Alpha Vaughan

Chapter 30

Silence surrounded me.

When my eyelids fluttered open, a wave of thirst and tiredness hit me. My fingers dug into the soft bed beneath me and, groaning, I made to raise myself up.

Someone rushed over to stay my movements. When they began to talk, I froze.

"Agh, Miss, you've been unconscious for just three days. And in all that time, you've turned into mere skin and bones. Greta's going to have my head i--"

"Nayla?"

She fell quiet, her almond eyes lighting. "Y--"

I cut her off with a huge hug.

Between giggles, she said, "Careful, you're still weak from the fight."

If I had the strength for that, I would've cried.

When we disentangled, she brought me a glass of water. I drank it down in one gulp, requesting for more.

After swallowing the next one down, my curiosity took control. "What happened? Are you okay? Where were you and William taken to? Is he back too? Tell me everything."

She lowered herself into the chair she'd positioned beside my bed. "To begin with, we were sent to new packs to labour. We worked nonstop and without payment, but we deserved it--"

"No," I said stubbornly. "It was all my fault. You did not deserve to work yourselves to stupor. It was all my fault, and I am very sorry you had to go through that."

She rushed to say, "No need to apologize, and I forgive you... I'm sure William will too."

"How is he?"

"Apart from a killer back pain, he's okay."

A sigh escaped me, my face falling into my palm.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up... God knows the vampires and Tabitha's done enough of that already."

My head snapped up. "Tabitha..." A memory of the duel flashed across my mind. "My God! how is she?"

Nayla snorted. "She's fine, although a bit scared of you now."

"No. I mean, how is she? I... Her fingers..."

"In stitches."

Dread filled me. What had I done? What was I doing? The seer had said to accept my abilities. How to accept something you saw as a curse?

"You won the duel," Nayla informed. "And the pack's respect, too. No one cares that you're Latent anymore, on my way up I heard someone say, and I quote, 'Who needs a wolf when you could do that...'" Then she added, "And... the Alpha sent me back to you as a gift."

That was... Nice of him.

"He'd been really worried about you," she continued, "constantly came up here to check up on you--so did Robyn and Gena."

While I mulled over that, Nyala stood and rolled a table filled with food towards me. My stomach growled at the sight of stacked pancakes smeared with maple syrup.

"Eat up," she said, "and let me fill you in on everything that happened while you were unconscious."

When I filled my mouth with food, she began, "I heard Miss Winifred was seen stomping out of the field with a dark scowl on her face. The Alpha's court were 'amazed and terrified' of your abilities, and the Alpha was said to have remained in his usual stone cold silence. Two ladies from your court, Miss Robyn and Genevieve, were seen rejoicing and making silly faces at Miss Winifred's retreating back--"

I smiled around a mouthful of pancakes at that.

"--Word got out about the Seer's revelation, and everyone's pretty much shaken up. They're counting on you and Vaughan now to find this vampire Link."