Nathan’s POV “How fast can we move all the supplies from Winter Woods to Hazelwood?” I asked Mikhail, my Beta, thinking maybe focusing on work would be the cure I was searching for. . “It’s going to take some time, Alpha. All our trucks are packed to capacity with household goods for our pack members.” He informed me. “That’s not good enough!” I barked. “How am I supposed to feed two packs worth of people with only one pack’s food supply?” I picked up a useless ceramic knick-knack someone had left on my desk and hurled it across the room, watching it shatter against the wall as if all my pent up frustration would be demolished right along with it. Unfortunately, I’d need to launch about a thousand more baubles against that wall to even scratch the surface of the resentment brewing in my chest. “I’m sorry Alpha!” Mikhail jumped to apologize. “I’ll reach out to our allies to find more trucks we can borrow. And I’ll ask our Omegas to pack a few days worth of meals for each fam

Nathan’s POV No one answered the phone at the Blood Claw packhouse. But Darcy had told me a little more of what Charlie shared with her about what life had been like for her there so I wasn’t surprised. It seemed they weren’t conducting business as usual, or any legal business at all. I imagined the only telephone contact was conducted via burner phone. All of which only made me more desperate to get to her. If she had gone to Blood Claw, she was in danger and I’d been the one to put her there. My only option was to drive the few hours to the pack and search the territory for her. A writhing, roiling nausea twisted in my gut at the though of what could be happening to her before I could get to her. Then there was the not so minor issue of convincing her to leave with me, to come back home with me where she belonged. I had no hope of gaining her forgiveness in the few short minutes I planned on spending in that cesspool, but if I could offer her safety, maybe she would trust me

Nathan’s POV Rage simmered in my veins as I held my lifeless mate in my arms. I clenched my jaw against the roar threatening to escape. I felt ripped in two between the urge to keep Charlie close while battling the need to go back to the party and rip that fucker’s head from his shoulders. “She’s breathing, right? Tell me she’s breathing!” Darcy whimpered next to me. “She is but it’s shallow. Her heartbeat is steady, though.” I assured her. “What’s happening in there, we can’t let that stand, Alpha!” Braden’s growl was a vicious promise of retribution. “I’ve already called the Black Moon Alphas. They’re assembling a team as we speak.” I told him. “My only regret is that I won’t be there to see it when they burn, but getting Charlie to safety is my priority right now.” “Can she make it home or do we need to detour?” He asked, his voice thick with concern. I knew he was struggling to hold it together. Knowing what was done to your mate and seeing the truth of it firsthand w

Nathan’s POV Charlie’s heat was rising again. I could see it in the beautiful flush of her skin and the way she was starting to squirm. Every impulse drove me to reach out and touch her. But I wouldn’t. Not yet. This decision was too important to taint with heat-induced desire. “You want to mark me?” She was staring at me like I’d just asked her to volunteer as tribute in the Hunger Games. It destroyed me to see how terrified she was of tying herself to me but I couldn’t blame her. After the vile things I said to her, she couldn’t possibly trust my intentions. I could see the fear warring with raw carnal desire in her eyes and knew I only had moments to convince her to take a leap of faith with me before her heat took away any possibility of rational consent. “Please tell me I haven’t lost you, Charlie!” My voice was raspy, a heavy plea in my tone. “I know I accused you of lying, but you were only doing what life had forced you to do, protecting yourself because you’d never b

Nathan’s POV “Will you stop pacing?” Charlie complained as I wore a path through Dr. Mahon’s office. As soon as I’d gotten the message he wanted to see us, I’d bundled her up and stuffed her into the car, her protesting the whole way. She had wanted to wait a day to recover from her heat before leaving the comfort of our room but I’d insisted we come right away. If we were going to get bad news, I wanted to get ahead of it as soon as possible. “Sorry if I’m making you anxious, lamb. But where the hell is he? For someone who’s been calling us for days, demanding we see him ASAP, he’s taking his sweet damn time!” I’d meant to apologize but ended up growling instead. “Well since you insisted on showing up without even calling first, I’m guessing he’s with another patient. Don’t you think they deserve the same time and attention you’d want him to give me?” She chided. Duly chastised, I sank into the chair next to her and slipped my hand into hers, lacing our fingers together. A