The Alpha's Queen

Chapter 19: One More Day

Beckett

"How's she doing?"

I pulled the door closed, taking care to make sure it made no sound as it latched before turning to look at Pria. "She's asleep. Healing."

Leather creaked as Allie scooted forward on the sofa. Her gray eyes were thoughtful as she twisted the ends of her sandy brown hair. Both of the women had been distraught when we finally made our way to the Blue Mountain Pack lodge. If we had taken any longer, they would have come for us. Likely alone, because no one took their concerns seriously.

That had been expected. They had been my friends long before I had been their Alpha. We would always have each other's back. What I didn't expect was the unbridled fury in their expressions when they saw the extent of Devany's injuries. Sometime over the last few weeks, the three of them had formed a genuine bond, and I knew without a doubt they would kill for her. Only they would have to get behind me.

"P," Allie said, releasing her hair and sitting up straight. "We need to take her for a run when she wakes."

I recoiled. "Do you think that's wise? She's barely got a hold on her beast, and she's hurt."

Pria frowned, considering Allie's words for nearly a minute before replying, "I think Allie is right. She's healed enough to keep control, and the shift will take care of any lingering injuries. Devany is already at a disadvantage. She needs her wolf to survive while she's here. Especially during the mate run."

A low growl rumbled my chest. The girls winced. Quickly, I tamped down my anger and focused on drawing deep breaths in through my nose and out my mouth. One of the first things Alphas learned when they came of age was how to control emotions to avoid releasing power and dominance over others when it wasn't necessary. From the way they struggled to meet my eyes, I knew I was failing, but thinking of Devany joining the mate run made me want to rip apart anyone who looked at her.

But then I remembered what Liam gave me. Suddenly, my anger dissipated as if someone had flipped a switch. Allie and Pria sagged against one another in relief.

"Look, P. I got them. One for you, and one for me."

She jumped up and snatched the golden vial from my hand. The liquid was nearly the same color as her eyes when she shifted. Her lips quivered. Allie covered her mouth with her hands and tears spilled over her lashes.

"He's sure it's going to work?"

"You know Liam. He wouldn't have given them to me if he didn't know it would work."

Pria's tanned skin had gone ashy. "But we have to be sure."

"We can't drink it now. The words have to be spoken immediately after drinking, and we need to make it public."

She nodded and pocketed the vial. "We'll look like fools if it doesn't work, and the Council will intervene. You know that."

"Who gives a shit?" Allie jumped up and hugged her. "You both brought your concerns to the Council when the goddess declared you as mates." She made finger quotes in the air around the last part of the sentence.

"And they told us we were selfish to question the goddess. That every wolf out there dreamed of finding a true mate, and who were we to question the gods?" I said, slipping my vial into my pocket. Its warmth was comforting. "And when our attempt at rejecting one another didn't work, they told us it was because we could not undo a true mate bond."

"They're so rare," Pria murmured, running her hand through her short black hair as she paced. "And no one rejects a true mate bond. No one questioned their explanation. We didn't question it."

"But now we know the truth. The bond didn't break because it's unnatural. It's a spell, and we have the tools to break it."

"When do we do it?"

"Tomorrow at the Full Moon feast. Every wolf has to declare their intentions to join the mate run, but if we do it too soon, it gives our enemies time to plot against us. This way, we can catch them off guard."

Mischievousness replaced Pria's earlier trepidation as she grinned at me. "You're going to do it. You're going to run?"

"Of course. Devany is the one, and if the goddess doesn't bless us publicly, we'll still claim one another. I won't let another bastard near her. Especially not Jack." My vision went dark around the edges at the idea of him putting hands on her.

"Good. And I know the goddess will bond you two publicly. There has to be a reason they wanted you paired off with the wrong girl."

"And what about you two?I gestured at the two of them, hoping they understood the extent of my excitement for them to finally claim one another.

"We're not going to run. We don't need a blessing," Allie answered, kissing Pria's cheek. "The real blessing will be when I get to hold her hand in public."

"Shit, Allie. When you say things like that, it makes me want to climb you like a tree."

She waggled her brows at Pria. "What's stopping you?"

"Alright, you two. To your room."

They giggled like little girls as they rushed to the door, and I hoped like hell the walls here were thick enough to block out their lusty moans. It wasn't likely, though. The Blue Mountain Pack certainly hadn't cared about providing their guests with any luxuries. The guest lodge barely covered the necessities.

I picked up my headphones and stuck them in my ears. Then I crept back into my bedroom and gingerly climbed onto the bed next to Devany. She didn't stir. Not even when I brushed her hair out of her face.

"One more day," I whispered, kissing her on the cheek before laying down. "Just one more day."