It was dark when Kaiden started awake. He turned to look at the alarm clock on the far side of the room beside the bed. 2 am he let out a small smile.

He let his eyes wonder around the room looking for her. He felt another smile when he finally spotted her sitting cross-legged on the coffee table just by where his head lay on the sofa in their room. He was surprised he hadn't seen her instantly but with his large black tee and her silvery hair she nearly disappeared amongst the shadows and moonbeams cast around the room. Kaiden could faintly hear Richards light snores coming from the outer room where he dozed lightly beside the bedroom door. It had almost come to blows between them when he had tried to insist on staying inside the room with Aislinn. In the end he had given in to the open door.

She sat still, her hands folded lightly in her lap. Her hair spilling around her shoulders in silky silver waves. Her head was cocked slightly to the side as she watched him, her eyes their normal steel-grey, her lashes so black and thick at the base making them appear even larger in her face the silvery tips so long and soft. His eyes landed on her mouth and he felt himself instantly harden. He had to stifle a groan as his gaze lingered on their soft pinkness. The shadows made the rest of her already sharp features harden but not her lips. Her lips stayed soft as always, just taunting him.

"Morning darling," he spoke gently his voice husky and deep from sleep. He wasn't sure if she would go back to not speaking to them after all the revelations that had come out the night before.

After everything had come out they were all left reeling and drained. Not ready to deal with any more information coupled along with Aislinn's complete refusal to answer or acknowledge anyone, even Richard, they had all agreed to just eat a quick dinner before going to bed.

Aislinn watched him as he wiped his palms against his eyes. Rubbing the last sleep from their crystal blue depths, before letting his long strong fingers run through the glossy black strands of his hair. The motion only adding to the soft disheveled bed head look he had. She didn't know what she wanted at the moment. Didn't know what had pulled her to get so close to him again. Well she did ... she just didn't like it. She could feel the mate bond growing, strengthening the longer they were around each other, begging her to trust him, like him, accept him. Of course the rest of her was telling her to kill him so she was a little torn at the moment.

He let out a resigned sigh as he let himself relax back into the plush sofa his eyes softening as he watched her. Cautiously he lifted his hand from where it lay beside him. Slowly, so as not to startle or scare her, Kaiden lifted his arm, moving it so it spanned the space between them, stopping when his hand was a foot from her, chest level - palm up.

He waited.

Aislinn felt emotions stir as she watched him move. Her eyes narrowing in her mind although outside she showed nothing. Watching like a hawk, her eyes hard as she followed the path of his hand as it drew nearer to her. Her breathing and heartrate though never hitched. Her body held perfectly still as she watched him move closer and closer to her. She forced her body not to react in the slightest, her control ironclad as she mentally kept everything perfectly calm within her not allowing even the hint of a reaction to show itself. She watched as his lightly tanned skin, his long strong fingers, the lean muscles of his forearm moved closer and closer.

Nothing. You feel nothing. You are nothing. She chanted to herself. She pushed at her barriers, her control.

But no matter how hard she tried she knew from Richard's sudden stirring from beside the door that her body, her mind was betraying her. 13 years of learning perfect absolute control was being shattered as her mate's presence settled before her, calling to her. It was upsetting enough, powerful enough, to wake her Guardian from his light doze. Even as she refused to acknowledge the emotions he stirred in her they were strong enough that her Guardian had felt them erupt within her through their bond.

She eyed the hand as it now froze hovering in the space between them. She felt his eyes on her. Their clear blue soft and gentle, so different from the fire and anger from earlier that night.

Aislinn could also feel where Richard probed along the Guardian bond pushing at her mind, trying to assess what had upset her. She heard him move to the open doorway his gaze taking in the room before he moved back to his post. Over-protective worrywart, she mused internally as she ignored his probing and concern, neither of which she wanted or needed.

When he didn't move any further, his hand just paused in the no-man's land between them, Aislinn finally felt it click in her brain. She remembered his words from the night before. Her mind flashing the scene that was so similar and yet so different from the one they were currently in.

All day she had refused to even acknowledge what had happened last night. Her brain both unwilling and unable to process the fact that not only had she willing touched him but that nothing had happened. But now as she sat here with him it all came flooding back and along with the memories came uncertainty.

Did she want to do it again?

Is that what he wanted?

Did he want to touch her?

Would he expect this of her now?

She hated being so unsure. So ... so vulnerable.

It was a feeling she had sworn she would never have to endure ever again. To feel weak. Exposed. Vulnerable. She hated those feelings. She refused to be weak. To be controlled. Never again! Never would she let someone use her. Let someone make her weak. Defenseless. Broken.

"As," Kaiden's voice was still gentle although it had lost the huskiness of sleep as he had woken up more. "You don't have to do anything you don't want, but if you want you can try again. It won't hurt I promise."

Her eyes had travelled up his arm with his words until she was once more looking into the bright blue of his eyes. They were so open, holding nothing but genuine concern and honesty.

Could she trust it?

Did she have a choice anymore?

She balked at the thought. More than being weak she hated not having a choice. For so long she had never had a single choice, for so much of her life every aspect in one capacity or another had been completely controlled and dominated. What would happen to her if she gave into this man? Not only a male were-wolf but an Alpha. A possessive, over-protective, temperamental Alpha. Fated to a life devoid of any choice or freedom? She wanted to let out a growl at the thought. Never again.

But he wasn't demanding her now. He was letting her choose. Wasn't he? What did that mean?

Kaiden could almost feel her mind whirling in her head. Her face was still blank, her eyes hooded and clear of any hint of what was happening inside her, but he could feel the concentration coming off of her. Could feel the internal argument his words had created.

He fought to keep his face relaxed even as he wanted to burst out laughing. She was adorable. So perfect.

He wanted to say more but he knew that if he ever got her, ever managed to have her accept him fully he wanted it to be 100% her decision. Her surrender. Her that took the final steps to him. He didn't want her to regret a single step they took and so he would willing relinquish every ounce of control to her. It amazed him how willing he was to admit that, it wasn't even a struggle, even his wolf was silent against it, in fact Kaiden had felt his wolf actually pushing them to submit to their little mate. She was more important to them than anything, even their alpha pride. Who would have thought they'd see the day when Kaiden Salvatori would willingly bow down before a little she-wolf and be thrilled about it?

Learning about her true identity had only intensified his need for her. She was so precious, so beautiful and strong. He knew there would be more shocks to come in the future, and he wasn't so naïve to think it would be perfectly smooth sailing, they would definitely butt heads but he was looking forward to it. He felt his mind briefly wander to more questions about her past, where had she been for so long between her family's deaths and when she wound up at that orphanage? What has made her this way?

They had been sitting, well him lying, in the dark his hand still reached out for nearly ten minutes now. Kaiden could see her lids beginning to drop from drowsiness. It made her look softer and his palms itched to cup her face, to brush his thumbs over her dew dropped skin. In time he promised himself. He would win her trust and when he did he would erase every memory of pain from her skin with pleasure from his touch.

He was brought out of his internal musing by the softest brush of contact. Sparks exploded in his hand from even the slight touch of her skin against his and he had to bite back a groan as the sensation raced through his body heading south. He looked at her now. Her hand having slowly snuck to meet his in the space between their bodies. Her eyes were watching her hand as if astounded. Her face was absolutely frozen her face blank as she looked to where her index finger still hovered above his palm only a breath separating them from where she had pulled back with the eruptions of sparks.

Kaiden was ecstatic, his heart soaring his wolf howling in his mind.

He held his breath.

And then for the second time that night he felt her skin touch his. It was one finger. Her small delicate, soft finger just brushing so lightly against his skin that if it wasn't for the sparks it caused to erupt in him he might not have even known she was touching him.

This time though she had steeled herself to endure the feeling. Her hand didn't pull pack.

She wanted to know what was going to happen.

Her finger stayed so light just the hint of a touch as the sparks continued to jump between them. Kaiden took a deep breath, getting a lungful of her heady scent. Rain and lavender swirling in his head consuming every thought in his mind until it was all he could think of. It was intoxicating. Addicting.

All he ever needed in this life, in this world, was her. Only her.

Her eyes had snapped to his with his breath.

"You're okay. Just the sparks. Never pain, not with me."

Her finger stayed against his skin.

He felt her hand twitch, and this time he let the smile spread across his face, "You can touch me however you want. I'm all yours, and I'm never going to hurt you." He let all of his emotions leak into his words as he pushed calm and loving thoughts along their still muted and dull mate bond.

Suddenly he had the single greatest moment of his 24 years, as his mate's tentative cool finger lightly moved up his palm until it landed just short of his wrist. But it was her face that did him in. The mask dropped, her eyes opened and every shield, wall, door and defense disappeared in a blink of the eye as she stared at where her finger still sat against his skin in absolute and complete awe.

The look of pure shock and amazement brought tears to Kaiden's eyes. What had happened to her that the mere realization that touching her mate's hand wouldn't cause her pain had left her like this? Anger flooded his veins his wolf instantly pushing for control in rage and fury. What had these people done to her?! How had they broken her so completely?

Kaiden was thankful she was too absorbed in her own reaction to notice his. He didn't want her to be scared or nervous about his response to her touch. He didn't want her to have a single reason to ever hesitate to reach for him, to touch him. He felt a stab of pain that something so instinctual, so natural, so right, had been stolen from her.

I will get it back for you, he swore silently as he watched her awe-struck form. I swear on my very life that I will help you mend all that they tried to destroy.