The Saving Mate

Ch. 2: The Alpha

A simple question completely disarmed me. No, it wasn't about the question but about his deep voice and the way he pronounced the words.

He spoke to me as if I were his long-time lover, with a tenderness that I had not experienced since my parents died.

He looked at me expectantly, yet he didn't rush me to respond.

"I'm fine," I said. "I just hit my ankle a little when I fell."

"Can I see it? Just to make sure it's nothing serious."

I nodded, unable to say the answer out loud.

"I'm going to need you to sit down."

He held my hand and guided me to a rock a few steps away. I bit my lips to keep my pain inside, for some reason I couldn't understand I didn't want to look weak in front of him.

Slowly he helped me sit on the rock and then knelt in front of me.

Fantastic, my first encounter with the alpha and I was already forcing him to his knees because of my clumsiness. I just hoped that wouldn't bring me bad consequences later.

"May I?" he asked me, holding the bottom of my pant leg.

"Go ahead." I try to sound determined.

"By the way, you didn't tell me your name," he said as he pulled up the fabric. "I am Almec, no need to use any title."

"It's rude to call an alpha by his name," I answered, focusing on the conversation to distract myself from his large hands that held my ankle. "I'm Valentina."

"That's a beautiful name. Usually I'd expect them to refer to me as alpha, but you're special." Almec raised his head and smiled at me, a few strands of his shoulder-length, brown hair falling across his face.

That had to be the most wonderful smile in the world. The second one, actually, Faustina's smile was undoubtedly the winner.

"Me? Why would I be special?" I asked.

A chill ran down my spine. He couldn't know, right? There was no way for him to discover my true origin. The little secret that could send me straight to the Hunter's Order lair.

"I imagine you've already sensed it by now," he sounded unsure as if he was testing the waters.

I let the air escape from my lungs. I was safe.

"Feel what? I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

Almec lowered his head immediately, yet I could see that his smile had disappeared. He remained silent, focusing on checking my ankle.

"It's a little swollen but I'd say it's just from the fall, I don't think it's sprained," he said, standing up.

The warmth of his voice faded, the caring lover transformed into a cold man. Almec took a few steps away and turned around. I stayed in the same place, looking at his back as I tried to understand what had just happened. A part of me felt guilty for something I couldn't explain, the other part told me it wasn't my fault.

He paced back and forth a few times before returning to my side. "It's better if you don't walk. I'll carry you."

"Where to?"

"To get you some help." Almec put his arm around my waist and helped me up.

"Wait! I have to go somewhere else first. My little sister is hiding in the forest, I need to go look for her."