9

Sleepy Joe was alpha, no scratch that.
Sleepy Joe IS alpha.
Lyles couldn’t believe it himself, but it was true. His father IS now alpha.
Any well-behaved son would be happy, and proud even, but not Lyles. His father didn’t deserve to be alpha, but winning the challenge, and killing his niece proved otherwise. The pack wasn’t interested in burying Crinka, nor was their self-interest celebrating their new alpha. The prisoners that Crinka had imprisoned were released, and Sleepy Joe demanded a new and better clubhouse. It was sure to cost a fortune, but Lyles knew it wasn’t going to matter, given his father was now an alpha. It was a great day for the pack, but not for Lyles. He had called the pack doctors in hopes of bringing her back, but none showed up. They were probably enjoying themselves at Sleepy Joe’s coronation.
So, Lyles had done what he could. He removed up to five bullets and had just pulled out the sixth one. He had cleaned her up and bandaged her wounds. She was as lifeless as a log, and the only sign of life was a beating heart, so faint, he would have missed it had he has been human.
Lukas was just returning, Sia in tow. Bradley was nowhere to be found and Lyles wasn’t going to let that child’s absence bother him. Sia didn’t look good either. His face was swollen up, and his skin had lost its creamy color.
“What happened to you?” Lyles asked, raising a brow.,
“She happened,” he replied breathlessly.
“What does that mean? What connection do you have with Crinka that I don’t know about?” Lyles asked, brows furrowing in confusion.
“Deeper than the bullet.” he rushed. “She is still alive, but would soon meet her father eight hours from now.” He added.
“Alive?” Lukas asked in disbelief. “Crinka is dead and it’s all her fault. Since you marked her even though you had no right to, is there a way to bring her back?” Lukas asked with hope shining in his eyes.
“I don’t have the antidote for the poison, so no, there’s nothing I can do.” Sia responded.
“Poison? What poison are you talking about?” Lyles asked, confusion clear in his voice.
“It seems like these wolves don’t follow the rules or is it just your father? Joe poisoned your alpha. It had direct contact with her eyes.”
“Is that why she was unable to see during the fight?” Lukas asked, Sia nodded.
The trio falls back into silence. Sia is completely worn out and collapses beside her lifeless body.
“I still don’t get why Sia looks as if he had been fighting,” Lukas said to Lyles.
“I was able to stop myself from bleeding. I told her not to fight,” Sia said quietly.
Lyles was absorbing all this information in silence. He quickly took out his knife and sliced her skin, not too deep, but enough to hurt. He confirmed his fears when Sia hissed in pain. holding his hand also.
“How did…?” He stared at Sia, then at Crinka.
“What?” Lukas asked.
“Didn’t you see that? Sia doesn’t need an antidote, because he’s the antidote himself!” Lyles exclaimed.
“What? I didn’t come all this way to hear rubbish,” Lukas said angrily.
“Sia knows what I am talking about,” Lyles defended. “All he needs to do is to fully establish the mate bond between them and that can only happen when he marks her,” Lyles added.
“Crinka deserves to enjoy her life. I won’t stop that by restricting her to a bond. No, I am not that selfish.” Sia opposed.
“It’s for her own good Sia. I never thought I would do this, but I am begging you. Don’t let my alpha die. She needs you.”
It was a desperate plea and Sia looked away from Lyles pleading face to Crinka’s bandaged neck.
“I will give her my blood. Let’s see if that works then.” he said.
Lyles beamed. “Here, slit your wrist. I will open her mouth.”
Lukas was fully against this idea. What Sia was about to do was create a blood bond, the greatest of all bonds. Blood bonds were rare and once formed, can never be broken. Sia had a mate out there and should stop.
“Lyles, this isn’t a great idea. The blood thing is too personal and Sia has a mate.” Lukas warned.
What Lukas said held no meaning because Sia’s black blood was already pouring into her open mouth like water.
Crinka drank as though her life depended on it. Sia was growing weak from blood loss and as much as he tried to assure himself that he wouldn’t die, he had to be careful not to pass out. If an Icelander passed out from blood loss, the effects could be dangerous. While Crinka’s heartbeat was more pronounced, Sia’s own was fading away.
“She’s waking up!” Lyles exclaimed, pumping his fist up in the air.
Lukas smiled sadly. She was waking up only because Sia had deepened the connection between them. It would take her a hard heart, not to fall in love with Sia.
When Crinka’s eyes opened, Sia’s own closed.
#
Sia had exhausted ten bags of blood and more. Lyles didn’t bother checking what type of blood, and just injected it into his system.
“I can’t see,” was the first thing Crinka said once she was awake, and she was saying it again. “Lyles, Lukas, why can’t I see?”
“It would take a while for the poison to leave your system, so I suggest you get some sleep,” Lyles said.
“Poison?” she shrieks. “What poison?”
“My father knew he couldn’t kill you so he got his hands on poison. It had direct contact with your eyes, that’s why you’re blind.”
“But the poison is gone, right? I’m free right Lyles?” she asked, her voice on the edge of panic.
“Not absolutely. It is still in your blood. We gave you an antidote so it will be gone by dawn.”
“Sleepy Joe is not alpha right? It wasn’t a fair fight so he can’t be alpha.”
“Try to get your sight back. My father is alpha. The whole pack saw you die Crinka. He’s alpha. Period.”
Lyles words broke her. She would have her revenge. She must. “If they saw me die, why am I here? Why am I still alive?”
“You will have to thank Sia for that when he wakes up. For now, try and rest Crinka. You need to rest.”
Lyles words pondered through her head for some time before they started making sense. Sleepy Joe alpha? Where was Lyles when all that was happening? Who made him alpha?
If this cock and bull story, she’s hearing is true Crinka wondered what would happen to her now. Sleepy Joe won’t keep her in the pack and even if he did, she would become an omega. That alone would be an insult to her.
Who would have thought an alpha to become an omega? That had never happened before and Crinka wondered why she. She was the first female alpha. She also can’t be the first alpha to become an omega. But it had happened, and there was no changing that.
Omegas were treated like dirt in Bluestone Pack. One had bravely voiced out his complaints, and what had Crinka done? She paid no heed to his complaints, increased his work in the packhouse, and rendered him homeless. Now it was her turn. This was surely karma coming back at her.
What more will she be, if she became an omega? She would commit suicide. Being dead was better than being enslaved to Sleepy Joe.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Crinka doesn’t say anything as Lyles sits beside her.
“You are free to tell me anything Crinka, you can’t go through this alone.”
But I am already alone, she thought inwardly. I’ve got no parents, and I don’t even have a mate. She bit her tongue to prevent her from speaking. Lyles had been good to her and now she saw him as a threat.
He may have decided not to watch her fight, so he can provide his father with the poison and destroy the evidence. That was a very big accusation, but right now her head couldn’t think of any other reason. Anybody would want to be called Alphason, so it would be no surprise if Lyles wanted that title. He might be here trying to act as if he cares but Crinka knows he can’t wait to parade around the pack like alpha son.
This thought troubled her greatly and she couldn’t say anything about it until she had evidence that Lyles had provided the poison. Crinka tried to think of anything to distract her so she won’t drive a knife into Lyles’ heart. She was boiling with contempt for the only man that had been good to her. So, she strikes up a conversation with him, to diffuse the fire within her. Maybe she would be able to get answers.
“Why does my body not hurt? You might have brought me back to life and all that but aren’t I meant to feel pain?”
“Aren’t you glad that you are not in pain? It would make this recovery process easier for you.”
“The poison that you speak of, does it have a name?”
“I don’t remember it. Lukas might remember, but he has gone to make sure Sleepy Joe isn’t doing something stupid.”
“Have you seen Bradley?”
“No, and even if I see him, I would break his skull. Was he not at the arena?”
“That’s the problem Lyles. Bradley was not there. I fear there is something he is hiding from me that he is avoiding me.”
“I’m sure he will come around Crinka, we can go look for him once you regain your sight.”
“You talk as though I’ve been blind all my life”
“Honestly, I think I shouldn’t have given you that antidote and have you remain blind for the rest of your life. Now sit tight, don’t go anywhere, let me go get you something to eat.”
“Okay, don’t take too long.”
As soon as Lyles left, Crinka felt alone and useless. She closed her eyes and reopened them, hoping to see anything, even if it was a broken egg, but no it was pure darkness.
She hears a noise and gasps. “Who is there? I can’t see, please don’t hurt me.”
The reply is an animalistic growl. She is scared and starts to think Davidson is back to finish what he started. She didn’t run away but ventured in his direction.
Sia had woken up when Lyles left and wasn’t feeling so good, His lycan wasn’t happy with the new bond and wanted to show himself. Sia knew that if his lycan’s presence was known, Crinka would die. So, he tries to suppress it thus resulting in animalistic growls.
He urged Crinka to leave and not approach him but she was doing the opposite. His lycan had smelt her and growled ferociously. Sia hopes Sycamore will calm down.
He had been able to keep the beast down for sixteen years. His lycan was dangerous, a true-born Icelander, and getting involved with Crinka and marking her with his cum had woken the sleeping beast up. This was why he didn’t want to pass out. The last time he did was sixteen years ago. Today, Sycamore is awake, craving blood.
Crinka’s hand makes contact with his feet and that was enough distraction for Sycamore to break free.