Justin POV I couldn’t ignore her pain. She cried in the shower every night, ushering me out as to not hear her wailing. I knew it was bad, but I couldn’t determine how bad it would get. We’ve been at Lone Wolf Estate for so long, I thought even through the lousy murder charges, we were somewhat safe here. Seeing that collar around her neck changed everything. They’re planning something, my father and Scott, and every time I try to dip into her thoughts, she shuts down. It’s an uphill feat, battling to open up a broken trinket. “Helen,” I breathed, peering into the bathroom to see her curled up in the tub. She sniffled a reply I couldn’t make out and cowered with her back toward me. “Helen, please. Let me look at that thing and I can get it off of you, I know—” “No,” she said, firm with a hint of tire in her tone. “You can’t. It will unleash wolfsbane, Justin. They set me up.” “Is that why you’re so upset? My father wouldn’t have you killed. I know he wouldn’t. Not after e

Helen POV “What do you want?” I asked, knowing his smell was not that of the wolfen kind, but of an entirely new species all together. “You shouldn’t be here.” He tipped his head, wearing a dazzling white hat with matching ivory suit and shoes. It was an odd choice for a vampire to take. They drink blood; it would stain that suit terribly. He craned his eyes past me, focused on Justin on the floor, sleeping peacefully. His smile grew larger. “A Lycan. So the rumors are true.” I centered myself between the man and my slumbered mate. His eyes darted down to my attire but it didn’t matter how much his eyes drank up the sight of me. I didn’t want anyone near Justin until I could be sure he was safe. A safe vampire? Maybe I am going crazy. “A delicious wolf girl,” he hummed, his eyes thirsty and shifting colors right before me. They were a matted gray before, but now they burned crimson like my cheeks. “I can see why the Lycan is exhausted. I would be too after—” “Shut up,” I

Helen POV I pressed into my mate, fairly brave as of lately but not right now. Vampires surrounded us all around, Geoffrey prancing toward the wall nearby and grabbing a key off the holder. I watch him above the others, his presence like an Alpha to his subordinates. He plays with the keys, waving his vampire buddies from their trance on me and Justin. “No, no,” Geoffrey cheers. “They’re my personal guests tonight. Everyone else gets a blood shot on me!” Everyone cheered and went back to dancing, Justin and I ushered to follow the dazzling vampire around the club until we’re back in the hallway. We were nudged into a little velvet room. Geoffrey locked the curtain in place with a strap and pins it to the wall. He hides the key into his pocket when he’s done. I turned to examine the room, eyeing a particular device on the far wall. It was a giant X made out of wood, four leather cuffs nailed into each appendage of the contraption. While staring at it, Justin found a seat on the

Justin POVI scooped my mate at the mention of her father in Vegas, let alone right outside the front door. Helen groaned at the movement, limp in my forearms as I kept her close to my chest.Geoffrey had craved her blood instantly for the long-lasting bite and I didn’t want any other vampires looking at her like a blood bag. She’s my mate. I will protect her.“This way,” Geoffrey said.He nodded us down the hall and back into the open club dancefloor. He waved for the music to stop and it did right away. Everyone watched my mate, knocked-out in my arms like road kill would appear to a buzzard bird.I kissed her temple, hoping if she could somehow feel the tension in the air now, that she would ignore it with my cradling, defensive hold.“My clan!” Geoffrey called. “We have an uninvited wolfen guest!”A low rumbled traveled through the velvet club.“You cover their tracks and you deny their existence,” he called, pointing to my mate and me. “They are one of us!”I felt light as he led

Helen POVI shouldn’t have been surprised to see warriors charging through the suite. It had been hours since my mate ran off into the mortal world, destroying everything in his way while experiencing a rage over my near-death.They dragged me from the bedroom, ruthlessly throwing me into a cage in the back of a van waiting downstairs. It was Lone Wolf pack, I could tell by their attire, and the sight of them wasn’t even alarming.Justin must have tipped off our location without a chance of us hiding out anymore. I looked through the kennel, feeling like a rabid and stray rogue, seeing familiar chains looped on the floor that must have been waiting for Justin’s capture.One of the warriors walked up and kicked the side of my cage, speaking through a buff snarl. “Where is he?!”My labored breath hadn’t got much better after being poisoned and bit twice by a vampire. “I don’t know—he jumped out the window—and I couldn’t stop him.”“Tell me what you know, mutt!” He kicked the cage again,