Chapter 4

JAX

A knock on my office door pulls me away from the mountain of paperwork on my desk. “Come in,” I call out. Dimitri, my beta, steps inside. “What’s up?”

“Good morning, Alpha. Just a reminder that it’s your turn for patrol,” he informs me.

“Thanks for the heads-up, Dimitri,” I respond, rising from my chair.

I leave the pack house and mind-link the guards to let them know I’m on my way. I shift into my wolf form, Aaron, and head for the edge of our territory.

When I arrive, the warriors from the previous patrol bow their heads in submission before heading back to the pack house and their waiting mates.

The other guards for this patrol start to arrive. I don’t mind border patrol. I love protecting my pack—they’re my family. But I know not everyone feels the same. The distance from their mates can be hard, even though they want to protect the pack.

I’ve accepted that I won’t find my mate.

Most wolves find their mates at eighteen. I’m twenty-four and still no sign of her.

Even though I should be happy for my pack members, jealousy often overshadows my joy. Aaron whines, yearning for a mate he’ll never have.

I push those thoughts aside. I’ve had enough nights wallowing in self-pity. I mind-link the warriors on guard and tell them the two-hour patrol starts now.

***

Half an hour in, I pick up an unfamiliar scent. As an alpha, my senses are heightened, so I can smell things from far away.

My territory is bordered by rogue land on one side, so unfamiliar scents aren’t unusual.

But usually, they realize they’re near a pack and turn back. This scent, however, keeps getting stronger.

Aaron takes over, sniffing the area for safety. He picks up another scent. It’s so strong, so sweet, it makes me want to drool.

I’ve never smelled a rogue like this before. Aaron starts going crazy, whining in my head. I try to calm him down, but he won’t listen. He takes over and starts running toward the rogues.

The scent gets stronger, sweeter, as we get closer. I spot something moving between the trees. A beautiful, but clearly injured, female running from a white, shaggy rogue. As she crosses into my territory, the rogue stops and growls in frustration.

The rogue sniffs the air, then turns to look in my direction.

He huffs and turns back, realizing that crossing into my territory for the female would mean his death.

The female—she smells human, but with a hint of wolf—runs toward me, but I don’t think she’s seen me yet.

Aaron gives me control when we see her weaving between the trees. Just as she’s almost in front of me, she collapses from exhaustion and looks up at me.

She looks at me with those stunning green doe-eyes and whispers, “Help me, Alpha,” before she faints.

Aaron is clawing at my mind, chanting, “MATE!” over and over. She’s my mate. I’ve found my luna.

This is unheard of. If you don’t meet your mate by eighteen, they’re usually dead.

I approach her and start sniffing her. I can smell other males on her. A growl escapes my lips, and Aaron starts losing control—someone has touched our mate.

Before Aaron takes over completely, I quickly mind-link Dimitri to bring the pack doctor, Tom, to my location. He doesn’t get a chance to respond before Aaron takes full control.

All I can do is watch from the back of my mind.

We’ve just found her, but we’re already so protective of her because of the mate bond. It feels like we’ve known her our whole life, like we can’t live without her.

Like she’s the reason we exist. Now I understand why mates act the way they do.

Aaron stands protectively over our female as Dimitri and Tom’s scents reach us.

When they come into view, Aaron puffs out his fur, lowers his ears, and bares his teeth, growling a warning.

Aaron sees Dimitri and Tom as threats to his female, and his instinct to protect her takes over.

I try to tell him they’re here to help, but he won’t listen and pushes me further back into my mind.

Dimitri must realize I’m not in control, as my eyes are pitch black. He steps in front of Tom, just in case I lose it.

“Alpha,” he says, acknowledging his lower rank. “We just want to help the female,” he adds, his eyes wide. Aaron growls as Dimitri steps closer.

“Alpha, please,” Tom pleads. “She looks badly injured.”

I try to regain control, telling Aaron they’re here to help our mate, not hurt her.

I would never let anyone hurt her. “Protect our mate,” Aaron warns, giving me back control.

“Always,” is all I say.

I shake my head as control returns to me. I whine to Dimitri to let him know I’m back in control.

I step away from the female and look at her. She looks so fragile. So hurt.

I shift back to human form and nod at Dimitri in thanks for bringing Tom.

“I’m not sure what happened to her. She was being chased by a rogue and then fainted when she saw me. She's my mate,” I explain, brushing her mousy brown hair off her face.

“She’s your mate?” Dimitri asks, surprised.

I turn to him and say, “I can’t believe it either.”

I turn back to Tom. “Can you help my mate? I know she’s human, but can you run some tests? She doesn’t look well,” I finish, growling.

“Sure thing, Alpha,” Tom responds. He approaches her cautiously, crouching down to inspect her injuries. His gaze flickers to me.

“May I touch your mate, Alpha?” Tom asks. I grit my teeth, muttering a curse under my breath, but I give him the go-ahead.

He examines her injuries with a gentle touch. After a moment, he turns to me. “She’s pretty banged up. I’ll need to run some tests back at my lab to get a better idea of what we’re dealing with. Can you carry her to my office?”

“Of course,” I reply.

I lift her carefully, making sure her head is aligned with her body to avoid causing more harm. “Follow me,” Tom instructs, leading the way to his office.

Once we reach Tom’s lab, I gently lay her on a hospital bed and wait as Tom readies his equipment. Dimitri stands guard at the door.

I instruct Tom to run every test he can think of. I need to know everything that’s going on with my mate.

Throughout the process, I sit by her side, holding her hand. Every time she whimpers or shows signs of fear, I soothe her by stroking her cheek.

“I’ll have the results in a few hours, Alpha,” Tom informs me, washing his hands. I respond with a nod and a word of thanks. Taking this as his cue, Tom exits the room.

I mind-link Dimitri, asking him to take over pack duties for a few hours while I stay with my mate. He agrees without hesitation and leaves.

I sit there, studying my mate, wondering what she’s been through, wishing I could erase it all.

It’s clear she’s suffered a lot. The thought of someone hurting my mate stirs up a rage in me, and I feel Aaron starting to surface.

I quickly suppress him. I need to be here for my mate, not lose control.

A few hours later, Tom returns. I’ve spent the entire time watching my beautiful mate, wondering where she’s been for the past six years of my life.

“Alpha,” he says, pulling me from my thoughts.

When I turn to him, he continues, “The results aren’t good. She’s severely malnourished and dehydrated. She’s lacking many essential nutrients.

“I found traces of monkshood, or wolfsbane, in her bloodstream. It’s harmful to both humans and wolves.

“Also…” he hesitates, “I found evidence of forced penetration. There were multiple tears, indicating repeated rapes.”

He takes a deep breath before continuing, “Her body bears numerous whip, stab, and burn scars, suggesting long-term abuse.

“The open wound on her arm should heal quickly with the cream I applied. The head wound might cause temporary memory loss, but it should return eventually.

“She likely fainted from exhaustion. She should wake up soon.”

Hearing about the horrors my mate has endured, I lose it.

I rise from my chair and punch the nearest wall, hoping to vent some of my anger, but it’s no use.

I can feel my control slipping. Aaron is ready to lash out. My canines and claws extend.

Growls rumble in my throat, and my eyes flash black. Aaron is surfacing, and he’s about to lose it.

I glance at my mate, reminding myself that she’s safe now. No one will take her from me again. Once I regain some control, I turn to Tom. “What can we do to help her?”

Before Tom can answer, my mate’s heartbeat speeds up. Her eyes flutter open, filled with terror…