The Alpha Kings And Their Stripper Mate

Chapter 59: Chapter 58: She Survived

OUTSIDE THE DOOR

"She stopped screaming," Dr. Thorne said urgently. "That’s....is that...."

"She passed out," Mrs. Blackwood confirmed. "Just like with Kane. The intensity became too much."

"Should I...."

The sounds from inside changed. The brutal pounding stopped. The animalistic growls also stopped.

Then they heard it....a long, satisfied rumble. Almost like a purr.

"He’s done," Mrs. Blackwood said with relief. "He’s claimed her. Marked her. Now he’ll hold her while she recovers."

Dr. Thorne carefully opened the door, peeking inside.

What she saw made her gasp.

Eve was unconscious in Rex’s arms, her body absolutely covered in bite marks.....some still bleeding sluggishly, others already beginning to heal. There had to be at least thirty distinct bites, each one placed with deliberate precision. Shoulders, neck, breasts, hips, thighs, back....not a single major area had been left unmarked.

Blood stained the bed, the floor, even some of the padded walls where Rex had pressed Eve against them while claiming her.

But Rex himself looked....satisfied. Content. His gold eyes were softer now, no longer feral, though he still hadn’t relinquished control back to Damon.

"Mine," Rex said quietly, almost reverently, as he cradled Eve against his chest. "MINE."

"You’ve claimed her," Dr. Thorne said carefully, stepping into the room with her medical bag. "She’s yours. Now let me treat her wounds so she can heal properly."

Rex snarled—a warning.

"I’m not taking her from you," Dr. Thorne said quickly. "I’m helping her. Your mate needs medical care. Let me help her."

Rex considered this, his gold eyes studying the doctor with animal intelligence. Finally, he nodded....a small, reluctant permission.

Dr. Thorne approached slowly, keeping her movements non-threatening. Eve was still unconscious, her breathing shallow but steady. The bite marks were already beginning to heal thanks to her succubus nature, but there were so many of them, all so deep, that the healing was slower than usual.

"These are permanent," Dr. Thorne observed, examining the deepest marks. "Even with her healing factor, these will scar. He marked her deep enough that the tissue damage is permanent."

Dr. Thorne carefully cleaned the wounds, applying antiseptic to prevent infection even though Eve’s supernatural healing made infection unlikely. Rex watched every movement like a hawk, ready to attack if the doctor hurt his mate.

"She’s going to be okay," Dr. Thorne assured him. "She just needs rest. Lots of rest. And feeding when she wakes up...her energy reserves are completely depleted from this claiming." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

"I feed her," Rex said possessively. "I provide."

"Yes," Dr. Thorne agreed. "You’ll feed her. But first, she needs to wake up. Can you...can you give control back to Damon? So he can take care of her?"

Rex’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because Damon can call his brothers," Dr. Thorne explained patiently. "Can tell them the claiming is complete and Eve survived. Can help her when she wakes confused and scared. You’ve done your part...you’ve claimed her, marked her, made her yours. Now let Damon take care of the rest."

Rex considered this for a long moment. Then, slowly, the gold began to fade from his eyes.

Damon blinked, awareness returning, and immediately looked down at Eve’s unconscious, thoroughly marked body.

"Fuck you Rex," he breathed, horror and guilt warring in his expression. "What did he....."

"You claimed your mate,"Dr. Thorne said. "Exactly as you needed to. She’s alive. She’s healing. You succeeded."

Damon’s hands trembled as he gently touched the worst of the bite marks....the one over Eve’s heart, so deep it would definitely scar permanently.

"He marked her everywhere," Damon said, his sounding amused. "There’s not an inch of her that isn’t bitten or bruised or...." He couldn’t finish.

"And she survived," Dr. Thorne reminded him. "That’s what matters. She survived Kane. She survived Rex. And in a day or two, she’ll survive Cain. She’s stronger than you think."

"She’d have to be," Damon replied, "to survive being mated to us."

He carefully lifted Eve, cradling her against his chest, mindful of her injuries. "I need to call Damian and Silas. Let them know it’s over. That she....that she made it."

"I’ll call them," Mrs. Blackwood offered. "You focus on your mate. Clean her up. Let her rest. Be there when she wakes up."

Damon nodded, carrying Eve to the bathroom. The claiming was over.

Rex had marked his mate in every way possible.

And Eve had survived.

Barely. But she’d survived.

Two wolves down. One more to go.

And everyone was terrified of what Cain would do when his turn came.

************

FOUR HOURS LATER - 6:30 PM

Eve woke slowly, pain radiating from what felt like every inch of her body.

She was clean....someone had bathed her gently while she was unconscious. Dressed in soft pajamas. Tucked into the bed with Damon holding her carefully, mindful of her injuries.

"Hey," Damon said softly when he saw her eyes open. "How do you feel?"

"Like I was mauled by a wolf," Eve said, her voice hoarse. "Oh wait....I was."

Despite everything, Damon smiled. "Your sense of humor survived. That’s a good sign."

Eve tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. Pain lanced through her shoulders, her neck, her hips....everywhere Rex had bitten her.

"Don’t move too much," Damon cautioned. "You’re healing, but there are....there are a lot of markes. Rex was.....He was thorough."

"He marked me," Eve said, touching her neck gingerly and feeling the raised edges of healing bite marks. "I can feel it. Dozens of marks."

"Thirty-seven," Damon said quietly. "Dr. Thorne counted. Thirty-seven distinct bite marks, each one deep enough to scar permanently. You’re going to carry Rex’s claim for the rest of your life."

Eve processed this. Part of her was horrified....she was permanently scarred, marked like property.

But another part....her succubus nature, her mate bond....felt deeply satisfied. Claimed. Protected. Owned in the most primal way possible.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"Downstairs," Damon said. "Giving us privacy. But they’ve been worried sick. The moment I called and told them you’d survived, they wanted to rush back. I had to convince them to give you time to wake up first."

"I want to see them," Eve said. "Let them know I’m okay."

"You’re not okay," Damon corrected gently. "You’re alive. You’re healing. But you’re not okay. Rex nearly killed you with that claiming."

"But he didn’t," Eve pointed out. "I’m here. I’m conscious. I survived. That’s what matters."

Damon kissed her forehead carefully, avoiding the bite marks on her face and neck. "You’re incredible. You know that? Most people wouldn’t have survived one feral wolf claiming. You’ve survived two. And you’re already thinking about facing the third."

"When?" Eve asked. "When does Cain claim me?"

"Not for at least two days," Damon said firmly. "You need time to heal. To recover. To....." He gestured helplessly at her marked body. "To not be covered in open wounds."

"Two days," Eve repeated. "Then Cain. Then it’s done. The bond is complete."

"Then it’s done," Damon agreed. "And we never have to do anything like this again."

Eve hoped he was right.

But as she looked down at her body....at the dozens of permanent scars Rex had carved into her skin....she couldn’t help but wonder.

If Rex had marked her this thoroughly, this permanently, this possessively....

What would Cain do when his turn came?

And would she survive it?