14. After the Meeting

Max

I hurriedto Demi's cottage. It was well past midnight, and I was worried the beta might be asleep. A part of me wanted to let her sleep, but I was too desperate to see her.

Glancing up at the Moon, I took in the fat crescent shape. The full Moon was approaching and my mind once again drifted to thoughts of my wolf frolicking with Demi's…but her wolf didn't want to run with mine. She didn't want to run with anyone.

Her excuse kept bouncing around in my head: I like to be alone…

It was the weirdest thing a beta had ever said to me.

Every beta I had ever known loved to shift. Their wolves were caged all month long, only getting one night to run free. They went wild for it. Planning their whole lives around that one night of freedom.

I needed to know her real reason for denying both mine and Kade's invitations.

Maybe there was something wrong with her wolf.

I had never once seen Demi in her shifted form before. I had seen every beta in this damn village, including Florence's small gray wolf, but never Demi. Not even once. Maybe there was a reason she didn't want her wolf to be seen. Perhaps the beta was embarrassed. Her beast might have been mangy looking, or especially weak. Most shifters became stronger when embodying their beast, but I had heard of a few that were sickly when shifted.

Maybe, Demi needed to know that her wolf would be safe with me. That I wouldn"t let anything happen to her.

Or maybe I should leave it alone.

My beast whined and pouted, wanting to run with Demi's wolf. He wanted to play and tussle, maybe even rut her. I had never bedded a lover while in my wolf form. Other alphas claimed it was wild sex, animalistic and violent—something we couldn't do in human form. I always wanted to try it, but I never had the chance.

I forced my mind to settle as Demi's cottage came into view.

The bright Moon illuminated the front door, making the brass doorknob shimmer. It jiggled, then creaked open.

"Alpha," Demi said in a low, seductive voice. A lavender blanket was draped around her shoulders and her long golden hair cascaded down her back. I prayed she was naked under there.

"I'm sorry it's so late." I glanced up at the night's sky. It was only a few hours until dawn.

"It's okay." Demi stood, moving to one side, and I edged past her into the tiny sitting room. "I fell asleep in my reading chair for a little bit." She scrunched her nose, giggling.

"Well, Davon is happy with the plans that have been made." I reached for the beta the second the front door clicked shut. "He's confident the village and his mate will be safe should any of our enemies choose to take action."

"Oh?" Demi's eyes went wide, hopeful. "You're all done? No more late night meetings?"

I moved my hands to her hips, holding her slight body to mine. Every inch of her tiny frame fit so well against me. It was as if we were made for each other. "No more late night meetings."

Demi's smile grew, intense joy bursting from her pretty green eyes. "Come on, alpha." She slipped her hand into mine, pulling me toward the hallway.

We crept past Florence's room. Soft snores drifted from inside, and my wolf snarled. He didn't want to be quiet or restrained. He wanted to be wild, biting and growling, wrecking Demi's beautiful body. But there was no helping it.

"Your room looks….different," I said, staring at Demi's bed. It was piled high with at least a dozen blankets, each one spread neatly on top of the other. It must have added almost a good foot in height to her mattress.

"Yeah. I've been struggling to get comfortable in my bed lately." Demi shrugged the lavender blanket off her shoulders, exposing her gorgeous curves. The sight of her tight waist and plush ass hardened my cock, making the front of my slacks painfully tight.

"Give me one minute," Demi said, spreading her lavender blanket over the massive pile.

It was a little odd. She didn't care about her bedding the last time I was here, but I wasn't about to point that out. Instead, I stood to the side, waiting patiently for the beta to finish.

"Okay." Demi finally said, turning to me. But before I could take a single step, her hands flew up, stopping me. "Your clothes." She glared at my shirt as if it had personally offended her. "Take them off," she said through clenched teeth.

The shift in her demeanor was almost shocking.

"Of course." Not wanting to upset the beta, I quickly did as she asked. "Are you okay?" I tossed my shirt, followed by my slacks, into the chair in the corner of the room.

The second I was bare, the tension in Demi's shoulders lifted and let out a happy sigh. "Lie right here." She pointed to the center of her bed as she reached for me. The beta's movements were jittery and her face was flushed. "Don't disturb the blankets too much," she warned.

It wasn't exactly the sexy banter I was expecting.

"Demi," I said her name cautiously as I laid in the exact spot she had pointed to. "You look a little upset." I took in her bright red cheeks and tight posture. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I just need to fix this," she said, shaping the blankets around my sides. She curled the fabric under, molding it around the edge of the bed. "It's not right."

"It's not right?" I lifted my head as she worked her way to the foot of the bed. Resting on my elbows, I watched Demi pat and shape a small pink pillow near my feet. My wolf scented the air, trying to make sense of the woman, but she smelled the same for the most part—maybe a little sweeter than usual. "What are you doing?"

"I told you." Demi scowled, making my wolf bristle. He was growing tired of her odd behavior. "I need to fix this," she gritted out. "It's not—" The pillow shifted out of its spot, making Demi growl high in her throat. She curled up her fists, shaking them at the offending object. "Why won't it stay?" Her jaw clenched, pure frustration pouring off of her. She was starting to scare me.

"Demi," I said her name firmly, trying not to command her—after all, she wasn't an omega. "I don't give a shit about the blankets. Come here." I sat up, holding out my hand, but she didn't even look up.

My wolf snarled, uneasy with the beta's willful disobedience. I had to agree with him. She was being ridiculous. She kept abusing the damn pillow, punching it repeatedly. Her frustration fed into mine, making my beast pace and growl. The sound echoed in my head, and my fangs pushed at the edges of my gums.

Determined not to lose my head, I pulled in a deep breath, trying to settle my wolf. But it was no use. He was done watching the beta smack the fucking lump over and over. Unable to take another second of her ignoring me, I barked, "Stop it, now!"

Demi's whole body snapped tight, standing straight as a board. She shook uncontrollably as she pulled her hands away from the bed, tucking them under her chin. I was shocked to see tears in her eyes, spilling over, and dripping down her soft cheeks.

"What's happening to me?" Demi's voice was jerky, and her chin quivered. "Why can't I…" A high-pitched whine slipped from between her lips.

I jumped off the bed, wrapping the frightened beta up in my arms. "You're burning up." I cupped her cheek. Her skin was very hot. Concerned, I scented the top of her head. Her aroma was all over the place. It was a wild mixture of sugar and citrus and sweat, but there was an underlying note of acidity that told me something more serious was going on. "We need to get you to a healer."

"No," Demi whined, pushing at my chest, but I refused to let her go. "I'm just tired." A sob jerked from her throat, and her knees gave out.

I caught her, placing a hand under her bare ass, and lifting her into my arms. "It's going to be okay, sweet girl," I said. Her chest was like fire pressed against mine, fever coursing through every inch of her slight body. "I'm going to take you to the infirmary."

Demi whimpered in protest, but she didn't even lift her head off my shoulder. There was no fight left in her, and that terrified me.

"Demi?" Florence's voice cut through the door, seconds before it popped open. "What are you…" He squinted around the room as if not understanding what was happening. But then his eyes grew wide as they slipped down Demi's naked body in my arms, straight to my still semi-hard cock. "Oh, my!" he gasped, frozen in place.

"Florence." I eyed the lavender blanket on the bed. I needed to wrap it around Demi and get out of here. "Hand me that?—"

"Help," Demi mewled against the crook of my neck. Her weak plea seemed to have woken something in Florence, and he rushed to her side. His set of pale blue pajamas still looked pressed, as if he had yet to go to sleep.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded, trying to see Demi's face.

"Nothing," I snarled, unable to help myself. "She has a fever. That's all."

The older beta's brow furrowed, and his jaw clenched tight. "She needs to see a healer." He flew to Demi's wardrobe, ripping the door open. "Put her on the bed so I can dress her."

"We need to go now." I angled my hips toward the door.

Florence jerked a nightgown off a hanger, pointing at the bed. "Are you going to march through the village with your pride hanging out for all to see?" His stern glare cut to my cock.

I wanted to tell the beta to fuck off, and that I didn't give a shit about exposing myself, but the village was strict about alphas being naked within the borders. There were pups and omegas.

"Fine," I gritted out, placing Demi on the bed.

Florence rushed around the room, pulling the creme-colored nightgown over Demi's limp body, while I tugged on my slacks. Within seconds we were out the door, and rushing toward the infirmary. I was impressed by how well Florence had managed to keep up.

"Johns?" Florence tapped on the infirmary's front door.

Frustrated, I adjusted Demi in my hold, then I reached around Florence and shoved the door open.

"Can I help you?" Johns's voice was tight, alarmed.

I was shocked to hear the healer was awake. It had to be at least three or four in the morning.

"My Lady?" Florence gasped loudly, then he ran inside the small cabin.

The Luna sat on the furthest cot in her favorite robe. Davon was at her side, deep worry etched around his dark eyes.

"Max?" Davon's dark eyes narrowed at me, then at Demi. She didn't move a muscle, possibly passed out.

"My Lady." Florence fussed over Calia, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "Are you okay? What happened?" He leaned down to assess her face.

"I'm okay now." Calia pushed Florence's hands away from her face. Her eyes settled on the beta in my arms. "I just got sick." She glared up at Davon. "Something Johns said might happen and was completely normal."

The muscle in Davon's jaw ticked as he leaned down, speaking in a dangerous rumble, "And I'll bring you here the next time you get sick. And the time after that, and the time after that." His dark eyes narrowed. "Your stubborn ass will do as I say until that babe is born."

A slight tremor worked through Calia's shoulders, but she kept her head high. "What's wrong with Demi?" She turned her full attention to me. "Is she okay?" The omega shifted as if she was going to stand up, but Davon placed his hand on her shoulder, giving his mate a silent order to stay put.

I marched to the cot next to them, laying Demi carefully on the stiff canvas bed. My wolf instantly roared to life, enraged that I let her go. "She has a fever." I took a step back, giving Johns plenty of room to work.

"Demi?" Johns brought his face right in front of hers. "Can you tell me what happened?" He lifted each one of her eyelids, assessing her eyes carefully. "Are you in any pain?"

"I'm fine," she said, her voice a little clearer. A little more alert. But her movements were still unsteady. Her hands shook as she tugged at the collar of her nightgown. "I just need to get some sleep."

"You passed out," I said firmly.

"I did not." Demi moved to sit up, but Florence pressed at her shoulders, forcing her back down. I was happy he had done it for me.

"How long was she unconscious?" Johns cupped Demi's face as I told him, feeling under her jaw and down her neck. His fingertips pressed into the delicate skin beneath her ears and my fangs punched out. "Can you tell me what you were doing when you passed out?" he asked her.

My eyes met Demi's but before I could answer for her, Florence spoke up, "I caught Max doing awful things to her. They were?—"

"We weren't doing anything," Demi snapped. "We were simply talking. That's it."

Florence's mouth fell open, rage bursting out of his bright blue eyes. "Stop acting like you were studying in the town square. I found you both naked as the day you were born."

Calia gasped loudly, pressing her hand to her chest.

Davon smirked. "Really?" the Pack Alpha said to me, almost impressed.

I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I simply pressed my lips into a firm line and nodded. It wasn't against the rules for the staff to fraternize, but it felt weird that Davon knew.

"I need to do a full physical." Johns glanced at me, then at Davon.

"Understood." Davon slipped his hand under the Luna's elbow, helping her up.

"I want to stay," Calia said, still staring at Demi. "I need to?—"

"You need to be in bed," Davon said firmly, not giving his mate the chance to argue. "Florence will keep us posted if anything happens." He gave Florence a firm look, and the beta quickly nodded.

"Absolutely, My Lady." Florence bowed low. "I won't leave Beta Demi's side." His gaze flickered to me, and my wolf snarled.

While my rational mind knew he was simply watching over Calia's friend, my wolf couldn't help but take the beta's presence as a challenge. After all, Demi was mine. It was my job to for care and protect her while Johns completed his assessment. Not Florence.

"I can watch over Demi," I said to Calia, struggling to keep the anger out of my voice. "There's no need for Florence?—"

"Max." Davon moved to me, speaking softly so no one else would hear, "I know it's hard, but it will make Calia feel better to have Florence with Demi. The Luna is in no condition to worry right now."

It fucking killed my beast to relent, but I had no choice.

"Yes, sir." I tucked my tight fists behind my back.

"Thank you," Davon patted my shoulder, and my wolf growled loudly in my head. It was a shocking display of disobedience from the beast, but I had no interest in quieting him. I needed him on high alert should Demi need him.

"Florence?" Johns said once Davon and Calia were gone. "Can you lock the front door while I set up the partition?"

The older beta straightened his back, rushing about the room as if he was on a mission. I had seen him behave in a similar way when tending to Calia, but to see him do it for Demi was endearing…even if he did have no business being here.

"How are you feeling right now?" Johns's voice shifted to a gentle tone as he pulled a stool next to Demi's bed. "Any pain?" He draped a small white sheet over her legs.

"I really am fine." My sweet girl looked up at me. Her pretty eyes pleaded, obviously wanting to go home, but it wasn't going to happen. Her forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat and her hands still trembled.

"Max?" Johns looked up at me, determination set in his jaw. "I have to do a thorough examination." He gave Demi a polite smile, but she didn't return the gesture. Instead she sighed hard, closing her eyes. She looked so small.

"If you feel that you cannot control your wolf," the healer continued in a firm voice, "then you'll have to wait outside. I won't suffer any outbursts of aggression from you or your wolf."

Using every bit of strength in my tense body, I forced my fangs back into my gums. "Understood."

Then Johns got to work.

With Florence at Demi's shoulder, I watched as Johns looked into her mouth and pressed at her stomach. He tested her reflexes and asked personal questions about her cycle. Then he asked her to part her legs, and my wolf just about lost his mind.

It took everything in me to stand still as Johns reached under the thin white blanket, moving his hands between her legs. My beast raged, slamming against every corner of my mind as the healer touched my girl.

"What…" Johns' eyes narrowed as if thinking, and Demi's face scrunched with discomfort.

I hated this. I hated every horrible fucking second.

I wanted to rip Johns's arm off his body and beat him to death with it.

I wanted to destroy everything in this room, burn the building to the ground, then carry Demi somewhere safe, where no one would ever touch her again.

"Stop!" Demi let out a horrified grunt, and I flew to her side.

"Get away from her!" I snapped at Johns.

The young beta removed his hand from Demi's body, scooting backward on his stool. "Calm down, alpha." He cut me a weary look. "Look." He held up his hand, showing the fluid that soaked his entire upper arm.

Demi pressed her knees together, tugging the sheet down to her knees. But I already saw the puddle of arousal on the cot. This wasn't normal for a beta.

"How long has your body been reacting like this?" Johns asked as he grabbed a white cloth, wiping his hands.

Frustrated, Demi shook her head as she rolled toward me. "What's happening to me?" Her chin quivered as I circled my hand around hers, holding it gently, Florence squeezed her shoulder, trying to calm her as well, but it was no use. Demi's scent was thick with distress.

"Demi," Johns' voice was gentle, soft. "How old are you?"

Demi jerked at his question, clearly taken aback. "Um." Her eyes flickered to me. "Thirty," she whispered at her lap. Her reaction made me want to smile. Most betas preferred to be mated by her age, but not Demi. She was too independent. It was one of the many reasons I adored her.

"When was the last time you transitioned into your wolf?" Johns continued with his questions.

Demi's whole body went tight, and the color drained from her face. "What?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Was it especially difficult?" Johns angled his head down, speaking softly. "Did you struggle to maintain your wolf form?"

"I…I don't…" Demi shook her head, and her lips parted as if she had no idea what to say. Her scent grew even sharper, and I took her hand in mine.

"It's okay," I said, kneeling next to the cot so she could scent me if she needed to. "Everything will be okay, Demi."

"I just…" She pressed her mouth into a tight line, glancing from me to the healer. "Honestly, I feel fine now." Her voice edged higher, clearly on the verge of bursting into tears. "I'm just tired."

"You've been acting weird for a while now," Florence said. His voice wasn't sharp or cutting, just honest. "You've been fidgety and restless, and your aroma has been off. We need to stay until Johns has an idea of what's wrong with you."

Demi's mouth fell open, clearly offended. "That's not true." She glared at the beta over her shoulder. "My aroma hasn't been?—"

"We live together," Florence said flatly. "Our whole cottage smells completely different. You went from smelling crisp and fresh to…" He paused, trying to find the right word. "Sweet. Ridiculously sweet."

"What's happening to her?" I asked Johns, my words far more forceful than I had intended.

"I'm not sure." The healer let out a heavy sigh, before looking right at my sweet girl. "But if I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were a late presenting omega."