Dark Moon

07

I growl. "He challenged Ashton on the basis that he's not good enough for me?" I ask, looking back at Ethan who winces at my words. "Who are you to challenge the goddess putting me with my destined mate?!"

"He's weak!" Ethan argues, but he doesn't sound cocky and confident like he usually does. "He's barely an Alpha!"

My second growl is loud enough to challenge a natural Alpha's and everyone walking with me falters. "Try living the life he lives and then see if you're naturally strong and able to fight! I will not have you mocking a pack mate's strength just because you were born fortunate enough to be brought up in a powerful pack where you can be trained to be a strong warrior!"

"I'm sorry," Ethan says in a small voice.

"Go see the doctor and then meet me at the pack house in two hours so we can discuss a punishment with my mother," I scold him and he tenses before vanishing into the building before myself and Ashton. "Zach, please go speak with my mother and tell her what happened."

Zach nods, and grabs Owen's hand.

"And, Zach?" I call before he can leave. "Congratulations on finding your mate."

"Thanks, Sage," he responds, smiling as he pulls his mate away and they take off toward the pack house.

I drag Ashton inside the doctor's building and one of the healers, Evelyn, takes him back to one of the rooms to check his leg.

"It's deep but his natural healing has begun to take care of it. It'll still need to be bandaged and cleaned though," she says, grabbing her bandages and disinfectants. "It's going to sting."

Ashton looks briefly at my hand before he looks away.

I grab his hand and he squeezes mine tightly. Of course he'd be anxious; he's probably never been to a doctor before and he has no clue how to process this situation.

When she wipes the disinfectant on his leg, Ashton watches the entire process and his leg starts shaking because he's so nervous. He's probably struggling with the stinging pain because it's different than being bitten or scratched.

"Alright, the stinging should stop pretty soon," Evelyn says, wrapping his leg up with the bandage and taping it to seal it. "How'd you get a cut that deep?"

I wait for Ashton to respond, but he looks at me to answer. "He was challenged by Ethan and accepted."

Evelyn seems surprised. "Oh, really? And why would Ethan challenge him?"

"Oh, come on, like you can't tell," I respond irritably, because Evelyn is definitely in on the pack gossip.

"I just want confirmation!"

"Yes, he is my mate," I say, scoffing. "And Ethan is a prick who thinks there's something between us."

Evelyn hums as she has Ashton take off his shirt and treats the smaller wounds on his back with ointment and smaller bandaids. "Well, take your mate home and make sure he rests because he's going to have a bit of pain in his leg."

"Got it," I respond, covering Evelyn's eyes. "Stop staring at him! Ashton, put your shirt on."

Ashton listens and puts his shirt on so I can uncover Evelyn's eyes.

"Here, take this," Evelyn says, handing me a bottle of ointment and bandages. "Reapply the bandage with some ointment tomorrow and check the smaller wounds later tonight. They should be healed by then."

I thank her and take my mate back to the pack house, even though my mom probably won't approve. She is still unsure about my mate and the other Alphas, but she is meeting with them along with Jax this evening, so she should be able to relax a bit more and understand that they are victims in a similar way to the Omegas.

Sure, they weren't sexually abused, but there's no way they were abused or kidnapped. None of them seemed to have parents or mates, and that's not how a pack works, so I think that a lot of the Alphas were taken as pups.

Ashton is really sweaty and with everything that happened yesterday, he didn't shower and he needs one. He doesn't smell terrible, but it might help him to feel a bit less like a weapon and more like a normal wolf.

"You can't shower with those bandages on your leg, so tilt your head over the edge of the tub and I'll wash your hair," I tell Ashton, and he follows me to the bathroom.

"Are you going to reject me?" Ashton asks, sitting down on the floor. "I'm sorry that I accepted the challenge but I just wanted to prove that I'm good enough for you. He said I wasn't."

I sit down on the floor across from him and take his hands in my own. "I'm mad at the situation and I'm annoyed you accepted, but I understand. Ashton, the goddess made us for each other and I don't want anyone else but you. I'm never going to reject you. Do you understand?"

Ashton has tears in his eyes and I slide in between his legs and hug him tightly. "I'm sorry I agreed to his stupid challenge! I thought that if I didn't accept it that you would see how weak I am and it would show I'm not willing to fight for my mate and that the pack wouldn't let you be with me," he sobs, hugging me back.

This is the most I've heard him talk, and it hurts that it's his panic over me rejecting him, but I need to be strong for him right now.

"The pack can't tell me what to do concerning my mate," I tell Ashton, holding his face in my hands and wiping away his tears with my thumbs. "No one gets to choose what happens with a couple except for the two involved, and no one gets to decide if you're enough for me or not, because you are. You will always be the only one I want."

Ashton continues to cry, and I'm sure he's just overwhelmed by all of the events of the day.

"Come on, let's get your hair clean and then we'll go lay down for a bit," I say because it's still early in the day and we can't go to bed right now.

Ashton lays his head over the bathtub and I wash and scrub his hair with a lavender scented shampoo. He seems to relax as I scrub his hair, and when I finish, he looks absolutely exhausted.

I towel dry his hair and lay down a clean towel on my pillow so that he doesn't get it all wet. Not that I'd be upset if it happened, but I don't want to have to dry my pillows and clean the pillow cases if I don't have to.

"Do you want a shirt?" I ask Ashton, because even though I don't mind staring at his chest, obviously I don't want him uncomfortable.

"No," Ashton responds, pulling the comforter over himself. "Unless you want me wearing one?"

I shake my head and wrap my arms around him, pressing my nose into his neck. "I have to meet with my mom in a bit, but for now I'll be here. When I leave... well, I'll just be downstairs and I won't be gone long."

Ashton wraps his arms around me as well and relaxes against me. "Is Owen going to be safe with Zach?" he asks.

"Zach is one of the kindest people I know. Owen will be perfectly fine," I assure him, and I feel him kiss the top of my head and my face warms up.

Ashton is asleep when I leave.