiden took a sip from the cup then held it to my lips again. “See? It’s okay, babe. It’s just coffee. You need to stay awake and alert to shake off the concussion.”

That’s exactly what she wanted. I’d figured it out. She didn’t want me to be a wolf. And she wouldn’t poison me outright. Not with Aiden standing right there. She’d wait till I was alone and weak. I needed to make a full recovery—fast. I gulped at the coffee Aiden offered. It burned my throat, which, while painful, also helped to waken me more.

“Atta girl.” I heard the smile in Aiden’s voice.

Once I’d gulped the last drop in the cup I looked up. My vision hadn’t cleared, but it was getting better. Diana stood behind Aiden, just to his left. She scowled and her eyes shot daggers at me.

I couldn’t believe that Aiden wasn’t seeing or sensing with his super wolf-abilities how full of shit she was. He actually appeared to be eating up her lies. Maybe he was just too overwhelmed with concern? No matter the reason, Diana getting away with this set my teeth on edge. I needed to find a way to remedy this problem.

I turned to Aiden and smiled. “I’m feeling a little better, baby. Thanks.”

“You had us all scared to death. Do you remember what happened?”

I shook my head. “Not really. One minute I was picking up my clothes and the next … nothing.”

“I can’t leave you alone for a minute, can I?” He pulled me into his lap.

“Nope. You can’t, but she can.” I pointed to Diana, who still lingered annoyingly close.

“I can take the hint.” She smirked at me. “Hope you feel better. Would hate for you to have any further accidents.” I’m not sure if Aiden heard it, but I certainly caught the threat in her voice.

Aiden turned to Diana. “Stay close in case we need your help again.”

“Of course. Boss. If you need anything at all, you just let me know.” Diana smiled brightly at him.

It made my blood boil.

I watched her saunter away, relieved to see the tail end of her. I’d had my fill of that woman for a long while. All that sugary sweet “Anything for you, Boss” crap. I hoped my man was too smart to fall for it; but then again, he didn’t seem to be seeing through the bullshit. It would be up to me to stop her.

I turned back to my Aiden. “Now let’s talk about making me a wolf.”

“One step at a time, babe. Let’s get you back on your feet.” He attempted to lift me, but my legs weren’t quite ready to support my weight.

“Just give me a little bit here,” I said, trying to hide the pain in my voice. Hurt or not, I needed to turn quickly so I would be ready for Diana’s next attack.

“Do you remember what happened at all?”

“Diana happened.” There was no smoothing out the hatred in my voice.

He scrunched up his face. “What?”

“She doesn’t want me to be your mate.”

“We’ll, I can understand that. I am the most eligible bachelor here on the wolf preserve.” He flashed a mischievous smile at me.

“Don’t flatter yourself. But seriously, she’s out to prevent me from being with you.”

“That’s silly. She can’t stop you from being with me.”

“She said”—I air quoted—“‘Not everyone survives the transition. There are ways to swing the odds either way.’”

“That’s impossible.” He shook his head and let out a sigh. “No one can mess with the transition.”

“Argue with me all you want. She claims she knows how. I’m just repeating what Ms. Diana told me right before she knocked me out.”

“And,
I’m
telling you that’s impossible, so don’t worry about it. She’s probably just trying to scare you. It’s up to fate to decide if you turn wolf or not.”

“Well, her slamming me onto the stone floor while my back was turned might have something to do with it. That’s a little more than trying to scare me.”

His jaw tightened. “I’ll have a talk with her.”

“You’ll have a talk with her?” That phrase just didn’t bear the weight it should have. “That’s your solution here? She just attacked me and instead of defending, you’re just going to have a friendly little chat?”

“Oh, it won’t be a friendly little chat. But she is pack. There are rules to dealing with these situations. I can’t punish her until I have all the facts.”

“How diplomatic.” I was beginning to be sick of the pack way of doing things. “Don’t bother. She’s just going to deny any involvement anyway.”

“Well, what do you want me to do? I won’t have someone threatening my mate.”

“You could have her euthanized.” I was only partly joking.

“Sorry, no. Our pack is too small; we need every wolf we’ve got. I could have her muzzled if you like.” He snuggled up next to me on the ground. “You want me to beat her with a rolled up newspaper?”

“I’d appreciate that, baby.” I giggled at the thought of her wearing a muzzle while Aiden stood over her saying “Bad dog.” His heart was definitely in the right place though it seemed the pack had his hands tied. “Really, I would, but this is my battle. I plan to take care of this myself.”

“You’re going to fight her for me?” He puffed his chest out a little.

“Don’t be cocky. I love you, baby, but this goes farther than that. She’s threatened my life. I’m going to put that bitch in her place.”

He nuzzled into my neck. “Do you know how sexy that sounds, Mrs. Alpha?”

“Yeah. But baby, my head is killing me. Can we take a rain check on that right now?”

“How long are you going to make me wait?” he purred in my ear.

“Just till the fire alarms stop blaring.”

“Oh, you poor thing.” He ran his fingers through my spiky hair.

“Don’t pity me. Let’s talk about my fur coat.”

“Wow, what a change. Yesterday you wouldn’t consider the idea, and today you’re practically begging for it.”

“I just want to get this over with.”
And then I can take care of that meddling bitch
. “What do we have to do, wait until the full moon?”

“No,” he chuckled. “The moon has no effect on the transformation. Our ancestors were pagans and used the moon for celebrations. We can do it anytime.”

I turned my head to look at him better. “Right now?”

“You’ll want to be at full strength before we do this. It’s not an easy process, and whether or not you transition is up to your body’s ability to heal.”

I cringed. The fear of death returned. It was really only a fifty-fifty shot, and injured as I was, I wondered if that really did have an effect on the odds. “What’s involved?”

“To start, you’ll need to eat the flesh of the Alpha.” He said it so matter-of-factly, as if it were nothing to perform an act of cannibalism.

I felt my breakfast rise to the back of my throat. “Eat … what?”

“Sorry, babe. That’s how the curse enters your blood. You have to ingest some of the wolf to become one.”

I swallowed back the bitter chunks in my throat.
This whole idea just gets worse and worse the more I learn about it
. But, gross as it sounded, I’d made the commitment, and I would go through with it.

“Then what?” I prayed there was nothing else icky I had to eat or drink. I wasn’t sure my stomach could handle it.

“Then comes the hard part.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Then … you get mangled.”

“What?” Maybe I was still hearing things. I had hit my head pretty hard. He didn’t just say “mangled,” did he? “You’re going to beat me?”

“Try not to think of it as domestic violence. I’m not going to hurt you out of anger. But, that whole ‘scratched or being bitten thing,’ that’s the nice version of what happens to people who are turned into a wolf. To really transform, your body needs to be taken to a state close to death so that the curse can take hold. If it does, your body will miraculously heal.” He smiled, as if that was supposed to make me feel better about it.

My head began throbbing all over again, pounding like the sounds of a death march drum. “This is sounding worse and worse every minute.”
What the hell did I sign up for?

“It’s not pretty, but that’s the way it’s been done for centuries. Still want to go through with it?”

I closed my eyes and exhaled very slowly, reminding myself I had given my word. I loved this man, and I would do anything to be with him. Anything! “I guess I have to.”

A thin olive-skinned man with faux hawk and a goatee burst through the office door. “Aiden, we’re not done yet.” He scowled at the two of us lying on the floor together.

One of Aiden’s dark eyebrows quirked up. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, Micah.” His voice threatened danger, while his lips pulled back into a wolf-like snarl.

“My apologies, Alpha. There is still business to attend to.” The lanky looking man lowered his eyes, as a sign of respect, but the arrogance did not leave his voice.

“I’ll deal with you and the rest of the council momentarily.” There was no mistaking the message in his tone. He had a serious get-the-fuck-out vibe going on, and even Micah with his arrogance couldn’t ignore that.

“Of course.” Micah bowed his head and turned around grumbling, “Humans are more important.”

I felt Aiden’s muscles tighten. A growl rumbled in his chest.

“You better go take care of them,” I said. The last thing Aiden needed was dissension in the ranks. “I’ll be fine.”

“You’re injured.”

“Yeah, well, you need to keep pack morale up, and it’s clear
the human
is causing a problem with that.”

“I’m prepping you for the transition. This is official pack business too.”

“How long do you think the pack will give me before I have to change?” Fear had backed me off my “turn me now” attitude. I was still going through with it, but at this point I’d settle for a few more days to wrap my mind around things.

“The sooner the better.”

I nodded. “Can I at least have a day or two to still be
me
?”

“You’ll still be
you
, silly. You’ll just be a furry you.” He ran his fingers through my short hair. “But, yes. You take the rest of the week and enjoy yourself. Heal and pamper yourself too. Call Alyssa and arrange some spa time if you like. I’ll hold the troops at bay. I promise.”

I squeezed him tight. That man was too good for words. “You’re so good to me, baby!”

“I hope you can still say that after the transition.”

“Me too,” I said, hoping that I would still be
alive
after the transition.

“Don’t dwell on the bad part. You’re going to make one sexy she-wolf.”

Aiden helped me back to our room. Being the Alpha had its perks. Instead of having to stay in the cabins, which really weren’t all that uncomfortable, we had a lovely suite right inside the main building of the wolf preserve. Even though I could have walked the short distance myself, Aiden felt it necessary to carry me. Personally, I felt he wanted to show off his strength and make any passersby aware that I was his at the same time, but the romantic gesture wasn’t lost on me either. He put me on such a pedestal, that man. It was clear that I was his world in every sense of the word. And that fact right there solidified my decision. I would do anything for that man, even if that meant putting my own life on the line.

By the time we made it to the room, my whole body was throbbing with aches and pains. It practically begged for the jetted tub in the ensuite bathroom. And I was determined to take a very long soak.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay while I’m gone?” Aiden asked. “Should I send Brady?”

“You’re too cautious. I don’t need a babysitter. Just go, and hurry back.”

“I don’t like leaving you, especially with the concerns you raised about Diana.”

I didn’t like the concerns I had about her either, but at the moment my only thought was relaxing and making sure I was ready for a fight if need be.

“I’m fine. And I don’t think she’ll be stupid enough to try and attack me again.” At least she didn’t seem like she would be
that
stupid.

“I’ll begin an investigation on her, and if she is found guilty …”

“I’ll put that bitch in her place.”

He beamed at me and ruffled my hair. “I can’t wait to see you as a wolf. You’re going to make one hell of an Alpha.”

Aiden deposited me on the bed and captured my lips. He was heat and need and urgency. The chemistry between us went beyond passion; it was an all-consuming inferno. If pain hadn’t been drowning out all of my other senses, I would have taken things further than a little tongue play, but my aching muscles could only handle so much.