Page 76 of Dark Auctioned Mate

“That should be all,” the doctor stepped back. “But I am serious—if you have a hard time breathing, if the pain gets any worse, or you feel dizzy or confused—”

“I will come back. Thank you.”

When the doctor left, Rael went to Alanis and held her in his arms as gently as he could with her injuries.

“Never again. Don’t ever do that to me again. Don’t ever disappear like that. I thought—You got the information we needed, and you brought down the entire network. I just wish it hadn’t cost you so much.”

“You said it was worth it.” She drew back to stare at him. “Derek is dead. Gavin is dead. The Caldwell Pack is dead. The network is dead. That’s worth a concussion and a couple of broken ribs.”

Rael would have liked to say that nothing was worth her getting hurt like this. But he could read the contentment in her face, the feeling of closure beginning to take root. She needed this—to fight her demons and triumph.

“Come on,” he helped her off the examination table. “We are going back to pack territory. You need to rest, and you need to be somewhere safe.”

“The women—”

“Handled by the Lumens team and pack medical staff. They do not need you.”

“Okay,” she inhaled slowly. “Let’s go.”

They ran into Silas, Javi, and August in the hallway.

“How is she?” Silas asked, looking at Alanis with a frown.

“Three broken ribs, a lot of bruising, and a slight concussion. She will get better after she rests.”

“She is standing right here,” Alanis mumbled dryly. “And she can speak for herself.”

Javi’s lips curved into a smirk. “Good to see you still have the sharpest mouth, even while wounded. You have more of a backbone than half our pack.”

Alanis stared at him in surprise. It was the nicest thing that Javi had ever said to her.

“What my brother means,” Silas sighed, giving Javi a look, “is that you infiltrated your old pack and collected crucial information. You played a very important part in bringing the network to its knees.”

“We could not have done it without you,” August told her. “The information you provided about everything was essential.”

Alanis felt awkward being bathed in compliments. “I only did what had to be done.”

“You did more than that,” Rael said firmly, his voice carrying a tone of pride. “And the entire pack must know it. You are not just my mate, but a warrior who saved countless lives.”

***

While they drove back to Weston Pack territory, Rael insisted that Alanis should sleep in the backseat, her head pillowed on his lap as he watched over her.

Each time she moved, each time she uttered something painful in her slumber, his hands urged him to do something, to do anything to make her feel better. But all he could do was stroke her hair and murmur that she was going to be fine.

Three additional vehicles, with the Lumen team and as many rescued women as possible aboard, followed them. The remainder would remain at Shadowridge until they were well enough to travel.

Deva had arrived at the medical facility just as they were leaving, the look on her face shifting from relief to anger when she saw Alanis’s injuries.

“What happened?” She asked, glancing between Alanis and Rael, like she was looking for who to lay the blame on.

“I infiltrated my old pack,” Alanis replied before Rael could say a word. “I got caught in the scuffle when the raid occurred. It is not Rael’s fault.”

“I know you are mad right now, and trust me, I get it. But she was brilliant, Deva. Destroying the network would have been impossible without her.”

Deva sighed loudly, addressing Alanis. “We will talk later when you are better. I am happy to see you alive.”

With Alanis still sleeping on his lap, Rael let himself think about what was next.