Just when I thought my time was through, a massive, black blur barreled into Conner and knocked him off of me. I heard the sound of bones cracking, he was hit so hard.

Finally free of Conner's grasp, I jumped up and threw myself out of the way of the two lycans as they snarled and snapped at each other.

My heart slowed down one speed when I realized the bigger lycan was Rook. At this precise moment, I was actually happy that he had found me. He stood with his back towards me, shielding me from Conner.

Several other lycans slowly ventured from the woods, forming a circle around the two massive males as they faced off. Conner leapt towards Rook, but Rook easily bucked him off and into a nearby tree. Conner yelped, but quickly gained his footing and tried again.

I watched as the two went back and forth with each other, but try as he might, Conner could not get the upper hand on Rook. As I watched the bloody match, I realized something was off with Rook. He was ruthless with his attack and his normally bright golden eyes were so dark they were almost red.

Rook tore into Conner again and threw his body to the ground. Surely this fight was at its end. Conner shifted back onto his human form and I gasped at the sight. His fur had been covering his wounds, but now as a human, I could see how severe his injuries really were.

Conner was on his knees and bowed his head to Rook in submission. Rook transformed to his human form and I was happy to see he barely had a mark on him.

"Mercy!" Conner pleaded and threw his arms up to protect his face as Rook approached him.

"You dare plead mercy from me when you had no intention of showing any to my mate?!"

Conner's face blanched at Rook's words and all eyes turned to me. Rook actually admitted out loud, for all to hear, that I was his mate. I try to swallow pass the dryness forming in my throat.

"Mate?" Conner stuttered, turned to me, and looked at me with disgust.

Rook gripped Conner around the neck and squeezed until I was sure his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. Conner sputtered and thrashed like a fish on dry land and I knew in my heart that Rook was going to kill Conner.

I heard a loud snap as Rook broke Conner's neck and watched his lifeless body sink to the ground. My stomach flopped at how easily Rook had killed Conner.

Rook turned towards me, his eyes still glowing an unusual color. He prowled towards me, his mannerism and look in his eyes made me want to flee. I took one timid step backwards.

I glanced to my left when I saw one of the lycans shift. I was somewhat comforted when I saw that it was Yvonne.

"Stay absolutely still, Eve. He's gone feral." Yvonne warned.

She looked extremely nervous, which in turn made me nervous. Yvonne was always so cool, calm and collected. I didn't know what it meant to go feral in lycan terms, but I knew what it meant in general terms and it wasn't good.

I held my ground as Rook approached me and pulled me into his arms. He crushed me to his chest in a viselike grip. The breath whooshed from my lungs as he squeezed me tight.

I glanced up into his eyes, they were wild with anger. He bent low and inhaled my scent. A viscous roar tore from within him and I shuddered in his arms. I knew he smelt where Conner had ran his cheek against my skin.

"Calm him down, Eve. You are the only one that can. He might hurt someone else if you don't." Yvonne said.

Rook looked at her and all the other lycans that were still surrounding us. He growled at them and pulled me closer, as if that was even possible. Conner got what was coming to him, but I didn't want Rook to hurt anyone else.

"Rook." I called gently to him. "Rook, look at me."

He shifted his crazy glowing eyes to me and looked down into my eyes.

"I'm ok, he didn't hurt me. You saved me."

I was totally going to leave out the fact that Conner had knocked me from a tree and I was having a hard time breathing because of bruised ribs. Yeah, he didn't need to know all of that at the moment.

Rook ran his face against my skin, I guess in an effort to rid me from Conner's scent. Apparently it wasn't working, by the way Rook was responding. He pulled my body flush with his, there wasn't a single part of my front that wasn't touching him at this point.

I was completely being swallowed in this massive, naked, alpha's hold. My cheeks enflamed as my body reacted to his.

"Yvonne. Help." My voice was a mere squeak as Rook shoved my face into his muscled chest.

"There's nothing I can do at this point, sweetie."

Yvonne's voice triggered a hostile response in Rook. His skin grew hot to the touch and I knew he was about to shift. At this point, I wasn't sure that he wouldn't slaughter anyone who was around.

"Calm him down." Yvonne said, shifting her pleading eyes to me. She was actually terrified of him.

I had to do something and quick!

I reached up and backhanded Rook across the face. My hand stung from the contact, but he turned his attention back to me.

"That is not what I told you to do!" Yvonne hissed as all of them took a collective step backwards.

It took me a minute to wiggle my way out of Rook's rock solid grip. He was not happy by the distance between us and tried to scoop me up in his arms. I dashed to the side, barely keeping him from touching me.

"Mine." He growled.

"No." I said angrily. "Not yours, not until you get your wolf under control."

I crossed my arms defiantly across my chest and shoved his hands away every time he tried to touch me.

"We're all going to die." I heard Leo say from the sideline.

Rook growled and turned his attention towards the other male. His skin growing hot again.

"Nope. Stay with me." I forced Rook's head back around and he looked down at me.

"I'll go back with you and I promise not to leave again, if, and only if, you bring back the Rook I know and love."

What the hell? Did I just say that? I didn't love him, I couldn't, I just met him for goodness sake. I let that word sit on my tongue for a while. I knew after today that I certainly felt something for him, I just wasn't sure what "it" was.

Rook's entire demeanor seemed to change at my words. He blinked a few times and took a few deep breaths. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched his pupils return to normal size and his glowing eyes deem to the hazel color I was becoming quit fond of.

"Are you ok?" I was almost afraid to ask.

"A promise is a promise." He gave me one of his sexy smiles, opened his arms and motioned for me to return to his embrace.

I was so happy that he was back and being all boyishly charming again, I nearly leapt into his arms. A few tears slipped down my cheek as he smothered me in his tight embrace again. I felt so safe in his arms, maybe even more so than in the arms of my own father. The mere thought frightened me, but I didn't care at the moment. I had been so scared by what Conner had almost done to me, so for now I was going to enjoy being held in the arms of my rescuer.