"How much more can really go wrong? There, I asked it. Now I will sit back and wait for the sky to open, the earth to crack, and aliens to invade. I'm planning for the absolute worst case scenario. That way, whatever happens will seem so much better than the alternative." ~Peri
Sincaro stared at the one standing before him. He couldn't decide if it was brave, or incredibly stupid.
"You can either join us,” it said, “or wait until your entire race is wiped out. Then the ones left will be loyal to the Order."
The vampire king considered the invitation, if that's what it truly was. He'd heard of the organization a very long time ago, but he’d never thought it actually existed. "What's in it for me and my kind?"
"Freedom. You live in the bowls of the city like rats. You are a king of your race, are you not? Do you really belong down here in the sewer? Join us and you will be a part of a revolution. The revolution will happen with or without you. The pieces are falling into place. We only need a couple more key players."
"And those would be?"
"Secret. But one of them is here now intent on destroying your people, without her mate,” the figure said. “Keep the group busy long enough for her to be taken in the chaos. After that we don't care what you do with the others. When the time is right, we will be in touch again."
After a few moments of deliberation, Sincaro decided that no harm would come in at least entertaining the offer. He would see if this Order would indeed deliver. "Fine. I will wait to hear from you."
"One more thing, as a show of good faith, I will share this info with you. If you don't want to lose the majority of your vampires in Canada, I suggest you have them get moving, now."
Sincaros eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"Thalion, prince of the elves, is leading an army out of his realm with the sole mission of destroying the covens in Canada."
Sincaro’s gaze bore into the spot where his guest had just been. Then he picked up the phone and dialed Caine’s number.
"Get everyone out. Use the underground tunnels. Use the forests at night. The elves are coming, if they aren't already there."
"Elves?” the younger vampire responded. “I thought the elves didn't involve themselves in the business of other supernaturals.”
"Apparently, they've changed their stance."
Peri followed the wolves and the warlock king up through the tunnels. Alston was bringing up the rear. Nissa still hadn't returned from Jeff Stone's pack and she was beginning to wonder if something had happened to the high fae. Cyn was helping Thalion eradicate the vampires in Canada, or at least she hoped that was what was happening. Peri had a strange feeling in her gut. Something just didn’t feel right, but she couldn’t pinpoint the reason for her anxiety. As they moved through the tunnels, searching for their enemy, she felt as though something important was eluding her.
She heard the vampires before she saw them. She pushed away the feelings that were quickly threatening to suffocate her. She needed to be able to fight with a clear head. She'd worry about this new mystery anxiety after wiping Sincaro and his vermin from the earth.
One minute they were running through tunnels and the next they were being herded. Vampires seemed to be crawling out of the crevices of the walls coming at them from all directions. Who knew they could move like that? Peri watched in horrid fascination as they came crawling down the sides of the walls and ceiling of the tunnel like cockroaches. They hissed and began dropping to the ground and that’s when all hell broke loose.
Peri held out her hand and a silver short sword appeared. It had been a long time since she'd used the weapon, and she'd honestly hoped she'd never have to use it again. Apparently, when you are an immortal being, such things are too much to ask. Epic battles between good and evil seem to happen every so often. You just can’t sit on the sidelines; then you’d miss all the fun. The high fae swung the blade and it became an extension of her will. Every vampire that came within reach of her lost its head. She thrust a bit of her power into the blade with each swing. After all, what good was having vast powers of light if you couldn’t use it to decapitate a few vampires?
Peri heard Alina snarl and watched as the she-wolf held up a vampire by its throat with one hand and then punch her clawed other hand into the thing’s chest cavity. Bitch was bad ass. The Alpha female turned and met Peri's eyes. Blood was splattered across her cheek and her eyes were glowing. She looked like a supernatural warrior. Peri bowed her head slightly to her. Alina returned the gesture and then turned just as a female vampire leapt at her.
Peri turned her attention back to her own battle as more and more vampires came at them.
"Where are they coming from?" Cypher yelled as he cut down two vamps at once with the huge blade he wielded.
Peri didn't have an answer for the warlock king. All she could do was continue to fight and hope that, at some point, Sincaro would run out of warriors.
“So you’re a werewolf?” Bethany asked, still a little skeptical despite having heard the woman called Peri tell her this and then disappear before her very eyes.
The wolf paced in the cage, stopping every now and then to look at her. Then he would huff as though it was her fault he was locked in a cage, and he would continue pacing.
Every time he stopped to stare at her, Bethany wanted to fidget under his intense gaze but she refused to be intimidated. She'd spent eleven years of her life afraid; she wouldn't live like that anymore.
"You never have to fear me. I would never hurt you. I only want to keep you safe, and if it's in my power to do so, keep you happy."
Her breath froze in her lungs. Okay, so now she was afraid. The voice was in her head again. And the wolf had been looking right at her when she heard it.
"Are you talking to me in my mind?" she asked him as she pressed herself back against the wall as if it could absorb her body.
"Yes. All true mates can speak through their bond. You can speak to me mentally, if you want."
"I think I'll just…keep talking to you like this," she pointed to her mouth as if he wouldn't understand without the motion.
He sat down on his haunches—okay that's a weird way to think of it if he really was a man—and stared straight at her. He was a beautiful animal. His fur was soft and was shiny; his eyes were like liquid silver, bright, if not a tad wild looking.
"How old are you?" he asked as he continued to study her just as closely as she was studying him.
"Eighteen. How old are you?" Was she really doing this? Was she really going to sit here and have a conversation with a wolf?
"Would you prefer I take my human form?"
The question took her off guard. Would she? She didn't know. She'd never been around a human man before—at least not as a grown woman. She'd been with the vampires so long she didn't even know how to feel about men.
"About me?"
"What?"
"You don't know how to feel about me, not just any man."
"Do you have to do that? Read my thoughts? It's kind of unnerving."
"I've been waiting for you for so long. I want to give you the space you need, but you are all that is keeping me sane. Either I touch your skin or I touch you mentally through our bond."
Bethany didn't know what to say to that. She was talking to a wolf who could speak to her through her thoughts, and he'd just told her that she was the key to his sanity. Her? As if she was sane herself. She stood suddenly and the wolf stood as well. She felt as though the walls were closing in on her. The room was getting smaller and the air was being sucked out and she was going to suffocate.
"Bethany, listen to me."
His voice filled her mind but all she could think about was trying to get air into her lungs. She leaned over, placing her hands on her knees as she tried to keep her balance. The world was beginning to break apart into little squares and she could feel herself falling forward. Then the world went black.
Drake phased faster than he ever had before. He flung his arm out through the space in the bars and caught Bethany's head before it could hit the ground. He lowered her gently down and brushed the hair from her face. She was exquisite. Her hair was as black as pitch and her skin as fair and creamy as milk. It was striking in its contrast. Her eyes were a startling color of aquamarine. She had long eyelashes and full pink lips. Her nose was small and cute and her cheeks were high, hinting at an aristocratic appearance. She looked like a fairy queen. She was small—at least a foot shorter than his 6'2" frame. His hands easily encircled her wrists and he felt as though the slightest amount of pressure could snap her bones. She seemed so fragile and yet she'd survived living with vampires. She’d been fed on for years. She wasn't fragile, she was strong—resilient—and she was his.
Drake ran a finger across her cheekbone and down her jaw. He couldn't stop touching her. Just this small touch pushed the maddening darkness back enough that he could think a little more clearly.
Several minutes passed before she started to come to. Her eyes fluttered several times before finally opening. They met his and Drake felt as though he'd been punched in the gut.
It took her a moment to realize that she was looking at a man and not a wolf. He saw the moment she realized this as she pushed herself up and scampered back away from him. Drake was mindful of the fact that he was completely unclothed and kept himself in a position that would not give her an eyeful.
When he spoke, he did so softly, not wanting to startle her any further. "Would you throw me a pair of those pants?" He pointed to the far left of the room where a shelf stood in the corner containing stacks of folded sweat pants.
Bethany's eyes didn’t leave him as she slid sideways until her hands hit the shelf. She grabbed a pair and stepped to the part of the cell furthest from him and pushed them through the bars. Drake waited until she was back in her spot, pressed tightly to the wall, before moving.
"I'm going to stand now, so unless you want a quick anatomy lesson, you might want to turn your head or close your eyes."
He waited for her to comply but she just sat there staring at him. "Bethany," he said her name softly. "Are you okay?"
Still she didn't speak. Drake didn't know what to do, but he knew he couldn't just sit there naked. So he stood and turned to grab the sweatpants. He pulled them on quickly, his back turned to her. When he turned back around, he nearly smiled because her once fair skinned face was now as red as a ripe cherry.
"I warned you," he told her with a small amount of laughter in his voice. He sat down less than a foot from the bars, directly across from where she sat. Drake met her gaze and then waited. It didn't bother him to just sit and stare at her. She was here, his true mate, finally. He could wait for as long as she needed, just so long as she would stay close to him.
Drake could feel the confusion, disbelief, and uncertainty running through her mind. He was trying very hard not to just read her thoughts. He didn't want to violate her privacy but he needed to keep the bond open. If he was going to keep the darkness from completely taking over again, he needed her light.
"There is no light in me," she said suddenly. Her voice was soft and her lips had barely moved.
"What?"
"You think you need my light. I don’t know what that means but I do know that there is no light in me. I've lived in the dark for too long."
Her words twisted his heart. Her childhood had been ripped from her, her innocence taken away in an instant. He hadn't been there to protect her.
"It wasn't your job to protect me," she said. A frown creased her brow.
Drake shook his head. "You're wrong. You've always been mine to protect and you always will be."
"You can't be more than five or six years older than me. So what could you have done at the age of thirteen? How could you have stopped a vampire?" she challenged. He saw the flash of strength and defiance that had probably kept her alive all these years.
"I am much, much older than I look," Drake admitted.
He guessed that she must be deciding to ignore his comment because she moved right on to something else without addressing it. "You have an accent," she pointed out. "Where are you from?"
"I'm originally from Romania. My family joined the Serbia pack not long after I was born. So I've lived in Serbia most of my life."
"Do you remember where you are from?" Drake asked, trying to tread carefully, yet hoping against hope that she would keep talking.
"I'm from Phoenix, Arizona. I don’t know where I've been for the past eleven years. I haven't been above ground since they took me."
Drake’s jaw clenched. "I found you in Phoenix, so you’ve probably been there the whole time."
"I don't know if my family is still there," she admitted. "Sincaro would never tell me if he did anything to them. He would just tell me that I didn't need to worry about them."
"I'm sorry, Bethany." Drake didn't know what else to say.
"It's not your fault."
Tears pooled in her eyes as she stared at him. Her gaze was unwavering and he admired her that she held her chin high after all she'd been through.
"My life will never be normal, will it?" Bethany asked him.
"I'm the wrong person to ask, love. I don’t know what normal is. I'm a werewolf, remember?"
A small smile touched her lips. "A werewolf. I don't even know what to say to that. I mean, I know it's true, obviously. But that doesn't make it any less strange." She seemed to be gathering her nerve before she spoke again. "Why did that woman lock you in there?"
"My wolf is a little unpredictable right now. It's for my own safety as well as others." Her eyes widened and he hurried to add. "But not you. You never have to fear me. My wolf could never hurt you. You're my mate."
Bethany's breath caught and her hand slowly lifted until it was lying over the place on her neck where he'd bitten her. His wolf growled and Drake had to snap his mouth shut. His skin felt hot as she looked at him. Her eyes were wary, but not fearful. There was no accusation there either, which surprised him.
"I'm sorry about the—" He pointed to the bite. "I wasn't in control and my wolf acted on instinct. I wasn't trying to hurt or scare you."
"Mates," Bethany tried out the word. Her eyes seemed to roam over him, almost as if she was realizing for the first time, other than when he'd put on the pants, that he was man—a man not wearing a shirt to be precise. Her gaze was practically a caress as she took in all of the exposed skin. Drake saw something flash in her eyes, something possessive, and he knew it was her own wolf, dormant though she may be. And by the look in Bethany's eyes, her wolf wanted its mate.
"What are those markings on your neck?" she asked him as she shifted to see if there were anymore.
"All of our kind have markings. They are a message to other wolves. The location of the markings let others know the level of our dominance and where we fall in the pack hierarchy. The more elaborate the markings, the more dominant the wolf. When we find our mate, our markings change. They usually move up our bodies to be visible on the neck. The ones on my neck are new."
"How come you only have them on your neck?"
Bethany saw a flash of pain in Drake’s eyes but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. She was trying very hard not to think too much about the fact that she was talking to a werewolf—a very, very attractive, male werewolf.
When her eyes had fluttered open, she'd been taken aback by his rugged handsomeness. He was tall, definitely over six feet in height. He had dark, wavy, unruly hair that was long enough that it would brush his collar if he had been wearing a shirt. His face was chiseled and he looked as though he'd gone a day or so without shaving. His nose held a slight bump in the center where it had probably been broken. But rather than distracting from his looks, it only added character to his face. His body was thick and muscular. Where most of the vampires she'd seen were sleek and trim, Drake was solid, but had not an ounce of fat on him. She pushed away the glimpse of his body that she'd seen when he'd stood up. Her mind was screaming at her to look away but her curiosity and shock wouldn't allow her to.
She knew nothing of the opposite sex. Would anyone blame her for being curious? Drake didn't seem bothered by her scrutiny so she continued to look. If he didn't like it, he'd just have to tell her.
"Would you like me to stand and turn in a circle?" he asked her and her eyes flew up to his. His lips were turned up slightly and humor danced in his silver eyes.
"Yes, please," she answered. If he was going to offer then she'd accept.
His brow rose. He'd obviously expected her to be embarrassed or shy. But what did she have to be embarrassed about? She'd been snacked on for eleven years of her life. She'd been told over and over that no one would ever want her. Once Drake realized the depth to which Sincaro had dragged her into his hell, how tainted she was, he wouldn't want her.
Drake stood slowly, never taking his eyes off of her. It was strangely… well, she didn't know what the word was that would describe what she was feeling.
"Intimate," Drake practically whispered. "The feeling is intimacy."
Her head tilted slightly. "Intimacy?"
He nodded. "It's a closeness, something shared between people who are familiar."
"But we don't know each other."
"We are true mates. Our souls recognize one another."
Bethany didn't understand what he was saying but she had to agree that she did feel as though she recognized him, though she'd never seen him in her life.
Drake held his arms loosely by his sides as he began to turn. Just as his back was to her, she saw something that she hadn't seen when he'd been putting on the pants. "Wait," she said quickly as she stood and moved closer.
His back was covered in scars. They were faint, but they were everywhere. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt anger swell inside of her. Who had hurt him?
"It was a long time ago," he said quietly as he turned to face her. Drake stepped closer to the bars and, like a magnet drawn to each other, Bethany took another step closer toward him. Her head was tilted back so she could look up at him. He was even bigger close up.
"Who did that? Why did they do it?"
Drake reached out slowly, pausing once. She guessed that he was waiting to see if she'd back away. She’d known nothing but the violent touch of the vampires for so long. She’d recoiled from their touches—the way they’d handled her, like a piece of tough steak to be beaten, tenderized, and then consumed. But now she didn’t recoil. She realized that she wanted to be touched, gently, but not just by anyone. Bethany wanted to be touched by Drake—only Drake.
"My old Alpha was a cruel person. He demanded a level of obedience that was impossible to meet. So he punished us." His fingers ran slowly through several strands of her long hair.
She stepped closer again and she was nearly pressed against the bars. His hand moved from her hair to her face, and Bethany held her breath as he ran the pads of his fingers down her cheek, and further down her neck. He traced the tender flesh where his bite now appeared and she felt goosebumps rise on her skin.
Bethany tried to keep her eyes open but the warmth from his hand was seeping into her, making her want to get closer. "Why do I feel like this?" she asked and was surprised at the breathy quality of her voice.
"Because you're mine and I am yours. Touch between mates is potent and powerful."
"So I wouldn't feel this way with another man?" Her eyes snapped open when she heard the deep growl.
Bethany looked up and saw that his eyes were glowing again.
Drake took several deep breaths before answering. "No. There is no other male for you. Just as there is no other female for me."
"I, um," Bethany couldn't seem to get any words out.
Drake shook his head at her. "No decisions have to be made right now. We have time. All I ask is that you give us a chance. Give me a chance."
She could see the fear of rejection in his eyes, and it made her want to reassure him that she wasn't going anywhere. She didn't want him to be hurt or worried. It was completely irrational to feel that way for a stranger. "Okay," she finally answered. She couldn't think of a reason not to give him a chance. Okay, maybe him being a werewolf was a good reason, but she didn't feel threatened by him. She actually felt safer with him than she ever had in her life.
"Thank you," he said and dropped his hand from her neck.
Without thinking about what she was doing, Bethany reached through the bars and grabbed his hand. Her fingers laced through his and as soon as their skin made contact again, she felt a sense of rightness. "Is this okay?" she motioned to their hands.
"You can touch me whenever, wherever, however, and as often as you like."
Bethany felt the blush that moved up her neck to her face.
Not knowing, again, what to say, she moved on to the other thing, besides Drake, that was heavy on her heart. "What about my family?"
"What about them?" he asked.
"Can I see them?" Bethany wasn't even sure if she wanted to see them, at least not right away. She had some serious healing to do before she opened old wounds.
"We can go to them when you are ready. I will be with you if you'd like."
His voice was so gentle, so caring, that it was hard to reconcile that he was the same man who growled and snarled and turned into a huge wolf.
"You will go with me?"
"If you would allow it, I would never leave your side."
His honesty was intense, but she was glad he wasn't attempting to tiptoe around her. She'd agreed to give him a chance. And though right then, she didn't really understand what all that entailed, it had to be better than the life she'd been living. Though she seemed calm on the outside, she was close to her breaking point. She was so tired—so tired of being afraid—of wondering if she would die today. She was tired of being unsure about her future. And most of all, she was tired of having to be strong all on her own, alone. But while she didn't want to be alone, she also didn't want someone telling her what to do, not anymore. She wanted to make her own decisions. She wanted to finally feel in control of her life.
Drake wanted the bars out of the way. He wanted to take Bethany in his arms and hold her, protect her, and help her begin to heal. He could feel the turmoil coming off of her in turbulent waves. She was confused, frustrated, and unsure. He was surprised that he didn't feel any fear coming from her, but he was a little worried that she might be in shock and that, perhaps, the fear would hit later. He wanted to comfort her, needed to make her understand that all of her fears were for naught.
"Bethany." Drake’s voice shook with the emotions he was trying to desperately keep under control, but his wolf was not making it easy. "Please believe me when I tell you I have no desire to control you or make decisions for you. I won't lie. I do want to take care of you. My instincts scream at me to make sure you are okay. If you have a need, I long to meet it. My wolf and I want to protect you, provide for you, and cherish you—never oppress you." He waited to see if she would respond. She stared straight at him, never dropping her eyes. He could tell she was weighing the truth of his words. Drake wanted her to trust him, but he could hear all of the lies she'd been fed.
The vampires had played with her mind for years. They'd toyed with her, telling her lies about the Canis lupus, because they'd known she was a dormant, and of course they wouldn't want her to trust her own race.
"Have you ever had a mate before?" she asked him and he was surprised by the question.
"No, I've never had a mate and will never have another. Canis lupus are created with one true mate in their lives."
"What about girlfriends?" Bethany's hand fidgeted in his.
Drake shook his head. "I'm about to blow your mind," he said with a small grin as her eyes widened. "I've never had a girlfriend. I've never kissed a girl, and I've never held hands with a girl. —until now." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Bethany's mouth had dropped open at his declaration, making him want to laugh but he held it in. Drake wasn't surprised that she was shocked. He, after all, was a century old. Human males usually had had multiple girlfriends before they ever reach adulthood.
"Are all werewolves like that? I mean, do they all not…uh…I mean, do any of them date?"
He shrugged. "Some do, some don't. It's always been greatly frowned upon to be with a female in anyway other than friendship who isn’t your true mate. Our kind consider it an insult to your own future mate. But there are some who have…" He paused unsure how to word what he wanted to say without sounding crude. "There are some who have entertained certain urges. Some have actually had genuine feelings for another female, though no relationship would ever come close to being as strong as what they feel for their true mate."
Bethany's brow drew together. "Urges?"
Drake wanted to smack himself in the face. He was going to have to remember that Bethany may be eighteen, but she'd been snatched away from the human world at the age of seven. Essentially, any knowledge about normal life did not exist. Any knowledge she had about guys and girls would be incredibly innocent.
"Perhaps, that's a conversation we should wait to have once we're better acquainted," he suggested gently.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously and her face flushed bright red. "I'm not a child. Ignorant, yes, but not simple minded."
He bit back the growl of frustration. He was screwing this up royally. "I know you're not a child, Bethany. But there are some things that are sensitive in nature and can be difficult to talk about even with a close friend, let alone a stranger. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. I want you to feel safe with me, especially when we have that conversation. It has nothing to do with your level of intelligence. I look forward to the day that we are close enough to discuss things more personally. I want to know you and I want you to know me."
She was quiet for several heartbeats. Finally, she broke the silence and his heart. She started to let go of his hand but he held on. He wasn't ready to let her go.
"I just need a little space," she told him. She tugged her hand again and this time he released her.
Drake’s wolf snarled inside of him and he struggled to keep from vocalizing their hurt over their mate dismissing them. He was trying to get the wolf to understand that, though she was theirs and, yes, she was Canis lupus, she did not understand their ways. She'd been lost for eleven years and though she'd been found, all he did was take her and put her in a new kind of lost.
He gave her a curt nod and took a step back away from the bars. He continued to watch her, taking in every motion and facial expression.
She simply stared back at him. The unshed tears he saw in her eyes were like a knife being stabbed into his heart and slowly twisted. He didn't want her to hurt but there was nothing he could do. She wouldn't let him help. And it was killing him.
He squeezed his eyes closed and tried to push away the image of seeing his mate cowering in a dirty cell, brutalized, and afraid. The only part of the memory that kept him from losing it was the brave determination he had seen in her eyes and her clenched jaw that said she was ready to fight. His mate was a survivor. She'd survived eleven years with the oldest vampire in existence; she would survive this as well. This time she didn't have to do it alone. She had him, if she'd only let him be there for her.
Bethany closed her eyes as memories rushed over her. So many years in the hands of Sincaro— so many bites, so many bruises, and hate filled words. Up until that point she'd been holding it together, but memories of the abuse she’d endured filled her with pain. The pain caused something to break inside of her, and it triggered the floodgates that had been holding the tide of her emotions. Her eyes became living waterfalls as tears poured out of them, coursing down her face. A sob broke free and she pressed her hands over her mouth as she tried to keep herself from shattering into a thousand pieces. Bethany's shoulders shook as eleven years’ worth of anguish came rolling out of her in a tidal wave.
She thought she heard Drake’s voice but she couldn't be sure and she couldn't look at him, not when she was losing it. She wasn't even completely sure why she was crying. It was all just too much. Vampires kidnapping her, feeding off of her, throwing her in a maze with those monsters, werewolves rescuing her, biting her, suddenly being ripped from the world she'd known for so long, and being handed choices that she could make on her own. She couldn't even decide if she was hungry or not. How the hell was she supposed to decide what her future was going to be or where it was going to be? How on earth was she going to survive?
She slid down the wall to the floor and onto her knees. Her body leaned forward of its own accord until her forehead was pressed to the cold, hard concrete. She pressed it down, hoping that maybe if she pushed hard enough she would just sink into the floor and it would swallow her, along with all of her problems. Her stomach clenched tightly inside of her and it felt as though it was trying to climb up her throat. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she gave into the despair and let it devour her.
Bethany had wanted to be free of the vampires and the hell they'd put her through. She'd wanted to be free and now she was. And she didn't have a damn clue how to survive, how to live. Her hand slammed down on the hard floor sending pain up her palm into her arm but she ignored it. She slammed it again and screamed, "YOU DID THIS TO ME. YOU CRIPPLED ME. YOU DID THIS." Her yells died down until she was muttering over and over again, "You did this, you did this to me, you did this."
Death would have been better than being a lost child in a woman’s body.
"You did this," she said one last time, her voice hoarse from her screams. It was when she finally quieted and raised her eyes that she realized the cage across from her was shaking and creaking as the huge man inside of it hit it repeatedly with his shoulder. His face was hard as stone and his eyes narrowed with determination. If he kept this up he was going to hurt himself.
"Drake," she said sitting up and wiping her tears away. "Drake, stop. You're going to hurt your shoulder." Bethany crawled over to the cage and sat leaning against it. He stopped as soon as she was within touching distance. He was on his knees just on the other side of the bars from her. Their shoulders were touching and the heat from his body was strangely comforting.
"Are you okay?" she asked him quietly, hoping that she could calm the beast she'd obviously stirred up with her outburst.
He chuckled but there was no humor in the sound. "You are the one who has endured hell and you're asking me if I'm okay?"
"I'm sorry," Bethany whispered.
She felt his hand cup her cheek and apply gentle pressure so she would look at him. "You do not owe me an apology, A Mea. You don't owe me anything."
"Why were you trying to break the cage?"
"My need to comfort you and my wolf’s need to shelter our mate is strong. To see you hurting like that, it was more than I could stand. You aren't alone. Never again. I will always be here. And if you let me, I'll bear your burdens when they become too much."
She felt something brush her mind and warmth flooded her. "What was that?"
His eyes held her as he spoke. "That is me reassuring you that you aren't alone. All you have to do is reach out to me through the bond."
Bethany tentatively attempted to do just that. She thought of Drake, about his passionate words and gentle touch. When she pushed out with her own emotions she heard him sigh and felt his warm breath on her face. She'd sent him her gratitude. He'd rescued her and been tender and patient. He'd repeatedly told her that he wouldn't leave her, that she wouldn't be alone anymore. She needed him to know how much it meant to her. Regardless of the fact that she was a mess, she did appreciate him.
"What now?" she asked still staring up into his face.
"For now, we'll just rest. Peri will return and let me out of this cage and then if you will allow it, I would really like to hold you."
Bethany felt a strange tightening sensation in her lower abdomen as she imagined what it would be like to be in his strong arms. She imagined that she must have been held by her father once in a caring way, but she couldn’t remember it now. She only knew the touch of violence. Bethany was pretty sure that when Drake held her she just might not ever want to leave the shelter of his arms.