Alpha Kieran's Redemption: Forgiveness

CHAPTER 47 Saved

Mae POV

My heart is beating loudly, and I know the two men can probably hear it. But I refuse to back down. I will not be the reason the fighting continues. 

Call off the fighting, I try to command the two men. 

They look at each other before bursting into laughter. How do you suggest we do that? The first man says. 

With the mind link thingy, I say confidently. 

The two men look at each other again and continue laughing. You really know nothing about our world, the first man chuckles. 

We are rogues, the second butts in. We don't have a mind link. 

But I heard you, I stutter. You said the longer it takes to find me, the more will die.

Never said the fighting would stop, the first shrugs. But thank you for making our job a lot easier. 

Both men take a step in my direction, but I have no plans of going quietly. They will have to drag me out of this forest, kicking and screaming. I raise the stick over my head and prepare to be attacked. 

Look, Brother, the second says. She is going to fight us. 

It is cute when humans think they are strong enough to win, the first man says. 

A wide smile spreads across his lips. All of his teeth are showing. Each one looks like it has been filed into a sharp point. Just the look of him has me shaking with fear. The second man is foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog as he inches his way toward me. They are getting closer to Sofia's hiding spot, and I am worried they will trip over her feet. 

Don't come any closer, I try to sound menacing.

What are you going to do with that little stick? The second man laughs. 

I look up at the stick in my hands. It definitely doesn't look small to me. It is heavy and is making my arms tired, but I refuse to give up my defensive stance. I swing the stick in their direction before holding it back above my head. 

The second man continues to inch in my direction. He is dangerously close to Sofia's hidden feet. 

I said, don't come any closer, I yell. 

But no matter what I say, the men keep inching closer. They are not scared of me.

The second man steps on the leaves covering Sofia's feet, and she whimpers loudly. I look down at the pile of leaves, and her sparkly shoe is sticking out.

What do we have here? The second says as he reaches down and pulls Sofia from her hiding spot. 

Sofia is screaming as loud as she can and clawing at the ground, trying to stay hidden. The man lifts her upside down by her feet, and an evil smile tugs at the corner of his lips. Sofia is swinging wildly back and forth, trying to get free. She is feisty for as young as she is. 

The second man tosses Sofia to his brother, and she squeals in fear. The first man grabs her from the air and holds her by her neck. Tears are streaming down her face as she pleads to me with her eyes to save her. 

Don't hurt her, I yell. 

Why not, the first man says as he digs his fingers into her neck. 

Sofia screams out in pain, and I lunge for her with the stick still in my hands. The second man steps in front of me, blocking me from getting to Sofia. 

Come with us, and we will let the girl go, he growls. 

I let the stick drop to my side and it falls to the ground with a thud. Just don't hurt her. 

The second man grabs onto my arm and tugs me close to him. His dirty fingernails are piercing the skin of my arm, and blood is beginning to ooze to the surface. I look at the first man, and he is not letting go of Sofia.

Let her go, I spit out at him, but he just laughs in my face. 

I don't think I will, he responds. She will make good leverage in case you decide to act out. 

I will do whatever you want me to, I cry. Just let the girl go. 

The second man tries to lead me away but I refuse to go anywhere until I know Sofia is safe. I dig my heels into the ground and fight against his pull. I can feel his nails peeling back my skin as my arm slides from his hand. 

Stop fighting, he grumbles as he struggles to keep ahold of me. 

No, I hiss. 

Then I see my opening. I take a step forward and thrust the heel of my palm upwards onto his nose. The second man lets go of my arm as his eyes begin to water, and his hands fly to his face. Blood is pouring from his nose, but I know it won't last long. 

Bending down, I grab the stick from the ground and swing it toward his head. But I am not fast enough, and he ducks. 

You stupid bitch, he growls as he grabs the stick from my hand. He breaks it across his thigh and throws the pieces to the side. 

Suddenly, a loud growl pierces through the trees, and a massive golden wolf comes running through the trees. The look on the two men's faces tells me that this wolf is on my side. 

The first man tosses Sofia to the side as he turns to face the golden wolf. I quickly grab Sofia off the ground and hold her close. Tears are streaming down her face as she cries loudly. 

Not turning my back on the fight, I back away from them until I hit a tree behind me. 

The golden wolf snarls at the two men, and the men both begin to shift into dirty brown wolves. But the golden wolf doesn't wait until their shift is over. She grabs the first man by the head and shakes her head from side to side. His head separates from his body with a sickening tear. I wrap my hand around Sofia's eyes, trying to hide the carnage from her.    

The second man is now fully his wolf, and he howls in anguish over the loss of his brother. The golden wolf tosses the head to the side and paws angrily at the ground. The second man whimpers and bows down to her, but the golden wolf doesn't take pity on him. She jumps on his back and bites down on his neck. The sound of his spine cracking fills the air as she shakes him from side to side. 

She drops the body of the dead wolf at her feet and looks in my direction. I am shaking with fear, but there is something about this wolf that is familiar. Even though the golden wolf is covered in blood, her tongue sticks out of the side of her mouth, and she looks silly. 

Within seconds, the golden wolf is no longer in front of me, and a very naked Raven is standing in its place. Sofia wiggles from my arms and bows in front of Raven, but Raven lifts her by her shoulders and embraces her gently. 

Come on, Raven gestures to me. Everyone is looking for you.  

CHAPTER 48 Into Action

Mae POV

Sofia takes Raven's hand and they walk slowly out of the forest. Sofia doesn't seem to be at all shocked by Raven's naked body. It is like it is something that is completely natural. I, on the other hand, am trying to look anywhere but Raven's naked back as I follow them. 

I can hear Sofia chatting away as she and Raven break through the trees. She is telling Raven about how I tried to save her and take on two werewolves by myself. I personally think she is embellishing the story a little. I did what I needed to do to keep her safe. 

As soon as we make our way back to the canopy, Leo is at Raven's side, pulling an oversized shirt over her head. Clearly, he isn't as okay with her nudity as she is. He spins Raven around, looking for injuries, and when he doesn't find any, he kisses her deeply.

Oliver is there to pick up where Leo left off. He tugs at Raven and presses his lips to hers. I can't help but watch them curiously. I wonder how it works with two mates. Kieran is so possessive. I can't imagine him sharing me with anyone. 

Sofia giggles loudly at my side as she takes my hand. Her eyes are glued to Raven and her mates. 

Suddenly, I hear Sofia's name being screamed loudly from behind us. 

I turn to see a woman who is probably my age running toward Sofia. I assume she is Sofia's mother because she looks just like her. She is wearing nothing but a T-shirt, and there is a massive bruise across her cheek. Her dark hair is covered in blood and mud, and her brown eyes are full of tears.     

Sofia drops my hand and runs into the woman's arms. Mommy, she squeals with excitement as her mother checks her over. 

Wiggling to get out of her mother's hold, Sofia begins to tell her mother, the same tale that she told Raven. My face heats with embarrassment as she continues to say how brave I was not to shift into my wolf. Sofia is probably too young to realize that I do not have a wolf. 

Sofia's mother scoops her into her arms and begins to walk in my direction. There is an unreadable look on her face. I notice that Sofia has deep bruises on her neck from where the man held her tightly. I suck in a sharp breath and wait for the verbal beating from Sofia's mother. 

She stops right in front of me, and I don't know what to say. Her daughter was injured because of me. Before I can come up with some sort of excuse for my actions, Sofia's mother wraps her spare arm around me and hugs me tightly.

I am too stunned to hug her back, and suddenly, she lets go and steps back. I am so sorry for touching you, Luna, she says through her tears. Thank you for keeping Sofia safe. 

You don't have to apologize, I say as tears spring to my eyes. I would do anything to keep a child safe. 

But you stood up to rogues, and you are a human, Sofia's mother sobs. You could have died. 

I don't know how to respond. It never occurred to me that my life was in danger. I only worried about Sofia's safety. 

It is the Luna Queen that deserves your thanks, I whisper. She is the one that saved us in the end.

Mommy, Sofia yawns. Can I visit the Luna at the pack house? 

Sofia's mother shuffles from side to side. She is unsure how to answer. 

Of course you can, I say as I tug on one of her little dark curls. I would be happy to see you again. 

Sofia smiles as she lays her head against her mother's shoulder, and she is instantly asleep. 

I am Mae, I say as Sofia's mother stands awkwardly in front of me. 

I am Lucy, she replies. I guess I should take Sofia home and put her to bed. Thank you for keeping her safe. 

I meant what I said. She can come to see me at any time, I reply as Lucy walks away with Sofia. 

I let out a sigh and turn back to the canopy. Shock freezes me on the spot. I don't know how I missed it before. I guess I was too focused on Raven and Sofia. But the party area is in chaos. People are lying on the ground, blood is splattered all over the white tablecloths, and emergency personnel are trying to help those who are injured. 

I spring into action. I don't know how to provide aid to a wounded werewolf, but I am assuming that it cannot be too different from a human. 

Running into the middle of the canopy, I look around, trying to assess where I am needed. Someone grabs a hold of my ankle, and I look down. It is a young man whose bottom half of his leg is mangled. Blood is pouring from his leg, and I know if I don't stop the bleeding, he won't survive. 

I know a tourniquet is a long shot, but I don't have another choice. A broken piece of the canopy railing is on the ground, I pick it up and rip a strip of fabric from my dress. 

This is going to hurt, I warn him, but he is already screaming in pain. 

I quickly wrap the fabric around his leg and twist it around the railing. I press my knee on his upper leg to hold him down while I twist. 

As I tighten the fabric around his leg, the bleeding slows, but it doesn't stop. I twist the railing one last time before tying it off. The young man is writhing in pain, but at least the bleeding has slowed. 

I quickly get to my feet and look around. An EMT is running past me with a first aid kit. I grab it from his hands and point to the man on the ground. He needs to go to the hospital now, I command with authority in my voice. 

The EMT looks at my tattered ball gown that is now covered in blood and at the man lying on the ground. He nods to me and yells for someone with a stretcher to come over.

I don't wait for them to load the man before I move on to the next person. I help person after person and direct the EMTs on who needs to be taken care of first. They follow all of my commands blindly. 

My arm is starting to ache badly, but I don't have time to worry about myself when there are so many others that need help. 

I finish bandaging an injured woman's arm, and when I am finished, I try to stand. It feels like the world is shaking under my feet, and I begin to sway back and forth. 

I try to take a step forward, but my knees buckle underneath me, and I fall to the ground. I brace myself for the impact, but someone wraps their arms around my waist and holds me upright. 

I have been looking all over for you, Kieran's voice is panicked. 

I try to look him in the eyes, but my vision is blurry. He is looking over my body, and his eyes keep getting wider. 

What happened to you? He asks.

I have been helping, I mutter. 

You are injured, Kieran snarls as he looks at my arm. You were attacked by a rogue.

More people need my help, I say as I try to break away from him, but he doesn't let go. 

My head falls forward, and I am encompassed by darkness.  

CHAPTER 49 Working

Kieran POV

Mae falls forward, and I catch her before she hits the ground. The wound on her arm is oozing and is hot to the touch. While a werewolf is immune to an attack from a rogue, it can be deadly for a human. The wounds that rogues inflict can become infected very quickly. 

I turn to a medic that is nearby. Why wasn't the Luna attended to? 

The medic refuses to look into my eyes. She was helping us with the wounded. We didn't know she needed help. 

Look at her, I scream at the medic. 

The