Kaylee's P.O.V.Scarlett forced a smile as I moved down the stairs slowly. I felt like I was either recovering from hip replacement surgery, or I needed one. Everything hurt, and it was only getting worse with each passing hour. Parker did his best to stay by my side, but he had a responsibility to his team and his pack. During the day, he had to leave me, but luckily there had only been one night where he was scheduled to run patrols over the past few days.It was killing him to see me this way. I could see it in the darkness under his eyes as he watched me, and I could feel it in his gentle touch. Having him near helped ease the pain, and his touch chased the fear to the back of my mind.I didn't know what to expect tonight when the moon started to rise, but I did know that it would be hard on both of us.Scarlett had become a decent friend, but we were still getting to know each other. It was hard to bond with someone when I knew they

Kaylee's P.O.V. I could feel my body sway with each step Parker took, but I couldn't move it. My head lolled back as he walked with me to an unknown location. Each whispered plea for my survival and each apology that came from his perfect lips sent me further into the dark abyss that was my mind. Whatever he stuck me with, my body was fighting to reject it. No matter the pain I was in, I didn't want to be put under ever again, and I had hoped Parker knew that. Evidently, he didn't. He stopped moving and adjusted me in his arms before a gust of cool air washed over us. I heard the door shut after we walked through, and I wanted to let out a sigh of relief that we were home. "Parker, this way. We need to get her connected, so we can monitor her vitals." The unfamiliar male's voice was calm, but there was a small shake behind it as if he were scared of my mate. My mind began to spin as it clicked in my head what he was talking about. He wanted to connect me to machines…machines that o

Parker's P.O.V. Twice. I had seen her twice through the window. The first time she had just been walking by, presumably to the bathroom. The second she stopped. She opened the window and took a deep breath of the cool, humid air. I could see the relief on her face as she enjoyed the fresh air. Her hand moved out, palm up as she tried to catch the drops of rain. For just a moment, she looked happy. Then she looked down. She looked down and saw my wolf laying out in the rain, and the small upturn to the corner of her lips disappeared. I let out a whimper as I tried to apologize, but my beast was still too angry and upset to let me shift back without it being a fight between the two of us. I had cost him our mate, even if it was temporary and even though it was to save her life. He had the right to be angry. 'How is she?' Hudson moved forward, the fur of his wolf drenched, letting me know that he had just gotten done running patrol. I glanced back to the window, not wanting to take

Kaylee's P.O.V. The walk to the packhouse was tense as our hands occasionally brushed against each other. Each time, it was like touching him for the first time all over again. Sparks shot through my skin and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Scarlett had split from us when we passed her house, so I couldn't use her as a distraction. My mind was swirling with everything Parker. His touch, his taste, his smell. Even the way he was walking had me ready to swoon. I felt like a bitch in heat. Where do we go from here? Do we start over, or just wait out this tension between us until it disappeared? "We need to stop by the conference room to get permission to stay at the packhouse." He whispered to me. 'Apparently, we go to the conference room from here.' I thought bitterly. I released a sigh as I mentally smacked myself in the forehead. It was like dating for the first time. I didn't know how to talk to him, or if I should. If I did, any number of his pack members could be able to

Parker's P.O.V. I saw red. My blood pumped loudly in my ears, silencing the world around me as I held my wolf back from slaughtering the traitor. Jack shook beneath me, his head turned as he submitted, giving me easy access to rip his throat out. Everything in me was fighting the urge to give in and kill him like the traitor that he was. I heard my name yelled out by several voices, but only one made it through the fog. Her soft call to me was so different than everyone else who was yelling or trying to order me to back down. My wolf pulled back in my mind as I continued to hold Jack to the floor. 'Why? Why do you always go out of your way to hurt me? Why couldn't you just let me be happy? That's my mate they're after! Because of you, they're after Kaylee!' I snapped my jaw in his face, satisfied when he flinched away from my teeth as I continued to snarl at him. 'You're a traitor! You're dead to me! I should rip your throat out right now!' The feeling of several arms pulling me