the next morning her siblings were still fast asleep, Caillum had sprawled himself across the bed and Jana lay in a tight little ball. Their soft huffs of breath brought a smile to her withered face and drowned out the pain of her throbbing chest. The wound had stopped bleeding sometime during the night and was now a fierce and deep wound on the top of her left breast.

Climbing out of the bed she winced as all her sore body parts protested, her back felt as if it had been rubbed raw and her thighs felt tender and bruised. Her lips were swollen and sore, the taste of blood still clung to her mouth.

Pushing her matted hair to the top of her head, she strolled into the room she had shared with Khan for one night and would probably never share again. The ruined bloody sheets had been removed and replaced by new fresh ones, the bed made as if nothing had happened the night before.

Maybe to Khan it had just been another night for him. Anger seemed to be his favourite emotion so perhaps he was used to hurting people but for Neema it was a night she would never forget. There were no more pretences between her and Khan, she knew who he was now and she would never forget it.

Making her way over to the bath she tapped the small device to start the water running, looking over the shelves she picked up a number of different scents until she found a few that relaxed her. She dropped a few into the bath and began stripping her clothes off, avoiding all the mirrors that were placed inside the bathroom. Sinking into the tub red streaked the water and her purple and black legs peaked through the surface. The mismatch of colours another reminder of her beloved mate.

Plucking the band from the knot atop her head she untangled her hair and submerged her whole body under the water. The warm liquid gushed around her face, the essential oils calming her body as she began to relax each muscle. Her fingers clung to the bottom of the bath as her hair created a halo around her head, the strands swaying in the pale pink water.

Her chest constricted as it begged for more air, her heart slowing as her muscles convulsed with the need to breathe. Oxygen ebbed from her muscles that tried to continue breathing, living. Her eyes fluttered as she neared the brink of unconsciousness where she swore she could hear the sound of a door banging and a howl ringing in her ears over the sound of the running water.

As her body became numb the stress and pain inflicted upon her by Khan faded until she felt completely clear and revived as if it had never happened. Placing her fingers firmly along the tile of the bath she began pushing her body from the bottom, her eyes shooting wide open as rough hands grabbed her shoulders and forced her to the surface much faster than she anticipated. Her head shot through the water spluttering and coughing as her lungs constricted as the air was forced down her airway.

Her head felt fuzzy but it was nice buzz. It felt as if she was drifting to another plane, hovering above earth until she crashed back down to this god forsaken planet to the sight of Hazel eyes ringed with red fire.

Khan sat before her with half of his body wet from the water and a wild look in his eyes, his jaw was clenched tight as he stared at Neema with such fear that she could feel the laughter rising though her being.

"You tried to kill yourself?"

She tried to tamp it down but she felt the laughter flying from her mouth at the words he uttered in despair. Fat tears trickled down her eyes as her belly shook with laughter, her lip bleeding again as her mouth stretched open wide in humour.

"I was cleansing" she chuckled, her long lashes flickering as the water trailed across her face.

"Do you think I am stupid? you were trying to kill yourself! You are not allowed to do that. I forbid it!" he growled, his voice hoarse as if he were in pain at the very thought.

His face looked distraught as if he had lost the love of his life, under his eyes were dark as if he had not slept and his skin looked a little pale. His hair was messy with long thick strands flying across his face as he stared at her earnestly.

Neema took pleasure in his dishevelled state, it deserved him right.

"Only you're allowed to try and kill me Khan, isn't that right? That's how far your ownership of me goes, don't worry I have too much to live for to try and kill myself", her voice was light with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes at him and flicked her hair behind her before emerging from the water.

Her womanhood lay eye level with his eyes as she stood from her sitting position and made her way down the steps. Her body rubbing against him as she floated down the stairs, body bare, patches on display.

Her body was a piece of art, blotches of pinks and blues, black and purples, all gathered together with the undertone of a sickly brown. Her body was a canvas and not one part of it remained unpainted. It was painted with revenge, anger and jealousy, tainted. She bore her body to him so he could see his art work. Some of his finest pieces had yet to really take form. All swollen and red, that was Neema's body and she made sure he saw what he had done, indirectly and directly.

The patter of little feet prompted her to put a fresh dressing gown on and secure the tie around her waist, cutting khan off from seeing all the damage he caused. Jana calling for her mama was all Neema needed to leave Khan where he sat at the foot of the tub. They had all had a hard night so she did not want to distress them anymore then they already had been.

Exiting the bathroom, she made her way to the adjoining room to the sound of Jana squealing, when she opened the door she saw a bleary eyed Caillum making faces at Jana. Caillum leaned over the bed, clearly too tired to move but Jana was jumping about on the floor every time he made a new face.

"Mama look, Cai Cai, agaiiiin." She squealed clapping her hands in excitement as her brother made another face, his cheeks sucking in as his eyes widened. Jana giggled a full belly laugh and drooled all over the place demanding he do it again and her big brother did. Their bond was the cutest she had seen in a long time.

It reminded her a lot of her and her sister Lara, the two had been close in age and so they were inseparable when they were younger. Even when they grew up their bond had never changed, it had only strengthened through their womanhood. Though Lara was not here with them anymore Neema knew she was still out there fighting to get back to them because that's what family did.

They fought battles for you so that you never had to feel the pain, family was sacrificing for your family without seeing it as a sacrifice. She would give limbs for her family and they would never owe her a cent in return because that's how it was between family.

It was how it always had been and would always be.

//--//

After she had supervised the two children washing in their own large bath and dressed them into a fresh jumpsuit, she made sure that they had cleaned their teeth and brushed their hair properly. Focussing more on Jana who always had her hands and anything else in her hair. When they both looked presentable they left the room and began heading down the corridor in search of food.

Half way down the corridor Sahina appeared from nowhere and began walking alongside Neema. Her chest burned at the sorrowful look Sahina sent her way as she greeted the children, the scar was hidden beneath her fully buttoned jumpsuit but she was sure Sahina knew. She had probably been the person who had tidied the room after the mess Khan had made with her smeared blood and torn clothes.

"Maybe you should head to the infirmary while the children eat, to make sure nothing is infected." Whispered Sahina as they stood in the large kitchen watching the children eat enthusiastically, their mouths were smothered in milk from the cereal they were eating.

Neema subconsciously nibbled on a small chocolate croissant as she rubbed her chest with her free hand, the wound had begun to heal but it was still sore and irritable. The wound was too deep to heal with just one swipe of Khans saliva, the scar was excreting pus and she knew it would only get worse.

"Mm, where is it" she mumbled as she continued to eat her pastry without taking her eyes from her smiling siblings.

The air suddenly turned thick with tension, turning to Sahina she saw her round fearful eyes and automatically knew who had entered the room. Khan swaggered into the room, heading towards the opposite side of the table leaning his back against the counter with his arms folded.

"Khannnn!" screamed Jana as she jumped from the table causing her cereal to tumble to the floor as she flew across the room and clung to his legs. Her hands thrown in the air demanding he lift her.

Neema moved as quickly as she could to intervene but before she knew it Khan had Jana placed securely in his arms as she wrapped her short limbs around him like a monkey. Her giggles filled the room as she drooled all over him as he tickled her stomach and she scratched at his beard.

Though this version of Khan was a different kind of wolf than the one she had experienced, she knew they were one in the same. Khan was a vicious wolf who could not be trusted to be around her siblings but here he stood holding one of the only reasons her heart continued to beat in her chest. His thick arms could crush Jana before Neema would be able to stop him and what then, how could she continue to be without her siblings.

"Jana why don't you come back to the table and eat" Neema pleaded with a wavering voice, her hands outstretched to receive her sibling back to safety.

The room rolled with tension like water gathering until it crested into a large wave, rocking and crashing across the bed of the ocean. The heavy strum of khan's stare on her face caused sweat to prickle along her skin as she waved her hands at Jana to try and get her attention but Jana was too preoccupied. Her little finger stroked across Khans scars as she babbled on incoherently to most making roaring noises of a beast, one of her hands falling free of his face to make the action of the monsters jaws. Clenching jaws that bit and ravaged.

"Sahina stay with the children, while I walk with my mate" commanded Khan in his deep baritone leaving no room for debate.

Placing a reluctant Jana back into her seat with a quick kiss to her cheek and a small pat on Caillum's shoulder he headed out of the door, leaving it open for Neema to follow.

"umm, uhh, I'll be back" she mumbled to Sahina as she kissed both of her disinterested siblings faces and headed out the door. As soon as she crossed the threshold and had the wood closed behind her she spun to Khan with her hands on her hips.

"Don't you ever touch my siblings again" she growled as she stepped towards him as if she she would scratch him with the weak nails on her fingers.

"I could barely help it. You saw her" he rebuked. Fire rose in Neema's veins at his dismissal of her reasonable request.

"I don't care if she is screaming for you to hold her you don't do it, you can't be trusted around them." She shouted, her hands flying out in wild gestures, her breath wheezing from her throat in anger.

A large growl ripped through the air as Khan ushered towards Neema, enclosing her body against the wall as he growled down at her. His body pulsed with anger and his fists clenched in concentration as he tried to control himself. His vibrations travelled through Neema, reminding her of the blood she had spilt at the hands of this male.

She couldn't keep forgetting that he was dangerous and that not much caused him to go off the rail. Red filled her eyes as her breathing became laboured, the scent of blood filled her nose and the taste of metal clung to her tongue.

"I won't hurt them Neema and I won't hurt you" his tense body frame suggested otherwise but Neema refused to respond, he was out of control and she did not want to be hurt anymore.

Neema reluctantly followed Khan down the maze of corridors until he led her to the white room she had first woken in a few days ago, such a small amount of time had gone by but Neema had been changed irrevocably. She could feel the old her splintering apart as she tried to grasp onto the lasts remnants of who she was before Khan. Before the wolves, before their capture.

Khans heavy fists thumped on the door and then yanked the handle open when he received no reply, forcing her inside another smaller room he told her to take a seat before he disappeared out of the door.

The white room held many memories for Neema even though this was not the exact room she awoken in. The infirmary area was the first place she officially met her tormentor and the bane of her existence.

Neema was greeted by a different blonde female this time, the lady who entered the room introduced herself as Emmaline as she placed her long fingers into the air to shake. She had pale blonde almost white hair and vibrant green eyes with skin that was milky with youth, making her look only a couple of years older than Neema.

"So Neema your mate booked, well more like demanded this appointment because you have some, mm wounds that are not healing well. Could you show me them please?"

Neema reluctantly unbuttoned the top of her jumpsuit until it gaped around her waist, displaying the scars, scratches and bruises she had gained from the same mate who had demanded the appointment. The scar on her chest had a red ring around the yellow scab that still oozed pus and blood and it had begun to emit a sour smell.

There were no questions on how Neema had acquired the wound, it was obvious from all the bruises that littered her body that she had been a victim of domestic abuse. The doctors lack of outrage or even shock was a clear indication that the doctor had treated other victims of a wolfs rage.

"I find that making a reference to future heirs or children often stops a wolfs inclination to act wild." Hummed the doctor as she mashed together a small white pill with a few natural ingredients that Neema had never seen before.

Leaning towards Neema's chest their eyes caught and a strum of understanding floated between them, it was quickly lost as the doctor spread the ingredients over her skin. Neema flinched as she felt the cool metal of the knife slicing open her scab but no pain was felt, whatever had been placed on her had numbed the whole area.

Neema remained quiet as she listened to Emmaline explaining all the procedures and giving veiled advice on how best to deal with a wolf for a mate. The human female had even told Neema a bit of her story to gain comradery and though Neema knew it was Emmaline's plan, she found herself liking the female. She was very factual but from what Neema had seen of her she also seemed to be a kind female who had a world of advice.

"Okay, lay here and then you will be as good as new" she smiled as she directed Neema towards a large incubator that projected rays of blue light onto her skin.

The laser lights roamed over her body and flashed over the places where she had bruises and scratches but mostly focussed on her chest. The machine made a large clattering noise as if it had broken and then all the lights shot off and the bed she lay on slid out from the incubator.

The machine had begun replacing the dead and broken skin cells with new ones, the flesh knitting together and then being covered with a thick layer of skin. The wound was no longer and was replaced by a slightly visible bump where the new skin had formed. It would would be a scar she had for life but she did not mind because it would always be a reminder.

Neema would bare this mark from her mate, this different kind of marking that was born out of anger and not love. One that would always remind her of what Khan was capable of.

She wanted to get even.

She wanted a mark of her own, one that would scar his pretty skin.