Chapter 11 Solace
TARA:
I don’t know what happened a few minutes after that. The Alpha was too fast to keep up with, even Mason. They were both so strong that all the men were lying helplessly on the floor, groaning in pain, in just a few minutes.
Mason, after the fight, ran to me. He looked so worried because I wasn’t healing.
“You’ll be fine. We just need to get to the pack and we'll have a doctor attend to you.” He helped me stand up and led me to the car. It felt like I would die all over again. Nobody said a word until we got to the pack.
“We're here,” Mason announced.
Unlike the rumors I heard about the North pack being swarmed with mystical beings like slugs and witches, all I saw were happy people going about their businesses. Children running from one end to the other, while traders called out to potential customers, advertising their goods.
I had forgotten all about my pain and was now focused on the beauty of the pack. It was bigger and brighter than Red Moon.
“Call someone ahead to prepare the medicine. I don’t want her to pass out due to a shortage of blood.” The Alpha commanded and Mason obliged.
I had never used medicine on any of my wounds before. If I get injured, it stays like that until it heals over time.
Soon, the car came to a stop and we all alighted.
My mouth dropped at the beauty of the house we were about to enter. It was painted white majorly, with a touch of dark blue at some of the edges of the windows and doors.
It shone brightly, the sun casting its bright rays on it.
As we approached the house, my steps began to drop. I felt too dirty to enter such a building. I felt like my blood would stain it, thereby giving it an ugly look.
I timidly tapped Mason.
"Is it okay if I stay outside?" I requested.
"Why? Is anything wrong?"
"No..." I breathed and looked at the ground, not able to meet his eyes. "I'm not clean enough to enter. I might taint it." The confession left my mouth, leaving a bitter taste behind.
"That's nonsense, Tara." He laughed heartily. "You're very funny, dear."
I pouted. Would I really be joking about something like that?
When he saw that I wasn't joking, he cleared his throat. The door to the building was opened and a few maids lined up, bowing their heads to welcome the Alpha.
The Alpha just nodded and strode past them, same as Mason. But he replied to their greetings with waves and a big smile. He was the direct opposite of the Alpha. Was he the beta or something?
The veranda was large enough to contain several floor pots and different patches of flowers. Inside felt cool and refreshing. I could live here forever.
"Alpha," A young man approached us, a stern look on his face. He bowed a little, addressing the Alpha with respect. "Welcome back. How was the peace treaty?"
His voice was deep and his build was intimidating. He was slightly taller than Mason but shorter than the Alpha.
"This..." He referred to me. "This is the result of the treaty. I traded her for a low cost."
I felt bad that I was being referred to as a commodity. I was still a human. The only difference between us was that I was born into a dark world and he got everything he wanted right from childhood.
"How is she the result of the peace treaty? Is she an ambassador or something?"
His voice made me tremble a bit. He was strict and stern, almost made me wet my pants.
"She doesn't look like anything useful."
"That's enough, Rowan. Did you get the medicine?" That was the first time I heard Mason shout at someone. He was always calm and collected but the look in his eyes when he was defending me was something I had never seen before.
"Nobody invited you into our discussion, Mason. Last I checked, I wasn't talking to you."
"You were being rude to her."
I could tell there was bad blood between them. But why?
The Alpha simply left us alone and disappeared through a door.
"Here's your medicine, and next time, mind your fucking business." He growled, glanced at me briefly, and left.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." I apologized. I always did, even when I wasn't in the wrong.
"Nothing to be sorry about, dear. Please, sit down and let me apply this before your wounds get infected."
I recognized the medicine. It was the one omegas back home used when they got serious injuries that couldn't heal. I usually heard them screaming out of pain whenever it was applied.
"No, I don't want that. I'm fine." I quickly deflected, looking everywhere else but Mason.
He laughed richly and sat down.
"Come here," He tapped the space beside him. "I won't apply it yet. Just sit." He continued when he saw my hesitation. Trusting him to keep to his words, I sat beside him but I made sure we were inches apart. I didn't want him to get stained by me.
"Tell me, Tara, what happened? How did you end up in that position?"
"It's a long story but I'll try to make it short." I started. "My parents died on the day I was born. I was tagged as a cursed child and worst of all, I ended up being an omega, the lowest of the low."
From the side of my eyes, I noticed he was looking intently at me.
"I can't say I was treated poorly. I was given a space to sleep and food, if I'm on my best behaviour."
"Definitely, you were earning some kind of money. Why didn't you run away or something?" He asked, his fingers tapping the lid of the medicine.
"It got stolen every time. I just had to bank on meeting my mate."
"Did you?"
"I did. The Alpha of our pack. But he rejected me in front of everyone and chose someone else over me."
Mason sighed and patted my shoulder.
"That must have been really rough."
Of course, I left the part where I watched him and his lover having intimacy.
"I locked myself up for days and when I came out, I was accused of murder. I had only gone up to the storage for my best friend who opted to sneak in food to me because I hadn't eaten. The next thing I saw was the head maid and a knife was in her chest. I pulled it out and that was when the guards came in. The thought I had killed her." My eyes stung with tears remembering how I was treated unfairly for a crime I didn't commit.
All the days I went hungry, stayed in a dark room, and the look in Ellie's eyes. I had to endure them all and pray for death to come.
"I'm so sorry, Tara. You've endured so much at such a young age." He pulled closer and embraced me.
I was stunned, my eyes shooting open.
Why was he hugging my dirty and injured body?
If it were in my former pack, nobody would even stand close to me, say less of hugging me.
But being in his arms, I felt warm and safe. Like nothing could harm me.
"What the hell do you two think you're doing?"