Chapter 69 The Kiss
Alberto dragged himself through the slave quarters corridor, each movement a fresh wave of agony. Blood trailed behind him in dark drops, soaking the stone floor. His back was a map of torn flesh, the lashes from the whip having opened deep gashes that wept steadily. His tunic clung to him, stiff with dried and fresh blood. His legs trembled, barely supporting his weight, but he forced one foot in front of the other. The pack wolves he passed averted their eyes, some whispering, others hurrying away. No one offered help. Fernando's order stood absolute.
He reached his small room and pushed the door open with his shoulder, stumbling inside. The cot looked miles away. He collapsed against the wall, breath coming in shallow gasps. The mirror on the far wall showed a stranger: face pale, eyes sunken, back a ruin of red lines and open wounds. He reached for the basin of water on the table, intending to clean himself before the blood crusted further.
The door flew open before he could move.
Mira rushed in, medical satchel in hand, eyes wide with horror as she took in his state. "Alberto!"
She dropped the satchel and hurried to him, catching him as his knees buckled. "See how torn your back is?"
Alberto leaned on her, voice weak. "I can manage."
Mira guided him to the cot, helping him sit. "Lie down. Let me heal you."
She placed her hands on his back, glowing light flaring from her palms. The light seeped into the wounds, knitting some edges, easing the deepest gashes slightly. But the healing was slow, limited.
Alberto winced. "It is working a little."
Mira's hands trembled. "The lashes were deep. And your power drain... it resists full healing."
She tried again, pouring more energy, but the light dimmed quickly.
Alberto placed a hand on hers. "Do not exert yourself. I will be fine. Even though I cannot connect to my wolf fully, these wounds do not affect it. The wolf will still render little assistance to me."
Mira's eyes filled with tears. "You should not have to endure this alone."
She could not control them any longer. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she helped him clean the blood, dabbing gently with a cloth soaked in herbal water. Each touch revealed more damage, more pain he had hidden.
Alberto watched her cry, his own heart aching. He moved closer on the cot, their faces now inches apart. The candlelight cast soft shadows, highlighting the tears on her cheeks. He stared into her eyes, deep and filled with sorrow for him.
His thumb brushed her cheek, wiping away a tear. "I do not deserve you tearing up for me."
Mira's breath caught. The space between them vanished. She dragged him closer, closing the gap, and slammed her lips on his.
The kiss was desperate, born of pity and unspoken affection. Her hands cupped his face, pulling him deeper.
Alberto froze in shock, eyes wide. For a heartbeat, he was lost in the warmth, the softness.
Then reality crashed in. He recovered and tried pushing her away gently. "Mira—"
The door flew open.
The small room in the slave quarters felt suddenly too small, the air thick with shock and unspoken accusations. Alberto pushed Mira away with trembling hands, his wounded back protesting the movement with a fresh wave of pain. He struggled to his feet, legs shaking, blood from the lashes still seeping through his torn tunic. His eyes were wide with panic as he faced Fernando in the doorway.
"Fernando, wait," Alberto rasped, voice hoarse. "This is a misunderstanding. Nothing happened."
Mira held him back gently but firmly, her hand on his arm. "It was not a misunderstanding on my part."
Alberto stared at her, confusion mixing with hurt. "Mira..."
Fernando's face twisted with rage, his eyes flashing gold as his wolf surged close to the surface. He stepped into the room, fists clenched so tight his knuckles went white.
"You cheater," Fernando shouted, voice booming in the confined space. "We had one fight, one argument, and you run to her? You let her kiss you?"
Alberto's tears welled up immediately, spilling down his cheeks as he tried to step forward. "No! Fernando, listen to me. I pushed her away. I did not want—"
Fernando cut him off, voice rising. "I saw it with my own eyes! You in her arms, her lips on yours! After everything, you betray me like this like am nothing to you?"
Alberto shook his head desperately, tears falling faster. "Please, believe me. I love you. Only you. It was a mistake. She kissed me, and I—"
Fernando turned away, unable to look at him. "Save your words. I do not want to hear them."
Mira's voice cracked like a whip. "Shut your trap, Fernando and stop acting like a spinless idiot!"
The room went dead silent.
Fernando spun back, shock written across his face. His mouth opened, then closed. Eyes wide, brows raised high in disbelief. This was Mira, the gentle healer who had served the pack faithfully for years, who had never raised her voice to anyone, let alone the Alpha. Her disrespect hit him like a physical blow, the first time in his life anyone had dared speak to him that way.
Mira stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Don't be fooled by delusions, I am done watching you treat Alberto like a plaything. You push him away, punish him for caring, lash him for saving lives, and then act surprised when he hurts?"
Fernando recovered, anger flaring anew. "He is my mate. Mine to—"
Mira yelled back, cutting him off. "He is also my chosen mate!"
Fernando froze again, the shock deeper this time.
Mira's voice trembled with emotion. "I kept it secret out of respect for you, for the bond you share. But since you refuse to respect him, to care for him properly, I will take my rightful position beside Alberto."
Fernando's face darkened to fury. "That will not happen in my pack. Alberto belongs to me alone and you don't need me to remind you what I'm capable of doing."
Mira laughed bitterly. "Your authority has limits on me, Fernando. I bow only to an enigma above us all, one with strength equal to the Lycan."
Fernando stepped closer, towering over her. "Do not forget who the Alpha is."
Mira burst out laughing, the sound sharp and unafraid. "I am the direct descendant of the moon goddess, the last moonstone bearer, the white healer. Do not underestimate my power dear Alpha Fernando." She said sarcastically dragging the title and his name.
Fernando stood there, furious and enraged, eyes blazing gold.
Alberto could take it no longer. The argument, the pain, the betrayal in Fernando's eyes, the confusion with Mira. It all crashed over him.
He screamed.
The sound was raw, primal, shaking the room. The walls trembled, dust falling from the ceiling. Candle flames flared high, then extinguished. His eyes flashed different shades of color, green, gold, silver, white, cycling in rapid succession for a few terrifying seconds.
Then it stopped.
Alberto fainted, collapsing to the floor in a heap.
The room fell silent once more.