The Alpha’s Contract (Taylor West) novel Chapter 222

Damien

My knuckles hit the punch bag over and over.

Raven won’t let me touch her when she’s on her period. Telling me it’s gross and disgusting and that if I tried touching her she would happily cut my dick off.

Between the two, I would rather keep my cock, so instead I burn my energy in the punch bags.

I pause as stuffing starts spewing from the splits in the bag. Taking it off its hook, I carry it over to the others that had already broken through. The lady that repairs them is going to hate me for all the work I’m providing her with.

As I hoist another bag onto my shoulder, a sharp pain spirals through my chest and almost has me doubled over, sucking the air from my lungs. “Raven!”

Dropping the bag, I charge across the grounds, ignoring the concerned looks from the other Wolves

“RAVEN?” I call out as I run through the back door and into the packhouse.

She stares at me wide eyed with a spoonful of ice cream halfway to her mouth. The spiralling pain continues to stab at my heart, but my mate is sitting right in front of me, looking completely fine and confused.

Ravens brow dips down as a small crease forms between them. “Are you okay?”

“Are you?” I fire back, trying to keep the anger at bay as my heart thuds against my chest like its trying to break free.

She nods, still wide eyed.

The pain vibrates through my chest, but doesn’t spread any further.

It was true. I wanted to be the very last thing he saw. I wanted to see him take his last breath as life drained from his body. I nod. He was dead and that was one less thing we had to be concerned about. “What about you?”

She may not verbally speak it, but she questioned what happened to him, letting the questions build in her mind. Wondering how he ended up becoming as hateful as he did. She never said it, and kept the thoughts to herself. I think sometimes, she forgets that I could read her mind. And after last time, I wasn’t going to be the one to drag it out of her so aggressively .

“He deserved it.” She whispers and sucks her bottom lip in between her teeth.

“It’s fine.” I offer. “I just want you to tell me the trut, when you are ready.”

I’m careful with my words. Watching her tiny reactions and making sure I don’t push too much. She isn’t afraid to shut me out if I push too much.

“I cared for him once. You know that.” She lets out a heavy sigh. “He seemed such a good man at one point. Though he was filling my head with lies, telling me what I wanted to hear. Making promises that he was never going to keep. He has done horrible, horrible things.” She looks down at her leg. It was almost completely healed but she still refused to go on packruns or shift, ‘just in case’.