Filed to story: Claimed by My Ex’s Alpha Brother
“Yes,” Healer Elijah confirmed. “Liam happened to be in that area and fought off your attacker.”
Ella’s eyes shot to mine.
“Thank you for saving me,” she uttered.
My stomach flipped, and I put my hands in my jeans, not wanting anyone to see them trembling.
“Of course. I’m glad you’re awake,” I answered.
“Liam carried you here. You lost a lot of blood, and you will always have a scar on your arm, but I think you’re going to be just fine. I’m going to run a few simple tests and keep you here overnight for observation, but after that, you can go home with your parents,” Healer Elijah informed Ella.
After the healer shined a light in Ella’s eyes and tested her reflexes, he asked her parents to come into the hallway so that he could go over aftercare instructions with them.
Ella’s mom and dad kissed her forehead, murmuring comforting words that were too quiet for me to hear.
Then, to my complete shock, they both came to a stop in front of me.
Ella’s dad laid a hand on my shoulder, his other arm around his wife.
“Liam, we just wanted to tell you how grateful we are to you for saving our daughter. She’s our…everything, and I don’t know what we would have done without her,” Ella’s dad said in a gruff voice.
Ella’s mom seemed to be beyond speech as silent tears ran down her cheeks, and she nodded in agreement.
“You’re going to make a great Alpha one day,” Ella’s father said.
“Thank you, sir,” I replied.
After the three adults were gone from the room, Ella let out a long breath.
“My arm is killing me,” she said to no one in particular.
“I’m so glad you’re all right,” I said, striding forward, battling with myself about whether I should take her hand or not.
But Noah beat me to it. My best friend took Ella’s hand in his and pressed it close to his chest. He stared down at her with an adoring look that I’d never seen on his face before.
I froze and my muscles tensed, like my body was preparing for an attack. My mind seemed to be going a million miles a second. But on the outside, I was like a statue. All I could do was watch what happened next.
“Ella, your attack made me realize that life is short, and I could have lost you today,” Noah said, his voice thick with emotion.
Really? I couldn’t believe he just said that.
Noah was as good as my brother, but he could be a little selfish sometimes. Ella just woke up from being attacked by a Rogue wolf. Why would she care about him having a clich? personal revelation?
“Honestly, I can’t imagine my life with you,” Noah continued, then paused.
Where is this going? Why is Noah doing this now? Why is he doing this at all?
“Will you be my girlfriend?” Noah asked Ella.
It seemed like I was falling down a deep, dark hole.
After that, all I was aware of was the room feeling too small for the three of us and Ella’s wide eyes meeting mine.
Liam POV
*Two years later*
The Alpha King shoved the marriage contract across the table with a sneer.
“This contract is bullshit,” King Ezekiel said bluntly. “Who wrote it?”
“Liam and I did, Your Majesty,” my father replied with pride in his tone. “He’s starting his own business after he graduates high school. I thought it would be good practice for him.” He clasped his hands together, something my dad only did when he was trying to stay calm.
“Well, your terms are a joke. If your pack wants to align with the royal family of the Whispborn Kingdom, you’re going to have to offer me more than this.” King Ezekiel stared down at the contract like it had called him a crude word.
I shifted uneasily in my seat. This was the first meeting my father and I had had with the Alpha King and his daughter, Olivia. Before this, our sole communication had been through email. Only a few minutes into the meeting, I had to admit that I preferred email. At least the meeting was being held in our territory. The cream-colored walls, wood floors, and large windows of our pack’s meeting room were comfortingly familiar to me.
When I turned eighteen, my father proposed the idea of setting up an arranged marriage between Olivia and me. At first, I rejected the suggestion immediately. But my dad said that aligning with our king, who had access to our kingdom’s most skilled army, was the only way to ensure protection for our pack against the Rogues. Ever since Ella was attacked two years ago, three of our pack members have passed away from Rogue wolf attacks. After our neighbor, Mrs. Atteberry, died from an attack a month ago, I agreed to my father’s idea.
I glanced at Olivia, but she seemed uninterested in the topic of our political marriage. The king’s daughter was studying her perfectly shaped nails and popping a piece of pink gum in her mouth.
“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I think the amount of money we offered you is more than fair,” my father said.
The king slammed his fist on the table.
“Fair? You call this fair?” He snatched up the contract again and stabbed his finger onto the paper. “This offer is insulting. I almost didn’t even come to this meeting because it’s so low. How mismanaged are your funds, Everett? Is WaterLock in danger of going bankrupt?”
My father’s eyes blazed with anger.
“It’s more than fair and you know it,” my dad snapped, dropping the “Your Majesty” at the end of the statement.
I almost cheered.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?