The Alpha's Little Slave

Chapter 58: The Soft Side I

[Third POV]

"Stop this right now!"

The huge bell that hung directly above the arena rang out, signaling the end of the fight. Not that Damon was planning to land the final hit, either way. Harper had already passed out from her wounds, falling limp on the ground with her eyes shut. Blood trickled down from the corners of her lips, her body littered with black and blue.

Damon stared hard at her unconscious figure, an unknown emotion swirling deep within his chest. She was a werewolf― or at least, she was still partly one. By all reason, she should be healing from these superficial wounds already.

So why wasn’t she waking up?

"Damon, have you gone fucking mad?!" Blaise yelled at his older brother the moment he entered the arena grounds.

He made a beeline straight for Damon and Harper, shoving his twin out of the way so that he could get to his mate on the ground. Instantly, he pulled Harper into his arms, cradling her close to his body as if she was a fragile glass doll that would shatter in an instant due to rough handling.

"She’ll heal," Damon coldly said. His eyes, however, did not leave Harper’s figure for even a second. Even when Blaise’s body blocked hers, Damon shifted his stance a little so that he could look over his brother’s shoulder.

"No," Blaise said. He bent down, picking Harper up from the ground bridal-style. His glare was filled with unspoken fury, teeth gritted as he scowled at his brother. "She will not. In case you forgot, Harper isn’t like the rest of us. She doesn’t have her wolf like we do."

He took a step closer to Damon, their gazes colliding as he spoke lowly.

"If anything happens to Harper, I will not forgive you."

"She challenged me."

"You should’ve known better." With that said, Blaise left, making sure to knock his shoulder against Damon’s before exiting the arena.

"Blaise."

The man in question didn’t turn back, his figure quickly disappearing past a corner and out of sight. Damon cursed under his breath, turning to the crowd before sending a message via the pack link to scatter. The show was over, anyway, and there was nothing they needed to stay around for.

Damon quickly followed Blaise, finally catching up to him at the infirmary.

"Nicole," Blaise called out the moment he pushed through the doors, placing Harper on an empty bed before Nicole even had the chance to respond.

The redhead spun around rapidly, her blue eye widening as she placed her fingers to her lips, which had parted into an ’o’ shape.

"Oh no!" She gasped out in surprise, hurrying over in hasty steps. "What happened? She looks terrible!"

"Ritual combat," Blaise said, adjusting Harper’s body so that she could lie down flat and comfortably.

"Is it the Alpha?" Nicole asked, and when Blaise gave her a grim, tight-lipped look, she nodded. "Got it," she said.

She quickly got to work. Gone was the bubbly, ditzy airhead persona. It was quickly replaced with firm determination as she grabbed bottles of salves and bandages off the shelves. She practically flew across the room, picking up seemingly random objects before returning to the bed.

"Shoo," she said. "I need some space."

"But―"

"No buts," she firmly declared.

Nicole then nodded towards the door, where Damon stood, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. He remained there the entire time, silently watching their conversation unfold.

"It seems like the Alpha is looking for you, Beta Blaise."

Such an oddly formal manner of speech. Blaise wasn’t used to it one bit. However, with his older brother watching, Blaise wasn’t too surprised that Nicole had reverted back to all of her formalities.

He nodded once, sparing one last look at Harper before he turned around and left. Nicole quickly took over his spot, using her newfound freedom of space to bustle about faster than before. With a tug of the curtains, she shielded them from view, quickly hidden away from Blaise’s line of sight.

Thus, Blaise had no other choice but to tear his eyes away, returning to his brother’s side.

"What is it?" he curtly asked, not masking his dissatisfaction one bit.

Blaise and Damon had been through thick and thin together. There weren’t a lot of things that Blaise could hold his brother at fault for, but ever since Harper’s sudden arrival into their lives, he had gained another thing, another one, to protect. He never believed in the powers of a mate’s pull― for one thing, Blaise knew that rationality would always come before matters of the heart, something that was naturally irrational. However, he had severely underestimated the Moon Goddess’s plans. frёeωebɳovel.com

The pull between him and Harper could only be described as an attraction everlasting,something that not even death could defy.

It was merely unfortunate that Blaise had to share this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with none other than Damon, the person whom he held dearest, if he had to choose. Blaise wasn’t one to share, and he knew too that his brother was just the same.

Werewolves and their cursed possessiveness. It was never a good thing, no matter the situation.

"I don’t suppose you’re actually here to gloat about your victory?" Blaise asked when Damon remained silent.

The latter continued to stare in the direction of Harper’s bed, his face ashen pale and lips tightly pressed together. Blaise had never seen Damon so worried before. Not since...

"No," Damon finally responded. "I am not that insensitive."

"Then what is it?"

"You need to leave for the borders soon," Damon reminded. "In a few hours, preferably. Minutes, if you’re ready."

Blaise chuckled coldly. "Aren’t you ever so heartless?"

"You know why you have to go."

His words only caused Blaise to scoff. "Oh, I know fairly well indeed, dear Alpha. You wish to have our little mate all to yourself."

"Blaise," Damon said, a tinge of warning tinting his voice. However, Blaise paid no mind to it.

"That’s how you’ve always been, haven’t you?" Blaise continued. "You’ll only learn to love what you have lost. And now that Harper has every mind to reject you, you’re finally realizing the importance of having her around."

"I am not the only one that has felt it," Damon calmly responded. "You have to, haven’t you? What she can do for our powers."