He let her sit a few more minutes drinking her last beer.

"You ready to go back home now?"

When she looked up at him, he could see as she debated sensing her reluctance, he stayed quiet until at last she slowly nodded.

Moving swiftly he helped her from the booth. Wrapping an arm around her waist when she swayed on her feet. Looking down he laughed softly, pulling her into his side. Keeping a tight hold around her waist he hoisted her over the still body that was still unconscious and sprawled out on the grungy floor.

"So what did you do to him?" Kaiden asked curiously as he spared the body a quick glance. He was trying to ignore how good she felt in his arms, a low growl rumbling his chest when he noticed two male wolves looking at her. His eyes flashing black as they not so discreetly sniffed the air trying to catch her scent. He pulled her tighter into his side.

"He was bothering me-" She started, a scowl on her face and little wrinkle crinkling her forehead as she scrunched her face in distaste. At the look Kaiden let his foot connect with a little extra force into the man's side, an idea of what he had done becoming clearer. He wished he had the opportunity to do more damage to the wolf but the painful bruise and cracked rib would have to satisfy his anger. "So I told him to go to sleep." She continued which earned a chuckle from him.

Even after they were over the obstacle Kaiden didn't release her. His large warm arm staying wrapped around her waist and holding her pressed securely to his side, his hand possessively resting on her waist and carrying most of her weight. It felt good. Right almost and in no mood to fight against it, Aislinn gladly let herself relax into him. Content to trust him to get her wherever it was they were going.

Stepping out and into the cool night air woke her up a bit. Enough at least to notice Richard and her guards standing rigidly beside the doors. Their bodies relaxed fractionally when they spotted her safe, whole and in her mates embrace.

Kaiden led her to her car, opening the passenger door and helping her slip in. Shutting it behind her, he stopped to speak to Richard and who she thought might have been Clay, but who was to blurry to really make out, by the hood of the car. They threw glances her way sporadically but with her head starting to spin and her exhaustion finally hitting her she was too tired to care what they were talking about. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the headrest as a wave of nausea hit her, rolling her stomach.

The car door opened and the cool breeze brought with it Kaiden's scent, rushing over her helping to push back the uncomfortable feeling in her head. She took deep breaths as he slammed shut his door and started the engine, her tummy following her head and also thankfully settling down.

They drove in silence for a few minutes before she slowly turned her head. Opening her eyes slowly she looked at his face that was lit up in the dark interior by the dash lights. His profile strong and rugged in the dark shadows of the interior of the car.

"Kade?" His face turned towards her. His eyes lighting up at the sound of her calling him by name.

"Yes love?"

"Who was on the phone?" She spoke slowly, enunciating each word. Her eyes kept losing focus as she tried to watch his expressions.

His eyes darkened at the reminder and his anger rising to the surface once more. "My mother."

"Oh" was all she said. Kaiden didn't miss the sudden sadness that over took her. His mind began to panic when he noticed as tears started gathering in her eyes. Making their normally cool and clear grey, cloudy and red rimmed.

"My-my" She cleared her throat tearing her eyes from him and dropping them to her hands folded in her lap not wanting him to see the tears threatening to spill over. The punishment for them was too much. Her head started to hurt again. The alcohol making it difficult for her to focus. Memories of the past warred in her mind with the safe and secure feeling of the present.

"His?" His voice was gentle and low in the silent space. He didn't try to touch her. She was thankful.

"My mom." She gulped. It had been thirteen years since she had said that word. She felt the pain and grief flood her as if it was yesterday. The images, the memories pounding against her eyes. "She was human." She said randomly trying to fight against the grief and pain pulling at her.

She looked up to find him watching her cautiously again. The low lights enough for her to see the tenderness and concern in his eyes, the worry and sadness in the set of his mouth.

"She met my dad in Greece before my grandfather brought them over." Taking a deep breath as her mind conjured up the image of her as a small child curled up and snuggled in the warmth and safety of her mother's loving arms, her father reciting the story of how he found his soul-mate for her. She had made him tell it to her almost every night. "My grandmother was human as well, but you knew that already." She risked another glance at his face before quickly looking out the windshield.

"My mom, her name was Rhoda. Greek for rose. She was breathtaking. She was the only human my father ever changed." She murmured. Sensing her mate's shock at her admission she let out a little laugh. "My grandfather was not happy. He had vowed that they would never curse another human to their fate, but my mother had been adamant. She would have lived forever at my father's side because of their bond, but after I was born she had forced him to change her. She wanted to be able to protect me. I think my grandfather's respect and love for her doubled after that, even if he would never admit it. My dad used to joke that his father and mother loved her more than him, their own son. I wouldn't have doubted it."

Shaking her head she spared him another small glance. His one hand was loosely curled around the steering wheel, the other resting on the console between them. Everything else had faded into the background. Disappeared until there was only her and him and her memories. She felt as the tears she had tried to fight back streamed freely down her face, not even bothering to try and dry them.

"My father was a wonderful man, everyone loved him, but my mother-" She let out a sigh, struggling for the words. Not even knowing how to describe her, "I loved her so much." A sob choked in her throat. "She promised she would never leave me and then they ripped her away. They tore her apart in front of me and I couldn't do anything. I tried. I tried to get to her. To save her but I couldn't do anything." Another sob broke free, her voice now barely above a whisper, cracking on the words.

"I fought them so hard. She was pleading, begging them to let me go. They just laughed at her. Laughed at her screams. They made me watch."

She stopped the images too much to handle, as the memories bombarded her. Another sob escaping her dry lips. His hand was warm and gentle as it covered hers. His fingers tender as they pried hers from where they gripped each other. Her hands clenched so tightly she had left little half-moon nail marks in her flesh, where they had dug in nearly drawing blood.

"I'm here love. I'm here." He said trying to help her pull out of the past. Her past.

"Why did she leave me?" Her voice was pitiful. Broken. The tears a continuous blinding stream, as all the pain and anger choked her. Clawing its way out of the deep pit she had chained it in for so long.

The car slowed, the crunch of gravel coming from the tires, before suddenly she was out of her seat. Kaiden's' arms pulling her across the center console and onto his lap. Gentle hands pulled her face to his chest, his arms wrapping around her. Loud horrible sobs racking her fragile frame, shaking her in his hold. Burying into him she let it all out. The grief and pain, all of it, for the mother she lost, for the horrors she had witnessed, for the life that had been so thoroughly torn away. She let it all pour out.

Kaiden held her as she sobbed. His heart breaking at the sound, at the absolute hopeless and broken noises that were coming from her. Murmuring nonsense words of love and comfort into her hair, his hand rubbed soothing circles on her back, the other stroking her head and hair. Her small hands clung to him, the material of his shirt balled in her tiny fists as her tears soaked it.

Eventually she quieted, her gut wrenching sobs fading and turning into silent tears, before eventually becoming small tiny hiccups, her breaths ragged. Exhausted, her body sagged in his hold, her tense muscles relaxing as he covered every piece of her that he could reach with soft gentle kisses.

Taking a few deep breaths Aislinn licked her dry cracked lips, trying to pull all her frazzled emotions together. Speaking without lifting her head meant her voice came out thick and muffled, her throat and eyes sore and raw from crying. "What did your mother want?"

Startled out of his thoughts his arms still holding her cuddled into his chest, Kaiden stiffened under her before letting out a low broken chuckle as her words registered. Brushing his lips against her forehead before answering her. "She was informing me that my father and siblings are coming over tomorrow. I am assuming they got word from the council. Apparently we just can't seem to get a break." His head fell back against the seat a heavy sigh filling the space as his words reminded him of the unpleasantness awaiting them. His eyes closed, anger and frustration filling him. Of course right as they were dealing with the fallout from confronting one pack, his mate was breaking down and they were assimilating new pack members; his father would decide to come and complicate everything even further.

"Oh."

"Yeah." Opening his eyes he placed another kiss to her hair, his arms tightening around her as he whispered into her ear, his breath fanning her skin. "But don't worry, it'll be fine. And one day, eventually, we'll be through all this craziness."

"I don't even know what that would look like."

"Me and you. A bunch of pups running around. Our pack happy and safe."

He felt as she tensed in his arms. "Pups?" her voice croaking on the word and coming out high and squeaky.

He let out a full belly laugh at her his head falling back before he cuddled her in further into his chest. Bending his face he nuzzled into her neck, inhaling her scent. "Only when you're ready." He murmured into her soft skin loving as he felt a shudder ripple through her.

The drive back to the house was quiet, the silence comfortable and reassuring. Eventually Kaiden had set her back in her seat. Buckling her in before knocking twice against the glass, dismissing the wolves that had stood surrounding and guarding the car as they had sat stopped on the shoulder. The signal sending them back to the three large black SUV's that trailed in a line behind them. Kaiden had held her hand as she stared out the window. His thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles, relaxing and comforting her ragged heart.

When they pulled up to the house Kaiden instantly waved away those who attempted to approach them. Richard and her guards exited the SUV's to stand in a loose ring around the car as Kaiden opened her door and reaching in. She was thankfully for the steadying hand of her mate as she stepped slightly unsteadily from the low vehicle. It seemed she was still feeling the lasting effects of all the alcohol she had consumed, and it took a few minutes before the ground would stop rolling under her feet. She didn't look up, afraid to start it spinning again, but to her surprise she heard Kade shoo Austin and Blair away from her and shut down their stream of questions with a single word. His voice was low and deep as he commanded them to go back to their duties, with a promise that he would speak to them later.

She felt much more like herself after a warm shower. Pulling on a shirt and pair of dark sweats, she made her way slowly into the bedroom. She was nervous, unsure how to act around her mate after her earlier behavior. First he had seen her kill an Alpha, then she had run, gotten drunk, and finally broken down into a sobbing mess in front of him. Not one of her better days.

Kaiden watched his mate hesitate in the door. Her hair hanging down to her hip bones in damp silver tendrils. One of his black shirts hung loosely on her thin frame, and he felt a smile tug at his lips as he took in the rest of her outfit. The sweats he had worn last night, swimming on her. The legs so long that they pooled around her feet until he could only see the tips of her toes. She was adorable. Breathtaking. Sexy as hell.

Without speaking he gestured to the coffee table. His smile growing when he felt her shock of surprise and pleasure. Her eyes falling to the tray filled with sliced fruits, some warm rice and a few veggies waiting on it for her. Shooting him another look she moved with an effortless graceful gait across the dark floors until she stood beside the table. Her face was expressionless but he could feel her emotions swelling beside his own. Joy and contentment filling him as she gingerly picked up a slice of apple and popped it in her mouth. Shaking his head gently he turned towards the dressing room and left his mate to eat.

Re-entering the bedroom after his own relaxing shower Kaiden let himself pause just inside the doorframe to take in the scene before him. He didn't think he would ever get over the feel of walking into a room and seeing her. At the moment she sat on the low sleek sofa, her sketchpad out and propped in her lap. Pencils and charcoal spread around her as she slowly nibbled her way through a bowl of strawberries.

He felt her peacefulness through the bond, his own rising in response. He was slightly surprised she hadn't asked for Kio yet, but also knew she was still overwhelmed and somewhat unbalanced. He had ordered Clay to keep him until she sought him out. The warrior had grumbled and cursed at the order, however Kaiden thought it had felt a little forced. If he didn't know any better he'd say his mate's wolf pup had begun growing on his friend. Just as the woman herself had.

He felt it. How the pack, even the new members who didn't know her identity, how they thought about her, viewed her. The concern and love they carried for her was obvious.

"I love you." The words slipped from his lips, gentle as a breeze in the cool stillness of the room.

Her head snapped up, whipping around to look at him. Her silver hair now dry, hung straight and silky down her back and over her shoulders. Her grey eyes widened as her mouth parted just a touch in shock. He heard her heartbeat pick up.

He watched her carefully. Maintaining his spot, the distance between them as he leaned casually against the frame of the doorway to the dressing room. His hands in the pockets of a pair of sweats identical to the pair she wore. His hair damp on his forehead, his feet and chest bare. "You don't need to say anything I just wanted you to know." He said equally as softly, his eyes watching her.

She was frozen. Her mind absolutely blank, void, and completely empty. The one time she could have used an actual emotional response or some kind of clue as to how to respond and she had nothing. Her mind was entirely blank. She just stared at him. Stupid freaking life.

Pushing off of the frame his bare feet not making a sound, he walked slowly and calmly the floor cool beneath his feet until he was standing before her. She was forced to tip her head back to look up at him, her eyes taking an involuntary detour to examine his bare chest as she did. The tiny water drops still lingering on the defined exposed muscles catching her attention.

Finally meeting his eyes she stared helplessly into their clear sea foam blue depths.

"I love you Aislinn. And I never want to go another day without saying it to you." With his words his hand moved slowly, his fingers brushing against her temple, running lightly along her jaw. Her eyes closed on a sigh, a shiver running down her spine from the contact.

Her eyes popped open when his hand fell away. She watched as he stepped back putting more space between them a gentle smile on his lips.

There was no demand in his eyes, no hurt in their depths that she still had not spoken, no expectation. It was that, more than his words themselves, that in that moment restarted her heart.

Suddenly she felt everything. It crashed over her in a wave. She had tried to hold onto the girl they had made her. Clung to the broken parts of herself, hid herself behind the cracks. Convinced herself that it was safer, better. That it was easier to not care. To not get invested with these people. If she didn't care, if they meant nothing to her, then when they inevitably left it wouldn't matter. Push them away, reject them, before they could be taken from her. Before they could break her. Before they could make her weak.

She didn't know when it happened.

How it happened.

When she had stopped being that girl. The one that felt nothing. Was nothing. Where her only reason for living was to seek revenge against those who had hurt her. She had left everything she was behind, had sworn to never be that person.

But somewhere along the way it had changed. She had changed.

"I love you."

Now it was his turn to freeze.

She stood up from the sofa slowly, her body trembling slightly with fear and excitement. Her hands slick with perspiration. Her heart erratic. Her brain chaos.

Taking a step closer she peered up at him. "I love you Kaiden." To both their amazements every word rang true.