I tapped a quick knock as I pushed open Cassy's door.

She'd been the one that asked me to come over so I had assumed she was expecting me.

Judging by how quickly Cassy tried to get off her bed and fell that was not the case.

I blinked hard trying to figure out if my mind was deceiving me.

Cassy hadn't just been trying to jump up off of her bed, she'd been jumping off of the person she'd been straddling on her bed. My eyes shot toward Cassy to see if she was ok.

I hadn't meant to interrupt something. I wasn't sure if I should leave or wait.

I glanced back toward the boy she'd been sitting on.

His soul crushing grey eyes and black hair were unmistakable as he stared back at me.

Luka.

Bile rose in my throat and my chest burned with the sudden panic.

I took a step back, paused, remembered Cassy was also in this room, and stepped forward.

A rage bubbled up inside of me and I stepped forward again.

"Please don't hurt him." Cassy whispered pulling my attention for a flash of a second.

Luka shifted raising one hand in a stop gesture as Cassy tried to go back to him. His haunting grey eyes stayed trained on me even as he spoke to her.

"I told you I would face Silas not Rylan." He said.

"Silas would try to kill you." Cassy said.

"Try being the word in my favor little mate." Luka said.

~Don't call her that!~ I seethed taking another step forward.

"Easy protectress. I have not harmed her, nor you. Cassidy is my true mate. She is marked." Luka tried to explain and suddenly I could see red.

He'd marked her?

I grasped onto all of my pain and rage and shoved it through the link that I'd used to talk to Luka.

He growled and covered his head with both hands.

Cassy screamed and dropped.

~Cassy!~ I rushed to her, releasing Luka in the process.

Luka was instantly on his feet and stepping toward us.

~Stay away from us.~ I warned wrapping my arms around Cassy protectively.

Luka took a measured step back and raised his hands in surrender.

"Please allow me to explain." He said.

"We're mates." Cassy said shakily as she sat up with her hand still at her forehead.

Now that I was closer I could see the dark symbol of a proper mark on her neck. Some how even knowing that it had been a consensual marking still made me feel sick. There was no way she would have agreed to this if she had known who he was, what he did.

~You tricked her?! Just like you tricked me?!~ I demanded shooting to my feet and rounding on Luka again.

Luka opened and closed his mouth. His jaw ticked and he glanced over at Cassy. Several emotions flickered through his eyes. The ones I recognized most were fear and resolve. Luka shifted sinking down to his knee before me.

"I swear fealty to you protectress. I ask only that you spare my life. My mate does not deserve to die for my sins." He said head bowed and eyes cast down.

~Why?~ I demanded. It had to be another one of his tricks.

"Because I know what I did, despite my reasons, it was unforgivable." He answered.

~What reasons?~ I demanded again. He was right they would never be enough for me to forgive him but part of me needed to know.

Luka raised his hand to me. It was an offering. He wasn't just willing to tell me. He was willing to show me.

I gritted my teeth but accepted his offered hand. I focused my energy on the memory he presented to me. It was nearly the same as my own.

~Luka walked down the hallway to the barred door at the end of the hall. He unlatched several locks before the door finally allowed him to pull it open. He took a step into the room and his stomach sank.

The girl in the bed didn't move. Several patches of gauze were visible. The one on her neck took most of his attention. Daniels hadn't been permitted to attempt a mark, let alone multiple.

He shut the door behind him and moved toward the girl. Her eyes opened suddenly. Hatred and pain reflected back at him as she glared. A brave little thing considering the circumstance.

Luka glanced back at his clipboard. After thumbing through he realized they didn't have her on anything more than sedatives. Nothing for pain. Nothing for healing. Not even the required supplements. He scoffed. They were idiots to think that they would be able to force a conception under these circumstances. What the hell were they doing to her?

"Move slowly." Luka ordered. He made short work of unclasping her hands and feet.

Aside from lowering her arms beside her she didn't move at all. Something was wrong. Probably broken. His jaw ticked as he tried to reign in his temper. Daniels was a piece of shit.

"What did he do?" He asked. He didn't have time to look at all of her and figure it out. She was a trained fighter she should know how to tell if something was broken.

She didn't say anything. She just watched him. A spiteful little female.

He rolled his eyes and pulled the blanket off. She was bare underneath and he could see the broken ribs immediately. She moved. It was a surprisingly quick recoil considering her state. She didn't want him to touch her. He had no intentions of doing so but her ability to move was impressive. Maybe this was the girl they'd been searching for.

He tilted his head. The door opened before he could begin to attempt a conversation. Not that she would speak to him anyway. Even if the bandage that covered her entire neck was an exaggeration of the injury beneath she didn't look to be the compliant type.

"L-Luka..." The nurse that interrupted visibly drained of color as she recognized him. The asshole himself only a step behind her.

"What." Luka asked. His voice was cold and harsh. He didn't care if Daniels knew how much he despised him. Devlin knew and yet still he'd been sent here.

"What do you think you are doing?" Daniels asked.

"Fixing your mess." Luka said.

"Mess?? I think you mean mate. She's mine. I'll do whatever the hell I want."

"You will do as you're told. Which includes following procedures. You are not to touch her again until she is Completely healed and can potentially support a fetus." That was the goal here in case Daniels had forgotten. This girl was meant to carry a child and be released. Nothing more.

Daniels growled and Luka growled back. Luka turned to face him fully when he stepped further into the room. He wanted more than anything to rip out Daniels throat. Devlin would understand if his second in command was a threat to his entire plan.

"I'll do what I fucking want." Daniels repeated. He turned on his heal and slammed the door behind him on his way out. Luka shook his head and pulled out his phone. The hell he would.

"I want Allie Henderson transferred first thing in the morning and two dogs at her door until then. Daniels is not allowed any further contact. She is too valuable for him to fuck this up any further." Luka said into the phone. "That's an order. If Devlin has a problem with it he can discuss it with me." Luka growled before hanging up. Maybe they didn't realize who this girl was. Maybe they couldn't sense her the way Luka could. Or maybe he was wrong.

He looked back at the girl now. She was still watching him. She hadn't moved from her crouched position in the corner of the bed. She was so small. Starved and malnourished from the looks of it. His blood boiled. This was her and he knew it.

"You are done with him. Any further contact will be at a proper clinic." Luka said.

He could see it in her eyes. She didn't believe a word from him. He could at least give her something for the pain.

He fished around in his pocket. He was relieved to find the pill bottle he had been hoping for. He didn't miss the way her eyes narrowed at the newly visible medication. She would never take them. He dumped two out and set them on the table. If she did take them it would last long enough to get her transferred.

He opened his mouth to say something to the her before leaving.

Nothing could be said.

As much as he hated it he was technically a part of what had happened to her. He was responsible too. He had let this happen but no more. He would have her moved. She would recover. They would find another way to make this work. His wolf wouldn't allow this to end any other way. He needed to protect her.

But for now he had to go.







He was informed of the girls death when he returned to her empty room with a hand full of clothes.

It was reported as a drug over dose.

The blood smeared all over the bed and floor told him that was a lie. Daniels had ripped her to pieces and he had let it happen.

The content of his stomach made a sudden appearance and his lunch ended up in the trash bin.

His anger took over and he flung the small night stand and then the bed. His wolf was torn between the enraged growl and a sad howl. They failed the person they had been told to protect.

He didn't ask to view the body.

He couldn't look at her lifeless face and know that such innocent blood was on his hands. ~





I stared at him as the memory faded. It wasn't an answer to my question. Not really. But it did make me second guess his motives.

"What was that?" Cassy asked pulling my attention briefly.

"Your Luna." Luka answered quietly and I cringed with the realization I had manifested further than just between Luka and I.

"You left her there?" Silas voice was quiet and deadly as it pulled all of our attention toward the doorway.

His eyes were a solid black I had never seen before.

~Silas.~ I tried

He looked at me but his anger didn't even flicker. His inner wolf wanted blood and he had no intentions of calming without it.

~He is still linked to Cassy. If he dies it will kill her.~ I said.

"So break the link." He said with a growl just beneath the surface.

~I can't do that.~ I said confused.

"Yes you can. If you can see the links, touch them, then you can break them. Which is why he's so afraid of you." Silas said.

My eyes widened and I glanced over my shoulder at Luka.

Luka's jaw ticked but he nodded.

~I'm not going to do that.~ I said turning back to Silas. ~Luka tried to get me out. He did what he could.~

"He did nothing." Silas seethed.

~Silas calm down!~ I demanded using the same level of command I'd felt him use on others.

Silas blinked and then blinked again. His eyes faded from black to a beautiful forest green.

"Luka tried. The only reason he's with Devlin is because he has his siblings not because he agrees with him. They are all he has left of his pack." Cassy said.

Silas glanced down at her, then to Luka's kneeling form, but ultimately his gaze settled on me.

~Maybe... we should give him a chance.~ I said.

"Why?" Silas asked.

"Because I've already sworn loyalty to your mate... and because I can help you find the baby." Luka said.