"How's Daniel?" Asher asked Lia who leaned on the balustrade in the balcony. She had come outside to receive fresh air and organize her thoughts.

"He's back," Lia answered.

Daniel had fainted after Ashton came back, he must have been exhausted and she couldn't blame him. Being in hell for that long? It was a miracle he hadn't lost his sanity.

She stood beside Asher, their sides touching, "But the same can't be said for his memory," She revealed to him.

"Can't Sabrina's spells do something about that?"

"She can, but there might be some side effects. Daniel just returned from that hellhole and I'm not about to add to his problems - I won't be surprised if he has posttraumatic stress disorder - he went to hell for Christ's sake. I might not have lasted in there for that long but the things I saw? The tormented souls and voices asking for help? It's not something you would want to experience,"

Asher sighed, he reached out and brought her closer to his body. Lia leaned in, enjoying the coolness he provided.

"Well, on the bright side," Lia said, "Sabrina thinks he would remember everything with time. To us, he was in hell for twelve years, but to Daniel, that might have been an eternity lived over and over again,"

"Memory fades with time," Asher mumbled. He could empathize since he had lived that long. It was easy to forget a lot of things.

"Exactly," She acquiesced, "But with him back to the pack, this place? Us? He would remember the more he familiarizes around. I can already see it in his eyes and feel it in the bond - he's not scared of me,"

"That's a good sign," Asher smiled down at her.

"Thank you," she suddenly said to him.

"For what?" He was surprised at the sudden gratitude.

"For giving up your son, not many parents can do that,"

Asher chuckled, "You talk as if he's not your son too,"

Lia laughed yet shook her head, " You know what I mean, Asher. Daniel is your rival, you could have refused Ashton from embarking on such a dangerous journey yet you didn't. That's not something anyone could do easily," she took a deep breath, "You saw what happened, our son could have remained down there,"

Asher told her, "I am selfish, "

" What? " her face featured puzzlement

"Daniel could have had you for himself all alone but he choose to share, that's more than enough reason to help him out. Moreover, he's no longer just a friend, but family and if there's anything a Nicoli knows best, is the fact that family protect each other,"

Lia was stunned by that speech, she turned and clasped his face in her palm saying," What did I do in this life to deserve you? "

"You don't need a reason to deserve someone like me. I'm the one who should be grateful for someone as good as you," Asher pecked her on the tip of her nose, "You should go check up on Daniel,"

"Would you be okay here though?" Lia was concerned.

"I've been with you for the past twelve years, Daniel needs that attention more now," he let go of her, "Take care of him and goodnight," It was late already.

"Alright, goodnight," She placed a kiss on his cheeks and left.

Since Daniel was still not comfortable with them already, she had him moved to his former room instead of hers - at the least, that should help return some of his childhood memories. Hopefully.

She went into his room.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry," Lia apologized, hiding her face.

Thinking he was still asleep, she had walked in without knocking, who knew he would be changing - ThankGod it was his chest and not his lower region. She didn't want to seem like a pervert.

However, as much as she drew her eyes away, her gaze still caught the scars on his back and a gasp left her throat.

"What the hell! " Lia's blood ran cold and she found herself marching over to him and pulled his clothes up, revealing the numerous scars on his body. Some had healed while the others overlapped the others.

Tears slipped down her cheeks, Lia didn't need to ask what happened. It seems down there in hell, his regenerative ability as a werewolf was blocked - she doubted he was even a werewolf there hence the excess scar tissue.

Suddenly, her eyes caught something, it was her name carved into his skin and not only hers but his kids too, and there were even Asher and some of his pack members.

"Why would you do this?" She couldn't understand. Did he become a masochist or something?

"I can't remember why but if my instinct is right, I think I was trying not to forget," He laughed sheepishly, "It's quite funny, I forgot though,"

But it wasn't funny to Lia. All these years she had let him suffer down there. If only she had worked harder, she would have rescued him; everything happened because of her.

Daniel was surprised when the beautiful woman in front of him began to cry.

"Oh no," He stiffened up. He had made her cry. Bad Daniel!

"Miss Lia, please don't cry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me if I have mistakenly said something out of line," He had a panicked look on his face.

Lia shook her head, she wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault and that she was crying because she failed him, but when she heard him call her by her name with an added," Miss" and not the usual, "Love," the tears fell harder. She has broken him.

Daniel was confused, the young lady wasn't close to stopping. What should he do? This was so frustrating, he didn't want her to hurt anymore.

Call it instinct or something, but Daniel let his hand guide him and the next he knew, he had pulled her into a hug. He encompassed the woman tightly in his arms. For some strange reasons, she being like this hurt him greatly.

His hand ran through her hair, murmuring coaxing words that calmed her eventually. He liked the feel of her body on his plus the fact a certain area in his body heated up. Why was he feeling this way?

The man was mortified when he suddenly had thirty thoughts in his mind. Though Daniel was amnesiac, he still retained substantial intellectual, linguistic, and social skills despite profound impairments in his ability to recall specific information encountered in prior learning.

He knew he was a werewolf but feeling this amount of attraction for this woman was uncomfortable yet tempting. The woman had told him she was his, but he wasn't that trusting yet.

Lia didn't mean to cry on his shoulder or for that long, but once she started, she couldn't stop. She was embarrassed, and lifted her head to apologize but froze instead. Those darkened eyes! She knew what that meant and her wolf shivered in anticipation.

They stared into each other's eyes. As hungry as he was, Lia could still sense some reluctance in him. Daniel was doubting himself and so she made the job easier for him.

Her hands hooked around his neck and she brought his head down, claiming his lips. The man went still but as she continuously ground her lips against his, he opened up and let her in.

It all felt familiar, Daniel followed that sensation. Moreover, his muscle memory was there to guide him and he found himself hoisting her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Lia moaned into his mouth when his hand went to mold the curve of her ass. She was right, he could remember the feeling.

Daniel's shirt was the first to touch the ground, baring his chest to her. At first, she hesitated and almost ruined the passion when she saw the scars, but Lia began to trail them and watched as his breath hitched. He was as affected as she was. She then bent and licked one of his flat nipples while her hand continuously traveled his wide and smooth chest.

Unable to let her have all the fun, Daniel took off her shirt too and tossed her bra obstructing his view of her breast. His eyes glittered darkly watching her chest rise up and down with her hard little nipple. He was overwhelmed with the need to taste her, so his head lowered to draw one nipple deep into his mouth.

Lia moaned in pleasure, her hand almost leaving his neck but his other hand snake around her waist tightly. He was so intent on branding her as his that he teased her till Lia was crying to be filled.

He didn't need a guide, Daniel lowered her to the bed, took off the rest of his clothing, then proceeded to remove hers. By the time he finished undressing her, he was so hard he couldn't wait to enter her - he bet she felt marvelous.

But Daniel went on with his foreplay, making sure he had poured out his attention on every part of her body till she was gratified, before sliding into her moist heat till he couldn't go any further.

Lia whimpered, gasping at the familiar sensation of the muscle deep inside of her. And when he began to thrust, her mind swirled. She couldn't think instead enjoyed the pleasurable feeling he was eliciting.

Thrust upon thrust, their body moved in rhythm as her walls clenched, the inevitable contraction came and the euphoric feeling washed over them.

The feeling felt surreal to Lia, Daniel was finally home? She looked up at the face staring back at her and she said, "Welcome home Daniel,"