The Alpha's Command

Maddox POV

I shove through the busy hallway and head back to my next class. The door shuts behind me, doing nothing to block out my wolf's protests and growls. He paces inside my mind, bearing his teeth in anger. I sit at my desk, trying to push his rage aside. I stare at the whiteboard, but the lesson blurs into nothing.

I cannot shake the haunting image of Sylvie’s face. Why did she look so defeated back there? It was as if she had been bracing herself, expecting me to reject her. I remember the way her shoulders slumped, the way her scent soured with heartbreak. Mates generally stay together. A sharp, physical pang hits my chest as I recall the raw sadness swimming in her eyes. She looked broken, and the sickening truth twists in my stomach. I helped make her that way.

The class takes forever. I have no clue what subject I am sitting through, and I do not care. My focus is consumed by her and a persistent, niggling feeling churning in my gut. Something is wrong. I feel it in my bones, and my wolf senses it too. I wait for the bell, my leg bouncing. It cannot ring fast enough. When it echoes through the room, I grab my bag, but the teacher steps in my path.

"Maddox, I understand you are the Alpha, but that does not mean not paying attention in class," he says with a stern face.

I glower at him, my patience gone. I let my eyes flash pitch black in a silent warning. The teacher pales, stumbling a step back. He babbles an apology and lets me go.

I pack up my things, moving faster than I ever have in my life, and dash out the door. I will just look in on her and then go home, I tell myself. My wolf stays silent, only urging me to run. My heavy boots pound against the linoleum floors. Students scramble out of my path as I race down the hallways. I sprint down the corridors toward the last place I saw her. As I approach her classroom, my steps falter. A crowd of cheerleaders strolls out of the room. Smug, triumphant looks paint their bitchy faces. They look like they just finished doing something cruel. The moment they spot me, they scatter in panic.

My suspicion spikes. I shove the classroom door open, and the blood drains from my face.

Sylvie has been beaten. She is on the floor, clutching her ribs. I watch in horror as she trembles, trying to drag herself up to her feet. I should have moved quicker. Before I can react, her legs give out and she falls down again right in front of me.

"Somebody get a doctor here now!" I roar at the top of my Alpha tone. My chest heaves as the raw power of my voice rattles the windows. The sheer force sends students and teachers in the halls scurrying to obey.

I kneel in front of Sylvie and gently push the tangled hair covering her face. My heart breaks in two as I stare at her bruised skin. She looks so childlike in this instance, so fragile. I scoop her up and cradle her battered body against my chest. Her head lolls against my shoulder. I can feel the erratic flutter of her heart against my own chest. She barely weighs anything at all, I notice as I maneuver her carefully out of the room.

A nurse comes running down the hall, skidding to a halt when she stares at me and Sylvie. I let out a deep growl, and she blinks.

"Follow me," the nurse says.

I follow her, my legs feeling like dead weights as we enter the clinic.

"Put her on the bed," the nurse instructs.

I place Sylvie down, terrified of hurting her more. She remains unconscious.

The nurse steps up beside me and gasps as she takes in Sylvie's condition. "What happened?" she exclaims.

I give a helpless shrug. "I don't know," I say grimly, my jaw clenching. "But I intend to find out."

The nurse hesitates, looking between us. "I need to look her over."

I raise my eyebrows at her, crossing my arms. I plant my feet shoulder-width apart, staring her down. I will not leave my mate in the hands of a stranger, no matter the school rules. I refuse to move an inch. She sighs, knowing she cannot order an Alpha away.

I stand my ground and watch as the nurse peels Sylvie's shirt and jumper up, exposing her torso. My breath catches in my throat. I could cry at the sheer number of injuries and bruises marking her small body. The nurse blinks back a tear.

"Those aren't all new," I growl, a dark rage simmering in my chest.

The nurse nods, pointing to faded marks. "Some of these are older than others," she agrees. "It is as though she has been beaten a few times. The poor girl, I had no idea."

The nurse begins to probe across her ribcage. I watch in shock as Sylvie's eyes snap open with a sharp cry of pain.

"Ouch!" she cries out.

The nurse pulls back. "I'm so sorry."

Sylvie just nods, squeezing her eyes shut as a stray tear trickles down her pale cheek. Without thinking, I reach out and wipe it away, trailing my finger down her cheek.

"Sylvie, I need to examine you. Can you tell me where it hurts?" the nurse asks.

Sylvie points a trembling finger to her ribs, looking exhausted, and goes quiet. The nurse resumes feeling along the bone. I flinch as Sylvie cries out again, feeling helpless. I wish I could take her in my arms and comfort her, but I know I have no right to do so. Not after I rejected her.

"You have some broken ribs," the nurse says quietly. "I think it's best you go to the hospital."

I open my mouth to agree, about to offer to take her, desperate to help in some small way. But Sylvie shakes her head and bites her bottom lip.

"I'll heal," she murmurs.

My mouth falls open. What kind of person refuses a hospital when they are broken? My wolf flares with anger at her stubbornness, and so do I.

"You don't have a choice," I snap, channeling all the anger I can muster.

Sylvie jumps, startled by my tone, and winces as the movement pulls her ribs. A heavy wave of self-contempt washes over me. I bite the inside of my cheek, disgusted with my own lack of control. I did not mean to make her do that.

"I don't have time," she argues.

"Not good enough," I say, folding my arms and staring at her. She blushes and stares down at the ground.

The nurse hesitates before intervening. "Sylvie, sweetheart, you have a lot of older bruises on your body. Is someone hurting you?"

A terrifying emotion flashes across Sylvie's face.

"No," Sylvie says hastily.

The lie is obvious. My wolf growls at the deception. The nurse knows it too from the look on her face, but she decides not to push. That is fine, because I intend to push for the truth once I get this stubborn girl to a doctor.

"Hospital," I growl, leaving no room for debate.

The nurse turns to me. "She will need to lie down in the car. You have to drive slow or she could get hurt even more than she already is," she advises.

I nod grimly and glare down at Sylvie.

"Stay here," I command, using my Alpha tone.

It is the only way I can guarantee she will not run off while I fetch my car. Without another word, I head outside, rushing to the parking lot. If I have to drag her inside the hospital, I will.