Ariadne: Almost an Alpha | ✓

Chapter 50 - The Fragile Facade Falls

Chapter 50 - The Fragile Facade Falls 

Even as he is getting stitched up, Mateus keeps looking at me. His eyes search my body, trying to find injuries.

I glare at him, turning my cut toward him so he can see. "Stop worrying. It's already stopped bleeding."

That doesn't stop him from staring at me. It makes me uncomfortable at first, but in the silence, I begin to start thinking about what happened.

"How'd you wake up in time?" I ask. "Weren't you sleeping?"

"I think I must've heard you and Donovan."

I nod. Had Donovan quietly taken his injuries, I would have lived only to find Mateus dead.

Maria waits for his bleeding to subside and administers a local anesthetic. As Maria makes the stitches, I finally have a chance to process everything.

I let Donovan and Weston in. I allowed them to stay in the pack. This is my fault.

I sit silently, thinking, and when she's done with Mateus, Maria begins to silently clean my cut.

"Can you replace her other bandage too?" I hear Mateus ask.

Wordlessly, I hold out the arm used in the ritual.

Mateus was sleeping on my territory, in my house, a few doors down from me, and he was attacked. He could've died. Because of me. Because of what I've done. Because Cain, somehow, found out about his relationship with me. Me. All of this is due to me.

I don't even realize Maria's done until Mateus blocks my vision, breaking me out of my trance.

"You should go get some rest," he says while gently pushing the hair in my face behind my ear.

No, I will not rest. Not until I right my wrongs. Not until the pack is safe again, and Mateus isn't being threatened.

"I need to get the dead bodies off the floor," I say emotionlessly, standing up

"I'll help you."

He tries to grab my hand, but I evade his grasp.

"You need to leave," I say, walking out of the cabin. He's much safer surrounded by hundreds of his own well-trained men. He's safer away from me.

He follows. "I'm not leaving you alone right now."

I pause in the grass between the cabin and the house. "No. Leave. Now. Go back to California. Get in your car and drive. Take Sterling and Nathan with you."

His facial features display one emotion: shock. He quickly hides it, putting on his professional mask. "That is not going to happen. Not unless you come with me."

"That wasn't a request. That was an order."

His voice raises just slightly in anger. "You can't expect me to leave after someone tries to kill you. What if someone else comes?"

I put strength into my tone now, making it an alpha's command this time. "Leave, Mateus. Now."

I can see the hurt in his eyes for the briefest of seconds. "You don't get to use that tone on me. It is my duty to be here right now. There was an attack."

"Not if I don't allow it. This is my pack."

"Ariadne."

I hold my ground. "Mateus."

I pull a knife out of my holster with one hand.

"Ariadne, don't do this." There's a hint of panic in his voice when he realizes what I'm trying to do.