Chasing My Unhappy Mate

Chapter 8

Alice pov

Once we got inside the royal packhouse, everyone stopped to stare at us. Either it was because they didn’t know who Ulric was, or because it was shocking to see me allowing someone to touch me. I wished I was strong enough to pull away from him, but not only was I weakened from the fight but I was hurt mentally from the beating I just received.

‘You did your best. It's horrible how Alpha Brian is treating us.’ Clarke huffed.

I sighed ‘I can't help but agree more and more I wish this pack was run like Alpha Tate and Luna Adaline’s pack.’ I said to her.

My wrist was throbbing as my wolf healing was slowly trying to heal it, without the help from a healer I was probably looking at a week’s worth of healing. Much faster than a human, but still painful all the same. Ulric went straight up to the beta floor, and I told him which room I live in, or rather, which one I USE to live in. I had no doubt that I was going to lose the next match and my home along with it.

I shuddered as my daddy’s house popped up into my mind. Ulric set me gently on my bed and left, going to find Eliza. I couldn’t stop the flow of memories that were attacking me, and I realized I was glad Ulric left me alone, so he didn’t have to see my panic attack.

‘It’s okay, Alice. He’s dead, the pack executed him when you were fifteen. You’re fine, you’re going to be fine.’ Clarke said, trying to soothe me quietly.

I balled my good hand into a tight fist, my eyes squeezed shut as tightly as I could as the memories attacked me. I could barely breathe, my daddy’s face kept popping into my mind. The way he’d yell at me, the feel of his beatings, the feel...that I didn’t want to ever think about.

‘Stop it, Alice, stop it!’ Clarke tried to break into my thoughts but I was drowning.

Suddenly my daddy’s face was gone and all I could see was Gemma. Sweet kind little Gemma. Her smiling face, how she giggled when I played with her. How I was the one who changed her diapers and fed her, raised her, took care of her. She was my little sister, my heart, my child. Her face swam into my mind all contorted in pain, her light violet eyes full of agony as they faded. I couldn’t save her, I couldn’t do anything for her. I promised to protect her but in the end, I couldn’t do anything for her.

‘ALICE STOP IT!!’ Clarke screamed in my head, her howl piercing through every part of me. I took a deep breath, forcing my eyes to open.

I sat up wincing from pain, my chest heaving as I looked around my room. It was too painful, I fell back down and grabbed the corner of my blanket. Quickly I wiped all my tears from my face, mad at myself for my weakness. ‘I’m sorry, Clarke.’ I whispered to her.

‘Alice, you didn’t do anything wrong. You never have. You have nothing to apologize for.’ Clarke said with exasperation.

I sighed, turning my head to look at the door just as it burst open and Ulric came in, breathing hard as if he ran here. I could see the fear in his eyes as he looked me up and down, his eyes automatically roaming around the room, searching for a hidden enemy, something to describe the way I felt moments before he came. The fear switched to confusion as he studied my face, seeing no trace of my previous panic attack. He moved aside and scratched his head, his gorgeous shoulder-length blond hair hanging loosely around his face as he gently shoved his hair backward out of his deep chocolate-colored eyes.

Eliza walked in behind him, her eyes searching the room until they found mine. She was tiny compared to Ulric’s giant size. Her head was bald as if she had just shaved it recently and her brown eyes held so much pain and misery I couldn’t help but flinch “Beta Alice, I was asked to heal you. I wasn’t much help with Luna Liane so I was available to help.” She said thickly.

She walked over to me, her gold-colored shirt clashing nicely with her Expresso colored skin. She sat down with a grace of a woman who used to wearing a pencil skirt and looked down at me where I laid.

“Is Luna Liane, is she alright?” I whispered to her. She frowned, biting her lip and she brushed her fingers over my broken wrist.

She closed her eyes and her body started to glow, and I could feel my pain fade away. I sucked in a breath as my wrist mended itself, and all my other scrapes and bruises stopped hurting. Once she was finished her glow faded, and she looked at me once more. “I know she gave birth to one son so far before I walked away. She was pushing out the second twin as I left. She is very weak, we are worried about her survival.” She said with a frown.

‘Oh no, poor Luna Liane!’ Clarke whimpered in my head.

Tears flooded my eyes and I had to blink rapidly to make them fade. “I’m scared I’m going to lose her.” I said softly. “She’s all I have.” I whispered.

She nodded her head, looking down at me. “So am I. It’s like losing my son and my daughter in law all over again. George and Silvia, I miss them daily. Sometimes I wish Luna Liane didn’t pick you two simply because you were her best friends. I understood her wanting to keep you close, but Silvia wasn’t trained like a Gamma should have been, and pardon my frank speaking Beta, but neither are you. George only went on the mission because his mate was going, he wasn’t ready yet either. If there was a proper match, I’m sure Silvia wouldn’t have won, then they would both still be here. They didn’t have the time to even try to train to the level they needed to be at.” She said sadly.

I nodded at her, remembering that day. There was a report that Bear shifters were in our woods and Renee had Alpha Brian send Silvia, Ginger’s daughter, and our Gamma at the time, with a team of warriors to investigate. I should have been the one to go, I was Beta, but I was busy with another assignment from the Alpha. They didn’t expect the attack, bear shifters never caused so many problems they were usually fairly gentle until they were angered. When the team didn’t report back Alpha Brian and I went to find out what happened. All of the team was laying on the ground, dead. We didn’t find Silvia or George’s body until we looked further ahead. There were body parts and blood spewed everywhere, limbs missing and so much blood everything was unrecognizable. It was something out of a horror movie, and I still felt queasy thinking about it to this day.

“I miss Silvia. I know it was hard for me to get close to her, or anyone, for that matter. But once Luna Liane opened me up a little bit, I grew to love Silvia almost as much as I love Liane. Her death was hard on all of us. I wish I would have gotten to know George more, he was barely mated to Silvia so just starting to be our friend when he died. I feel guilty I didn’t try to get to know him more during the dinners Ginger would invite your family to.” I said softly.

‘That was before, when you lived with Ginger, right?’ Clarke asked me.

‘Yes. After my daddy was executed, Ginger and Silvia took me in. Since Ginger is the true healer, she would invite Eliza and her family over for dinners a lot because Eliza was her apprentice.’ I explained to her. ‘Liane was my best friend and eventually, we started talking to Silvia as well. We didn’t really talk to George until after Silvia turned eighteen and found out she was mated to him.’ I said.

Clarke sat down, scratching her ear in my head. ‘That makes sense. It was all before you turned eighteen and you moved into this room within the week since Alpha Hector died.’ Clarke said, remembering the events from a year ago.

“It’s alright child, I understand. I still hold a special place in my heart for you and Luna Liane, you two are like daughters to me as well.” Eliza said with a soft smile. I sat up now that I wasn’t in pain anymore and smiled at her. She hugged me, and I awkwardly hugged her back. I wasn’t someone that people tried to hug or be around, only Liane acted normal around me.

Eliza’s eyes shifted to the side and I could tell someone was mind-linking her. Her eyes snapped to my face and she frowned, a tear in her eye. “Ginger said the second boy was born. She’s healed Luna Liane all she can, but she’s very weak. I request for you to visit her and Alpha Brian said yes, as long as it’s not too long of a visit.” Eliza said to me.

I jumped up, fear in my eyes as I turned to look at Ulric. His eyes were full of sadness, no doubt feeling what I was feeling. “Will you, will you come with me?” I asked him in a small unsure voice. I don’t even know why I asked him, I just knew being near him made me feel safe, and I needed the strength. He studied my face and then nodded. I left the room in a hurry, knowing Eliza and Ulric were behind me. Eliza went into the extra room adjoined to the Alpha’s room Liane and Brian shared, the room that now belonged to twin boys.

I took a deep breath, my hand shaking on the doorknob. Ulric came up behind me, not touching me, but close enough that I could feel him near. I took another breath and opened the door. Alpha Brian was the first one I saw, his big mountain-sized body sitting on the bed, engulfing the view of the tiny little woman laying there. He sighed deeply, his dark blue eyes glaring at me as he reached up and shoved his light brown hair out of his eyes. I heard a tsk and snapped my head to the side, seeing an annoyed Renee standing near the bathroom door.

I could feel Clarke rolling her eyes. ‘I swear I'm going to bite her head off one of these days.’ Clarke said. I kept quiet, trying not to chuckle at her.

“I don’t understand why you’d allow her to visit your wife. Despicable, the frivolous little thing. She even brought her mate with her.” She said with a disgusted click of her tongue.

“It was what Liane wanted mother.” Alpha Brian said, his voice without emotion.

“Yes, because she always gets what she wants, we already know how that worked out. A weak Gamma was killed within the year she’s appointed. A weak Beta. Your Luna is full of great ideas.” She said, her voice full of sarcasm.

Alpha Brian stood up, finally allowing me to see Liane as he stepped towards his mother. “She’s your Luna as well.” He growled at her, anger flaring around the room. She stared at her son with anger, but after a few minutes, she lowered her head in defeat. With that, he stalked through the bathroom door to the adjoining room.

‘He didn’t even give Luna Liane a kiss or hug.’ I said.

‘He didn’t even glance at her or Acknowledge her.’ Clarke whimpered.

‘This is why I won’t accept anyone as a mate. You just never know someone, until it’s too late.’ I said softly. Clarke whimpered, lowering her head to her paws.

Renee rolled her eyes, glaring at my weak and tired friend. “Well, we’ll see how long that will be for, now won’t we?” She said softly. She smiled, giving a thick mocking bow, and followed her son to the other room.