Fuck You, Mate

LIV

Peyton's POV

Plane just landed.

See you soon, beautiful.

The sun hadn't risen yet. The mate bond was back though, which provided relief. I hated the faintness of that bond while she had the mission link. Her wall was higher than normal, which caused me and my wolf to worry, but she was home. We'd see her soon.

I had put chocolates in the gym yesterday before I came to bed in the hopes she'd get them today. I'm glad she would.

I got dressed and jogged to the greenhouse. If the plane already landed, then she would be home soon, not in a few hours. She'd been telling me when she got on the plane not off of it, so this was different, too. My wolf perked up, on guard and worried something was wrong.

I used the small shears Courtney had shown me yesterday and cut enough flowers for a bouquet. I put them together in what I hoped was an appealing display and stood them up in a vase before adding some water. I played around with them, remembering the pointers Courtney had given me, and trying to make sure these would look good to Alice.

The process took longer than I thought it would, and I could smell her scent in the new packhouse as I climbed the stairs.

But her scent was off. Way off. And blood.

Something was wrong.

I sprinted up the last couple flights and knocked on her door, more aggressively than I intended.

"Alice!"

I heard the shower turn on, but she didn't reply. The door was locked. The smell of blood was stronger.

Alice! Please let me in!

I'm fine-

"Alice! I will break this fucking door down-!" I yelled and heard the water shut off.

She opened the door, wrapped in a towel and my relief at seeing her was quickly overcome by my other senses.

"Where are you hurt?"

"Peyton, I'm fine-"

"Alice." I ground out. "You smell like blood. Lots of blood. Your blood." And rogue blood.

"I have a couple cuts."

"Let me see."

She gave me a look, but she turned and went to the bathroom.

My heart and the vase I was holding, dropped at the sight of her back. "I will kill whoever fucking-"

"They're dead. I promise. They're already dead." Her voice didn't hold the same firmness it usually did. I followed her into the bathroom.

My fists were clenched in rage and I wanted to murder Council for sending my mate into whatever scheme they had concocted. Did she fight a dozen rogues at once?! How the hell was she so beat up?

I debated asking her if she'd let me help her, but I knew there was no way I was leaving. Her back was cut so fucking deep, I wasn't sure how she was breathing. Her shoulder, her thigh, her forearm were also cut. That was just from what I could see. Her eye was black and she had bruises on almost all of her visible skin setting in.

I turned the tub on, and grabbed the first aid kit I had put in her bathroom when I set up her room. I took it out and grabbed some clean cloths.

"I'm going to remove the towel. I'm sorry if it hurts."

She didn't reply. Just stood, braced for pain.

I gently cleaned up a few wounds, and held a cloth to her back for a long time, waiting for it to stop bleeding. It wasn't.