Richards's deafening roar filled the room as Olivia's finger tips brushed against Aislinn's arm, the pencil she had been holding dropped as her body went rigid for a moment before she was suddenly jerking away as if in sudden horrendous pain. Before Olivia could try and touch her again she was throwing her body violently away from the woman and across the bed. Not stopping at the edge Aislinn threw herself from the bed landing hard on the carpeted floor between the two in the room.

Pushing herself flat against the floor her breath coming out in sharp pants as she moved so she was pressed hard against the furthest bedframe her body rigid and her eyes tightly closed.

Richard had finally reached Olivia and had wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her back and away from the bed, the action causing the woman to panic as she began to scream and fight in his grasp. Kaiden put himself between them and the bed while trying to shout over the woman's screams and Richard's shouting.

"Calm down Olivia! OLIVIA I need you to calm down! Richard isn't going to hurt you!" Kaiden commanded in his most steady voice, he was trying to reign in his own panic and anger, while fighting the instinct to comfort his mate. The violent and suddenness of her reaction was burned into his vision, the way she had reacted to the barest hint of a touch was truly terrifying. Turning his head quickly he looked at his second, "Aus is she okay?" his tone boarding on pleading.

He waited his hands still up in front of him, his body still between Olivia and his mate while he ignored her struggles against Richard's restraints for the moment, he couldn't give this women his attention until he knew his mate was okay. Or at least as okay as she could be. He didn't know if she was ever truly okay, not after that.

Austin took a careful step towards the frozen figure on the floor, her limbs and back rigid and hard, her arms wrapped protectively around her head while small shudders raced over her frame making her seem so much smaller than normal. Her presence was usually so overwhelming that he had never really noticed just how delicate and small of a creature she really was. He paused at the ends of the beds not wanting to encroach on what had become her safe space he crouched so his elbows rested on his knees, watching the terrified figure on the floor he listened to her hitched breathing, physically she seemed okay, not hurt merely incredibly terrified if not completely withdrawn. Looking up at his alpha's concerned and worried face he nodded his head and for a moment he let him completely into his mind-link letting his alpha see and hear what he was witnessing. It was enough of a reassurance that Kaiden's face softened slightly and he was able to turn and face Olivia.

She was still fighting desperately to get out of Richard's grasp but her screams had reduced to sobs, her eyes wide with fear.

Kaiden put on his gentlest voice he could muster, throwing a sharp glance cutting off Richard's shouting at the poor woman which were helping no one. "Olivia I need you to calm down. If you calm down Richard will let you go." The words seemed to work because she suddenly went limp, her chest heaving with the force of her sobbing but she stopped fighting. Another look from Kaiden had Richard dropping his arms and taking a step backwards. However none missed the fact that he hovered close enough to grab the woman even with Kaiden still in front of her, just in case she attempted to touch his mate again.

"Look I'm sorry we scared you. We didn't get a chance to explain. I need you to keep calm and listen okay?" He looked at the woman trying to weigh her stability at the moment. Hesitantly she looked at him and nodded. He smiled at her gently even after the hell she had endured she was pulling herself together, she was strong. He objectively looked her over for the first time. Now showered and cleaned up he saw that she a couple inches taller than his mate probably around 5'9" average for she-wolves, they were a tall species and large species by nature they needed to be to ensure their safety and survival. Her light brown hair hung to just past her shoulders in soft waves, and her brown eyes shone with flecks of gold. The t-shirt and boxers she wore did little to hide the natural curves of her figure, although her arms and legs were toned and muscular, she had trained and hard. All werewolves were in shape it would be hard to not be, however females tended to be slightly softer unless they had joined a detail; security, guard, patrol, runner then they trained as hard if not harder than their male counterparts. Werewolf society was not as progressive as humans, the animal side was to aggressive and prominent however if unmated females or mated with their mates consent wanted to they were able to join in the protection of the pack. Kaiden's pack had a number of she-wolves in their ranks and he was not oblivious to the signs. This she wolf was ranked and by the look of it she was high and she was unmated, meaning she got there either through her father or brothers but kept it through sheer force. She was not one to underestimate.

"I know you didn't mean anything but you can't touch my mate. Ever." Kaiden watched as his words sunk in.

Her eyes got impossibly wider as she stared at him, "Why? I just-just wanted to say thank-thank you. I wouldn't- I wouldn't hurt her I swear." Shaking her head vehemently as she spoke, as if to emphasize her words.

"I know. We didn't think you'd hurt her, don't worry no one is mad," Kaiden made sure to throw a pointed look at Richard when he said this who sub-sequentially let out a breath, taking another step back crossing his arms, while trying not to glare at Olivia's back. "It's not you. My mate she has a really bad past and as a result she doesn't like people touching her. I only met her a few days ago, but Richard has known her for five years, as her guardian he is very protective of her. As long as you don't touch her everything will be okay. I promise we still don't mean you any harm, everyone was just protecting my mate."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her." She said, looking pleadingly at the bed that was obscuring the figure still huddled on the floor.

"I know, you didn't know. It's okay. Why don't you tell us how you got here? Where are you from?"

Looking up quickly Olivia nodded letting out a breath she wrapped her arms around her middle her voice was soft but strong as she spoke, her eyes darting to the bed every few seconds, "I'm from the Custoson pack or I was. I was a runner for them for almost four years, ever since I shifted when I turned 17."

"What happened?" Kaiden asked, he shook his head at Richard who had tensed automatically at the mention of his old pack, his face losing some of the hostility he had been directing towards Olivia.

"I don't know. Things have been bad for years now. Alpha Michael, he changed, at first we didn't really see it but in the last couple years even his Beta wasn't able to keep it from the pack anymore. I got sent out on a run to Spesso territory some land claim had come up with Alpha Elizabeth. Things have been unsettled around our territory, more rogues then ever. I begged them not to send me on my own, but no one would listen. Alpha's orders they said." She spat the words as her arms wrapped even tighter around herself, "I'm not the first."

"First what?" Kaiden prodded when she didn't seem to want to continue his voice laced with horror and curiosity if what she was implying was true ... it was unthinkable.

"Unmated female sent out on missions on their own. They never make sense - not the missions nor who he'd pick out ... and they'd never return." Disgust filled her face as she dropped her eyes to the ground.

Low growls ripped through the air at the women's words. The thought of wolves being purposefully and knowingly sent into harm's way into situations like the one they had found Olivia in had all three men shaking in anger their wolves enraged at the very implication.

"They caught me only a few hours after I left pack lands." Olivia continued not raising her eyes to look at them, her voice low filled with bitterness and hate, "Three days ago. Three days in that room. I thought. I prayed that I would die. Anything to end it." A sob broke through her words as her shoulders shook lightly, "You saved my life. I owe you it. I owe you everything." She finished finally looking up and meeting Kaiden's stare.

"You owe us nothing. I'm only sorry we couldn't have stopped it days ago." He replied meaning every word. The thought of what she had endured at the hands of those four monsters, at the thought of the betrayal by her alpha who was meant to protect her and every member of his pack with his life had him aching for blood. His wolf pushed at his control fury and hate riling inside him at the idea of this happening to his mate. His blood boiled with the image. No. No she-wolf, no female should have to endure that horror.

Austin's voice broke in on them, "Kaid man, I think she's starting to come out of it. She'd probably rather see you then me." His voice awash with relief as he threw a wink towards his alpha.

Kaiden felt his own relief spread as he moved to take over Austin's spot near his mate. Lowering himself between the two beds, Kaiden moved slowly until he was sitting cross-legged by her feet. He made sure to keep at least a foot of space between their bodies, even though he desperately wanted to close the distance until there wasn't even the whisper of space left between them. He let out a breath as he forced himself to relax, tuning out everyone and everything beyond the rigid figure on the floor.

Aislinn felt as the calming scent washed over her. Felt as it beat at her walls, seeping into her mind pulling her from the deep corners she had hidden herself within. She was too closed off, to shut down to understand what the scent was, who it was, all she knew was that it soothed her. Winding through her brain it brushed along her mind, calling her back, gently tugging her to the surface. Embracing her it ached to make her feel safe and protected. It beat back the memories, the agonizing truths that fought to consume her. Under the pressure of that scent, cold and crisp as the scent of winter and frozen nights, the ghosts of her past were forced from her sight. Slowly she began to feel her body once more, the pain in her muscles from being held so rigid and tense, the discomfort from laying on the floor and the multiple sore spots from her harsh fall. Inhaling deeper she clung to the scent as she pushed the last visions of her past off, shaking them from her mind until only that scent, his scent, remained. Somewhere along the way she had realized it was the scent of her mate, the scent of the mate she had never intended to find that she now desperately grasped to. Agonizingly she was brought back to the present, the last traces of her past wiped away by the feel of him so close to her, the soft heat that his closeness brought her clearing the last remains of fog and fear.

Aislinn sat up on trembling muscles, running a hand through her tangled silver strands she turned so she was sitting on the floor across from her mate. She would have preferred to get off of the stained carpet however her muscles were still pained and weak. She let her eyes calmly move around the room taking in the presences and feel of everyone present. The sight of Richard with such a familiar look of worry and concern on his face as he observed her, pushed the last shreds of her terror off. Then she came to look upon the women. She looked better now that she had showered and changed, her injuries had begun to heal. Aislinn was glad to see that the cuts that had been deep and brutal around her wrists were healing well and that the new fresh pink scars circling each was all that now remained.

Olivia wasn't sure how to respond to the heavy feeling of the grey gaze that feel on her. She shifted uncomfortably as she lowered her eyes. The woman didn't seem mad, in fact her face was emotionless, her eyes hooded and blank. She felt as her heart began to race, she might not look angry but after how everyone reacted when she had tried to touch her, even if it was only to hug her. Olivia knew she must be in trouble. In her old pack, offending a high-ranked wolf, especially the mate of a high-ranked wolf was akin to death, and not a quick and easy death. She didn't know if she should apologize or try and escape, grovel perhaps?

Noticing Olivia's sudden discomfort Kaiden looked to his mate who was gazing at the woman. He could guess what was happening, Olivia's fear was palpable, but he didn't feel any hostility or anger resonating from his mate. Of course even though their bond should be growing and deepening the longer they were around each other, he still could feel nearly nothing from her. He let himself puzzle that for a moment. Maybe her look of emotionless was more than just a look he wondered. Maybe she generally did not feel? But even that wasn't quite right he admitted to himself, when she had been fighting those rogues he had clearly if faintly felt a white-hot rage and disgust that was separate and distinctly seperate from his own. He had been surprised when he had figured out that he had finally felt something pass along the mate-bond from her. Then again, he had also felt a glimmer of her terror and pain as she had thrown herself from the bed. That time though it had only been a flash before it had been suddenly cutoff. But now, however he was feeling nothing in particular from her. He thought if he had to guess that she was more curious, almost as if she was looking over the woman with something resenbling concern, but less potent.

Feeling Olivia beginning to reach a breaking point in the tense room and not wanting to deal with anymore female tears, Kaiden spoke "Olivia, you can calm down. My mate isn't angry at you. You really don't need to be afraid of her, you aren't in trouble." As if to prove his point, Aislinn's head whipped in his direction at his words. Her face showed nothing only the slight notching of her head as she looked at him. The action so perfectly expressed her confusion and surprise that he let out a small laugh. He felt hope rise in him at such an obvious and blatant reaction. Every day he seemed to be able to read her better, and she seemed to react more and more with him.

"Mate love, she thinks you wish her harmed for upsetting you. You're my mate and she caused you pain even if she didn't mean to and now she fears she will be punished. I assume it is an artifact from her last pack, she does not yet know that I would never punish one for an unintentional and unknowing mistake. Since you are not angry at her, I am not." Kaiden said as he looked into his mate's large eyes, the silver tips of her lashes lightly brushing against her cheeks, while making sure his voice was loud enough to easily carry to where Olivia still stood in obvious fear.

Seemingly satisfied with his explanation as well as Olivia's well-being, Kaiden watched as his mate pushed herself up on trembling muscles until she was able to get herself onto the less then comfortable motel bed. Crawling to the center she picked up her dropped drawing supplies, tucking her legs up under herself. Settling down, she picked up right where she had left off. Richard let out his own soft chuckle at her antics, but any scorn that may have been construed was muted by the blatant relief that overlaid the sound.

Kaiden's respect and trust in the man had increased ten-fold since they had arrived at the motel, every action and focus of the man was centered on the wellbeing and safety of his mate. He didn't fully understand the source of this loyalty and dedication, the idea that he viewed her as a daughter explained only part of it, but he was thankful for its existence nonetheless. He wanted people surrounding her that put her safety, her life, her happiness above all else, and somehow it was in Richard that he was finding that.

Olivia had relaxed although there was an obvious unsureness about it. Looking at the others who merely shrugged at her discomfort sending her smiles of apology and acceptance she let herself be shuffled till she was sitting on the unoccupied bed surrounded by food. Just as they were about to dig in the door burst open and two more large and intimidating men pushed their way through. At first her body stiffened, adrenaline racing through her at the new presences, but looking to the relaxed figure on the other bed who hadn't even looked up at the intrusion Olivia let her body take its cue from her, relaxing into the easy and friendly banter of male voices that arose around her.