The Alpha & The Lost Luna

Prologue:

"We're under attack!" is all I hear before my mother grabs me and heads for the safe room.

"Mommy?" I ask her.

"Yes, puppet?" I could tell she was trying to keep calm and not worry me.

"What's happening? Why can't I stay and play with Uncle Darrien?"

"Everything's fine honey. Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Darrien have something very important to attend to." As she finished her sentence, I hear a loud bang come from the common room. "They're in the house!" "Stop them! Protect the Luna and Ava!" My mom begins to run as the sound of fighting and glass smashing sounds through the air. The fighting grows closer as my mother comes to a stop in front the door to my fathers' office. I can see shadows around the corner of wolves fighting as my mom quickly pushes the door open and made her way to the furthest end of the room. My mother stops in front of the lit fireplace, she reaches up and slides the miniature version of our family crest to the left. Slowly the fireplace starts move and opens to reveal a small room.

"Puppet mommy needs you to stay here and no matter what you don't come out promise me?" My mother says fighting back tears as she places me on the ground.

"I promise mommy", I say as she covers me with a blanket and places a kiss on the top of my head.

"I love you Puppet, you're going to grow up to be such a strong and powerful woman." She says as she stands up and the door starts to slide closed. I watch as my mom turns into her wolf and takes off running out the door.

"Mommy wait!" But it was too late the door had already closed. I slam my fists against the door but it was too heavy for me to move. Defeated I slam my back against the door and slide down to the floor bringing my knees to my chest.

"I love you too." I whisper into the silent room I pull the blanket tight around me and begin rocking back and forth. The seconds began ticking away and eventually turned into minutes turned into hours.

"Mommy, Daddy!" I shouted as the door began to slide open. I was getting ready to leap into my mother's arms, but I stopped dead in my tracks in front of me stood a group of strangers.

"You're not my mommy!" I shouted as I retreated into the safe room but the older man grabbed hold of my arm and covered my mouth.

Ava

*** 9 Years Later***

"Mommy!" I shout as I snap awake from a dead sleep, my alarm clock blaring out music that is over taken by the sound of static.

I shut off my alarm as bring myself in an upright position. Swinging my legs over the edge I look around my room. While it's more like a prison cell it consists of a small rectangle window that way I couldn't escape in the middle of the night, a calendar, a desk and my bed which wasn't a bed at all. It was something I made from plywood, a mattress one of the packs Betas was throwing away and cinder bricks to keep it all off the ground. While its worn out and has probably has seen more sex than your average wolf, it beats sleeping on the ground. I look over at the calendar. Today is July 13th, nine years ago my captors snuck into Silver Lake territory and cleaned out my entire pack, I was the only one to survive thanks to my mother. From what I've heard what once beautiful busy pack grounds was all reclaimed by nature and the only thing left standing was the stone foundation my pack house once sat and maybe a few charred buildings firefighters managed save. When the Alpha of the pack of murderers found me, he spared my life, but he didn't do it because he felt remorse or sympathy for what he did. It was because there was because people were around, and he wanted a slave. My father was stabbed in the back by someone who was supposed to be his close friend. When I first arrived here they asked me a series of questions. Thankfully my parents always prepared for the day something was to happen to them. I told them my parents were murdered and I orphan taken in by the Silver Lake Beta, and they continue to believe the same story nine years later. Deep down I knew they would kill me if they found out I was the Alphas daughter or even worse force me to mate with their son. Therefore, there is simply no reason for them to know who I am. I check the time and hurried to my feet and quickly threw on yesterday's clothes. I open my door, quickly tossing my hair in a bun. Then I hear it the most horrible high-pitched screech that almost shatters my eardrums.

"Ava!" I hear being shouted as I round the corner and collide with the Luna of the murderers, she grabs ahold of my shoulders and begins shaking me.

"Do you think breakfast is going to cook itself?" She asks grabbing hold of the back of my hair and begins dragging me towards the kitchen. I fight back against her ripping my hair from her hands only to be met with a smack across the face. The pack members began snickering and having hushed conversations as Madison drags me pack them. Every day I pray to the Moon Goddess that she will send me a Mate who would accept me and rescue me from this hell hole. But with my luck I'll be mated to the knuckle head son of the Alpha.

"Get in there make us fucking breakfast!" Madison demanded as she shoved me through the swinging doors of the dining room.

"Excuse my ignorance. I'm apologize for over sleeping." I say as I bow my head making my way to the kitchen. I gather all the necessary ingredients to make pancakes, bacon and eggs. As I stand and turn around, to see Erica deliberately blocking my path.

"Great" I mutter under my breath. "Excuse me Erica I need to get by you."

Erica stands with her back to me as she completely ignores my request. I take in a deep breath and close my eyes, clearly she isn't going to move on her own accord. I look at the floor, contemplating my next move, a small smirk forms on my face as the perfect idea comes to mind. If she won't move voluntarily, I'm going to move her by force. The gap between the wall and her is the perfect size for me to fit through. I contemplate my next move for a brief second. I clear my throat and tap my foot giving her the opportunity to move.

"Alright Erica either move or be moved." I say as I walk up behind her. Despite my continued requests Erica failed to move out of my way. I shove my way between her and the wall and send her smashing against the over. The glass on the over door almost smashed and the frying pan that was sitting on the stove flew off. Guess there was more power behind my hit then I thought.

"I said excuse me, and if you want to eat I suggest you stop getting in my way." Out of everyone in this pack Erica was the only one I had absolutely Zero tolerance for. Erica is a selfish spoiled bitch with zero regard for any human life other then herself. I feel Erica grab hold of my hair as I walk past her and yanks me backwards, which causes me to drop the last of the milk and eggs. The Alpha of Crescent Moon is cheap and only spends money on groceries once a month, twice a month if there is guests or event happening.

"Guess you aren't to hungry this morning are you? That was the last of the milk and eggs you grade A genius." I say swinging around coming toe to toe with Erica.

"I know damn well you did not just do that to me." She snarled.

"Yea I did. Because you are either too lazy or too brain dead to move out of my fucking way. Now because of your stupidity you and the rest of your family will be having raisin bran for breakfast. Wait you guys can't because some asshole made me spill the last jug of it on the floor!" I snapped back at her. Erica tries to grab hold of me, but I quickly slap her hand away from me and push her backwards.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now!" She snaps pointing her long man like finger in my face.

"You know why Erica, the law. It little old Orphaned Ava really worth your life?" I say looking her dead in the eyes as I mock her.

"You'll be eighteen soon then it'll all be fair game and there will be nothing you or the Elder Council can do to stop me from ripping your head off." She snaps as she turns on her heals and start to walk away. I kneel down and begin cleaning the mess thinking the fight is over, but I am met with a hard kick to my ribs. I sit on the floor waiting for my breath to come back to me and the stars to go away when Luther walks in and sees me on the floor. His face is filled with anger as he stops in front of me. I look up to see him looking down at me with eyes filled anger. He reaches down and pulls me off the floor by my shirt.

"Clean this mess and get the fuck out of here." He gritted thru his teeth. Luther releases his grasp and land on the floor with a hard thump knocking my breath out of me. I sit there catching my breath once again. With pain shooting through my ribs, and fighting between breaths, I clean up the mess of milk and eggs, and returned to my room.

***JAMES***

Next Day

"Is this a joke to you Moon Goddess? The story of the Alpha and the Orphan?" As Ava's birthday grows closer, I can feel a mate bond forming with Ava. Soon she'll be eighteen, soon I will reject her and unbeknownst to my father I'll take the title of Alpha without a mate. Despite his many protests.

She was meant for us, James. The Moon Goddess works in mysterious ways. But she would never match together two people who were unfit for each other. Don't toss this chance of love away. You can love her; you and your family owe her everything, your father took everything from her. Ever since I gained my wolf and found out Ava was my mate Thane has tried to talk me out of rejecting her.

She's a low Orphan, my family took nothing from her. Besides I can never be with someone like her! My fathers' told me before he'd never accept nothing less than an Alphas daughter as my mate.

She's not just an Orphan she's our mate, she could be so much more powerful than you. Reject her you hurt us both and this pack, you'll never be strong!

Just shut it mutt! I snap at Thane before blocking him out. I hate that I must share my mind and body with him. Ava is repulsive and disgusting but, she's my mate Thane wants to accept her because our mate makes us stronger. How could a weak Omega make us stronger? Even if I gave into Thane and accepted Ava as my mate. My father would never hand down the title of Alpha to me with a mate like her. I'll be damned if I lose my chance of being Alpha for the likes of Ava.

You reject her I will make your life a living hell!

I thought I thought I told you to shut it. Besides, everyone gets a second chance.

Second Chances are rare, even rarer if you rejected your mate out of greed so don't stand here lying to me.

I sit on the edge of my bed, lost in deep thought when I hear a light knock on the door. I get up and open the door to my room and a long fiery red-haired goddess stands before me. She is beautiful but she's weak and my father forbid me from even being remotely nice to any Omega regardless of their little ranking. To him, Omega's were disposable pack members. He'd use them as his pawns like it's a chess game. But Ava isn't an Omega nor is she even a pack member, she's just what my father calls her a rogue, but shockingly she doesn't give off the foul odor a rogue does. Which leaves me wonder if my father is even telling the truth about Ava.

If my grandfather was still alive I am pretty sure he would kill my father for what he's done to the pack he worked hard to build. Tobias Quinn used to run this place with a kind heart and full of compassion, he never turned his back on friends and allies, Crescent Moon use to be prosperous and now I am just lucky there's a pack for me to still take over. But regardless of my grandfather's accomplishments, my father has run this pack so far down because he is so fuels by hate I need to be ruthless.

"Hello are you in there? I said I'm here to clean your room," she said as she looked up at me with her beautiful emerald, green eyes. What I wouldn't do to see her eyes roll into the back of her head as she screams my name. Okay I have to admit I am entirely attracted to Ava in every single way, what I wouldn't do just to be mates with her. But I won't give up the Alpha title.

"You have an hour." I mutter as I shove past her.

***Ava***

I glare at James as he shoves his way past me knocking me against the door. I turn around and look around in disgust at James's darkroom it smells like nasty body odor and always wrecks of sex no matter how much cleaner I use. I pull open the heavy curtains and the sunlight revels hand prints on the windows and walls. I took a deep breath, the smell curled the small hairs in my nose and I almost puke. I grab a pair of gloves got set to work. After finishing the main room in record time I turn my attention to the bathroom.

The bathroom wasn't half as dirty as the main room and I was able to clean it in under ten minutes. I am imagining myself using James's toothbrush to clean the toilet as I finish cleaning the bathroom. I laugh to myself at the mental picture as I take off my gloves and toss them in the trash. I grab hold of the trash bag about to tie it up when something caught my attention. I reach in and pull out a piece of paper. I felt sick to my stomach when I see that it has my name wrote on it repeatedly with little hearts.

"What is this teenage bullshit" I mutter crumbling the piece into a ball tossing it back in the trash and tie it off. After an hour I've completely cleaned James's bedroom top to bottom and all my chores are pretty much done for the day. I hear the door open and turn around to see James walking in with his arm wrapped around the waist of a she-wolf. This room isn't going to remain clean awfully long, I let out a small sigh as I grab everything and walk past them. The she-wolf stuck her foot into my path, causing my too trip and go crashing to the ground. I turn my head and look up to see the she-wolf that was with James's snickering and he's just standing there looking down at me with sad puppy dog eyes.

"Pathetic." she says as she pushes James into his room and slams the door shut almost jamming me in it.

James turned eighteen two weeks ago and was soon going to be taking over as Alpha of the Crescent Moon pack. He's supposed to go through his first shift and find his mate. I hope whoever she is she sees him and this pack for what they truly are and put the mate bond aside and think about them self.

"Ava, there you are come here for a moment." I hear a voice shout from behind me. I take a deep breath close my eyes and slowly turn around. When I open my eyes, I see Luther approaching me with a thick stack of papers extended to me.

"Ava as you know I am to transfer the title of Alpha to James in just a couple short weeks. I need you to see to everything on this list. Most of the important stuff is already being tended to by other people. Everything that has your name by it needs to be ready for next Saturday no if's ands or but's. I don't have time to deal with this party nonsense, just make sure it's perfect."

Before I even had a chance to respond to Luther, he was gone. Of course, Luther would have this all happen next Saturday. When I should be celebrating my birthday and coming of age, I will be forced to celebrate James and him gaining his Alpha title and pretty much living my dream.

Thankfully once I turn eighteen I am able to make the adult decision and leave Crescent Moon. In the last nine years I have come across money in various locations while I go through my daily motions, and I figure I have enough saved to get a cheap hotel room. I walk into the kitchen toss the stack of papers on the counter and walk to the fridge. I make a quick lunch for the few house members and skim over some of the plans and tasks Luther has laid out for me to do.

"Wow" I say aloud as Luther walked in followed by the rest of the clan. I quickly gather the papers I had spread out on the table and exit the kitchen before anyone has a chance to say a word to me.

**AVA**

I watch as pack members are rushing around to finish getting ready for an entire week of guests. But today isn't just a normal day, today is the day I turn eighteen, and while my wolf has yet to make an appearance, I feel different. Almost like I have an entirely new body, but only this body is filled with unknown powers. In the days leading up to my birthday I've started to plan my escape but without the help of my wolf I wouldn't be able to fulfill anything. I need her wolf abilities to have both the speed and strength to run and jump over the wall that has been holding me captive in this territory.

Happy birthday! I'm your wolf Ember and I am here to help you. My wolf came from the back out of my mind catching me off guard. Embers voice was cheery confident.

Thank you! I'm so happy you're here I really need your help. My brain stopped working as I'm caught off guard as the smell of strawberries dance through the air.

It's our mate, follow that smell. Go to him now. I follow the scent with Ember running circles in the back of my mind almost driving me crazy. The scent leads me to the back of the pack house where I see James looking at me with wide eyes. No, it can't be James My mate? I look around and see no other person, my heart instantly drops. Why in the moon goddess would I be mated with a member of the family that slaughtered my family and pack in cold blood? I go to walk away, I don't want to go through a rejection on my birthday, why is my whole life a joke. I wanted a mate to get me out of here not one that would cause me to get stuck here.

"Ava please come to my office. Please." His face dropped as I turned on my heals and walked away. Not wanting to be rejected on my birthday, why couldn't my mate be the Alpha of another pack? What have I done so wrong to be cursed with James as a mate?

I burst through the doors of the pack house only for James to grab hold of my arm.

"Ava please, just come to my office. Save us both the embarrassment." He says with a hushed voice. Reluctantly I follow James to his office, because he's right save us both the embarrassment, me for being rejected, and him when I use my official title. After all who would be stupid enough to reject a mate from a long line of pure Alpha Bloodline. No human born, no Omega, just generation after generation of wolf born Alphas. It's said that one generation is stronger than the next because something in the wolf DNA alters over time, and it generates the wolfs powers and abilities. I always suspected I would have been stronger then my mother or father.

"Hurry up." James says as he grabs hold of me again and practically drags me up the stairs to his office. James quickly opens the door and pushes me inside his office, more than likely trying to hide the fact he's talking to me and that I am his mate.

As soon as we were in his office, James closed the door and pushes me up against it. I close my eyes expecting him to his me but instead I feel his hand gently brush my hair from my face. I could feel the warmth of James breath against my neck as he places a kiss on my neck and grazes his teeth against the spot he was supposed to mark. As a strange feeling begins to take over my body, I quickly shove him away from me only to find him smirking.

"Don't even think about marking me James I hate you."

"You should be happy I even gave it a thought. I James Quinn of Crescent Moon pack reject you Ava as my mate and Luna." Ember growled in the back of my mind at his rejection.

Calm down Ember, if he didn't reject us, we were going to reject him anyway. If it were tonight, I would have rejected him in front of all his close allies' friends and his family.

**James**

Ava pushes me away from her, and I begin to wonder what's wrong with her? Any other woman would have been quivering and begging for me to have my way with them.

"Don't even think about marking me James I hate you." She snaps and her words begin repeating in the back of my head sending daggers through my heart.

"You should be happy I even gave it a thought. It doesn't matter anyways because, I James Quinn of Crescent Moon pack reject you Ava as my mate and Luna." I snap back at her.

"You would have been a sorry excuse of a Luna anyways." I mutter looking down at my feet. I feel Thane put up a block and it felt like he completely left my body. I feel like I'm almost entirely human, without his support I won't be able to go thru with the first shift. Don't matter adjustments can always be made last minute. Either way this is looked at I am still going to be crowned Alpha of one of the most feared packs in Nova Scotia in just a few short hours regardless of whether I have a mate or Thane comes through.

I look up from the ground expecting to see Ava already leaving, but instead she was still standing in front of me with her head held high, usually females take off running and run away never accepting the rejections.

"Oh ouu ouch I'm hurt. Surprised to see me still standing here? It's because I want to see the look on your greedy face when I reject you. I really wish you would have waited until tonight for this so I could do it in front of all your allies and my old allies but, I digress. I Ava Dariana Stark daughter of Alpha Nathaniel Stark and Heir of Silver Lake pack accept your rejection." I fell back against the edge of my desk, grasping hard enough I think I felt it crack. She was an Alpha by blood more importantly the surviving heir to the Silver Lake pack.

**AVA**

I turned on my heals and high tailed it out of James office not waiting to see the full extent of his reaction. He might try and hide it but, I saw the flicker in James eyes as soon as he rejected me, it's one I only saw once before when I was little, it was the sign of the wolf abandoning their human counter parts. If my theory is correct, he won't go through with his first shift tonight and which unless Luther wants to pass the pack onto a weak Alpha. If it's found out James lost his wolf, Luther won't hand down the title and will be pretty much wasting everyone's time. I let out a loud laugh as James door swings closed. I can't get over the audacity of him to even think about marking me against my will had me steaming. To get over my frustrations I turn my attention to cleaning the guest rooms in preparation for the visiting Alphas and their Betas.

Trying to stay under the radar of James and Luther I swiftly move room to room making sure everything was in perfect order. By the time all the rooms were clean it was hitting one o'clock and the first small group of Alphas were arriving. One by one they filed in thru the door each being greeted by Luther and James who already looks like he's been drained of all his power and energy.

"Karmas a bitch." I mutter underneath my breath with a smirk on my face.

"Ava, be a dear and escort Alpha Ramone to his room." I know it has to be killing Luther over the fact he is practically forced to be nice to me. After all Luther wouldn't want his allies knowing just how big of a jerk he really is now would he?

I recognize Alpha Ramone right off the bat, he was at my old pack house many times for what my father would call a meeting. Sometimes Ramone would bring his family the children and I would play while he and my father seen to business. Which usually consisted of two glasses of brandy and a couple rounds of darts.

"Yes sir." I say as I grab Ramones bags and begin walking toward his guest room. I get the feeling of being watched wash over me as I round the corner to Ramones room. I turn around to find him I could feel him watching me.

"Ava, I can't help but notice you look like my late friend Nathaniel Starks daughter. The resemblance you have to her is uncanny." he says with a tear in his eye.

"I am sorry Alpha I have heard that many times different Alphas over the years." I say as I proceed walking to the door at the far end of the hall way. I stop in front of his room and unlock the door. Stepping inside I place his bags on the floor and extend him his key. Ramone was my father's best friend, and I knew how close the two of them really were. The hurt in his voice when he mentioned me and my father almost brought me to tears. I wanted nothing more than to grab hold of him and tell him it is me and that I am alive, but right now is not the proper time. I was fighting back tears when Ramone put his hand on my shoulder, I got to get out of here before I start crying. Ramone takes the key from my hand and dropped his hands to his side.

"Dinner will be served at seven." I say as I turn and walk away. Once I knew I was out of his line of sight I broke out in a run towards my room, my one place of solitude and only place where I am not hounded to do something.

Once I reach my room I quickly open the door and slip inside undetected and lock it. I drag my feet to my bad and just flop down on my back and bury my face in my pillow.

I wake up to the sound of Luther shouting and banging on my locked door. Before I can could get up to unlock the door Luther rips it clean off its hinges and pulls me out of bed. Luther continues shouting as drags me out of from my room and down the hallway.

"If you think your identity is any secret from me little miss orphan." He begins to mock me "You're horrible mistaken Ava Stark. The only reason and I mean the only reason you are still alive is because the laws prevent me from killing you. Keep disobeying me and I'll send you to join your parents Dariana and Nathaniel." He mutters in a hushed tone so no one but me could hear him, his sharp teeth just inches from my throat.

"Get in there and clean." He snaps as shoves me thru the doors of the dance hall without saying anything else to me. Pack members were rushing around and packing things away and clearing tables. The tables were pretty much already cleared of its contents and the leftover food has been packed away. I pick the job that I suspect is going to take me the longest, wiping down and moving the tables to the edge of the room. As long as I can stay away from any one in Crescent Moon, the better the rest of my birthday will be.

I was moving the last of the table's, as of the Alphas started to make their way into the hallways into the dance hall. All the chatter confirms my earlier suspicion; James will shockingly not shift but would still get the title of Alpha. Using the excuse, he wanted to find his mate and shift with her for the first time when she becomes Luna. So there goes my entire idea of taking off while everyone is on that pack run, oh well I have an entire week plus my wolf to figure something out.

I make my way around the dance hall collecting the discarded glassware. Just over an hour ago handed down the title of Alpha to James and all the Alphas and Betas started mingling, ignoring the new Alpha entirely. There was hushed whispers throughout the night, talks about how I look the daughter of Nathaniel Stark. Each time I hear I look like my father it's a struggle not to break down crying. I miss my mother and father greatly, but they would both want me to stay strong and get myself out of this endeavor alive. I hold back my tears as I walk into the kitchen only to be knocked backwards by the swinging door. I fall to the ground and the champagne glasses I was carrying hit the floor and shatter around me. I look up to see Erica coming out stuffing her face with pretty much an entire cheese plate. Erica looks down at me with a look of utter disgust, almost like I insulted her by her knocking me over. I go to stand up but Erica only shoves me back down to the ground with her foot. My hands land in the pile of glass and I slice the palm of my hand open. The glass digs deeper as I push myself up off the floor. I look at my hands that are now filled with cuts that shout probably be seen to by a medical professional.

"Look what you did!" She snapped at me gesturing towards the glass on the ground. "That was all imported crystal!"

"Yea what I did, you know what else I'm going to do? This!" I say as I slap my bloodied hands against her pale gold dress.

"You...You, bitch!" she says as she stomps her feet and brings her hand up to punch me.

I catch ahold of her wrist before she can connect to my head. A smirk begins to form on my face as I fling her hand back to her side with force. Erica let out a loud frustrated shriek Luther and Madison quickly joined her side. Luther examines Erica's dress that's now stained with my blood and then at my hands.

"Apologize to Erica! Before I...." His eyes begin to go black with anger.

"Before you what kill me? Go ahead kill the daughter of Nathaniel Stark in front of all his friends. Kill me just like you killed my pack!" I shouted at Luther cutting him off. The ears of many guests began to perk up and they slowly began surrounding us.

"How dare you spew that filth in my house!" I see something snap inside Luther as he grabs hold of my throat. I feel his claws beginning to dig into the back of my neck, my vision going black and fuzzy. Luther tosses me to the ground and drags me towards the pond in the back of the pack house. A large group of people followed us outside throwing me on the ground, kneeling beside me and grabs hold of my head, taking in one last breath before Luther shoved my head underwater. Slowly I feel every breath of air leaving my body, my lungs begin to hurt, and soon I find everything turning completely black and silent.

***Unknown***

Finally, that idiot Luther handed down the title of Alpha to his knuckle headed son James and the treaty between is now expired and, I have absolutely zero plans to renew the treaty between my pack and the Crescent Moon. They are nothing but a pack of ruthless murderers, that if killing their own parents meant they'd gain any sort of power they would do it. They will take you for everything your worth until you are no longer worth anything and then they will attack you. Crescent Moon is known for attacking pack regardless of the treaty status and I'm just over it.

I'm making my way through the large sea of people when the smell of cinnamon buns begins dancing through my nose. The scent alone was enough for Kade to start acting like a wild animal. But somethings off about the scent, somethings wrong and the scent is fading as each seconds passes by. I quickly follow the scent as it led me to a large group people that's formed around the small pond around back of the house. I shove members of the group out of my way with force and make my way to the front of the pack, where I see Luther holding a young girls head under the water. The scent leads me right to her side.

That's our mate he's hurting! Let me at him! Kade snarls and snaps as he begs me to let him out.

"Get away from my mate now!" I say as I shove Luther sending him flying forward into the icy water.

"Tyler get the car!" I order as I carefully lift my mate out of the cold water. I check for a pulse and there is a very faint one. I carefully lift my mate in my arms and walk towards the front of the pack house with her in my arms.

"What are you doing? You can't just take her!" James yells at me as he blocks my path.

I completely ignore James as I walk around him, I only have one thing on my mind and that's saving my mate. I can see Tyler pulling up with my car as I am rounding the front of the pack house. When I get to the car Tyler quickly jumps out and opens the door. I carefully lower the frail body I was carrying into the back seat. I cover her with a warm blanket and hold her against me to at least try and keep her warm. Thankfully for Luther's sake she is still breathing, barely but still breathing.

What have I done for the Moon Goddess to give me another chance at having a mate only to take her away again? The questions kept coming to my mind as Tyler came to a stop in front of the pack hospital. As soon I as I walked in thru the doors with my mate in my arms nurses immediately began rushing to my aid.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure she's covered in blood and her head was being held under water when I found her." I couldn't get another word out before the nurses started placing a tube down her throat to assist in her breathing. In the quick drive from the pack house to the hospital her breathing has become extremely faint. Already I can feel the pain of the bond slowly dissipating before its even had a chance to form. I grab hold of her hand as she's poked and prodded with needles. There are lines in her arm to replace the blood their taking and what she's lost, lines giving and taking fluids. Her face is sunken, her rib cage exposed underneath her skin. A line of scars run the length of pretty much her entire body from what I can only suspect was a whip made of silver.

When everyone was gone, and all the tests were complete I look at my mate whose body looks like it is ready to just give up.

"Please hang on My Love I can't lose you too." I kiss the back of her hand as a lone tear slowly begins to fall from the corner of my eye.

"Alpha" I hear as a light knock sounds on the door. I brush the water from my eyes as I look up to see an older gentleman in a white lab coat. I nod for him to come in and he approaches me with an outstretched hand.

"I'm Dr. Hamilton, I'll be over seeing your mates care. I'm not cutting to sugar coat anything I'm not like that. So far the test results that have come back aren't good, they have come back that she's malnourished. All her cell counts are extremely low even for an Omega wolf." He pauses and takes in a deep breath "We are going to keep her overnight. With the extent of her injuries, I do not expect her to wake until morning or even a few days. Do you know her name?" My stomach turned with disgust at every word he said but his question caught me off guard. What kind of doctor don't know the name of a pack member especially one that has scars and cuts with signs of infection?

"You don't know her name?"

"I'm sorry I do not. I have never seen her before I can only assume, she was a rogue Luther brought in and made an Omega. Are you staying here or returning to the Pack house?" He was quick to change the topic, he had the bedside manner of a cuddly porcupine.

"I'll be staying by her side" I say as I sit in the chair at my mate's bedside and look over at Tyler who is standing guard at the door. "No offence Doctor I don't trust anyone in this pack alone with her."

"I understand. I must say I would be the same way if this were my mate. I'll have the porter bring in a cot as soon as she gets a chance." He says with a small smile.

"Thank you" I say as I pull a chair to my mates beside and sit, I fell in love with her the moment I lifted her frail body into my arms. I brush my hand along her swollen check, you the signs neglect and abuse, but she is still beautiful. I lift my gaze to Tyler who is shifting from foot to foot trying to keep himself awake.

"Go grab a coffee." I say to him in a whispered shout and without saying a word he takes off from his post. Poor boy is ready to drop which does not surprise me, we have been awake since 6:30 this morning. I choose to arrive last minute so I didn't have to deal with Luther and James. Now I regret it, had I been here sooner I could have prevented this from happening to her she would already be claimed as my mate. I lean back in my chair and close my eyes. I wake up to the feeling of my mates.' hand being pulled from mine and I instantly snap awake.