"You have been a bad girl Audrey. I can make this end you know. Just say the three little words. I'll be yours and this will disappear. No more beatings and no more living in this musty cell."

"N-no. I-I only w-want my m-mate."

"You will want me to take this away! Jordan will let me have you! You could become the Beta Female yet you refuse to give yourself to me!"

"L-leave me ALONE!"

My whole body convulses as I feel my bones shift around.

"Don't you dare! I demand you stop shifting!"

He was too late. Instead of my trembling fifteen year old body, a large fire red wolf stood in my place.

Hello? Can you hear me wolf? Do you have a name?

Hello Audrey! I can hear you and my name is Kenna. I would love to get to talk to you but I need to get rid of this 'Beta'.

Kenna, me, I don't know how this works. Wolf me launched at Beta Greg and immediately made contact with his jugular. My wolf's jaw clenched and ripped it out before he could yell for help.

Kenna started to growl and howl, celebrating her first kill.

Guards started to enter the cell and anyone that came to close, Kenna clawed or attacked to kill.

That's when Alpha Jordan filled in to stop this. He threw a hot rod at my snout causing Kenna to whimper in pain.

A shot of wolfs bane caused me to shift back and lose contact with Kenna.

I'm sorry Audrey...

That's when the beatings started to get worse.

Alpha Jordan started to carve my body like I was a piece of wood and he was a master builder.

Swirls of blood filled my back and stomach. The pain becoming too much.

I thought I wouldn't be able to continue until a searing hot pain was felt on my left hip, causing me to scream.

"AUDREY WAKE UP! BABY WAKE UP!"

My eyes shot open as I felt my whole body being shaken.

A very worried Lucas was leaning above me. Tears started to cloud my vision from the nightmare, no the memory, and Lucas' pain filled eyes.

I couldn't help but jump up and wrap my arms around Lucas' neck, pulling myself impossibly close to him.

"Shh... Baby your safe. I got you. It's ok baby."

Lucas' words, scent, and touch slowly calmed me down.

"It was just a dream baby. You're ok."

"It wasn't a dream. It was real."

For hours, at least that's what it felt like, I clung to Lucas. Like he was the only thing keeping me grounded. Yet no complaints came from Lucas. He just held me close, rubbed my head, and whispered sweet nothings to me.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?"

"NO! P-please don't leave m-me!"

I could feel myself getting worked up again and I wrapped my arms tighter then I thought possible, without hurting Lucas, to keep myself close.

"I wasn't going to leave baby girl. I can sleep with you if you want."

I just buried my head into his chest.

"Ok baby let's get you tucked back into bed."

"No. I don't want to let go."

"Ok then. Whatever you want baby girl."

Lucas somehow got us both back under the covers without moving me. This boy has got some talents.

I know we just had a nightmare but... Those aren't his only skills that have to do with a bed.

Seriously Kenna! I'm not disagreeing but still!

"Princess? Are you sure you want me to sleep with you?"

"Yes. You can fight my nightmares away."

I just realized how stupid that sounded but I'm too tired to care. I did earn a sexy as hell chuckle from Lucas though so...

"Whatever you want princess. Goodnight baby."

I just hummed, in response, losing the fight to stay awake.

Right before I found sleep for the second time I faintly hear Lucas say something again.

"I love you already Audrey. My perfect mate. My gentle queen."

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, causing me to stir awake. I started to lean upwards when I felt a weight on my waist, causing me to fall back on the bed.

The nightmare, clinging to Lucas, asking him to sleep with me.

It all came back to me.

I twisted around to my side to see Lucas peacefully sleeping. He looks so serene. His dark lashes fanning his cheekbones, his lips slightly parted, his hair falling on his forehead, giving him a boyish look.

My eyes take in his entire face, being this close to him I could see the faint scar running through his right eyebrow.

I allowed my eyes to travel lower to his well built shoulders and chest.

His bare chest.

I slept next to him without him having a shirt on.

Am I lucky or what?

I continued to stare at his shoulders and got a look at his tattoo again.

A swirl of thin but deep white lines twisted with the dark black of his tattoo. Almost like the black was trying to hide the white...

I wonder where he got these scars.

I couldn't help but trace the lines of white before the the black. Over and under, the lines meeting in a dance.

A small vibration went through my body as a small chuckle sounded through the room.

"Good morning baby. How are you feeling?"

He knows.

Of course he knows idiot. We have been shamelessly checking him out for the past ten minutes and traced his scars and tattoo! What did you expect?

I couldn't help it!

"G-good morning Alpha."

"Audrey... I thought we talked about this..."

"S-sorry. I'm not used to n-not using titles."

"There are no longer titles in your life. You only have to use their name and if they don't respond or are rude to you, tell me and I will take care of it."

"Okay."

I felt like I had known Lucas for forever and I knew I could trust him. Some might say that I shouldn't trust him so easily but I am tired of living in fear. I just want to be happy.

That's my girl!

Love you Kenna

Love you too babe, Can we go for a run? I haven't been out for over two years. That's not healthy for either of us.

I'll ask Lucas.

"Lucas?"

"Yes baby girl?"

A blush blossoms on my cheeks from the adoration in his voice.

"Can I go on a run today? I haven't shifted in two years and Kenna is really restless."

"Two years? That's a really long time baby. Let's get you checked by the pack doctor first and if he says it's safe then we will go on a run. Ok?"

"Okay."

Heck yeah!

"The doc will be here in a couple minutes so while we wait how about we shop for some new clothes for you. Not that I don't love to see you in my clothes but I imagine you will want some of your own."

He wants me to have my own clothes. Clothes that fit? New clothes?

Wow...

"You don't have to do that. I can get a job to pay for them."

"My money is your money. Everything that is mine is yours."

"Okay. If you're sure."

Lucas just grabbed his laptop off his nightstand and put it in his lap. He pulled me flush against his side as he logged on.

"Whatever you like just put it in the cart."

He looked up clothing stores, picked my size, and let me look through.

At first all I chose were things under ten dollars but if I looked at something for longer then a few seconds, Lucas put it in the cart.

First I just looked at jeans and long sleeves, then a few t-shirts, shorts followed, skirts, rompers, and dresses also made their way into the carts.

Shoes and accessories were my favorite part. Something about them helped tie certain outfits together.

The different styles of shoes there are amaze me. High heel, no heel, small heel. Straps, no straps, short straps, long straps. Black, white, red, blue, and every color in between.

Accessories are no different. Big and small jewelry pieces of different colors and materials, but all beautiful in their own way.

Lucas made sure that I got every style and color of shoe that I liked. Same went for accessories.

Jewelry was something that Lucas paid special attention to and that was really confusing to me.

"Why is jewelry such an important thing? You seem to be paying a lot of attention."

Lucas just looks at me. No response. Just an intense stare.

"Every queen needs a treasury. Besides I need to know what your style is. If you like simple or grand. Gold or silver. Colored or plain. It is important to know these things. I'll have you know I was paying attention the whole time but once you pick a few things I got a sense of what you liked. Jewelry for you is taking more time."

Man is he observant. Before I could retort a soft knock sounded on the door followed by a soft and gentle voice.

"Alpha King? Queen Luna? May I come in?"

"Come on in Doc!"

Lucas closed his laptop and moved it to rest on the side table as the door opened to reveal a small woman with big red glasses and midnight hair.

"Good morning Alpha King. This must be the Queen. Pleasure to meet you Hun. I'm Doc Alisa Stevens. Now let's get on with the examination."

Doc made her way to the bed and started to check my heartbeat and the rest of the "normal doctor stuff" as she liked to call it. Once she was done with that she made Lucas leave as she checked my bruises and scars.

"Oh my. Hun these are pretty deep. I can give you medication to help with the pain and swelling. Some are laced with a mix of silver and wolfs bane, preventing them from healing but once the Alpha marks you they will completely heal. Due to the swelling and bruises I suggest no extra physical activity in human form for at least three weeks unless Alpha marks you in that time frame. Try and shift into your wolf at least twice a week to help her gain her strength back up and that will help with the healing of your wounds."

"Thank you Doctor Stevens."

"Now Hun... You can call me Doc, I mean you are the queen so you can call me whatever you want. Us girls gotta stick together so no formalities please."

"Okay Doc. You can call me Audrey."

A whimper sounds from outside the door, no doubt coming from Lucas. I couldn't help but let out a giggle. Such a small sound coming from the big bad Alpha King.

"Can I come in yet? I miss my queen."

"Come on in Alpha, we're done."

The door falls off its hinges as Lucas comes flying through the door. It literally fell right onto the ground leaving a hole in the doors place.

"Jeez what a softie. I thought you were supposed to be scary."

I can't help but let out a laugh as I finish saying this. Seriously he tore the door off just because he missed me and we had been apart for only ten minutes. Not that I didn't miss him but obviously I have more self control.

"Thank you Doc. See you later."

Doc just bowed her head and dashed out the door.

Now it was just me and Lucas. Me laughing my butt off in bed and Lucas standing at the foot with an amused smirk on his face.

"You think it's funny to make fun of me little mate?"

"Y-yes!" Another round of laughter and weird wheezing sounds.

Lucas launches himself on the bed and hovers over me. A dangerous glint in his eyes.

All of a sudden he makes contact with my sides and I can't help but laugh. He's tickling me. All I can do is laugh and try to get away.

Lucas starts laughing too until his shirt I'm wearing rises up past my hip bone and all motion freezes.

He gently traces the brand on my hip. Alpha Jordan had branded me the night I first shifted. The mark of the Rapid River pack, permanently stuck on my body. He had pored wolfs bane and silver on the wound to make sure it scared and would never go away.

Lucas' hand slowly went around the mark as he memorized the pattern.

Two drops of water meeting in the middle of a rippling pool.

"That night was what I dreamed of last night. It was the night I first shifted and was the night I killed the Beta. Beta Greg wanted to make me his mate and I always refused, knowing he was just like Jordan. He was beating me and demanding I submit to him and let him mark me but I got angry and shifted. Kenna had full control and ripped his jugular out. She killed two guards who were some of our main tortures and injured four others before Jordan came in, shot me with wolfs bane, and placed the brand on my hip as soon as I shifted back. He threw a silver and wolfs bane mix onto it to make sure it never fully healed."

Lucas just kept tracing the mark as I told him the story behind it.

"You're so strong baby girl. So strong..."

A soft, almost inaudible, sob came from Lucas as he pulled me to sit on his lap with his head in the curve of my neck.

All I can think to do is rub his back and run my fingers through his hair. That's exactly what I do. Even after he stops shaking as he cries, we stay the way we are. Him breathing in my scent and me drawing patterns on his back and playing with his hair.

"I'm so sorry princess. I should have been there to protect you. I should have been there. I'm so sorry."

"Shh... It's okay. I'm okay. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

After a while of sitting in silence Lucas lift his head and locks eyes with me.

So many emotions swim through his eyes as we stare at each other. Sadness, pain, guilt, adoration, and an emotion no one has ever looked at me with. Love.

Subconsciously we lean towards each other, eyes dropping closed, with tension building until our lips make contact.

The sparks intensified 100 times, adding to the amazing feeling of his lips dancing with my own. The kiss was so gentle, like he was afraid I would break or disappear.

As we pulled away one word came to mind.

"Wow..."

"Wow..."