Chapter Ten - Cain

She’s in my arms. My mate, no, our mate, she’s in my arms again. I refuse to let her go, ignoring the looks from the Wolves around us as we drive back to our Residence.

I can feel her breath on my skin. I can hear her heart beating. It sounds like a frightened bird. She feels like one, cradled in my strength and I know if I wanted I could crush her without little effort. But I won’t do that. I’d never do that. I’m going to protect her.

I look at Aeron and he’s obviously assessing us.

We should claim her. I think in my head.

He narrows his eyes. Not yet.

Why not? I snap. I’m more than ready to. Hell I’m ready to shout it from the rooftops, to let everyone know who this girl is. I want them to know. I want them to treat her with respect. To understand that this is their future Luna, the future mother of our pups.

Cain. Aeron growls in my head. And I know he can feel it. I’m getting ahead of myself. Letting my emotions run. But forgive me for caring.

We don’t even know her. He thinks.

We know enough. She’s our mate. That’s enough. I think back.

No it’s not. Aeron snarls. Think rationally. She’s been with their Pack. She’s been with Silas all this time.

So what? You still think she’s a traitor? You heard what she said, that Silas forced her.

And what else do you think he forced? Aeron snaps.

My eyes drop, I stare at her face as the words sink in. It’s obvious though, isn’t it? How I’ve stupidly overlooked this I don’t know. She’s our mate. Ours and yet Silas had her all this time. I let out a low growl and the Wolves around us look at me. The thought of his hands on her, touching her, defouling her.

Cain. Aeron thinks.

He raped her. I say it like it’s a fact because we both know it’s true. What else could it be?

I think so. Aeron replies. But we don’t know for certain.

You think she’d willingly have fucked him?

Aeron shrugs. Perhaps. She was scared enough. Maybe she complied to keep an easy life.

I growl again but I feel a flash of guilt. That all this time she’d been there, with him and we’d be oblivious. We didn’t have a clue she existed until she’d disappeared. And even then we didn’t really care. We just saw the opportunity to end the war, to save ourselves and our Pack.

But who was thinking about saving her?

I stroke her hair, brush it from her face. It’s so soft. So silky and half of me wants to bury my head in her neck so that I can really savour the scent of her.

“We’re here.” Aeron says out loud.

I look up and my hands tighten around her impossibly small frame. I don’t want to give her up. I don’t want to just stand by as we pretend she’s nothing to us. As we lock her back up in the dark.

Aeron gives me a look and though I’m tempted to argue he takes her from me, takes our mate.

I watch for a moment, seeing what she looks like in his arms. She’s so fragile. So breakable. Aeron’s staring at her as if he can’t believe it either and then I see that mask come down.

“She’s not going back to the cells.” I growl.

“No. She’s not.” Aeron says meeting my gaze and then slowly he turns, walking up the stairs and to where our private rooms are.