Free Reina's Mate by Dawn Wilder Page A

of me
and I stumbled back, cradling my injured side.
    Manny was covered in his own blood, the
slices I'd gotten in bleeding him faster because of his elevated
heart rate.
    This was it. I needed to end it before I
passed out from the pain.
    Moving forward, I clenched his hair in my
hand, the back of his head easily accessible from his bent over
position.
    I sliced through the side of his neck just
as he dug his claws into my thigh and ripped them out with a chunk
of me.
    I pushed back, slapping a hand over the hole
he'd made.
    Shit.
    But I'd gotten him.
    He straightened with a hand over his neck,
taking a few steps toward me.
    His eyes looked surprised as he slowly fell
to his knees, the blood gushing out of him.
    He fell to his side, his mouth opening to
take in a shallow breath even as his eyes slowly dulled.
    Nobody moved as he died in front of us.
    Well, nobody but Reina.
    “ Move your hand,” she
barked out, a strip of cloth in her hand.
    I moved my hand.
    She cursed as the wound on my thigh kept
bleeding freely. He'd missed the artery or I would have already
joined him on the ground.
    But I might still meet him down there for a
cuddle session judging by the way my body was starting to sway.
    Reina tied the bandage tightly over my thigh
before wrapping my arm around her shoulders and guiding me through
the crowd.
    “ Hey! You can't take him-
that's our new Alpha!”
    Reina snarled at the speaker.
    “ He's my mate first. And
he needs medical attention.”
    The crowd parted quickly as a petite, older
women with a snow white short mop of hair strode forward in a
competent manner.
    I let my head fall down, the effort of
keeping it up too much for me at the moment.
    That's what he said.
    Ha ha.
    Man, I was really out of it.
    “ I'm Dr. Ingram. I can
treat him.”
    Reina paused, her grip on my hip almost
painful.
    “ Fine. But if you try
anything, I have no problem ripping you apart. Slowly. Got it?” she
growled, the deep, menacing rumble not one I'd heard from her
before.
    Reina was threatening an old lady? On my
behalf?
    How sweet.
    At least my head was ducked so nobody could
see the ridiculous smile I knew I had plastered on my face.
    That was when my body decided
unconsciousness was the route to take.
    Good call body.
     
    Reina
     
    I watched Dr. Ingram with a narrow eyed
stare as she worked.
    Griffith had broken ribs, a concussion,
various cuts and bruises, and a chunk missing from his thigh that
was apparently only a hair away from where it would have killed
him.
    My heart squeezed painfully as I thought
about that.
    “ No need to growl at me,
young woman. Your mate will be just fine in a few days, thanks to
me. You're welcome.”
    “ Thanks,” I said dryly,
moving in closer so I could touch Griff's hand as it lay limply on
the white bed sheet.
    “ He needs to rest. I'll be
in to check on him in a short while.” She gave me a stern look. “No
shenanigans.”
    Before I could reply, she shut the door
firmly behind her.
    What did she think I was going to do? Molest
his unconscious body?
    I pulled up a chair and sat down next to the
bed, letting my head fall down to rest on our entwined hands.
    He was going to be OK.
    I let that mantra sink into me as I closed
my eyes.
    He was going to be OK.
     
    Griffith
     
    I opened my eyes.
    And then immediately wished I hadn't.
    Everything hurt.
    Fuck, breathing hurt.
    I switched over to shallow breaths.
    Swallowing when I got the pain under
control, I looked over to my left.
    Reina's hand was holding mine tightly, her
head resting on the bed. Her dark hair covered the side of her
face.
    She was fast asleep.
    Something inside me relaxed a fraction at
having her next to me, safe.
    Manny was dead. I remembered that much
clearly.
    But that also meant I was an Alpha now.
    Fuck.
    Reina stirred.
    I must have said that out loud.
    She raised her head, her bleary eyes
sharpening quickly as she saw that I was awake.
    The relief in them was clear.
    “ How are you feeling?”