Healed by the Alpha (Hunted Book Two)

Chapter Fifty Nine

Emily

After our telling off from Ferdinand, Dom looked particularly on edge. According to the guide himself, we were almost there. My legs were aching from the constant running and if I didn't have thighs of steel after this I wouldn't be very happy. I was running beside Malik now, ever since Dom had expressed his concerns over the amulet's power, I'd made the decision to head the rest of the way next to Malik.

"How's it going back there?" Dom's voice entered my head. "It's not the worst company in the world, but my paws are sore and my legs hurt." He turned his head to look back at me, "we'll be there soon, little varg. Then you can rest okay?" I had to stop myself from replying. Rest really wasn't what I had in mind. "Can we ask Ferdinand where we will be staying?" I sent back instead.

A few minutes later, Dom's voice was back in my mind like velvet. "He said it's up to the Moon Goddess to decide. Whatever that means." I groaned to myself but it came out as a growl instead, I hoped to goddess we weren't staying in the tents again. Not that we'd really actually stayed in the tents anyway, I thought to myself.

No, instead I'd had the best night's sleep I think I'd ever had and it was in a dirty cave, in the middle of nowhere, with Malik snoring at the other side. It sounded bizarre, and yet having Dom with me was exactly what I'd needed. I wondered what would happen when we got back to the pack. Would I be in my own rooms again? Or would Dom ask me to stay with him? Would I even want to stay in Dom's room and give up my personal space?

Okay, I was definitely thinking way too much into this. Realistically all that had happened was a night of passion and heat and longing. Maybe this is all that he'd needed right now? Just until we both found out mates. My heart hurt at the thought, why did my heart hurt? It's not like he was my mate. Maybe it's because I knew that as soon as he moved on, I would be losing my support too. "Get out of your own head will you?" My wolf complained, "it's ruining my run." Okay Ms Sassypants.

Ferdinand slowed down and we all moved respectively to account for the speed loss. I'd ended up a little further forward because I couldn't slow down as fast as the guys, but now I was sandwiched between Ferdinand and Dom. What a great combination. I could feel the energy zapping between them, it was like wild shocks of static every now and then. I get that they didn't get on, even though I had literally no idea why, but couldn't they just save face for the last part of the trek?

We had to shift when we were about 10 minutes away, apparently it wasn't honourable to visit the Moon Goddess in our furry form. I would've argued that she's the Moon Goddess and she created the wolf kind, but I didn't feel like having that debate when I was so tired. Instead we each took turns to shift inside a small wooden shack and dress in the clothes provided. The men had some strange grey toga looking fur material wrapped around their chests, with stretchy pants that looked a little too close to the male version of tights.

How Dom would fit all of THAT in THEM was an interesting concept that I really shouldn't have been thinking about. Yet there he was, looking incredible and looking extremely sexy. I couldn't help the way my thoughts reacted around him. More to the point, I didn't want to.

Of course, now that we'd shifted, Dom could get a few hits in. "So what exactly is your relationship with the Moon Goddess?" He asked, feigning innocent curiosity. "I don't see how my work with the Moon Goddess is any of your business." He replied, cool and calm as every. I smiled at Ferdinand apologetically, all day he'd been making digs and trying to get cheap shots in. It made me feel awkward, I couldn't tell if he was jealous or just vindictive and I didn't know how to deal with either.

"Your turn." Ferdinand called, handing me similar looking garments. When I passed him to go change in the little shack, he whispered in my ear, "I think you're going to look delightful in these." I heard the growl behind me and connected to Dom's mind link, "don't be jealous, he was just paying me a compliment." The growing continued, "that's the problem." He sent back.

Thankfully we had Malik to break up the tension, "who else feels super itchy in this? Just me? Either my ass needs a shave, or these things are way too tight." I let out a huge belly laugh on the way into the hut and I didn't stop until after I changed and exited. All of the men paused their milling around when I walked out, it was awkward, I hated being the centre of attention. It turned out that my outfit wasn't exactly the same as theirs. Instead mine was a dress. Chiffon and fur and all of the things that would ensure I freeze to death before getting to meet the Moon Goddess.

The rest of the way was quiet, no more naughty Alpha entering my thoughts and thankfully no more weird moodiness from the men. I'd bunched up my dress, wading my way through the icy blanket beneath my feet. Whoever decided that I needed to wear a dress in this weather was going to get a stern talking to after we'd arrived. I spent most of the way looking at the ground, watching my step just in case I slipped. "There it is." Ferdinand whispered in awe next to me.

I looked up and I couldn't see much, but what I could see was an overpowering orange glow in the distance. The closer that we walked, the more I could see the shadowy outlines of a small cottage. Really? This is where the Moon Goddess had decided to take up residence? The orange glow appeared to be coming from a lantern on the side of a wall, next to a huge rounded wooden door. "What's with the bright lamp?" I asked Ferdinand. "That's the light gifted by the Sun God. It lights the way in the dark for whoever may need it. It travels through dimensions and it will always lead the lost home."

Seemed like overkill to me. I spun on my heels ready to tell Dom as much. The smile from my face dropped when I noticed that he was standing about 3 feet away from everyone else, his face as pale as a ghost.

What was with him?

"I've seen this place." He said softly. "I've been here." I looked back at the seemingly unremarkable cottage, "you've been to this exact place?" He gulped down air, "I've been here many times," his face turned to me, "and so have you." Now I was sure he'd lost it. His body seemed to remember that it was freezing outside as he sped towards the door. "This door, I've seen this door. I've been through this door. But I've never seen what was on the other side."

"Well, I'm sorry to break up the suspicion party, but we actually have to get inside, that's how doors work." Ferdinand explained sarcastically. With a twist of the old brass handle, he opened the door. Light poured out of the house, flooding the space we were currently standing in. We all rushed to get inside the warmth, Ferdinand had told us to get into single file, it was more 'respectable' apparently. I shuffled behind Malik as we made our way into the cosy room, to be honest I was just thankful to be out of the cold.