An Alpha's Duty

Chapter 44

Lenah woke up abruptly, a pounding headache behind her eyes. She groaned and rolled over, expecting the soft duvet of Ryan's bed and not the thud of hard earth.

Opening her eyes she peered around the room she now found herself in. A better word to describe it would be a tent. No light shone through the translucent material, so she assumed it was still night.

Suddenly everything came back to her, the attack, losing Elaina, and how they escaped. She remained lying on the floor momentarily stunned. It was true; she really had lost Elaina.

Grieve stuck her. Her chest constricted, as she tried to draw in a ragged breath.

Her pitiful sounds must have alerted someone outside as a young girl poked her head around the tent door with wide eyes before pulling her head back.

Lenah could hear the little girl's quick steps as she ran from the tent calling for Ryan. It wasn't long before she saw Ryan squeeze himself into the tent through the small opening. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would have thought it impossible for him to squeeze himself into such a small place.

Crouched down, so he was bent over double, he said nothing as he unzipped her sleeping bag and folded himself in beside her.

His arms wrapped around her, holding her close to him as she lost herself to her grief. The comforting arms of her mate tightened around her making her feel safe and secure, even if the reality was much different.

Ryan felt his own eyes water as his mate came undone in his arms. She buried her head in his shirt and her arms wrapped around his neck, allowing no space to come between them. After everything they'd gone through, everyone they'd lost, she refused to allow them to be separated again. They needed each other right now.

He'd been frantic after the battle had finished. When the shadows had cleared from around Lenah and her sister, he'd watched helplessly as his mate collapsed.

Her skin had been cold and pale, and nothing they did would wake her.

He'd been so worried that after everything that he would lose her as well but Akari had reassured him she was only drained from using so much magic.

After making sure his mate was safely tucked away to heal, he'd concentrated on the rest of his pack.

He sent scouts out into the surrounding area to find out where they were, since the only person who knew their location had been unconscious, and to see if they could find anything useful for the pack. The rest of the pack was put in charge of setting up the camp or helping take care of the wounded.

His breathing hitched as he thought of the wolves they'd lost during the battle. He needed Lenah by his side to get through what was happening next.

He'd never faced death like this before and the thought was eating him up inside. But his Luna, his brave, strong Lenah, he knew she would recover from this and lead the pack.

"I just can't believe she's gone." Lenah's garbled words had his heart aching for her. She'd lost the one person who had cherished her, her whole life.

"I know, love, I know." There was nothing he could say that could take away her pain. Only time could heal that wound but he would always be there for her.

They continued to hold each other until he felt Lenah grow quiet, having finally cried herself out. He pulled away from her as she tried to sit up. Watching her face pale and her arms shake, he reached out and helped her dress before resting her body against his. It pained him to see her so weak, barely able to hold herself up.

Kicking his legs out of the sleeping bag, he kept his arms around her as he knelt next to her. He pulled the sleeping bag away from her legs with one hand and then placed both his hands beneath her arms to help her to her feet.