~Alistair~

I growled as I walked around the castle. I'm finally free. I should have been let out years ago. I relished in how I am finally able to stretch out these limbs. I can finally live the life I was supposed to live, not caged up like some animal. And the best part about it, my mate is on her heat. I won't have to watch from afar how Comrade and Mordikai make her feel great.

When I can do so much more.

I sat down and thought about my mate. So petite and so sexy. She is perfect. However, I won't tell her that. She should already know it. I can't let her break my facade. Something I've spent years perfecting. I won't allow myself to show her that I can be soft and caring if I wanted to be.

"Mordikai! Finally, some alone time with you." I heard a familiar voice and groaned.

"Wrong one." She gasped and when I turned around she knew who I was.

"Are you his inner wolf?"

"Yes." She smiled seductively and touched my arm. I removed my arm from her grip, not letting her know that her touch burns.

"I've been waiting a while to meet you." She bit her lip and went to touch me again. I growled in anger and she flinched.

"Alpha, do you really want her?" She looked like she was going to rebel if I said yes.

"I do. May I tell you a secret?" She nodded and moved her ear to my lips.

"I haven't used condoms the past two times I've fucked her." She gasped and stepped back. She was enraged. Everyone knows that Amorelli is on her heat, so she already knows that she is most likely pregnant.

"But she's a slut!" I growled in anger and grabbed her hair and hit her head against a stone wall.

"No, Miss Pierce. You're the slut. You're a disgrace to the pack." I hit her head hard again and dropped her, not caring if I killed her or not. Her friends came over scared, hoping that I hadn't killed her. They growled at me and one even tried to hit me. I grabbed her by the neck and started to choke her as I lifted her off the ground.

"If you ever, defy me again. I will have you all either banished or killed from the pack. What would be worse? Not seeing your family for the rest of your life? Or not living long enough to meet your mate and have a family? Or both?" I squeezed harder and then dropped her. They grabbed Alana and took her away. I growled in satisfaction and started to walk deeper into the garden. I felt something off, but I couldn't place my finger on it. I saw my royal adviser run up to me as if his life depended on it.

"If the news you are going to tell me is not of importance, then get out of my sight."

"Alpha, your mate is in the hospital... Again." He showed no fear. I shook in anger.

"Why?"

"Blunt force trauma to the head. Her skull cracked right open and she has flat-lined three times... Alpha they do not think she will make it."

"And how did she acquire this trauma?"

"You, Alpha. You pushed her down in the Luna's quarters and she hit her head on the corner of a table. I can take you to see her now if you'd like." I nodded once and he started to walk.

I almost killed her? I was simply putting her in her place. I sighed eternally and walked into the hospital. None of the nurses turned to look at me, knowing that I am fully mated and if they even dare look at me I'd kill them.

"This way, Alpha." He made a few corners and we stopped outside the room where she was being held. They had managed to fix her up, but she was currently unconscious. I felt my heartbreak, knowing that this is the second time we have hurt her.

"No! You hurt her this time!" I heard Mordikai speak and I sighed.

"So what? She didn't die so she's fine. Now leave. Your presence right now is disturbing." I cut him off and walked in and sat in a chair. I looked at her face. She looks like she's been crying for a while. She also had a lot of dried blood in her hair. In all honesty, it's her fault that this happened to her. Diesel was still waiting by the door.

"Mr. O'Connell," I paused as he walked over and bowed.

"Yes, my King?"

"Have her belongings moved back to my room now. She will not leave our room to another without my permission."

"Yes, my Lord." He bowed again and left. I walked over to Amorelli and let my finger run the length of her arm. I felt sparks followed by the faster beeping of the heart monitor. I went to the other side of her and licked her mark. The same thing followed.

A rapid heartbeat.

I smirked and nibbled on her mark. She squirmed in her sleep and groaned slightly. I pressed the button that Mordikai used the last time. When I knew that everything was activated, I bit her mark. She woke up and screamed in pleasure. She gripped my hair and moaned. I growled and continued to bite and lick her mark. She started to shake a little and I stopped, wanting to tease her by not giving her what she wants.

"Why'd you stop baby?" Her legs tightened and she squirmed. I growled once again in satisfaction and grabbed her hand. She sighed happily and gasped when I placed her hand on my growing member.

"You've done this to your king..." She opened her eyes and looked at me. She noticed I wasn't either Mordikai or Comrade and she gave me an angry look and turned away from me. She winced in pain when the hurt side of her head touched the pillow.

"Get out. I don't want to see you."

"That's not happening. You need to learn to not disrespect your King."

"Well, you need to learn not to hurt your Queen." She sat up slowly and gave me a death glare. I gave her one that was just as bad.

"You are not my Queen yet. We aren't married, you aren't Luna yet. Nothing has happened." She looked upset then smirked.

"Then you aren't my king. We aren't married, and you aren't Alpha of the pack yet. The ceremonies haven't happened for either of us. Therefore, we are of the same rank. We always have been and always will be." She smirked when I growled in annoyance.

"You're too annoying. I don't know why they love you." I heard her intake of breath.

"Oh, what now Amorelli?"

"Are you saying you don't love me yourself?" My heart did something. It started to hurt in pain. But, why?

"Does it matter? Mordikai and Comrade already love you. I don't have to love you myself. This is our third encounter." I felt her pain. The heartbreak she was going through.

"Sir would you please have my parents escorted here?" She was trying hard not to cry, and my heart hasn't stopped hurting. What is she thinking?

"Anything for you, princess." She clenched her jaw and I left the room. As soon as I did I entered her mind after I notified Diesel to escort her parents to her hospital room.

'I need to see my parents. They're the only ones who can help me get away from him. Why am I so stupid? Why am I hurting? I already know Mordikai and Comrade love me, Alistair was right about that. Why does it hurt me so much to think that I hate Alistair? I should. He almost killed me. His own damn mate... Maybe I should reject him... Maybe I wasn't mean to have left India... I should have stayed where they would have killed me... I've almost died twice since I got here... Maybe that's what should happen to me...' I roared in anger and went back inside her room. She screamed in fear and I climbed on top of her, locking the door.

"Don't you ever think like that!" I roared in her face and she screamed and started crying. She tried pushing me off but I held her arms down as well as her legs so she couldn't kick.

"Get off of me you monster!" I froze and growled in pure anger.

"If anything, I'm your monster." She screamed again and that was when I heard a knock on the door.

"Alpha, Princess Amorelli's family are here," I growled and got off of her and fixed the room. I unlocked the door and let them inside. Amorelli was still crying and her mother ran over to her. Her father giving me a death glare.

"What happened?" Amorelli hugged her mother and she rubbed her back.

"I want to go home!" I started to shake in anger.

"This is your home." Ariana looked at me strangely.

"You aren't Mordikai, are you?"

"No." She nodded.

"Then who are you?"

"A monster!" Amorelli screamed and her father stood protectively in front of her.

"Amorelli will be returning with us after this meeting can once again take place." I roared in his face.

"She isn't going anywhere!" Diesel then came inside and sighed.

"Your majesty's, please, let me escort you two back to your room... Alpha and Amorelli need to calm down. As do both of you. I'm sure we can work something out. The meeting will begin at eight am tomorrow." Her mother cried as she left the room. Her father continued to glare at me.

"I don't know who you are. But you will pay for what you've done to my daughter." He shoved me out of the way and I growled lowly at him. Amorelli was still sniffing quietly on the bed and I sighed.

"Stop acting like a child."

"Just because someone cries doesn't make them a child." I saw a nurse start to walk in with a clipboard.

"When can she leave?" She flinched and cleared her throat while looking around in the stack of papers on the clipboard.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. She has severe blunt force trauma to the head and has a concussion. If she falls back asleep, she could fall into a coma. We need to keep her here for at least the night to see if her vital signs are stable." I growled and pushed her out of the way as I left. Why did she even have to hit her head in the first place? I didn't push her that hard. She should never have fallen in the first place.

~Amorelli~

I rubbed my eyes as the nurse looked at my vitals. She looked around and went to the door and shut it. She sighed.

"Look, you're actually fine. Yes, you actually do have a concussion, but since you are mated to him completely, it's starting to heal. You'll be fine in the morning but we aren't going to wait that long. We're gonna send you home at midnight. It's strict rules that visiting hours end at nine, and if any emergencies occur during the night the family waits in the waiting room, but they can not visit until nine am. However, you'll already be on your way home. Your family will escort you personally. Travel safe, Princess." She bowed and left my room, closing the door quietly as she left. I sighed. I'd rather go home to where he actually can't get me. Only merpeople can enter the trench. My parents came back in and they looked worried.

"I hope we can pull this off. Your brothers are actually going to come up and escort you. We said we would originally, but we need to be here during the meeting. And thank god it starts at eight am. Don't worry, we will make sure you are informed of everything. Hopefully, this will be the last day of the meeting. If not, he will be angrier than ever before... He won't stop until he finds you. And he knows where we all are, it won't be hard to find you when he does figure it out." My father tried telling me. I sighed sadly.

"I don't want to lie to him... I'd feel awful..."

"Amorelli, baby! He's turned into a monster! You aren't safe here! For God's sake look what he's done to you!" My mother was frantic. She hated seeing me get hurt.

"I guess it would be a good opportunity to get to know everyone else better..."

"That's the spirit baby."

"But I'm writing to him, telling him where I am and why I am going. I'll leave it here, so he doesn't throw too much of a fit." My parents sighed once more.

"You're too amazing Amorelli... We love you so much..." They both kissed my head and we exchanged our goodnights.

What about Zinniah?

I sat upright and felt light-headed so I had to lay back down almost as fast as it had happened.

"I don't mean to bother you... I just need to see Zinniah... Do you think you could ask Diesel to have her come here for a bit? I need to make sure that she's alright... Please?" I could hear the sigh of annoyance from the other side.

"Alright. She'll be in your room in five. Now don't bother me again." He cut off the link and I could feel my heartbreak once again. Why doesn't he want to talk to me? What am I doing wrong? I sighed and tried to get comfortable in the uncomfortable hospital bed. I always feel that constant intrusion of my mind. Is there a way I can stop that? I tried concentrating on somehow pushing it away. It was working, but then I felt it come back even stronger. I gasped and pushed even harder. It was going away, and I was grateful. I pushed just a little bit more and that feeling was gone. I waited to see if it would come back and it didn't. I sighed in relief when Zinniah finally arrived in my room.

"Amorelli! Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Are you okay? Serge almost died..." She looked really upset and I sighed. I found that button that Mordikai always presses and it extended the bed. She climbed in and put her head on my chest and hugged me tightly.

"He'll be fine... But you almost died and that really scared me. You're my family... You were my only family..." She started crying for a bit and I stroked her head, running my fingers through her hair. Her sniffling didn't stop until her parents came into the room.

"Thank you, Amorelli..." Her mother came in and was tearing up.

"For what? I don't understand."

"For taking care of her when we couldn't." She let a few tears fall and I felt my eyes water.

"You're welcome... She was like my little sister."

"Does that mean I'm not your little sister?" We looked at the doorway and saw Mariana.

"Mariana! No, of course, you're my little sister. Come here." She laughed and ran up to my bed and climbed up. She snuggled in between us and we all laughed.

"Hi Mariana, I'm Zinniah." Mariana giggled and hugged both of us.

"Now I have two sissies!" We all laughed again and made small talk. At some point, my parents and brothers came back in. We all started talking about what we liked and didn't like.

"I don't like boys! They're yucky!" Mariana screamed and we all burst out laughing.

"That's right! We'll make sure that those yucky boys stay away from you." I looked at my brothers when I said this and they puffed out their chests and cheeks and Mariana lost it.

"You three are amazing." I shouldn't have said that. They were taking in way too much pride at the moment.

"Why thank you." I giggled and stopped when I looked at the door. Serge was leaning against the doorway.

"Good evening Princess. How are you?"

"I'll be fine. Are you alright?" He sighed.

"I will be." He walked in and Zinniah got off the bed and hugged him. He rubbed her back soothingly and sighed.

"Don't you ever do that again." She mumbled into his chest and we laughed.

"I didn't do anything!" He whined just to make her laugh and it worked. They sat down in a chair together and her father certainly didn't like that.

"There are several chairs around the room. Why do you both need to share?" He crossed his arms and the boys oohed. I giggled and Mariana stared, wanting to know what would happen next.

"Zinniah's touch is calming, Mr. Waters. I also almost died today, sir. Twice." He pulled her closer and I felt lonely. Why couldn't Alistair love me as Mordikai and Comrade do? I shed a tear but wiped it away quickly. It, however, didn't go unnoticed by a little someone.

"Amorelli? Why are you crying?" I cleared my throat and made sure I didn't have any more tears. My father touched my shoulder and I screamed in pain. Another burn was left in its place. He gasped and I started to hyperventilate.

"Everyone get out now!" They all left the room and I pressed the button to lock it. I squirmed in pain and started to cry. Is this what it will be like in the trench? Will it always be this painful? Or will I be able to stay calm because I'd be in cold water? I felt that same intrusion from earlier and I sighed and just let it happen. I continued to cry and squirm from the pain. I heard Alistair's growl in my head. I gasped and sat up. What the hell? It sounded like it was right in front of me. Maybe I should mind-link him to see what had happened...

Wait, I know I can mind-link him... But is that why I always feel intrusions? Because he's constantly invading my mind?

'Is this true?'

″Congratulations mate. You figured it out. Now stop whining and let me in that damn room of yours.′ I heard his growl from outside the door and I gasped. Why is he here? I don't want to speak to him or see him.

"I know you can hear me mate. Open the damn door now." I shivered and started to cry even more. I don't want him to touch me. Would he rape me if I continue to say no? I can't let that happen... Oh god, where is my Mordikai? I continued to cry harder and screamed every time he banged on the door.

"Alpha! What's going on?" I heard a male doctor speak.

"My mate will not open the door. Her heat is acting up and she needs my help."

"I'm terribly sorry Alpha, but it's 10:05, visiting hours are over... We can not allow you to enter her room." I could hear the fear in the doctor's voice.

"I will do as I please! Open the door now!" He roared and I could practically see the flinch that the doctor made.

"Alpha, please! As much as I would open the door for you, you know the hospital's strict rules... You can come back after the meeting tomorrow morning..." I heard the doctor run off and Alistair growl in anger.

"You got lucky this time mate." I heard his thunderous footsteps retreat and I sighed and continued to cry. I looked at the time, and it was indeed 10:05. I got up on wobbly legs and went into the bathroom in my room. I saw there was a sink, a toilet, and a shower/tub. I sighed and filled the tub up with cold water. I looked in the mirror and I looked like shit. I unraveled the bandage around my head and saw that there was only a small scab, and by the morning it would be gone for good. I sighed and winced as everything hurt. I got into the tub quickly so I didn't change my mind. It was freezing, but it was helping a lot. I sighed and laid my head back slowly. I closed my eyes and sighed. How long will this last? The pain of my heat. It's all so much. I sighed and washed my body while I was in there. I was getting very hot so I kept splashing the water all over me. This wasn't enough, so I turned on the shower and stood up. I sighed as the cold water cooled my burning skin. I also washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner that was placed here. It felt nice to be clean. I've been sweaty all day and I was starting to feel disgusting. I got out when the water I was taking started to get warm from my body heat. I sighed sadly and dried off with a towel and fixed my hair. I peeked out into my room and saw a doctor inside. I hid behind the door trying to hide from him but he quickly put extra clothes down.

"Princess, here are some clothes. Your brothers will be here soon. Be careful." He ran out of the room, he was most likely not mated. I ran into my room and pressed the button again to keep everyone out and to have some privacy. I put the new clothes on and sighed happily to not be in my old clothes. I had been given a black ball gown and black slippers. I guess this was to blend in outside. I quickly put on the dress and heard a knock at my door.

"Amorelli. It's Sebastian. Are you ready?" I pressed the button once again and quickly had him come inside.

"Two things. One, help me with the back of my dress. Two, do you have the paper and pen?"

"Yes and yes." He fixed my dress up first and then gave me a pen and paper.

"Quickly now, please." He kept watching outside my door. I sighed. What should I even write? After a few seconds of thought, I came to a conclusion and started to write in my cursive writing.

'Alistair,

I know you don't care about me, and that's alright. All that matters is that Mordikai and Comrade love me. I've decided that I need to go home for a while. Maybe a couple of days to a week. I just need to be alone. I am aware that I am still on my heat, therefore, I will be extra careful while I am away. Since I'll be in the trench the entire time, the water should help regulate my temperature and heat.

I will be back, Alistair. I know you do not approve of me calling you by your name, but I don't feel comfortable calling you anything else. We are mates, please do not think I am rejecting you, or leaving you. I'm leaving to be with my family for a while. I don't know what I feel towards you. And I know you will be furious when you find out I'm gone. Even more so because you know that you can not enter, that only merpeople can enter our home. I apologize again, Alistair. I'm not trying to hurt you. But you need to understand that you can't be rude and tough all the time.

I know you have a heart, Alistair. Don't try and hide that from me. I understand that you have to be tough and rude and protective because I'm one, on my heat, and two, it's the only way you can get the respect you deserve. But you need to understand I will never respect you or love you if you continue to treat me this way. I need to be treated with respect myself if I am to give it back.

I know this isn't the proper way to say farewell, but I need to leave. You have hurt me too much ever since you came out. And I don't know if I can handle you acting the way you are. And I know you do not love me, but I know Comrade and Mordikai do. And you know what, that's all that fucking matters. There's a reason why inner wolves don't come out often, at all even. Learn to love and maybe you'll come out more. I don't know, and I don't care anymore.

Goodbye Alistair. I will see you when I return.

-Amorelli.′

I sighed as I finished my letter. I took up the entire page and some of the back since Sebastian did not give me two separate pages. I let a tear slide and it sadly hit the page. I folded in and put it in the envelope I was also given. I sealed it and wrote his name on the front.

Alistair. I shivered and placed it on the bed. I took a deep breath and walked out the door to meet Sebastian.

"Hurry up now, we need to get going now. We were able to get the jet from the hangar, and have it returned just in time before anyone notices it's gone." I ended up grabbing the bottom of my dress to keep up with my brother. We ran to a car where my two other brothers were, one of them driving.

"Where's Mariana?" I opened the car door and saw she was sleeping. I smiled softly and picked her up carefully and sat in her seat and let her sleep on me. I played with her hair to help her sleep. It was quiet in the car. The air was also thick with tension. I sighed and looked out the window and saw some wolves. I froze in fear, what if they're Mordikai's?

"Guys there are wolves at the edge of the forest." They looked out quickly and did see that they're werewolves.

"Shit, are they his?"

"I don't know. But we need to hurry. Go faster!" Lyle punched the gas and we were getting closer and closer to the jet. I sighed. I heard a howl and got even more scared. They're going to tell him.

"Are we going to make it?"

"I damn sure hope so." The plane was in sight. Almost there. Mariana started to turn and wake up.

"Are we home yet?"

"Not yet sweety. We're almost on the plane." She nodded and went back to sleep. I held my breath as we exited the car and entered the plane. I carried Mariana inside and we sat down. I laid her on the couch so she could sleep better. My brothers got on and the plane doors shut. I felt the nervous feeling continue to grow. Maybe it'll go away when the plane takes off? I held my chest, waiting for the plane to take off. I heard the engines start and howls in the distance.

"How much longer?"

"I don't know," Lyle replied but he was tapping his foot. He was also nervous and wouldn't be okay until we were in the trench. I felt the plane move forward and my heart started racing. I started to feel a slight intrusion of my mind and freaked out and immediately pushed it away. It kept trying to come back. I constantly pushed it out until it gave up. I knew it was Alistair, but I couldn't speak to him. And he couldn't know where I was going until tomorrow morning at nine am. The plane ascended and I let out a deep breath. We were finally in the air. Both Lyle and I looked at each other and nodded. His nervousness had left as well.

We were going home.