The Female Alpha

Chapter 25 ✅

3rd Person's POV

Keith's eyes harden. "I no longer consider her my sister, so shut up already."

"I can't, not until I've finished... You're sister's mate is a high ranking man in the West." She spits out blood along with resentment towards the woman. "Her mate's name is Carl Nelson."

His mouth goes dry and his ears ring as if she shouted it. "...What?"

"The right hand man of the Alpha King of the West, his Beta," she finishes and her hand goes to her neck throwing up more blood. The pain is excruciating and the longer she speaks and she's still conscious trying to fight it...it's worse than last time.

Keith is snapped out of his stupor from the stench of blood filling his scent. He looks down to see a large puddle of blood by the tree's roots surrounding them. Blood has somehow gotten on his shirt and pants, and when he looks at Katie, she is sitting in the pool of red liquid.

"Don't say anything." He growls at her. "You shouldn't have spoken if this is what happens."

"I had to tell you." She says back softly.

She's lost two much blood these last two weeks, and it's not good for her health even if she's got a resilient body as an Alpha. She's getting weaker since she's not properly resting and eating. Rose has been worried, but Katie has been reassuring her that she's fine.

Katie has a sinking feeling tonight she isn't going to be able to dodge the red head's tough love.

Keith stands up and offers her a hand. She looks at it for a moment then grabs it.

"Maybe I should have thought this through because now we're going to have to go back to the pack house like this." Katie laughs, coughing but no blood comes out, which Keith is relieved of.

"Yeah, you should have. It's a good thing nobody comes here anymore." He looks down at the blood seeping into the tree's root, then at her. "Don't ever do that again. I don't want to hear any more of the West Clan from you."

Katie smirks slyly. "Why? Afraid I'll die from blood loss?" She teases.

"Yes," he doesn't miss a beat to reply. "And it might be possible that if you say things more secret, not too many knows about, you'd probably die. So don't say anything."

Her smirk drops and their eyes meet.

She intakes a deep breath when he takes a step closer to her, a foot away, but it feels like he's closed a wide distance she's been keeping him away and the distance he kept her.

"I care about you," and he's crossed that line they've both drawn and have been avoiding. "I think of you as my sister, I have for a while now despite the short amount of time that's passed, we've spent a lot of it together." And he takes another step, that last one, staring straight into her eyes, because he's just a little taller than her, and he feels like he's finally reached her.

Katie exhales shakily. "You really are a daring guy who likes to get himself into trouble."

"Is caring about you asking for trouble?" He raises his eyebrows, but his voice is uncertain when he asks, "Do you not feel the same way?"

Katie looks up into the tree top to collect herself before she's staring at him, noticing he's nervous for her answer.

After hearing about his sister, surely he's been thinking of what to say as to not offend her and make her think she's a replacement. But, she can see that he's prepared for rejection and is just waiting so this can end. She doesn't want it to end and Katie hates herself for not answering quickly when he takes a step back while clearing his throat to find what to say.