“What?” Maybe I was still hearing things. I had hit my head pretty hard. He didn’t just say “mangled,” did he? “You’re going to beat me?”
“Try not to think of it as domestic violence. I’m not going to hurt you out of anger. But, that whole ‘scratched or being bitten thing,’ that’s the nice version of what happens to people who are turned into a wolf. To really transform, your body needs to be taken to a state close to death so that the curse can take hold. If it does, your body will miraculously heal.” He smiled, as if that was supposed to make me feel better about it.
My head began throbbing all over again, pounding like the sounds of a death march drum. “This is sounding worse and worse every minute.” What the hell did I sign up for?
“It’s not pretty, but that’s the way it’s been done for centuries. Still want to go through with it?”
I closed my eyes and exhaled very slowly, reminding myself I had given my word. I loved this man, and I would do anything to be with him. Anything! “I guess I have to.”
A thin olive-skinned man with faux hawk and a goatee burst through the office door. “Aiden, we’re not done yet.” He scowled at the two of us lying on the floor together.
One of Aiden’s dark eyebrows quirked up. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, Micah.” His voice threatened danger, while his lips pulled back into a wolf-like snarl.
“My apologies, Alpha. There is still business to attend to.” The lanky looking man lowered his eyes, as a sign of respect, but the arrogance did not leave his voice.
“I’ll deal with you and the rest of the council momentarily.” There was no mistaking the message in his tone. He had a serious get-the-fuck-out vibe going on, and even Micah with his arrogance couldn’t ignore that.
“Of course.” Micah bowed his head and turned around grumbling, “Humans are more important.”
I felt Aiden’s muscles tighten. A growl rumbled in his chest.
“You better go take care of them,” I said. The last thing Aiden needed was dissension in the ranks. “I’ll be fine.”
“You’re injured.”
“Yeah, well, you need to keep pack morale up, and it’s clear the human is causing a problem with that.”
“I’m prepping you for the transition. This is official pack business too.”
“How long do you think the pack will give me before I have to change?” Fear had backed me off my “turn me now” attitude. I was still going through with it, but at this point I’d settle for a few more days to wrap my mind around things.
“The sooner the better.”
I nodded. “Can I at least have a day or two to still be me?”
“You’ll still be you, silly. You’ll just be a furry you.” He ran his fingers through my short hair. “But, yes. You take the rest of the week and enjoy yourself. Heal and pamper yourself too. Call Alyssa and arrange some spa time if you like. I’ll hold the troops at bay. I promise.”
I squeezed him tight. That man was too good for words. “You’re so good to me, baby!”
“I hope you can still say that after the transition.”
“Me too,” I said, hoping that I would still be alive after the transition.
“Don’t dwell on the bad part. You’re going to make one sexy she-wolf.”
Aiden helped me back to our room. Being the Alpha had its perks. Instead of having to stay in the cabins, which really weren’t all that uncomfortable, we had a lovely suite right inside the main building of the wolf preserve. Even though I could have walked the short distance myself, Aiden felt it necessary to carry me. Personally, I felt he wanted to show off his strength and make any passersby aware that I was his at the same time, but the romantic gesture wasn’t lost on me either. He put me on such a pedestal, that man. It was clear that I was his world in every sense of the word. And that fact right there solidified my decision. I would do anything for that man, even if that meant putting my own life on the line.
By the time we made it to the room, my whole body was throbbing with aches and pains. It practically begged for the jetted tub in the ensuite bathroom. And I was determined to take a very long soak.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay while I’m gone?” Aiden asked. “Should I send Brady?”
“You’re too cautious. I don’t need a babysitter. Just go, and hurry back.”
“I don’t like leaving you, especially with the concerns you raised about Diana.”
I didn’t like the concerns I had about her either, but at the moment my only thought was relaxing and making sure I was ready for a fight if need be.
“I’m fine. And I don’t think she’ll be stupid enough to try and attack me again.” At least she didn’t seem like she would be that stupid.
“I’ll begin an investigation on her, and if she is found guilty …”
“I’ll put that bitch in her place.”