Page 86 of His Forsaken Alpha

“Oh?”Wynter asked, eyes wide. “You’re the son of a Wildling? How didthathappen?”

“When Blacksburg pushed back the walls to expand, they razed the chieftain’s lands and demolished his small fortress. They slaughtered most of the older teen and adult alphas and incorporated the omegas and children into the province. My father was eight. Young enough to have survived, but old enough to be very angry. Old enough that some of the Wildling ways would never be driven out of him.”

“Was he…” Wynter cringed. “Cruel?”

“Cruel? Not so much that, but there were moments he neared it. I don’t think it was intentional. He was unbending. He could be harsh, especially with my papa. They argued often. Fortunately, my papa was willful and strong of spirit, so he didn’t allow my father to walk all over him.” He smiled, brushing a hand through Wynter’s hair. “Sounds familiar.”

Wynter smiled softly.

“I suppose I’ve picked up on some of my father’s habits, considering how we argued when we first met.”

“I wasn’t exactly kind in those early moments, either. I was pissed off that I was being kicked out of my own home to go spend days with strangers who’d see me at my weakest moments.”

“And his lack of desire sent you intomyarms,” Cavanaugh murmured. “You should be glad he sent you away.”

“I am now,” Wynter murmured. He snuggled closer, his face pushed into Cavanaugh’s neck. “I just hope this ends up easier than I fear it will be.”

“Try to stay positive,” Cavanaugh said. “Think good thoughts. What you have over him—it’ll work.”

“Yeah,” Wynter whispered, sleepily.

“Before you sleep, would you like that hot bath I promiseddaysago?”

“Later,” Wynter murmured, already drifting into the abyss. “A nap first…”

Cavanaugh smiled, grateful his omega wanted rest. The urge to get up and tend to his mate roared in his blood, but he wastruly spent. He closed his eyes, drawing Wynter ever closer, and followed his omega into slumber.

He dreamed of their life together, traveling the globe.

Wynter stretched,his entire body sorer than he’d ever felt it before. He opened his eyes and found the bed he’d shared with Cavanaugh empty. On the nightstand was a bottle of water and another of the protein bars. His stomach growled, but the thought of one more of those bars made him cringe. It took great effort to sit up. The bedding fell back, sliding off his shoulder, and a burst of chill air washed over his skin. He glanced around, noting the gray sky outside the windows. He heard distant noises in the cabin.“Cavanaugh?”

“Coming,”his alpha called from the next room. He walked in carrying a small load of firewood. He tossed a couple of logs onto the dying fire and placed the other two on the hearth, the additional heat soon radiating out toward Wynter.

Cav looked over one shoulder. “That’s the last of our firewood.”

“Oh,”Wynter murmured. “Can you turn on the heat?”

“The woodstove and the fireplacesarethe heat,” Cavanaugh said, grinning over his shoulder before focusing again on building the flames. “I hadn’t been to the cabin for a while and didn’t have a big supply. I wasn’t expecting to be in bed for days once I arrived, either.”

“I’m sorry,” Wynter murmured.

Cavanaugh rose and faced him. “I’m not.”

Wynter fought a smile that refused to be held back.

“But, the bad news is your bath will have to wait until I can go cut some more wood. I can’t have you freezing in there.”

“Can’t you just buy some?”

Cavanaugh frowned. “From who, Wynter? We’re out in the protected zone, outside the walls and up in the mountains.”

“Your hand,” Wynter said. He rose from the bed. “You can’t chop wood. Letmecut it.”

“Fuck, no,”Cavanaugh spat. “No way am I sending you out into the woods after what you just went through.”

“You went through it, too.Andyou’re wounded.”

“You can barely stand up on your own.” Cavanaugh shook his head. “I’ve had days to heal—andI heal quickly.” He peeled back the gauze and showed that the skin already appeared to be stitching itself back together. “I’ll be fine.”

---