Mated To The Beastly Alpha
Chapter 26

Nicole woke up to replace herself in an unfamiliar room. Her head was throbbing, and she felt disoriented. She tried to remember what had happened, but her memory was hazy.

It took a few moments for her to remember that she was in the pack's infirmary. All she could recall was changing into her wolf form and saving the pack. She also remembered Alpha Liam giving orders to his warriors to go after the rogues, but that was all. She blinked several times, trying to make sense of her surroundings. She groaned and tried to sit up, but she still felt too weak. "Take it easy," a voice said from beside her. "You've been through a lot."

Nicole turned her head and saw a young woman with curly hair sitting next to her. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "I'm Maya," the woman said with a small smile. "I'm a pack nurse. You saved our lives, you know..."

Nicole frowned, trying to remember what had happened. "I-I changed to my wolf form, didn't I?" she asked, her memory still foggy. Maya nodded. "Yes, you did. You fought off the rogues and saved us all. We're very grateful to you."

Nicole winced as she tried to sit up again. "I don't remember much after that," she admitted.

Maya looked at her curiously. "Do you remember anything about yourself? Your family, maybe?"

Just then, Asha and Garrett hurried into the room.

Asha rushed toward her, "Thank goodness you're awake," she said, relief evident in her voice. "I was sick and worried about you."

Nicole tried to speak, but her throat was dry, and her voice came out like a croak. Asha handed her a glass of water, and she took a sip. The cool liquid felt soothing against her parched throat. "How long have I been out?" Nicole asked, her voice still raspy.

"About a day," Asha replied. "You weren't injured, but you seemed to lose all your energy. You're going to be okay; Alpha Liam is taking care of everything."

Nicole nodded, but her mind was racing. She couldn't remember how she got hurt or what happened to the rogues. All she could recall was changing into her wolf form and saving the pack.

Asha noticed the confusion on Nicole's face and leaned in. "You know, there's something you should know," she said hesitantly.

"What is it?" Nicole asked, her interest piqued.

"You're a witch-bane werewolf," Asha said, her voice low and conspiratorial. "That means you can withstand the power of witches."

Nicole's eyes widened in surprise. "What?" She hadn't heard of it before. It was quite surprising.

"It's a legend," Garrett said. "A myth about a powerful sect of wolves who were able to withstand magic. They were said to have been extinct even before packs existed. No one has seen them since then. It is said that they possess incredible power." Nicole couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was taken aback by this revelation. She had no idea that she had any special abilities. She tried to remember if her parents had ever mentioned anything about it, but her memory was still foggy. She had always felt different, but she never imagined she was a legendary Witch Bane. She had just thought that she was cursed or unfortunate. All the information being dished out to her was overwhelming.

Asha continued, "Your ancestry is very important. We need to know more about your parents and your family."

Nicole felt sick to her stomach at the mention of family. Thinking about them always left a bitter taste in her mouth. They were selfish people who sold her off to clear a debt that they incurred.

They had never come to check up on her, even after giving her to Alpha Shane at such a young age. Anger burned her throat. She never wanted to talk about them. She had no idea where they were or if they were even alive. "I don't know anything about my family," she growled and looked away.

Asha looked sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Nicole. I didn't mean to upset you. But this is important. We need to replace out more about your ancestry so we can understand your powers better."

Nicole shook her head. "I'm not even sure that they know. They aren't good people. They incurred a large debt and sold me off to pay it up. The only thing I can tell you is that we were lone wolves. That's about it." They all looked at her in amazement. "Really? That's interesting. Do you know why they did that?" Garrett asked.

Nicole shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they couldn't take care of me. Or maybe they didn't want me."

Maya shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. Wolves don't just sell their children like that. There has to be a reason."

Nicole sighed. "I don't know what the reason is. And honestly, I don't really care. My parents gave me away, and I've been on my own ever since until now."

Asha nodded, feeling sympathetic. "I understand. But there is more to it than you realize. You see, there's something special about you. You're like the freaking savior," she gushed.

Nicole raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" She was still feeling overwhelmed by what happened. She had yet to process it all.

"You're a witch bane, babe. Alpha Liam has been searching for one. You can train the rest of the pack to fight the witch like you did today.

Nicole's eyes widened in shock. "You're kidding me, right? I'm just one person. How can I help you defeat a whole coven of witches?"

Asha shook her head. "You don't understand. You're not just any werewolf. You're a witch-bane werewolf. Right now, you're the only one who can withstand their power. With you on our side, we finally have a chance." Nicole sat back, feeling overwhelmed. She had never considered herself special in any way. But now, it seemed that her very existence was significant to anyone. She wasn't sure how to handle it.

Just then, the door to the infirmary swung open, and Alpha Liam strode in. He looked tired and stressed, and his usual air of authority slightly diminished.

"How is she?" he asked Maya, his gaze flicking over to Nicole.

Maya stood up and stepped aside to give the Alpha room to approach. "She's awake and talking," she said. "But she's still dazed."

"Garrett," Liam greeted with a nod.

"Alpha," Garrett and Asha said simultaneously.

Alpha Liam nodded, his gaze fixed on Nicole. "Good. I'm glad to see you're awake," he said in a gruff manner.

Nicole nodded, feeling a little intimidated by his presence, shy even. Her wolf buzzed with excitement as always. Their gaze locked for a moment, but he quickly looked away. Nicole's heart dropped. "Your body?"

"I'm okay, I guess," she replied. "What happened? Did we get the rogues?"

Alpha Liam's expression darkened. "Yes," he said. "We managed to get all of them. But we believe that someone might have been watching. The witch may have had someone noting everything down." Nicole felt a surge of anger. The sound of the witch annoyed her. She clenched her fists, feeling frustrated and helpless.

"I need to talk to you," Alpha Liam said, his voice serious. "It's about the witch attacks."

His voice caused her body to tremble deliciously. It didn't matter what situation they were in. He always made her want him. As she watched him pace about the room, Nicole wished he would touch her. It was a distraction, but it was very much welcome. Nicole tried sitting up straighter, suddenly alert. "What about them?" she asked.

Alpha Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We need your help," Alpha Liam said, interrupting her thoughts. "We can't defeat the witch. You're the only one who can take them on and win."

Nicole shook her head. "I don't know if I can do that," she said. "I'm not a fighter. I'm a faux Luna and an Omega, remember?"

Liam winced. She could see him struggling to speak. His expression softened slightly. "I'm sorry, Nicole, but you must realize that you're no longer a slave. You may be indebted to me, but a slave is not what you are. You're more than an Omega. You're a witch-bane werewolf. You have a power that no one else in this pack has, plus you have a duty to me because I own you, and that duty is also to the Dark Moon.

Nicole felt a surge of anger at his words. She didn't owe anyone anything. He was still treating her like she was some sort of commodity. Although she had been the fake Luna of Crimson for so long, she had forgotten what it felt like to have people depend on her after she arrived at the Dark Moon.

Yet, at the same time, she couldn't deny that she felt a strange sense of loyalty to the pack. It was probably because of the way they had treated her. They had taken her in and shown her kindness and acceptance. She didn't want to let them down. "I'll help," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. It hurt that Liam, like Shane, could not see her as anything more than a means to an end. What would have happened if he had waited until she had gotten to her feet to respond?

Liam nodded, and a hint of relief flashed in his eyes. "Good. We need to start planning our next move. The witch won't wait for us to come to them. We need to be prepared for anything."

He sounded very angry about something, and she couldn't place her finger on it.

Asha stepped forward, her expression determined. "We'll do whatever it takes to protect the Dark Moon," she said. "We won't let the witch win."

"Yes," Garrett and Maya agreed.

Nicole looked around at the determined faces of the wolves in the infirmary. She knew she had a lot to learn about pack dynamics and wolf politics, but for now, she was willing to do whatever it took to keep them safe. She was a witch-bane werewolf, and that meant something. "Let's get to work," she said, feeling the sense of purpose she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Not now," Liam hissed, Nicole's heart jumped as she saw a flicker of concern in his eyes. "Today has been a lot. You went through a lot of stress today. We shouldn't even be here now."

Warmth flooded her body as he spoke. She liked what he said. She just wished that he would touch her.

As if he read her mind, Liam stepped forward and held her hand.

"You did wonderfully out there," he said.

Nicole felt her body melt, arousal pooled within her legs. It was as if his strength was ebbing into her body.

Liam's eyes flashed gold as he seemingly noticed her arousal.

"Out," he growled to their unwanted audience, his voice brimming with power and urgency.

They piled out with immediate alacrity, leaving them alone. The moment the door swung close, he sat beside her and pulled her into an embrace.

“You were f*****g amazing today," he whispered into her ears, causing her to shake in his arms.

"I don't know about that," Nicole said, feeling overwhelmed by all the attention. Her body was of no help to her, she couldn't even put her thoughts together.

"Don't be modest," Liam whispered,

"You've done something incredible today. You've saved our pack from the witch's control."

He pulled away and stared intently at her with his piercing deep blue eyes. Nicole's body was buzzing

"I-" she started to say, but was cut short when his lips crashed into hers.

They ravaged each other's lips like they had been starved. When they pulled away for air, Liam rested his head against hers.

"I know that you're a myth and a distinct werewolf, but don't f*****g put yourself in danger like that again. I don't know what this shit mark is doing, but I don't know what I'll do if anything happens to you." Nicole's heart skipped a thousand beats. These were not the words she expected to hear from Liam.

"You are never putting yourself in danger ever again. I will protect you," he swore.

Nicole was short of words and out of breath. She opened her mouth to speak again but he cut her short with another kiss.

She felt that it might be the best thing to have happened to her in a long time.

They pulled away again, this time their arousal saturated the room.

"We have to tell the rest of the pack," Alpha Liam said, with a hint of excitement in his voice. "They need to know that we have you. I have to go and you need to rest,"

Nicole could feel his reluctance but nodded and let him go.

The news spread quickly throughout the pack, and soon everyone was talking about the Witch Bane. Nicole was suddenly the centre of attention, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for it.