I carried my precious mate out of the hospital room that was in my mansion and back up the stairs.

I had slipped one of my tshirts over Mariah's bruised body for 2 reasons.

1: I was no longer comfortable with her being in her bra and panties around my friends. Especially all the guys, even though they were mated.

2: I was trying to get her scent on me. Once a werewolf marks a she-wolf she will gain some of his scent.

Since I couldn't mark Mariah right now and it was driving me crazy so I tried to improvise. This was the best I could come up with.

She smelled faintly of me but I wasn't satisfied. I went up to my bedroom and layed Mariah on my bed. Then I slipped a shirt over my head. I could put my mate in this one later.

I went back over and picked Mariah up again. I refused to put her down. She was mine now. Nothing could stop me.

I headed downstairs. With my hands on her thighs, her head on my collarbone.

"Man is she sleeping?" Damien asked me when I got to the living room. I saw Selena and Ethan were both asleep on the couch.

Damien, Bryli, Rylin and Nate were all sitting around on their phones, cuddling in couples.

I sat down in the corner of the couch and shifted so Mariah was laying across my lap. I growled involuntarily in satisfaction.

"No, no, no." Bryli came up to me. I looked at her.

"That poor girl wakes up in your arms in nothing but underwear, a bra and your tshirt she'll have a panic attack."

I growled at the thought of my mate hurt. I almost whimpered at the thought of letting her go.

"Now you know how it feels man, when I first met Rylin I pretty much carried her everywhere. You used to tease me so much. Now you know how it feels."

Nate told me with his eyebrows raised in a mocking way. I rolled my eyes. I heard a sleep-filled voice sound through the room.

"That feeling of over protectiveness never fades. It's always their. At least Luna won't beat you." We all chuckled at Ethan's joke.

Selena's the daughter of the third strongest pack of the world's Alpha. Her dad passed the title onto Selena's brother, Axpen, 2 years ago.

Me, Ethan, Nate, and Damien were all good friends with Axpen but didn't really know Selena. That was until one time we went for a visit Ethan found out she was his mate.

Everyone's relationship was different.

Damien and Bryli had a caring bond. Bryli liked to care for everyone around her but sometimes forgot about herself. Damien made sure Bryli got her well deserved care. Damien and Bryli were really chill so they were easy to be around and usually calmed your nerves.

Ethan and Selena had a very balanced bond. Ethan was a goof and would always be messing around. Selena was badass. She had Alpha blood after all. Selena's seriousness played off for with Ethan's humor. But at the same time Selena was fragile in moments and Ethan would always beat whoever messed with her

And lastly, Nate and Rylin. There bond was incredibly strong. Rylin was a rogue who was being chased by all kinds off evil packs because she was a red wolf. Red wolves were really rare and valuable because they have the ability to make their mate 5x stronger than he already is. Rylin herself is at the average area in strength and speed but her power is to enhance others. What's better than a strong, kind, silent warrior for a scared she-wolf in need of protecting? Nate was already strong but when he mated with Rylin his strength increased alot. He still couldn't take out me and maybe Tyson but definitely anyone else.

Rylin was kidnapped a year ago and was missing for a week. Nate went crazy. He killed multiple pack members and severely injured others. I thought he was going mental. Then we found her. Rylin and Nate never left each others side. I barely saw them apart. And it makes sense. Nate was broken when Ry was gone.

All my friends had extremely good bonds with their mate and I just wanted that for me and my little one. Mariah shifted in my lap, snapping me out of my memories.

"Fineeee" I whined, while getting up and bring Mar upstairs. I set her on my bed and left the door open, going back downstairs.

How was I going to tell her?