Claimed by the scarred Alpha

ÉTIENNE

He nodded once, then returned his attention to Margaux. His hands moved over her with gentleness as he checked for breaks, assessed internal damage and made calculations I couldn’t follow about what needed immediate treatment versus what could wait.

"The asphyxiation is severe." He gestured to one of the Omegas. "But her airway is clear now. The blunt force trauma to her head is concerning. We’ll need to monitor for swelling so as not to hinder swift healing."

Another Omega appeared with supplies that consisted of bandages, ointments, and tools that glinted sharply under the lights. The head healer selected what he needed with practiced ease.

"Will she be fine?" The question escaped before I could stop it. Before I could remember, I was supposed to hate her. That her suffering was meant to satisfy something broken inside me.

"Yes." The head healer didn’t look up from his work. "Despite the severity of both injuries, I believe she’ll recover fully. She’s strong. Her body is already starting to heal itself. She is a Luna after all."

Relief crashed through me with enough force to make my knees weak. I locked them in place through sheer will and refused to let anyone see how close I came to collapsing.

The head healer began stitching the gash. His movements were quick and efficient. Each suture placed with precision that spoke to years of experience. Margaux didn’t react to the needle piercing her skin. She didn’t flinch or make any sound that suggested consciousness.

"The swelling will take time to reduce." He tied off the final stitch and stepped back to examine his work. "And the bruising around her throat will be worse before it gets better. But there’s no permanent damage that I can detect... Her Luna superior healing factor will fix everything just fine."

He turned to face me fully. His expression was professional but not unkind.

"You can leave, Alpha. We’ll monitor her and inform you of any changes."

"No."

The word came out harder than intended. Sharp enough that everyone in the room froze momentarily.

"I will stay right here."

The head healer’s eyebrows rose. He opened his mouth like he wanted to argue. Then seemed to think better of it. He nodded once and returned to checking Margaux’s vitals.

I moved to the chair positioned near the wall. The same one I’d sat in before when they’d examined her after pulling her from the bathtub. My injured ankle throbbed with each step. I lowered myself into the seat carefully and tried to find a position that didn’t make the pain worse.

Margaux lay still on the stretcher. They’d cleaned most of the blood from her face. The stitches across her forehead stood out starkly against pale skin. Her throat bore marks that made rage burn through my chest every time I looked at them.

Mate hurt... Find who did this... Kill them.

My wolf’s suggestions were simple and just as direct. Exactly the kind of thinking that would get me nowhere without more information.

But the urge to hunt down whoever had done this and tear them apart with my bare hands was overwhelming. It took physical effort to stay seated. To not leap up and start searching the estate room by room until I found the person responsible.

I hated that there were no cameras in the garden, and I was starting to think of placing cameras everywhere in the pack, privacy be damned.

The door opened. I looked up, expecting another healer or maybe one of the Omegas coming to check on Margaux’s status.

Laurent stood in the doorway instead. His expression was carefully neutral, but his eyes betrayed the turmoil beneath. He’d been crying. Or close to it. Red rimmed and slightly swollen in a way that suggested recent tears.

"Theodore."

The name still felt wrong. It was like wearing clothes that didn’t quite fit. But I’d gotten used to the discomfort over the years. Plus, I understood why he was calling me that here.

Laurent stepped fully into the infirmary and let the door close behind him. His gaze moved from me to Margaux’s unconscious form. Then back to me with something I couldn’t quite identify in his expression.

"The Beta you set a trap for has been caught."

My spine straightened. Every muscle went tense.

"He and eight sentinels crossed into our territory about twenty minutes ago." Laurent moved closer but stopped at a respectful distance away. "They were easily intercepted. There were no casualties on either side. Your orders to take them alive were followed."

Chris... Margaux’s loyal Beta, who’d walked straight into exactly what I’d intended. The message I’d sent from her phone had worked perfectly. He’d gathered allies and come charging to her rescue without considering it might be a setup.

"Where are they now?"

"Being held in the lower cells." Laurent’s jaw tightened. "Chris is demanding to see Margaux. He’s threatening war if we’ve harmed her."

I almost laughed. The absurdity of it struck me sideways. Here I sat covered in her blood after literally throwing myself through a window to save her life. And her Beta thought I was the threat she needed protecting from.

"Let him make his threats." I leaned back in the chair and tried to find a position that eased the pressure on my ankle. "He’s not going anywhere until I decide what to do with him."

Laurent nodded slowly. His eyes moved back to Margaux. Lingered on the stitches and bruising in a way that suggested genuine concern.

"What happened?"

"Someone tried to kill her." The words tasted bitter. "Again."

"Another magic attack?"

"Probably."

Which meant admitting that we did have a witch problem. Someone with enough power to make themselves invisible and enough strength to decapitate a trained sentinel.

Someone who wanted Margaux dead badly enough to try twice in hours.

"We need to find whoever is doing this." Laurent’s voice dropped lower. "Before they succeed."

I looked at Margaux’s still form. At the way her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. At the blood that had soaked through bandages on her forehead.

My wolf snarled agreement. Deep and vicious. The kind of sound that promised violence to anyone who threatened what belonged to us.

"Yeah." I forced the word out through the tightness in my throat. "We do."