I hurled my backpack over my shoulder, rolled two suitcases to my bedroom door, and frowned at the hot pink pillow that Ruffles would always sleep on. She'd never lie anywhere else, except my chest, at night. It was full of fur, old and raggety, but it was hers. So I grabbed it, wanting nothing more than to keep it forever and ever.

The suitcases were stuffed full of my clothes and my essentials. I picked them up, one in each hand, and walked down the stairs toward Ares's voice. His stupid fucking voice.

As soon as he saw me, he grabbed the bags from me--his biceps flexing--and carried them the rest of the way to the car that Mom graciously lent him since his pack had run here from Moon Goddess knows where.

"I could've done that myself," I said, setting my backpack down gently in the backseat.

He pushed the bags into the trunk. "I know," he said. Before he shut the trunk, he gazed over at me. "Is this all your stuff?"

I pressed my lips together, looking up at my window, and frowning. "Yes," I said. I pushed past him to the passenger seat, but he caught my wrist. The skin tingled under his grasp, and I wished to the Moon Goddess that it didn't.

"And the cat?"

I growled and snatched my hand away. "She's sitting on my bed, wondering why my asshole of a mate isn't letting me take her."

Mom walked out of the front door, holding out her arms to hug me. I glared at her and walked to Dad instead, enveloping him in a hug. He wouldn't ever trade me. This was all her decision, and I hated her for it. So fucking much.

Dad rested his chin on my head, caressing my hair with his hand. "A," he said softly. "Don't hate your mother. She's... doing what she thinks is best."

But even his pleads didn't change my mind. What kind of person traded their daughter to someone known for his blatant destruction, for his vicious killings, for evil? A bad mother.

He kissed my forehead, and I tugged him a little closer. I expected Ares to break us up, tell me that it was enough and we had to go, but he waited patiently by the passenger side door.

"I'll take care of Ruffles for you," Dad said in my ear before pulling away.

"You don't have to." I smiled at him and walked to Ares, brushing right past Mom and Tony who was glaring at my mate.

"Aurora," Tony said.

Ares growled. "Don't," he said through clenched teeth. He snatched my wrist, pushed me into the car, and slammed the door. So much testosterone. I could just imagine what it was going to be like at Ares's pack. The Moon Goddess and I both knew that I wouldn't be able to handle it. I'd go off on everyone who was thinking with their instincts rather than their brain. And I knew that Ares's pack was just like him. Ruthless. Cruel. Heartless. I'll be going off on all of them sooner or later.

I sat in the car, not sparing Tony a glance--though I wanted to just to piss Ares off. Eight hours of hell with the king of war was going to be a fucking nightmare. Ignoring him the whole time, listening to his breathing, smelling that damn good scent of hazelnut.

He walked to his door and scooted into his seat. Then, without turning back, he started the car and drove out of the driveway and off of my property. I gazed at the trees flying past us, wanting nothing more than to run through that forest again, to let my wolf free the way I used to before I was hurt, to feel the wind in my fur, to be happy with Jeremy.

I wondered how he was doing, running with the wolves up in the clouds. Was he happy? Would he have exchanged me for his pack? Tears welled up in my eyes--tears that I didn't let fall. I hoped he wouldn't.

Ares turned to me, one hand on the steering wheel, the other one inching closer and closer to my thigh. "Don't even think about it," I said.

"Talk to me."

"No," I said, keeping my gaze focused on the windshield. Leaves were blowing wildly as we passed them.

"Kitten..."

"What?" I snapped. "What do you want me to say to you? That you're a dick for making me leave my family? That I think you're a complete idiot for destroying packs just for power? That I would rather be at home, continuing my comfortable life without you?"

Okay, that last one was a bit harsh and totally untrue. After last night and earlier in my bedroom, I was more than glad that I had met him. My wolf hadn't been this excited since Jeremy was alive. She was doing flips in my stomach, jumping up and down, running around in circles like she was high.

She was happy, but I wished that he wasn't my mate. I wished that he wasn't so... aggressively over the top. I wished that he didn't have his reputation. I didn't want to lead the kind of life where my mate destroyed any and all packs for power. But now I was being thrust into that life of pure violence.

He growled, his knuckles whitening on the steering wheel. "You know nothing about me," he said. "Nothing about the reasons I do what I do."

"I know that you plucked me right out of my home because you wanted me for yourself. I know that you used me to gain access to my pack. I know that you--"

Someone ran right out into the deserted street, and Ares slammed the breaks, sending me forward. My seatbelt cut into my collarbone, and I groaned. "I know that you're completely senseless," I said under my breath.

He gazed at me for a split second, looking me over, then turned back to the woman in front of us. She clutched her neck, blood seeping through her fingers. Ares parked the car, and my eyes widened. "Ares," I said. "What are you doing?"

The woman gazed at me through the windshield, and I immediately recognized her as a rogue. Her hair wild, her stench putrid, her skin cut up with marks that only a rogue would have.

Ares opened his door. "Stay here."

I undid my seatbelt. "Are you crazy?" I asked. "This is rogue territory, and you want to go out there to help a rogue you know nothing about. She could be chased by Hounds for all you know."

Hounds were the strongest type of rogue but much stronger and much more deadly. I shivered just thinking about them. The Hounds took away my shifting abilities, and I wasn't about to let Ares go out there without--

"Stay here," Ares said sternly. There it was again--that look of a god. The glare of the god.

I pressed my lips together, crossed my arms over my chest, and sat back. Fine, if he wanted to go out there, to get fucked up by whoever was running after that woman, I would get a front row seat. I didn't care.

He closed the door and approached the woman, saying something to her that I couldn't hear. She shook her head and wiped tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. She motioned to the forest and crouched down, clutching her stomach. Moon Goddess, this was going to take longer than I expected.

What was going to be a simple eight hour drive was going to turn into a twelve hour one.

I grabbed my backpack from the backseat and unzipped it, gazing into the bag. Two black eyes gazed back up at me, and it meowed. I smiled and pulled Ruffles out along with a bag of Ruffles chips.

She rubbed against me, like she always did when she wanted food. "Sorry, girl." I tore open the chips, and she stuffed her head in the bag, munching on one. Her cute little crunches making me smile. "My mate didn't want me to bring you... but I wouldn't leave you behind." She hopped onto the driver's seat, placed her two paws on the steering wheel, and gazed at the scene in front of us with a single chip in her mouth.

My gaze fell on Ares who was walking into the woods while the woman just stood there in the middle of the road. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. Moon Goddess, he shouldn't be going out there. He should be in here with me where he was safe.

After a few minutes, he emerged with a small pup on his hip. The pup was crying, his hair was dishevelled. The woman fell to her knees and reached up for the boy, unable to hold back her emotions. Ares placed the boy in her arms.

Ruffles meowed, and I nodded my head. "I know, girl. I know."

She meowed again and swatted my knee. I gazed down at her to see her staring at my passenger side window. And, just as I looked over, something smashed into the side of the car, the glass shattering all over my lap.

My heart pounded when it happened again, and I caught sight of the two black eyes of a Hound.