*Leroy POV*Forty-five minutes later, I, Marcus and Linda stand at Cali’s bedside. She is hardly breathing but my heart refuses to accept it. “Her injuries are too severe. They are not compatible with life,” Linda explains while I frantically shake my head. “I am so sorry, you have to bid her good…”“No. Fix her,” I interject and storm out. Sky has been continuously groaning and whining, I can’t concentrate. “Leroy,” Marcus calls and follows me. I sit on the stairs with my chest tight and my whole body trembling. Resting my heavy head on my palms, that horrific scene plays over in my head. She sacrificed herself for me. “Are you okay?” Marcus asks. I can hear the sadness in his voice. He treated Cali as his little sister. “It’s all my fault. I am sorry.” I respond without lifting my head.“Leroy,”he calls me again.“It was her birthday. I promised to join her at the lake and I completely forgot about her,” I qualify my statement. “You met your mate. You had no control over that,”

*Leroy POV*It is almost midnight when I wake up with Cali sleeping peacefully in my arms. Everything is a rollercoaster. I am an emotional wreck. Cali wanting to leave has evoked something I can’t quite explain, something that should not be happening. I am insecure and struggling to control my wolf. It hurts that Cali no longer wants to be around me. That I have to command her to stay and to even share a bed with me. One thing I got from the prophet is that my eternity will be fucked up if I let her out of my sight. Then there was the ultimate sacrifice part I still can’t wrap my head around. I would like to believe that is why I refuse to her to go. Except for Sky’s reaction. I can’t explain it. He completely lost it when she wanted to leave. I am certain that Phoebe is our mate. I felt it in core, in my nerves and bones. I picked up her scent before that bus even stopped. Peaches and cream, a scent so sweet I wanted to bathe in it and make a thousand pups. “She obeyed the Alpha

*Leroy POV*Linda and I are discussing some of our work when her phone rings. I am surprised to see who it is. She and Cali hardly ever speak from what I know. Linda moves a few feet away from me to take the call but I can hear her responses. It sounds like Cali is looking for a contraceptive. That gets Sky edgy. Is she really planning on losing her virginity? I have a mate, Why the fuck should I care?It really does not matter how many times I ask myself that question. I care, period. I care so damn much that I would tear any man who so much as touch her. I am pacing by the time Linda’s call end and she returns to my side. “What did she want?”She shoots me a disapproving stare. “It’s confidential.”“Are you keeping secrets from me now?”“Leroy,”she cries. She is a doctor with a lot of confidentiality responsibilities. I usually do push her once she throws in that word. I can’t let her be now or I will explode. “I love and respect you. Don’t force me to command you.”She sighs an

*Cali POV*I wake up the following day feeling like I’ve been hit by a train. After running out of Marcus’s mansion, I headed towards the secluded part of town. The aim was to get enough cash and get out of town. The exams were done, I did not need to stay around anymore. I could get my results electronically whenever I decided to settle. My unlimited card had more than enough but I would not use it again because it could be traced. I remember bright lights before that SUV ran into the ATM I was in. Everything after that is blurred. My accident is all over the news. Looking at the images now, I am convinced that I should have died but here I am. I guess I should be grateful for another chance at this. I’m starting to feel like a cat with many lives. Marcus is sitting next to my bed looking worriedly at me. “The last time I was hurt, I was convinced that a wolf bit me and you told me that I must have been dreaming.”“Err…” he hesitates. I sit up to look at him. He is definitely h

*Cali POV*“I saw things getting tense with you and Leroy. Are you okay?” Marcus asks with his usual concerned brotherly tone. “Never been better, Brother.”Now that I know how to handle Sky, I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me. He leans backwards and studies me before giving me a sharp stare. “Don’t even think about it.”“What?”“Leroy and your virginity. You…”“No, silly! I was dumb when I wanted that. I’m eighteen and wiser.”“That was only a few weeks ago,”he points out. Marcus really takes this big brother role serious. Not that I am complaining. It feels good to have someone watching over me. “That was before I turned eighteen.”He narrows his eyes at me. “What is it then?” “I know how to keep Sky in check.”I can’t hide my excitement as I relay to Marcus my discovery, but he is not so thrilled. “What is it?”Now it’s my turn to ask. “Leroy told you to come with me to Danlow?”“Yes, but I’m not doing that.”“Do you realise that no one has ever confronted