Page 53 of Alpha's Secret Baby Girl
“I’m going to need help. You might not have access to magic the same way I do, but you can still give me energy. And I’m going to need it. Big time.”
***
Rafael hated leaving Gwen and Lianne, but he didn’t have much choice. The town was in chaos. The demon had wreaked havoc, destroying almost a dozen buildings. The special ops team scoured the space within the barrier without finding a trace of the demon, and Rafael couldn’t join them.
He left the demon hunting to the experts, focusing on security instead. He had to ensure they didn’t have another breach like this one, which meant having more guards standing watch. He pulled people from all the houses on the outskirts of town, whether or not the building was intact, and saw to it thateveryone was housed, either in the town hall, the school, in other people’s houses, or even within the storefronts.
Gwen was nearby during this, but not close enough to talk. After putting a protective barrier around her house, she began healing whatever injuries she could. Kira was with her while Lianne stayed home, within the secondary protection, with Chelsey and Michael. On the few occasions when Rafael had time to stop and breathe, he was impressed with how Gwen handled the crowd. She managed to soothe the panic and arranged for people to get food and water. She ensured that everyone had a task to keep them busy, so that things moved smoothly.
The day passed without any further signs of the demon until close to dusk, when the special ops team reported seeing it outside of the barrier. It was heading across the island to one of the other towns, and they chased after it.
Rafael already knew they weren’t going to find it. But it had gotten out of town—which meant that either the barrier worked one-way, keeping things out but not in, or Gwen’s efforts to reinforce it hadn’t worked after all.
Or,his mind said as he finally moved to Gwen’s side to insist she go home and rest,there’s more than one.
That grim line of thinking did nothing to help calm him. He caught Gwen as she stumbled, and she let out a sigh, pressing her cheek to his shoulder. The pack had bedded down for the night in the town hall. A few children cried, and their parents comforted them. Nobody looked at him and Gwen as he led her from the building. Belatedly, he wondered if he ought to have had her put the protections around the town hall and moved everyone inside. But even for as big as it was, there wasn’t room for everyone to sleep here.
“We need to get you home so you can sleep,” Rafael said.
“I need to stay. Look after things,” she answered exhaustedly.
Rafael shook his head as he helped her into the car. “No, you need to be at home with Lianne. You’ve done more than enough, my love. Now I need you and Lianne both to stay in the house with the extra protection.”
Gwen’s eyes glittered in the passing streetlights. They drove in silence for some time before Gwen whispered, “I want you to stay with us.”
“I’m the Alpha. I need to get back to the town hall and make sure the people are protected,” he answered.
“They have the special ops. And you need your sleep, too. You can’t make smart choices when you’re falling over from exhaustion.”
As though to prove her point, Rafael yawned. His limbs weighed heavily, and if they were attacked, he wasn’t sure how much fighting he’d be able to do. A frown tilted his lips downward. Gwen was right. He needed sleep, to rest, if only so he could protect the pack and his loved ones more effectively.
All the lights in the house were on. As Rafael and Gwen stumbled bleary-eyed into the house, they found Chelsey and Michael passed out on the couch. They were on opposite sides, but their fingers were stretched out unconsciously, their fingertips brushing against each other. Rafael tiptoed passed them, comforted by the slow rise and fall of their chests.
Lianne was in bed, the lights on, her arms wrapped around her teddy bear. She twitched and whimpered in her slip.
Rafael and Gwen glanced at each other.
“Should I move her to my bed while you get changed?” Rafael whispered.
Gwen nodded once. “I’ll be there shortly.”
Lianne whimpered again. She didn’t wake as Rafael picked her up, but her face turned into his chest and her trembling stopped. The tension in her small body released. By the time he’d carried her to his room, she was relaxed and breathing evenly. Gwen arrived shortly, wearing a t-shirt and a pair of PJs shorts. Rafael didn’t change his own clothes before he and Gwen lay down. He wasn’t going to stay long.
Gwen’s hand found his, Lianne between them. She tangled her fingers with his and gazed at him in exhaustion and something else. He leaned in to brush his lips over her forehead.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too.”
Her eyes shut, and she let out a soft sigh. But her body did not relax.
***
Rafael slept. Not deeply, but he did sleep. When he woke, feeling heavy and aching but alert, he carefully made sure Gwen and Lianne were both still covered in the blankets before he slipped out of bed. Lianne reached for him.
“Don’t go,” she whispered.
“I’ll be right back,” he answered, smoothing her pale hair from her forehead. “I promise.”
