The Alphas prize novel Chapter 34

I peered down at Cain, my eyes taking in his exhausted features. Cain wasn’t wearing a shirt, only a blanket covering him. I slid the blanket down, revealing his once muscular physique and seeing him in such a withering state made my chest ache. My hand glided along his skin, stopping above his heart, and I could feel his weakened heart slowly beat against my palm.

I reached down for the powder and opened the bottle before sprinkling the yellow substance onto his chest. Then, just as Helena instructed, I grabbed the moon rock next and placed it on top of the powder, in the center of his chest. I closed my eyes for a beat and sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm my frazzled nerves. Next, I repeated the words she told me. “Death be no more and life come forth,” I said aloud, my voice cracking slightly.

I then sat back and watched him curiously. My eyes frantically searched Cain’s statuesque frame for any movement, but there was nothing. His chest began to rise and fall heavily, then suddenly stopped. My brows furrowed in confusion, and I placed my fingers on his neck, feeling for a pulse. However, I couldn’t feel his heart beating; there was nothing. I put my ear to his chest, listening intently for the sound of his thumping heart, but it was eerily quiet, Cain was no longer breathing, and he was dead.

I jumped up from the bed, moving away from him, as I realized that he was gone and that I had failed him. My lip began to quiver, my chest heaving and tears welled in my eyes. I nearly collapsed from the heartbreak I felt; it had only been a few weeks since I had met Cain, and I had fallen in love with him in just that short amount of time. I had been slowly getting to know the monster himself, the King of rogues, the feared Alpha of the Dead pack. Yet, I was privileged enough to uncover a side to him that others didn’t see, and as a result, strong feelings had manifested each day for him. I was Cain’s prize, but little did he know that he was my prize too.

A quiet sob came from behind me, and I looked over my shoulder to see Rose standing there and crying. She caught my gaze, and her expression turned into one of sympathy.

Rose lowered her hands. “Oh, Freja.” She said, her voice shaky. I shook my head and raised my hand, silencing her, before turning my attention back to Cain. I walked back to the bed and leaned down, placing a soft kiss on his forehead. Tears were now streaming down my face, and I wiped them away as I stared down at his face. I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep, shaky breath, then covered Cain’s body with the blanket.

I turned back to Rose, who was now distraught, tears soaking her supple skin. I couldn’t handle all the emotions; I couldn’t fully comprehend the situation, the fact that he was truly gone and to be honest, I didn’t want to; I didn’t want this to be real. So, without saying another word, I walked out of the room. As I walked out and down the hall, I could hear Rose sobbing, but the immense pain I was feeling was greater than my need to comfort her. So I continued through the halls, not sparing anyone a glance or saying a word.

I reached our room and hesitantly opened the door, unsure if I wanted to be in here without him, in the room where we had created so many memories together, where we had gotten to know each other and given a piece of ourselves to one another. Although it was now empty, his scent lingered throughout the bedroom, everywhere I looked reminded me of him, and all I had left of Cain were the memories we had created in such a small amount of time.

I walked over to the bed and sat down on the plush mattress, pinching the bridge of my nose while trying to think of where I had gone wrong. I had followed Helena’s directions, did everything as she had instructed, and yet, I had failed. I couldn’t save Cain, and now he was gone; I had lost him before I even had the chance to tell him how I felt.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door, I looked up and sighed, not in the mood for company, but apparently, that didn’t matter as Gunnar entered the room. I put my head down, knowing if I looked at him, my walls would come down, and my emotions would come out.

Gunnar walked over to the bed and sat beside me. “I heard what happened, and I’m sorry, Freja.” He said solemnly.

I didn’t respond, only pursed my lips and nodded my head lightly. He placed a heavy hand around my shoulders and pulled me into him, holding me firmly against his side. We stayed like that for a minute, silently, as Gunnar attempted to console me.

Gunnar released a heavy sigh. “Freja, don’t blame yourself for any of this; you did everything you could, and it's not your fault that it didn’t work. I know you wanted to save him, to get him back, but at times, things happen that are out of our control. As much as I disliked Cain, I do know he loved you and cared for you.” He said in a meaningful tone, his words tugging at the strings of my heart.

I bit my inner lip, trying to hold back my tears. “I know, I just…wanted so badly to save him, to get Cain back and yet, he was stolen from me. Our future was taken from us before we even had the chance to create one together. All of this happened because of me, Adela, Erik, it’s my fault, and now Cain’s gone, for good.” The tears finally fell, streaming down my face now, as my chest heaved erratically.

Gunnar wrapped his other arm around me, pulling me flush to his chest and holding me close. The tears continued to fall, now soaking his shirt, as Gunnar consoled me. I didn’t want to believe this was true, that anything of this had happened. Within the short span of a few days, I had lost family, friends, an enemy, my wolf and now, my mate. I couldn’t deal with this; I didn’t want to deal with this; I just wanted the pain to go away.

I reared back from Gunnar, sniffling and wiping the tears away. “I’d like to be alone for a while, please,” I said quietly.

Gunnar sighed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea; you shouldn’t be alone right now.” He told me, worry in his tone.

I closed my eyes. “Please, Gunnar, I need to try and deal with everything on my own. I also need to have a shower.” I told him, hoping he would just give me some time to myself.

I looked up at him, and he was sitting there silently, fighting with himself to give me what I was asking for, but he reluctantly agreed, “Fine, I’ll leave you be for a while, but I’ll be back later on, to check on you.” Gunnar said, his tone holding promise.

I nodded my head. “Thank you,” I replied, glad that he was respecting my wishes, just as he always did.

Gunnar stood up from the bed and stared down at me intently. “If you need me or anything at all, just holler; I’ll be just down the hallway. So, don’t hesitate to call for me; I don’t care what it’s for, understood?” At the moment, he reminded me of our father, and I chuckled inwardly at the resemblance.

I nodded my head. “Yes, thank you,” I told him, giving him a reassuring smile.

He turned on his heel and walked to the door, hesitantly opening it. Gunnar shot me one more glance before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Once he was gone, I laid down on the bed, letting more tears stream down my face again. I screamed internally at the anger and grief that was consuming my mind and body.

I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm myself and decided to have a shower. I got up from the bed and started walking to the bathroom but stopped, my eyes drifting towards the balcony doors. I walked over to the doors, whipping them open and stepped outside. There was a storm brewing in the sky, and it was now raining. I stood there, the rain soaking my body, and I fell to my knees. As I rubbed my hands down my face, feeling more overwhelmed and distraught by the second, I looked to the sky and asked why?

Just as I expected, I got no response, no answers, and I felt more lost than I ever have in my life. I closed my eyes and slowly stood to my feet, wrapping my arms around myself. I walked back into the bedroom, kicked the doors closed, then went into the bathroom, took my clothes off, and turned the shower on, allowing the water to flow.

As I stepped under the stream, the water was warm, easing some of my anxiety. I sat on the cold tile floor, bent my legs up before wrapping my arms around them, and then rested my head on my knees—the warm water cascading down my body and wrapping me in its warmth. I stayed like that for a while, just letting the dark emotions wash away, even for this short bit of time.

After what felt like an hour, I decided to get out of the shower. I wrapped myself in a towel and reached for a bathrobe, drying myself off first before putting it on. I walked out of the bathroom and over to the bed, staring down at it apprehensively, not liking the emptiness. I took off the towel and put on a shirt, as well as some underwear.

I laid down on the bed, covering myself with the blanket and facing his side of the bed. I stared at the empty space, missing his big ass, hogging the bed. I attempted to shut off my thoughts as I closed my eyes, but that was pointless. My mind continued to race as I thought about everything that had happened recently, and it was all too much.

Suddenly, I heard the bedroom door open, and I sighed, knowing Gunnar was checking up on me again. I didn’t move, not having the energy to do so. “Gunnar, I told you I wanted to be alone for a while,” I said, but no response, only the sound of soft footsteps approaching the bed. I groaned internally at his shitty listening skills, then the bed dipped down, and I could feel him sitting next to me now. Growing irritated with him, I went to roll over, only to be caged between two strong, muscular arms and shivers coursed through my body as I stared into those familiar alluring, green eyes.

He stared into my eyes, and a smirk spread across his face. “Did you really think you would get rid of me that easy, love?” Cain said, and I didn’t know if I wanted to slap him or kiss him. Instead, I reached my hand up, caressing his cheek softly, and Cain closed his eyes, leaning into my touch before a low growl rumbled from his chest.

Numerous emotions started to rise within me, sadness, happiness, anger, love and lust, all of them consuming me. Then, without thinking, I pulled my hand back and slapped him across the face. “I thought I lost you. Don’t ever fucking do that to me again.” I shouted, angry at him for sacrificing himself as he did.

The impact of my slap had caused his head to turn to the side slightly. He turned his head back in my direction, grinning mischievously, and I rolled my eyes at him. Cain then gripped my wrists tightly and pinned them above my head.

He bent down, his lips brushing against my ear. “Now, now love, don’t be so feisty or do I need to teach you a lesson so soon?” Cain whispered, his voice deep yet soft.

Cain pulled back and stared into my eyes before engulfing my mouth with his, kissing me tenderly and passionately. I melted into him, embracing this moment I longed for before pulling back to gasp for air. “You scared me; I thought you were dead. Why did you sacrifice yourself?” I told him honestly and asked the question that had been heavy on my mind.

He rubbed the back of his neck and gave me a commiserating stare. “I thought I was dead too, if I am being honest, but I just suddenly woke up, feeling dazed, lost and a little feral. No one else knows I am awake; the nurses checked me over after I calmed down and said I’m fine now. Rose then told me how upset you were, so I came straight here.” Cain cupped my cheek, his features softening. “Freja, I know what happened scared you, and that was not my intention, but I would die 1000 times, in the most brutal of ways, if it meant saving your life. You are my mate, and although you are a pain in my ass, I love you and would do anything for you.” So he told me, and I felt a pang in my chest from his words.

Cain leaned down again, his lips gently rubbing against mine before he froze. He reared back, his brows furrowed, and Cain stared at me with a bewildered expression. “Something is different about you; something has changed.” He said curiously.

I swallowed hard, afraid to tell him what had happed, fearing his reaction. “What do you mean?” I asked, playing dumb.

His eyes roamed my face. “I can’t scent your wolf.” Cain’s tone was clipped, and I could see it in his eyes that he didn’t believe me.

I glanced away from him, not wanting to tell him the truth, but he placed a finger under my chin and turned my gaze back to his scrutinizing stare. “Freja, what the fuck happened?” He demanded to know.

I exhaled heavily. “Well, the knife you were stabbed with was rare and also cursed to kill any supernatural. However, it barely penetrated your skin and was instead killing you slowly. I couldn’t bear it; seeing you like that was tearing me apart inside, and then someone told me that there was a cure. So, Gunnar and I travelled to the forest of the damned and got the cure, but I had to pay the price to get the cure. Unfortunately, the price was my wolf.” I regretfully told him.

He sat up on the bed and looked away from me before abruptly standing to his feet. Cain started to pace around the room, making me anxious, and I wondered what was going through his mind. I sat up, my eyes following his every move. “Say something,” I asked him, disliking his silent treatment.

Cain walked over to the dresser and slammed his hands down on the wooden piece of furniture, then hung his head. His whole body tensed. “How could you do that?” He asked through gritted teeth.

I stood up from the bed. “I was told that there was a chance I could save you, and I took that chance without hesitation. Yes, the price was devastating, but my wolf and I agreed on the decision together. She and I wanted to save you, and we were willing to do whatever it took.” I told him, proud of the decision because we did it, we saved him, which meant her death wasn’t for nothing.

Cain straightened himself, standing to his full height. “What if you had died?” He growled out.

I sucked in a deep breath. “But I didn’t.” I had known the risks and that there was a chance I wouldn’t make it, but Cain was worth taking that chance.

A deep growl rumbled from him, reverberating throughout the room, and it was clear that he was pissed with my decisions. Cain turned around, facing me now and stormed towards me. He gripped my wrists firmly, then spun me around before bending me over and burying my face into the bed. Cain laid on top of me, his hard cock pressed against my ass, and my whole body felt alive from the contact. He gripped my hair tightly in his hand, yanking my head back before his soft lips brushed against my ear and causing goosebumps to spread across my heated skin. “I think you need to be taught a lesson.” He said in a seductive and husky tone.

I squeezed my thighs together as the lust for him grew. “Yes, I do,” I whispered, and Cain released a satisfactory growl before nipping my ear. He reared back, then flipped me over and onto my back. Cain straddled me, careful not to put his full weight on me and then ripped my shirt in half. I wasn’t wearing a bra, and he seemed pleased with this, as a smile spread across those plump lips while he cupped my breasts in his hands and rolled my nipples between his thumb and forefinger.

Cain stood from the bed and removed what was left of my shirt. He ripped the torn fabric in half again before flipping me back onto my stomach. Then, straddling me once again, Cain tied my hands together with a piece of the shirt before tying the other end to the bed post.

My panties were soaked from my juices, as the desire to have him was stronger than ever. Once he was finished tying me, he rubbed his hands down my body, sending shockwaves across my skin. Cain ripped my underwear off and pulled the fabric out from under me. My ass was now bare to him, and he squeezed it roughly.

Cain’s hand reached between us, his fingers gliding along my inner thigh, and I spread my legs as much as I could, giving him better access. His fingers slid down my wet folds, then gently rubbed my clit, and my breathing hitched. Cain pushed a finger inside of me, pumping it in and out at a steady pace. Then, he added another finger and picked up his pace.

My moans filled the room as Cain continued his assault on my throbbing core, stroking my clit and pumping his fingers inside of me with skill. His thumb rubbed against my asshole, gently and my eyes widened, wondering what he was doing. Then, Cain slowly slid his thumb inside of me, and I released a loud gasp as it burned a little.

I squirmed beneath him. “Cain, what….” He didn’t let me continue my questioning.

He leaned down, the heat of his body radiating on my back, as he wrapped an arm around my neck and covered my mouth with his hand. “Shh, be a good girl and be quiet,” Cain whispered sweetly and softly.

Cain continued to fill me, pumping his fingers in and out of both holes. My orgasm was peaking, my heart racing, my breathing erratic, and my legs began to shake at the immense pleasure building within me. Then, abruptly, he stopped, rearing back and pulling his hand away from me, leaving me to sit there on the edge of sensual bliss.

I lifted my head and tried to look over my shoulder, watching as Cain stood from the bed before stripping his clothes off, revealing his muscular and toned body. He was naked now, his cock hard and throbbing.

Cain gripped my legs and bent them, putting my ass in the air as he spread me wide open. Then, he climbed back onto the bed and rubbed his tip against my wet folds, causing a jolt of raw ecstasy to rocket throughout me. I gripped the fabric wrapped around my wrists, holding onto it like a lifeline. Next, Cain gripped my hips firmly and held me in place as he teasingly pushed himself inside of me.

He continued inching his cock inside, taking his sweet time, and it was now becoming agonizing, as I needed more of him.

I wiggled my hips. “Stop being a tease and fuck me,” I shouted, getting frustrated with Cain’s games, as the need to release was becoming excruciating now.

Cain stilled, then smacked my ass hard, causing me to moan. He then gripped my hair forcefully and leaned down. “Do not give me orders; I’ll do as I please, and you, my love, will be a good little girl, taking every inch I give you, no matter how slow.” He whispered seductively, and my body shook.

I writhed beneath him as the lust and desire intensified. “Pretty please, I need you, Cain,” I whined, needing to feel him inside me and craving the release.

He growled approvingly before slamming into me. Cain tilted my head back and nipped on my neck as he pulled out slowly, only to slam into me once again. I gasped at the mixture of pain and pleasure. He straightened himself, gripping my hips tightly and started thrusting into me with a gentle force. His pace picked up, fucking me harder, faster and deeper, pushing me closer to the edge.

My body vibrated, almost dizzying, and the heat between my legs grew, feeling as though I was on fire. Cain’s hand slid along my sensitive skin, reaching beneath me and started to skillfully rub my clit, in a circler motion. My orgasm was climbing, reaching its peak, and my legs weakened.

“Oh, Cain.” I moaned out, unable to keep silent, as I neared the edge of pure bliss.

Cain released a groan, his breathing becoming heavy. He gripped onto the fabric wrapped around my wrists and tore it from me, freeing me from my restraints. Cain then pulled out before flipping me over and onto my back. The look in his eyes was carnal and hungry as he stared down at my naked body. I bit my lip and writhed under his watchful gaze, anticipating his next move.

He caressed my exposed skin and sent jolts of electricity throughout my body as his fingers glided along my sensitive skin. Cain leaned down, and his supple lips kissed my stomach before trailing upwards. Cain squeezed my breast with his hand while taking the other in his mouth, sucking and biting on my taut nipple.

Finally, he captured my mouth with his, kissing me with a fiery passion as he thrust into me again. Cain bent my legs, and his hands slid under my ass, causing him to go deeper inside of me. This new position sent me into a frenzy, feeling every inch of his hard length inside me now, and I couldn’t get enough of it or him. Again, Cain thrust into me furiously, driving me over the edge. My insides constricted, and my legs shook as my orgasm finally reached its peak.

As I climaxed, I screamed out his name, and my head spun from my release. Cain’s fingernails dug into my skin as he held on for dear life, pumping into me at a rapid pace. His breathing was erratic, his grunts filling the room as he continued his assault on my swollen and throbbing pussy.