AFRAID OF THE DARK

CHAPTER 9

I undress and climb into the warm tub. It's the perfect temperature and I notice he has placed herbs for my aching body. I relax with the lavender scent and have to smile. No matter what, I know Aidan will make me happy. I will do everything in my power to make him just as happy. A smile rises on my face when I remember his adorable pout. I know he wants to give us a chance. I relax in the tub with these thoughts and drop any jealousy I have over being second.

"Cam, it's me." Locus knocks on the door. "Cedric sent me in here. They spotted some rogues sniffing around and are going to check it out. Grizzly Adam is standing outside to protect us."

I tense up again hearing about more rogues in the area. I cut my bathtime short and let the water drain. I forgot to bring in fresh clothes to change into and I'm not sure I have any. I can't send Locus for clothes when there are rogues in the area. I grab what I was wearing earlier, wishing I had remembered they were scattered on the floor. They became wet when I stepped out. I had been distracted in my thoughts that I had become careless with the clothing. The outfit is now wet and wrinkled. Well, at least some of the medicine smell has been washed off. I put it back on with a frown after I dry myself off. Well, Aidan didn't reject me when he saw me in the jumpsuit. This can't be any worse. I wrap a dry white towel around my wet hair and leave the bathroom to join Locus. She is sitting on the small couch in the room biting her nails nervously.

"They're going to be okay." I say reassuring myself as well. I sit next to her and grab her hand.

"What if they have rabies?" She asks.

"It's rare and there are better treatments more humane than what I was given, though I did not have rabies. Werewolves can be healed from it if we fight it. The wolves that do have rabies don't usually travel together. They always end up killing each other." She nods and hopes I'm right.

I can see her calming down, but we are both at the edge of our seats when the sounds of the fight can be heard near the house. We become quiet with our worry. Our mates are fighting out there and the smell of blood is drifting inside through the slightly open window. Locus must have noticed it as well. She cowers in the corner. I jump up and lock the window. It does nothing to drown out the noise. I see my cousin in near tears and I know I have to calm her.

"So how are you and Ced..." I pause when I move closer noticing something on her neck. I also sniff in her scent. "He marked and mated you!"

She cheers up instantly and shows me his mark. "He didn't want us to be without a way to contact each other. He did it as soon as you left the room. We have been locked in the room until he exhausted me out. I would have still been knocked out if the grizzly didn't wake me."

"I'm so happy for you. From what I see so far, he really cares about you." I hug her. "Things are finally turning around for both of us. The best part is that we can stay together."

"I know. Isn't that wonderful!" She shrieks. "This was meant to be. That's not all. Cedric says he's going to talk to Aidan about getting Lucas here as well. They need a new Gamma to replace that witch."

"It's unfortunate he will have to step down. He's been training to be a Beta his whole life."

"Yeah. He was looking forward to it." She frowns.

"I miss him. I will be thrilled to have him with us again." I smile.

Our calm disappears when it feels like somebody attacked me from behind. The pain of it throws me to the ground and I have to bite down on my teeth to bare with it and keep from screaming. Grizzly Adam runs in and searches the room for danger.

"It's not me. It's my mate." I can feel my wolf coming forward with the need to save her mate. She pushes me to run out the door with urgency.

I hear Locus yelling at me not to go and can almost feel the vibrations of Adam's heavy steps to catch me. I know he's right behind me when I am halfway down the stairs. I throw myself against the wall and watch with wide eyes as his hand misses grabbing me and he falls the rest of the way down the stairs. He groans with a possible broken arm at the bottom of the stairs. I run down to check on him, but I don't stay long when I see he's going to be okay. I have to get to Aidan. He's hurt.

I run out of the house to see several of the pack members fighting with the rogues. I prepare to help, but stop in place when I smell two familiar scents mixed with the smell of their blood. My wolf whimpers the word mate and my heart slams into my chest. The shock of it keeps me planted on spot.

'Camilla! Watch out!' Aidan's yell fills my head and I turn to see four rogues coming my way.

A dark brown wolf comes straight at me and knocks me down. I grunt when I land hard and scrape my hands in attempt to prevent a worse fall. I feel a paw of the chocolate wolf, but it is gone before I can prepare to fight off the attack. A reddish brown wolf is now trying to tackle the wolf down and they both roll across the brick path nearby. Another wolf comes out of nowhere and stands in front of me to attack any wolf that comes near me. Blood splatters me when he rips at their fur and skin. They die instantly.

I yelp and grab at my side when I feel the injuries of my mate, I look up to the black and tan wolf, but see an injury on his back that is already healing. He attacks a black rogue wolf and kills him quickly. I crawl to the reddish brown wolf and see that his side has been slashed. His scent of caramel apples is mixed with the metallic smell of his blood. My wolf whimpers.

"Aidan, we have to help him." I look up at the black and tan wolf pleading for his help.

He growls unhappily, but finally concedes when I say he saved my life and it would be cruel to let him die. He had saved my life. Aidan changes into his human form to pick up the injured wolf. I find the white towel I had around my hair and wrap it around Aidan's bare waist. There are she-wolves in the house that will come to check on the other wolves and I don't want any of them seeing my naked mate.

Aidan runs into the infirmary where the doctor is assisting with two other injured wolves. "Doc, he's not healing."

The doctor and one of his nurses runs towards us. Aidan carelessly drops the injured wolf on the nearest empty bed and snorts when I tell him to be nice. I roll my eyes, but let it go when I see the blood on his skin. I check his back and breathe out a sigh of relief when I see that he has healed. Thank the Gods. I hug him.

"His wolf is weak and is refusing to heal." The doctor tells us. "He's asking for his mate."

"No." Aidan growls and shocks the doctor.

"Is she not here?" The doctor looks down at his patient with worry.

"Mine." Aidan growls and I whimper at the tightness of his hold, but he doesn't let go.

"Aidan, Alpha Logan will die if I don't sit next to him and let his wolf take in my scent." I place my hand on his chest and look up at him. "I have to do this."

I hear gasps from the doctor and nurse when they realize what I'm saying. Logan has found me and he saved my life. I hate him for what he had done, but I can't let him die. That would make me his murderer.

"I don't want your wolf to become attached." Aidan frowns.

"You're the one that marked me. You're the one I want to be with. The faster he heals, the faster he can leave." I touch his cheek, but he still doesn't like the idea of me being near my first mate.

And that's how I ended up lying on the bed between both of my mates.