The Alphas Prize

Chapter 32: The pain - Part 3/3

He pulled back and gripped my arms tightly. "Where the fuck were you? I was worried sick about you, that something had happened to you." Little did he know that something had happened to me, something I wasn't sure if I was ready to share with him as the pain of my actions began to eat away at me.

I snorted, attempting to brush him off. "I was with the witch; her name is Helena, and I got the cure. So, we need to get going; we don't have much time left." I said in a rush.

Gunnar furrowed his brows. "Something is different about you; what happened?" He asked in a demanding tone, and I knew if I lied to him, he would know, and we wouldn't be going anywhere, anytime soon.

I gulped harshly, afraid of his reaction. "Well, I got the cure, and there was a price to pay," I said quietly, not able to look him in the eyes.

His nostrils flared, and his jaw became rigid. "What was the price, Freja?"

I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. "My wolf," I whispered, my chest tightening at the mention of my wolf.

I opened my eyes only to watch as his face fell. Gunnar blinked rapidly, processing my words, "Come again?"

I exhaled heavily. "The price for the cure was my wolf. I gave the witch my wolf in exchange for the cure. Now, can we please get going? I really don't want to talk about it."

Gunnar was silent as he stared at me with an enigmatic gaze. I clenched my jaw, anticipating his next move, but he surprised me, and instead of yelling at me or berating me, Gunnar pulled me into him and held me close.

He huffed, "Freja, you're a fucking idiot for that doing. However, I understand why you did it, and I would have done the same thing for someone I love. Also, what you did, takes a lot of courage and strength, something that most would not have the guts to do. I'm sorry you had to lose her." Gunnar said sympathetically.

His words resonated with me, causing my chest to tighten and my eyes to sting. I reared back and looked up at him, giving him a small smile, beyond grateful that he was being so understanding.

Gunnar released my arms and stepped back. "That being said, you are not off the hook for making such a dangerous decision." He scolded me. "Alright, let's go, we have quite a journey ahead of us, and we are losing daylight. Are you sure you will be ok?" Gunnar asked, concern in his tone.

My body and head still hurt, not as much, but this was going to be a challenge for me, especially when I was feeling so weak right now. I nodded my head. "Yes, I'll be fine." I told him, not wanting him to fuss over me, "Just might have to take a few extra stops to rest." I shrugged before plastering on my best smile.

His gaze narrowed on me as he tried to determine if I was lying or not. Gunnar breathed heavily. "Ok." He said hesitantly before turning on his heels and heading in the direction we had initially come from in the beginning.

I almost couldn't believe I had the cure, everyone told me I wouldn't get it, that it was unattainable, but I proved them all wrong. However, the price I paid was devastating, losing something dear to me, but we were saving our mate in return, and I had to respect my wolf's wishes.

We had been walking for a few hours now, and the exhaustion was starting to take hold of me as my body screamed in agony. I needed to rest, or else I wouldn't be going any further and would probably collapse right here on the ground.

I stopped and bent over, placing my hands on my knees. Gunnar halted and turned back to me. "Are you ok? What's wrong?" He hurriedly asked,

I waved him off. "I'm alright; I just need to stop for a bit and rest," I told him.

He looked away from me and frantically glanced around before taking off into the trees. A moment later, he returned with a big ass log and placed it on the ground, next to a tree. Gunnar gripped my elbow and stood me up straight, then helped me to walk over to the tree. I sat down on the log and rested my back against the tree, feeling almost instant relief as I did.

Gunnar bent down, so he was at eye level with me. "Stay here and get some rest. I'm going to look for some food and water. If you need me, just yell; I'll stay within earshot." He told me, then leaned in and kissed my forehead. The big buffoon could be the most understanding and caring person when he wanted to, especially when I needed it most.

I smiled lazily at him, feeling super relaxed. "Ok, be careful."

He nodded his head and then sprinted off into the distance. I closed my eyes and hoped to get a few minutes of sleep while he was gone. However, just as my eyes fluttered shut, I heard the snapping of twigs and the sound of shuffling feet coming from behind me. I peered around the tree but saw nothing; there were no voices or other sounds. I continued to listen, not letting my guard down, and another twig snapped, sounding closer this time. I shakily stood up from the log and glanced around, looking for the culprit. My heart was beating erratically now as my chest rose and fell heavily, knowing if a threat was nearby that I was useless now in defending myself.

Unexpectantly, something tapped my shoulder, and I whipped around to see who or what it was, only to be greeted with a fist that aimed for my face. I went to duck, but I was too slow, and the next thing I knew, my ass was knocked onto the ground. Feeling the full force of the hit

I clutched my face with my hands, feeling the full force of the hit, and blood began to pour out of my nose from the impact. I groaned from the pain and continued to lay on the ground, trying to regain myself. I could only hope that Gunnar was close by or had heard the commotion because if not, I was screwed.

I moved my hands to look at who had struck me, only to be utterly shocked at the face that was glaring down at me, a look of pure hatred masking their features, Erik.