Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 109

Bryan's POV

I carried Irene in my arms, her body limp, her breath shallow, and blood still staining her lips. My chest tightened with every step I took out of that damned arena. Her head rested against my shoulder, but the weight of her felt heavier than any burden I had ever known. The crowd’s noise followed me out, their chants and mocking laughter stinging my pride like knives. They had hailed Lisa, a nobody compared to Irene, the daughter of Alpha Rowland, my wife, my pride—my responsibility.

Yet there she was, nearly lifeless in my arms.

I could barely hear anything except the sound of my heartbeat thundering in my ears. My wolf paced inside me, furious, restless, wanting blood, but I forced him back. This wasn’t the time. I had to get her to the infirmary, I had to save her.

“Move out of the way!” I barked at the guards standing by the corridor. They immediately stepped aside, their eyes widening at the sight of Irene’s mangled body. Some of them bowed their heads, not daring to meet my gaze, but I could feel their judgment. Their silence was louder than words.

I stormed into the infirmary, kicking the door open with a force that rattled the frame. The scent of herbs and antiseptic hit me instantly. The healers looked up in shock, then rushed forward as soon as they saw who I carried.

“Alpha Bryan!” one of them gasped, rushing toward me with trembling hands. “Put her here, quickly!”

I laid Irene gently on the cot, my hands reluctant to let go. The healer immediately began working, checking her breathing, her pulse, assessing the damage. I watched, my fists clenched so tight my knuckles cracked. Every time they touched her broken body, I flinched. I wanted to rip their hands away and fix her myself, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know how.

“She’s lost too much blood,” another healer muttered, pressing herbs into her wounds. “Her ribs are cracked—possibly broken—and there’s internal bleeding.”

My chest burned at his words. “Fix her,” I snapped, my voice deadly low. “I don’t care what it takes, just fix her. She’s not allowed to die. Not here. Not like this.”

They didn’t respond, too focused on working. Their silence only infuriated me more, but I bit down hard, grinding my teeth until my jaw ached. I stayed by her side, my hand gripping hers, whispering words only she could hear.

“You’re strong, Irene. Stronger than any of them know. Don’t let this take you down. Don’t let Lisa—don’t let anyone see you broken. You’re mine, and you don’t give up.”

Minutes stretched into what felt like hours as the healers worked tirelessly. At last, they bandaged her ribs, wrapped her wounds, and wiped the blood from her skin. She looked pale, fragile, nothing like the fiery woman who had walked into that arena. My wolf whimpered inside me, restless with guilt.

“She’ll live,” the head healer finally said, though his tone was cautious. “But she needs rest. Weeks of it. Any further strain could… worsen her injuries.”

I gave a curt nod, though inside me, relief and fury warred. Relief that she would live, fury that she had been reduced to this state at all.

“Leave us,” I ordered. The healers bowed quickly and shuffled out, leaving me alone with Irene. I sat by her side, brushing strands of hair from her face, my heart twisting.

“I pushed you into this,” I whispered, guilt clawing at me. “I thought you could handle her, that it would be easy… I didn’t know she’d fight like that. I didn’t know Lisa had that kind of power.”

Just saying Lisa’s name left a bitter taste in my mouth. The image of her standing drenched in blood but victorious burned itself into my mind. She had faced Irene head-on, without flinching, and that damned crowd had cheered for her.

I clenched my jaw. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

But for now, I had to get Irene back to safety. Back to our park, where she belonged. Where she would be treated like the princess she was.

I lifted her carefully once again, her body light in my arms. She stirred faintly, a soft groan escaping her lips, but she didn’t wake. That small sound broke me more than her silence had.

I carried her out of the infirmary, ignoring the stares and whispers. My men followed close behind, their eyes fixed on Irene with worry and pity. I hated it. I hated that they looked at her like she was weak. She wasn’t. She was my wife, my Luna.

The ride back to our park was silent, tense. Every bump in the road felt like a dagger in my chest as Irene whimpered softly, unconscious but still in pain. I held her close, whispering promises I wasn’t sure I could keep.

When we finally arrived, the gates opened wide. The moment we entered, my father was already there, waiting. Baron stood tall, imposing as ever, his eyes sharp as blades. The instant he saw Irene in my arms, his expression darkened into fury.

“What happened to her?” His voice thundered, shaking the air.

I set my jaw, lowering Irene gently onto a waiting cot. “It was a duel,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Between Irene and Lisa.”

Baron’s eyes narrowed, his face a storm. “A duel? You let her duel?” His voice rose, sharp enough to make the guards flinch. “Your wife—my daughter-in-law—reduced to this because of your recklessness?”

“I didn’t force her,” I snapped back, though guilt twisted inside me. “I pressured her, yes, but Irene wanted it. She wanted to put Lisa in her place. She thought it would be easy.”

Baron’s gaze hardened. “And yet she lies here broken while Lisa still stands?”

I faltered for a moment, my pride stinging. “Lisa… she overpowered Irene.”

The words were like acid on my tongue. I hated saying them, hated admitting that someone else’s strength had surpassed Irene’s. Baron’s eyes widened slightly, shock flickering across his face.

“You mean to tell me that a mere girl, a nobody, defeated Irene? An Alpha’s daughter?” His disbelief cut deep.

I didn’t answer, my silence confirming it. Baron’s face twisted with rage, but before he could speak again, another voice thundered through the hall.

“Where is she? Where’s my daughter?!”

Alpha Rowland stormed in, his presence filling the space like a tempest. His eyes fell on Irene, pale and broken on the cot, and the fury that exploded from him was unmatched.

“What have you done to her?!” he roared, his voice shaking the very walls.

“Alpha Rowland—” I started, stepping forward to calm him.

But he wasn’t listening. He closed the distance between us in a heartbeat, his hand slamming into my chest as he shoved me back. “How could you let this happen to my princess?!”

“I tried—”

“YOU TRIED?!” His fist connected with my jaw before I could finish. Pain exploded across my face, but I didn’t fight back. I couldn’t. Not against him.

“I trusted you with her,” Rowland spat, his voice shaking with both rage and anguish. “I gave you my daughter, and this is how you protect her? By letting her be torn apart in some filthy duel?!”

“I didn’t know Lisa would—” I tried again, but his eyes blazed, his voice silencing me.

“You should have known! You’re her mate, her husband, her Alpha! Your job is to protect her, not watch her fall!”

Each word was a dagger to my chest, and though my pride screamed at me to defend myself, my guilt kept me silent. He was right. I had failed Irene.

Baron stepped forward, his voice low but dangerous. “Enough, Rowland. Blame him all you want, but your daughter agreed to that duel.”

Rowland rounded on him, fury still burning. “She’s my daughter, Baron! Do not tell me where to place my blame when she lies half-dead in your hall!”

The room crackled with tension, both Alphas glaring, but my mind wasn’t on them. My eyes were on Irene, her fragile body lying still, and the guilt suffocating me.

I had to fix this. Somehow.