Richard's voice became infinitely gentle and patient as he began to speak, letting his voice wind up through the branches. His body losing all its tenseness as he visibly tried to become less intimidating.

"Darling, remember when I told you about Maria? How I loved her and would never hurt her. And how she was the center of my world and how I would do anything to protect her? And remember how I said that all mates were like that well, this is your mate. And he's not going to hurt you or let anyone else hurt you. And I'm not either. And you can leave anytime you want."

At a low growl from Kaiden at his words Richard threw a glare over his shoulder, silencing the noise of displeasure from the thought of his mate leaving.

"So, when you want to, you can come down from the tree and meet your mate. But if you don't want to you can just wait and Kaiden will stay right here."

Suddenly Richards continuous gentle babbling was cut short as a body fell through the cool air landing softly against the ground a few feet in front of him. It was easy to see the rest of the tension leave the large warrior as he looked over the figure that stood before him. Kaiden had to fight back the need to push the man blocking his mate from him out of the way, it was a difficult battle.

"Hey darling. You okay?" Kaiden half wondered what the warrior was expecting from her, but was to consumed with the knowledge of her presence to give it much attention.

Whatever passed between the two however, was enough for Richard who slowly stepped to the side letting the Salvatori pack get their first glimpse of Aislinn. Turning so he could watch the Alpha-to-be, Richard watched as Kaiden took in the sight of his mate for the first time.

Standing in the moonlight he knew she was a sight to take in and he wasn't disappointed as the pack wolves took her in. At 5'6" she had a tall willowy body, her limbs were incredibly thin and delicate. Her thin frame was like a dancer's, with only a small chest and the barest hint of roundness at her hips, her legs were incredibly long and lean. However, stunning her physical appearance though it was the radiance that she exuded that captured you in. Even standing perfectly still she was graceful beyond measure, a level of regal elegance that seemed to surround her like a cloak that turned her boyish figure into the very essence of womanhood.

And the beyond her figure there was her coloring. Her skin was pale as the moon light. It was a wintery white free of any markings, clear and soft. Even after a summer of sun, she held not even the hint of a tan. And yet it was not a sickly look, not translucent, her complexion seemed to almost glow in the soft moonlight, an eartheral beauty that didn't seem to be meant for a mere human. A wave of straight pure silver hair hung to her waist. The natural color was absolutely unheard of and had caused quite the stir at the academy when she had first arrived. It was years before anyone believed that it wasn't dies or a wig. The thick silvery strands framed the hauntingly beautiful face. Sharp cutting high cheek bones accented a small delicate nose. Her lips were thin holding the only warmth on her, with their soft pink color. The dominating feature was without question was her eyes. Large and sharply shaped they were grey. A thick heavy and unquestionable grey that circled dark and piercing black irises. Thick lashes framed them starting black before slowly fading out until their unbelievable length ended in silver tips that matched her hair. Eyebrows of silver arched perfectly and delicately over both.

The small area was silent as they all took her in. Kaiden felt his mouth gape as he took in his mate for the first time. He was stunned. She was like nothing he had ever seen before. Nothing he had ever thought of before. He could admit that like a pig he had gone after a certain type of girl in the past. Big breasted, curves in all the right places, pouty lips, and tanned shapely legs. Yet this creature before him broke every thought he had ever had or thought about what he desired. Even at her height she was the shortest by far of the wolves gathered and her tight clothes did nothing to hide her extremely slim frame. And yet he had never seen someone so perfect. So utterly perfect and beautiful in his life. She called to him, every piece of her screamed at him. And it was physically painful for him to hold himself from burying himself in her hair, her body, her scent, her lips.

Even as they all stood gawking at her Aislinn showed no outside reaction. Her face and eyes completely void as she took in those around her. After she had righted herself she made no move. Simply stood still as the stared at her.

Richard was the one who finally broke the moment, "Maybe we should go somewhere?"

With his words Kaiden remembered they were all still standing amongst the bodies of the dead rogues. He also reminded himself that his mate had been running for hours and was probably starved and exhausted from her travels.

"Of course, you're right. We'll go back to the house."

Looking to Richard he continued after a nod from the warrior, "Austin is my Beta and Blair is my third in command both will make sure everyone knows not to touch her."

Kaiden didn't especially want the unknown wolf around his mate but he couldn't ignore that he was the one that had gotten her out of the tree and was the only one who held any answers about her. For now, he knew he had to keep the man around, if only to guarantee that his mate would not run from him. The thought nearly broke his heart.

He almost waited for some response from her, some indication that she had heard or acknowledged him, before remembering that according to Richard she would never give him one, so instead he simply turned heading back through the woods to his father's mansion. He heard Blair and Austin fall in behind. And held his breath until he heard a set of heavier footfalls falling and then finally the softest sound of his mate's light steps trailing behind him towards his house. It took almost an hour to walk back to the house. Normally they would have shifted and run back however his mate gave no indication of shifting anytime soon.

Richard said he had never seen her shift. Perhaps her age had been calculated wrong. Normally male wolves have their first shift sometime around their sixteenth birthday. Females however shifted later, some not until after their twentieth birthdays. Many only shifted once they found their mates. No one knew for sure why there exists such age differences, but with that in mind it could mean she just hadn't had her first shift yet. If that was the case the trait should be triggered now that she had found him. The mate pull would bring her wolf forward.

The trek was silent. Kaiden spoke only through the mind link to his lieutenants and the patrols as they ran searches across the territory. They were all surprised when two of Kaiden's best trackers found three dead rogues a few miles from where they had found the others. It seemed Richard had been telling the truth. Although the fact that nearly twenty rogues had been traipsing through his territory did nothing to quell his anger, and finally having an outlet he let it out on a number of his men for the audacity of the situation.

Eventually the party reached Alpha Sergio's house, it was nearly a half past three so naturally his mother, father, brothers and sister were still asleep and unaware at the massive events taking place around them. Entering the silent house Kaiden marched the party to the kitchen. Slightly bewildered to turn and find his mate standing in his kitchen. Gesturing at the kitchen table. He raised a surprised eyebrow when Aislinn actually pulled out a chair and took a seat her knapsack softly falling to the floor by her feet as she pulled out her pencils and sketch book.

Richard merely shrugged his shoulders at the look.

"Okay I'll get some food together. Blair." He called out to his third to help in the kitchen as he began pulling out bacon, eggs, sausage, ham, pancake mix, and toast.

As the two began to quietly cook. Richard took the chair beside Aislinn, though he moved it obviously away so he was sitting with as much room between them as possible. Clayton merely stood leaning against the granite counter staring at the ex-head warrior with a look of distaste clear on his face, while Austin nosily pulled out a chair across from where she was drawing. Aislinn never raised her head. Didn't stiffen or react to any of the movements of the men around her, however there was something so intense about her presence they all understood what Richard said when he didn't believe that she saw nothing. It felt instead like she saw everything.

"Ah Alpha?" Richards's voice was soft as he spoke hesitant yet strong.

Kaiden looked up from the skillets of meats he was frying to eye the man.

"It's just I thought you should know... she won't eat any of that."

"Won't eat what? Food?" It was Clayton that answered the man's statement.

Richard didn't even react to the obvious contempt from the younger man. "She won't eat what you're cooking."

"I'm capable of feeding my mate." Felling that he was going to speak again Kaiden let a bit of his anger and frustration creep into his voice and the glare that he shot across the chef inspired kitchen. The man fell silent and Kaiden found himself satisfied. He may have watched her before but she was his mate. He would take care or her and provide for her from now on.

Portioning large amounts of everything on to two plates he brought them over to the table as the others all grabbed plates to serve themselves. Gently he laid one down beside his mate along with a fork. He hovered for a minute relishing in the fact that it was the closest he had ever been to her. A second later he forced himself back moving so he took the seat his Beta had been sitting in before, so he could watch her from across the table. The others sat back down all with mountains of food before them except for Richard he merely sat, almost expectantly. Kaiden dug in not realizing how hungry he was until the first bite hit his tongue.

Zoning out he focused on everything that had just happened as he worked to fill his stomach. It was only the mental probing from his beta that finally had him looking up. Irritated he glared at the man who merely shrugged off the look, before nudging his chin in the direction of where his mate sat. Kaiden turned to look at her, silver hair spilling across her back and over the table, her back bent so that her head was down, her nose nearly touching the page before her, her elbows pointed out as her hand quickly moved across the page, various pencils fanning out around her. He looked her over a smile curling his lips before he realized, the plate he had placed beside her still sat exactly where he had placed it.

She hadn't taken a single bite. It looked like she hadn't even picked up the fork. Surprise and confusion raced through him as he tried to understand what was happening. Finally, Richards warning from before rang in his ears and he looked at where the man was sitting looking towards his mate as well.

He turned to meet Kaiden's eyes shrugging his shoulders in apology.

"Fine. Why won't she eat it?" Kaiden finally begrudgingly asked.

Richard's voice was gentle as he answered, turning his head to once again look at the girl who was still drawing away and seemingly ignoring all of them. "She doesn't eat meat. Or eggs. Hardly anything cooked. She prefers fruit although will eat vegetables. She doesn't like food that's super-hot or has a lot of flavor. And she will not eat cheese or fish on anything, ever."

"She doesn't eat meat?!"Austin's eyes were wide with shock. They were werewolves. They lived off meat and protein. To not eat it was unheard of, unthinkable.

Richard didn't even look up. "Nope not a bite. I've tried it all. Thought she'd get sick. Even tried hiding it in other foods. But she always knew, and she never ate it. In five years, she has never eaten it. She's starving I can tell you that but until you put a plate of fruit or something like it in front of her she will ignore you."

It was so ridiculous Kaiden wanted to through the man off his territory for even suggesting it, but then he looked at his willowy mate, who still had not given any indication that a plate of food sat a fingers reach from her and let out a huff. Pushing away from the table he went over to the fridge searching its depths he came up with two apples, a banana from the bowl on the counter, some green grapes, half a melon, a grapefruit of his sisters, and randomly two plums. Although he was skeptical, the unease of knowing his mate was hungry was pushing him to move quickly. Washing the fruit, he sliced it up and onto a massive plate. As he was walking to the table Richard stood moving around her chair he picked up the older plate before returning to his chair. Kaiden threw him a glare before softly setting the tray of fruit hesitantly before the bent head of his mate.

Almost instantly she sat up. Before he could even glance at what she had been sketching she had flipped the book closed pushing it off beside her before turning to the offering of fruit. Stunned Kaiden watched as his mate picked up the slices of apple and banana eagerly shoving them into her mouth. He knew for the second time since meeting her his mouth hung open he looked at Richard who was digging into the plate he had collected without abandon, who offered nothing but another shrug. Knowing he was staring he forced himself to move back around the table to his own plate. Picking up his fork he resumed eating as he watched his mate eat her breakfast.

Finally looking to Richard, he spoke the words he never thought he would need to say, "What else do I need to know about my mate?"

It was quiet for a few minutes as everyone but Aislinn looked between the two men. To acknowledge you needed help to care for your mate, to look to another especially another male for information about her was unheard of.

Richard didn't look surprised, or proud. He didn't gloat or even remark on the request he simply seemed to deeply consider his answer, "I've told you most of what I can about her. There are small things I don't even know if they are important. But I don't know a lot. I know about her eating because a few times she would be there when I was fixing meals and she would refuse everything I offered her. When I went to the academy I learned that at every meal no matter what they did, no matter the threats or punishments she wouldn't touch anything beyond the fruits and vegetable they placed in front of her. It took a year and half before they finally gave in and stopped trying to force her to eat it. She didn't once cave. They told me one time the tied her to a chair for three days to try and get her to eat some chicken nuggets. She didn't even look at them. She is more stubborn then anyone I have ever encountered and I have worked with every alpha and council elder in our world."

He shook his head as he watched her picking up the slices of grapefruit, before turning to look at Kaiden's stunned expression.

"I only know what you shouldn't do because I've tried them and failed. I've had five years of trial and error. Don't question her, she'll just walk away. If you want something or are going to do something, just simply tell her. If she wants it or wants to do it, she will. Don't ask about her family, don't even mention it. It's worse than touching her. I'm not even going to say anything else about that with her here. She will only wear black, or grey. I'm positive she can read although she has failed every class and grade they put her in. They tried to place her with families in the beginning, she's so unique and she was so small and tiny, that families were scrambling to adopt her in the first sixth months after she arrived. After the third family, it was decided she would never be placed in a home. I think she was one of the only girls who families asked to adopt and foster and who were actively deigned by the orphanage. I never did get the full stories of what happened."

Richard fell silent. As everyone finished their food. As Blair collected the empty plates including Aislinn's which held nothing but a few grapefruit seeds. Richard spoke again his voice even more hesitant and reluctant than ever before.

"Kaiden there is one other thing I think you should know. She needs to sleep. She will sleep in your room, she won't be fearful of being there with you, I'm almost positive. But there is one thing, I don't know why or if she will do it here, and I never saw it but they say that she - wakes up."

Everyone's confusion was easy to see and Richard nearly squirmed in his seat as though he really didn't want to say what he was thinking, he looked quickly over at Aislinn who had gone back to her drawing as soon as she had finished eating.

"I've been told she wakes up every four hours. No matter what. Normally at two and then six. I never got clear answers of why of how. Nor did anyone give me any idea of what she did. Only that all the workers agreed that it was not natural and severely disturbed. They even tried to drug her. From what I gathered that went very wrong. I... I don't know what happened to her but I think it has something to do with it. I don't know if being here with you will help, but if it doesn't just don't try to stop her."

Kaiden wanted to ask more question but the warrior seemed to shut down, not meeting anyone's eyes ignoring anymore questions about his mate's behaviors. Wearily Kaiden just nodded trying to make sense of this latest mystery surrounding his mate.

"Okay we'll sleep. Austin, Blair, Clay stay here tonight I want you nearby, take your normal rooms, Aus set Richard up in a room on your floor. We'll deal with the rest in the morning. Eight am we will go over the reports from patrol and go over tonight. Mate love you come with me. You're staying in my room."