Alpha's Poison

Chapter 3 - Red Fang

Chapter 3 - Red Fang

I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the cot, looking around the room for some clothes. I had stayed my mandatory night in the infirmary, but now it was time to move on and maybe kill a rabbit or two, maybe a bear if I’m lucky enough to find one.

                “Astrid,” Lana’s voice was stony when she slid into the room, her cold eyes locking on me.             

                “Hey, you said I only had to stay here a night. I feel fine and I need to go,” I smirked playfully, loving the fact that I could breathe pain free.

                “Yes, I did say that,” Lana said, putting down her stack of files on her desk before returning her eyes to me. “But, I want to talk to you about something before you leave. I didn’t want to mention it in front of the boys, though.” The blood drained from my cheeks and my smirk instantly disappeared at the tone of her voice.

                “What about?” I questioned carefully, clutching the blanket tighter to my chest.

                “When you first arrived here, Alpha Jack and Luna Shannon had me check you over. You were fine and calm,” she paused, sitting on the corner of her desk. “Until I tried to get a look at your back.” I pursed my lips and darkened my gaze, looking towards the ground. “Astrid, when David brought you here I noticed the scarring from your shoulders down.”

                “I thought you were treating me for a broken sternum,” I replied darkly, shifting my gaze to meet Lana’s.

                “A wolf of your stature and health wouldn’t need to be treated for a couple fractured ribs and cracked sternum. I only said that so I would have reason to examine you.”

                “Why would you-.”

                “I pulled this out of the scar tissue just below your shoulder.” Lana held up a small glass vial that held a yellowed wolf fang. “Your flesh had formed around it so it was hard to remove, but not to worry. You are fine,” she informed. Tenderly, I reached up and felt the soft skin just below my shoulder, the sensitive grooves beneath my fingertips making me flinch, a painful memory flashing through my mind. I quickly shook off the thought and glared menacingly at the healer.

                “You shouldn’t have done that,” I snarled angrily, baring me enlarged fangs in disapproval. That fang itching beneath my skin was a constant reminder that I had something to fight for, someone to fight for. Actually, an entire pack to fight for. And an entire pack to avenge. Now, that reminder was resting in a glass vial five feet away between the fingers of someone I thought I could trust.

                “I should’ve done it seven years ago,” Lana returned sternly, her gaze unwavering. “The DNA would’ve been fresh and I could have identified your attacker. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any DNA on the tooth because it’s been sitting amongst your DNA for too many years. ”

                “But I don’t want him to be identified!” I snapped, jumping up from the cot while wrapping the blanket around myself. “I don’t want to know his name.”

                “Why not? He could’ve been turned over to the Pack Board or killed,” Lana argued, wrapping her fingers around the vial and forming a fist.

                “Because I know who he is and when I see that evil, stone face of his I will be the one to tear his heart out. The way he did to my dad.” I howled, before dropping my eyes back to the floor in attempt to hide the tear that was pushing against my eyelid. “The way he did to me.”