The God of War - Editing

Max’s POV

Terry gasped beside me. She was bloody and battered. I could see all her bones sticking out on her back. She was only skin and bones, and had so many scars and bruises, old and new, that I could not even count. Her legs were like two bones, and I was unsure how the little wolf walked up there.

All the cuts were infected. It takes a lot for us to get an infection like that. It only showed how weak in healing she was. I could not accept her. She would kill me with her, and my pack would not survive without an Alpha. They did not have a future Alpha yet. My lineage would disappear.

“Why is she not healing, Max?” I heard Terry asking. “Because she is weak, Terry!” Doctor Paul looked at me. “Does she have a wolf?” I glanced at Terry. He might have the answer. I had not felt her wolf yet. “I think so. She asked me if we would be travelling in wolf form.”

Doctor Paul started to explain her injuries. “By the look of the cuts, they were inflicted by silver. Her wolf likely has become very weak with it. I will run some tests. Does she have a mate? The closeness might help.” Doctor Paul was very professional and did not bluntly say his thoughts. Of course, he already had figured out she was my mate by my early reaction. But I could trust him not to spread anything outside this wing.

I still needed to talk to Terry. I did not know if she had come willing or forced by him. Suppose she had a mate or a lover back at Woodland Pack. “I want you to run all the tests on her, a thorough checkup. Look for wolf marks and everything else. Help her heal.” I commanded doctor Paul.

I had to leave. I could not be in the same room as her anymore. I left for my office on the first floor. I poured a drink and massaged my forehead. Ares was trying hard to break our wall. He was a handful when he got like that. I knew my mother would be an excellent person to seek for advice, but I could not go to her. She would back Ares on it, and both would start a revolution against my thoughts.

I knew what was best for the pack and sure was not that corpse lying upstairs. I would help her heal and reject her once she was feeling well. I knew if I did it now, she would die. She seemed innocent enough, and I do not kill innocents.

Two hours later, I heard a knock on the door, and doctor Paul and Terry walked in with a file. “Alpha. I cleaned and dressed all her wounds and gave her something for the fever.” He put the file on my desk. “Here are her checkup results. Her lineage will take a few days to come back from the lab. She was unmated and had no wolf marks.”

I am sure if Ares were hearing it, he would howl in satisfaction. His little mate was waiting for him and never gave herself to another wolf. Too bad I blocked him. “As you can see, she is severely underweight. She will have to gain some weight to help her wolf recover. She indeed has a wolf, but she is fragile, and I could not reach out to her. There was a high amount of silver in her blood, and I gave her something to help clean it. But that is as far as I can go. Her wolf must do the job.”

Paul scratched the back of his head. “The wolf must be suffering. If you allow me, I would like to call a few healers to remove her pain. I would do it myself, but the amount of silver is high, and I will need help.”

I did not want anyone from the pack to know about her. Paul and Terry were already plenty. “No. Thank you, doctor, that would be all.” Doctor Paul gave me a pierced look but did not try to argue with me. “I will return in the morning to change her dressings and apply the medication. Call me if something happens during the night.”

He bowed his head and left, leaving Terry behind, and somehow, I knew he would lecture me about finding mates. “I know you don’t want to hear anything else tonight, but” I gave him a murderous look cutting him off. “I don’t, Terry. I am tired. And I want to rest now.”

But, of course, he would not shut up. “I saw your look upstairs and sensed your irritation, Max. You don’t want the girl. But we both know Ares does. Paul thought the long journey might have affected her. Julie wasn’t fit to travel, and her wolf might not resist for long. Let Ares take full control and heal her as you cannot. He is in his territory. He won’t hurt or scare anyone.”

I shook my head. “You don’t understand, Terry. If I let Ares in control, he will mark her to make sure I won’t be able to fight the bond and reject her later. If I mark her now, she will be strong and heal fast. He knows it.”

He pleaded with his eyes. “Max, her wolf will die if you don’t help her. You know how depressed we can get when our wolves are taken from us. The pain is great, and the girl will die too.”

I knew it all. I walked to the window and looked at the moon. Why, Moon Goddess, did you have to give me a weak mate? My pack deserves a strong Luna. I closed my eyes, and there he was. I did not even have to give him control. He came strong and took it. I was in the backseat again and was not too fond of it. The only time I love him to take control is on the battlefield.

I stayed alert and did not allow myself to become numb inside. I wanted to be aware of what Ares would do. Once I was sure Ares would behave, I would go away. I wanted not to be part of her healing. I did not want to see or feel her. No attachments would be best. I would reject her in the end, and there was no point in letting the bond fill my body. I knew I could fight it.

Ares turned his head towards Terry, his golden eyes shining, and Terry knew he had taken over. With his Alpha tone, he asked. “Where is my mate?” Terry smiled, greeting him. “Easy there, Ares.” In less than a second, Ares had pinned Terry against the wall and had half of his claws extended, piercing his throat just enough to show him he meant business and was his boss.

“Have some respect, pup. I am your Alpha. I won’t ask again. Where. Is. My. Mate?” He pressed his claws deeper into Terry’s throat, and I smelled the blood. I knew Ares would never kill him, but I was ready to take control if things went south. After some resistance, Terry showed his neck as a sign of submission, and Ares let him go.

Coughing, he said. “Please forgive me, Alpha. Let me take you to your mate. She needs your help to heal.” Ares motioned his hand to the door. “Lead the way, Beta Terry.” Ares loves to be in charge. He is a cocky bastard that wants submission. Like a Greek God, he waltzed to the Alpha’s wing, projecting his Alpha aura, making everyone he crossed in the pack house go to their knees, baring their necks in submission. It was so strong that I did not know how Terry managed to walk near him.

“Why are you doing it, Ares? You don’t need to do that. They know you are their Alpha.” The aura got stronger, showing me that he was in charge. “I need to ensure none of those pups dares to challenge our Alpha title.” I ruffed in annoyance. “They know that already, Ares. Now stop that. You might hurt the real pups. You have a mate upstairs to take care of, and you will need your full strength to help her. Stop showing off.”

When Terry pushed the door, the room smelt like death mixed with the medication from the dressings on her back. She had an IV in her left hand and was still lying on her stomach. Now I could feel all her pain, like doctor Paul had said, she was suffering. I felt a pang in my heart, and Ares howled low in pain for his mate.

Ares spared no time and took my shirt off. He moved to the bed and lay her on his chest. The proximity would help, but skin-to-skin contact would help speed up the healing. He tried his best to be gentle, but he was a beast. After all, being gentle was not something he knew or could do. It was not in his nature.

For a minute, I thought he would break her fragile bones, but she was unconscious and did not make a sound despite his brute ways. “Easy there, Ares. She is too frail. You can’t break any bones. You are here to fix her.” He took a deep breath and pleaded. “If you help me, it would be better, Max.” I knew it would be best, but I could not do it. I did not want to get attached to her. “I cannot right now, Ares. You are flying solo this time. I am just here to make sure you don’t do anything stupid. Do not mark an unconscious she-wolf. It is wrong, and you need to behave. You can heal her without marking her.”

When Ares pressed her soft naked breasts against my chest, the sparks covered my skin. The sensation was so soothing that it went straight to my soul like my mother described. I had had many she-wolves pressed against my chest. Of course, all against Ares’ approval. Sometimes I had to block him as I could sense he would be able to hurt them. He only ever wanted to mate with his true mate.

But nothing I experienced with other women compared to the joy I felt now. I could not describe how good it felt. Ares started to take her pain away, and I could feel the silver running inside my veins. I looked at my arms and chest and saw my veins pumping prominently. It looked black, like I was a beast.

An Alpha can take more than any other wolf. We can hold pain for longer than others. But Ares was moving the blood faster, trying to take all the silver himself. I had never seen him or my father do anything like that before when he had to heal my mother. It was then that I noticed Terry had not left the room.

“Alpha, I think that is too much. It would be best if you stopped for a while. It can kill you.” Ares opened his eyes and looked at Terry. “I feel stronger than before. I can feel her wolf reaching for me. Don’t worry, pup. I will be fine.”

Ares narrowed his eyes and said in a commanding voice. “You are in charge of the pack now. I won’t leave this room till my mate is safe. Now leave. I wish to be alone with her.”

I knew Ares would never do anything to kill us. Terry bowed his head and left, and with that, I let myself go numb. I did not want to feel her pain or the sparks on my chest anymore. It was too much.

It seems Max and Ares are on opposite sides now. Max thinks she is too weak, but Ares is happy to provide for his mate. At least Max allowed Ares to help her heal. Please leave your comments below.