Sold to the Alpha (Alma Venus Shifter Brides 1)

“You don’t want to know…”

“I do. Believe me, I do. I need to know what your wife has gone through so I can find the best way to help her. As I see it, her suffering isn’t physical. I mean, yes, she is terribly dehydrated, weak, and exhausted, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. Her state of mind, however… that’s an entirely different thing.”

Max took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. The doctor knew about Sabine and about the cure. He had been the one to suggest it as a solution in the first place. He might as well tell him the whole story.

“It was my ex-bride, Sabine Miller. She found out about our baby and went bonkers. She tried to kill Avelyn.”

“My God…” Dr. Stevens took a couple more steps and stopped in front of a bench. He

didn’t sit down.

“There was a battle at Alma Venus… many died. Many of my people and Sabine’s… allies. I don’t even know what to call them. When they attacked the school I wasn’t even there. Oh, for fuck’s sake! I wasn’t even there!” It all came crashing down on him once again. Since Viggo saved Avelyn’s life by burning down half the garden, they kept coming… feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness. Panic.

The doctor didn’t say anything. He knew that Max needed time to gather his thoughts and, more than anything, he needed to voice them. He could see that he was trying to cope. There were moments when his face would light up with hope, only to go completely dark with despair a second later. With rest and care, his wife would be well, and so would his child. But it was important for Max to pull himself together if he was to support them. Basic psychology said he first had to fall apart.

“I should have seen this coming. What kind of husband am I if I can’t protect my own family? And what kind of Alpha am I if I can’t protect my clan?”

“What happened wasn’t your fault and you couldn’t have predicted it. You’re a good husband and Alpha. Too good. And I’m inclined to think this is why it escalated.”

Max shook his head.

“Listen,” continued the doctor. “Let’s try to see things from a different angle. What do you think you should have done differently?”

“Sabine. I should have turned her in half a century ago, right after she killed those girls. She should have gone through trial, suffered the consequences…”

“Why didn’t you?”

Max hung his head in defeat. Of course. It was obvious. This was how life always worked. There were many things he regretted now and wished he had done differently, but that didn’t mean he would have changed them at that point in the past.

“I couldn’t…” he finally said.

“I see. Why?”

“I knew what they would do to her.”

“You were afraid she would get the death sentence.”

“Yes… I… If it happened, I couldn’t have lived with myself.”

They both fell silent for long minutes, the doctor contemplating the fiery sunset sky, while Max was still staring at the stone alley under his feet. Small, thin blades of grass peeked out from between the stones, but he didn’t notice them. His mind was too focused on what was happening inside his aching heart. Once again, he was torn. He knew there was no point in thinking about Sabine anymore, but he couldn’t help it. She had been his first bride and he had loved her once. He knew what he would have done if he could have: keep both of them safe. But that was exactly what he had tried, right? It had all ended so badly.

Dr. Stevens turned to Max and put a hand on his shoulder. “You need to accept what happened and move on, Maxwell. You have a family and three packs that need you. Your wife needs her husband, your child needs his father, and your werewolves need their Alpha. Every choice has its consequences, and this is something we can’t control. What we can do is make choices we can live with later, and this is exactly what you did.”

Max knew the man was right. He wasn’t telling him anything new either. However, it was always one thing to know something and a completely different thing to accept it and let it become part of you, let it change your perception and state of mind. He would work on that. He took a deep breath and finally looked into the doctor’s eyes. “Thank you.”

“You have nothing to thank me for. All you have to do is focus on the present and future.”

“I know. I will.”

“Good. Now let’s talk about your wife. She must eat and rest. Even though she is a hybrid and her body is stronger than any human’s body, the baby can still dry out her energy if she doesn’t take care of herself. My advice is to take her back to the Schloss tomorrow morning, as soon as she wakes up. I’m not a fan of the hospital food. I’m willing to visit every few days to check on her and make sure she’s all right and the pregnancy is going smoothly. I’d also suggest hiring a nurse so she’d have a professional around at all times. I don’t think there will be any complications with the baby, but it’s better to be prepared.”

“I completely agree. If you can recommend me a good nurse…”

“I’ll take care of it. All I needed was your consent. Your wife has gone through a lot. No woman in her second month of pregnancy should be exposed to such stress and trauma. I’m not blaming you, nor any of your wolves. However, you must keep her away from any kind of drama. Bury your dead, mourn them, but let go as soon as possible and let the wounds heal. Try to distract her. I’d like her to stay in bed for at least a couple of days, until she regains her strength, but make sure she doesn’t spend all her time by herself.”

“She’s made a lot of friends in all three packs. Everyone likes her.”

“And they have no reason not to. Now, more than ever, she needs her friends.”