What kind of special hell was I living in? I kept feeling like I was falling down a black hole without an end. My sister died at the hands of my mate. Her confession hit me harder than what I had expected.

Almost a week had passed since that day that changed everything. A week without Sage by my side. I had gotten used to her being by my side. I got used to waking up next to her and sleeping knowing she was just there.

There was a knock on my door and Alex stepped in without an invitation. He looked just as tired and stressed as I did. I was aware that he was getting the worst end of my moods. He didn't deserve it, but I couldn't bring myself to really care.

"Imperial will be here later today." Alex said.

"I'm aware." My voice came out strained.

Rider was a threat. My wolf felt it too. It was becoming hard to push him back. There were several times that I came close to shifting just because someone said the wrong thing. It was getting out of control.

It was all because of my mate. My beautiful and wolf mate. My mate who hid secrets and lied. My mate who killed my sister.

Ellie didn't deserve to die. She was too pure. I didn't think that just because she was my sister. To know Ellie was to know the warmth of the sun. Warmth radiated from her like I had never seen before.

And just like that, she was gone.

"I was planning on letting... them out for a quick run. They haven't shifted in days. It's better if they get their pent up energy out."

"Send a few guards to take Jake and Bre out. I'll take care of Sage."

Alex gave me a look that I tried not to read too much into. I knew he wasn't a fan of Sage and knowing the truth made it worse. Alex loved Ellie like a sister. He took her death just as hard as I did.

"Is that all you needed?" I asked.

"What are you planning on doing, Shayne?" Alex asked.

"I'm just going to take Sage out for a quick run and-"

"Not about that." He cut me off. "I mean what are you going to do if Eric and Rider want her dead for what she did?"

"They won't kill her." A growl left my mouth.

"What if they do?" He pressed.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "I don't know."

Alex was quiet for a moment. "Do you honestly think she did it?"

"She told me she did."

Alex took a seat in front of me and he let his head drop. A heavy silence fell between us. I couldn't imagine what he was thinking. Maybe he thought Sage should die for what she did.

That single thought running through my head had me on the verge of shifting. It angered my wolf. It angered me too.

"She wouldn't have wanted her dead, you know." Alex finally said. "Ellie I mean. She would have forgiven her in a heartbeat. That's just who she was."

"I know."

It hurt to think about Ellie. It always did. Before I imagined what it would be like to finally have justice and punish the person who took her life. Well, life did seem to have a twisted sense of humor.

I should have seen it coming. All the signs were there from the beginning. She kept trying to run away. She didn't want to be here, but she stayed. I couldn't understand what had changed.

I was happy to have Sage with me. She brought a new light to my life I didn't know I needed. With everything that was happening now, I felt like it was all a lie.

"I'm going to take Sage out. Make sure Jake and Bre get taken out too." I said, standing up.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Alex asked, eyeing me.

I looked down at my hands and noticed my claws were out. My eyes were probably pitch black. My wolf was at bay and I needed to let him out.

I also just needed to see my mate. Too many days had passed and I could already feel my control starting to slip.

"I need to see her." Was all I said.

I took my time walking to the prison cells. I needed the time to calm my wolf down. I wanted to make sure I had somewhat of a clear head with Sage.

I could hear talking as I approached the cell Sage was in. They all went quiet as they heard me approaching. I felt my entire body relax when I finally stood in front of her. This was what I needed.

Sage was laying on the bed curled up. Her eyes looked tired. There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked too pale.

That's when I noticed the smell of vomit. It was coming from her cell and it explained her appearance. It was the thing that now brought me into high alert. Something was seriously wrong.

"If you're here to bother her then you can leave." Jake said. "She isn't in the mood."

"I'm not here to speak to you." I snapped at him.

My wolf wasn't in the mood to even talk to her so-called brother. My wolf kept screaming at me to tend to my mate.

"Then why are you here?" He asked.

I kept my eyes on Sage and I could practically see how she was trying to keep herself together. Her wolf was calling out to mine, and mine was dying to have her closer. It was agonizing.

"I'm here to take Sage."

"You're not taking her anywhere." Jake growled at me.

"You're all being let out to shift. If you run away then my men have orders to kill you."

That got Sage's attention. She quickly sat up, but then groaned and fell back into the bed. Her hand brushed the side of the bed and I saw her bring up a bottle of water. She propped herself up and took a few mouthfuls of water.

After she set the bottle on the floor, she made another attempt to sit up. I heard the small sigh that left her and she looked relieved. She also looked like she was going to be sick.

"I don't want to go anywhere." Her voice came out small and weak.

"I don't care what you want." I managed to say without emotion.

I couldn't take my wolf trying to claw its way out anymore. I reached into my pocket to fish out the key to her cell. One I was inside, I wasted no time in getting her out of the cell. If I didn't get her out soon, my wolf would shift and if that happened, I didn't know what he would do.

"Stop." Sage said.

"She's sick!" Jake growled.

"She's been throwing up all week." Bre added.

I looked at my mate again. She was sick? That explained the vomit and the pale look. Now I really needed to get her out. But I also needed to be careful. My wolf wasn't taking kindly to the way I was handling her.

"Maybe you should get her to a pack doctor." Bre suggested after I loosened my grip on Sage.

"I'm fine."Sage said. "It was the food I ate."

"Guards will be here to take the both of you out." I informed them.

I dragged Sage out of the cells and led her out of the building. My wolf wanted out and I just needed to get us out of there. I was moving too quick for Sage to keep up.

Once we were out of the building I felt a bit more relaxed but it wasn't enough. I dragged her deeper into the woods. I kept letting my wolf lead the way.

I knew that if anyone got in my way right now, I would kill them. My wolf felt like there was a threat and it annoyed me just how protective he was being. I didn't understand it and that confused me even more. The only threat was Eric and Rider, but I already had that in mind.

Once we were far enough that my wolf was satisfied, I let go of Sage. I needed to shift. I wanted to let go of everything and just give over to my instincts. That was hard to do when my instincts were leading me to act like a lunatic.

I took off my shirt and tossed it to the side. I was going to take off my jeans next but noticed Sage looking at me. I expected her to have already shifted. It was over a week since she last let her wolf out.

"Take off your clothes." I said.

Sage raised a brow at me and didn't move. I didn't know why she just continued to look at me. I walked closer to her and all I wanted to do was take her in my arms. Before I could do that, I simply reached for her shirt to help her take it off.

"Don't touch me!" Sage said, smacking my hand away.

"Take off your clothes." I ordered.

"I'm not taking off my clothes while you're watching me like a pervert." She snapped.

"I'm your mate and I can see you naked if I want."

"Oh, so now I'm your mate?" There was a challenge in her tone.

I couldn't explain what those words did to me. It got my wolf riled up even more. She was mine. Despite everything that had happened. We belonged to each other. In every single way, Sage was my mate.

"Take them off, now." I said threateningly.

"I don't have a problem if these clothes get shredded and I don't care if I have to walk back naked." Sage said.

My wolf definitely didn't like being challenged. I growled and she jumped back out of my reach before I could grab her arm. In a matter of seconds she shifted and Grey wolf stood in front of me. My wolf took that as another challenge.

I shifted into my wolf once my jeans were off. I towered over Sage in my wolf form but she wouldn't back away. It wasn't in her to do that. Especially with the way things were right now. Our relationship was hanging by a strand.

"

Disobedience will get you nowhere.I said through our kind link.

It will keep me away from you. Sage said right before she broke out into a run.

I should have expected her to make a run for it, but I'd hope that she wouldn't. I tried to steer her in a different direction. I felt like a cattle dog trying to herd its sheep. I almost snorted at the stupid thought.

My wolf relaxed when Sage no longer seemed like she was going to try to escape. As we continued to run, she slowed down and seemed to relax more.

The wind felt good brushing against my coat. This is what I needed. After a while I felt myself relax. Having Sage next to me calmed me down. I told myself that I wasn't going to think about the mess we were both in. Right now, here, it was just the two of us.

But then that terrible feeling started coming back. The one that was threatening to shatter everything and I needed to get away.

We have to go back. I said.

We've only been out for ten minutes.Sage said, sounding disappointed.

Ten minutes is enough.

My tone came out too harsh. Sage hung her head and started heading back. I shifted once I found my clothes I had tossed on the ground. Sage shifted and began walking away. She didn't have anything to change into. I had only slipped on my jeans when she started walking away.

I growled out and reached out for her. I pulled her back and she crashed into me. She looked up at me through narrowed eyes. Did she honestly think I would let her walk around completely naked? My wolf was just as furious. The possible threats were endless and my wolf was seeing red.

"Where do you think you're going?" I growled.

"Walking back. You didn't want to look away so now you can look at me all you want, just like everyone else."

She was taunting me. Even though I let my wolf out it hadn't been enough. I was so close to shifting. I couldn't understand why it was so hard to keep control.

"You aren't going anywhere like that." I growled.

"Whatever."

Sage tried to pull away but I didn't let god. My eyes roamed her face and I could see up close just how all of this was affecting her. She looked different. Heck, she even smelled different.

As soon as that thought entered my mind, something felt like it snapped together. That's what had my wolf riled up. Something in her scent had changed and I didn't know what it was. From what I could see, she didn't physically look any different.

"You smell different." He said.

"What?" Sage asked, looking confused.

"Your scent is different. Why is it different?"

My hold on her tightened. What was it that was so different that had my wolf crazy?

"Maybe you don't recognize it anymore."

"Don't play with me, Sage." I said. "Who have you been with?"

"Are you serious? I've been locked in a cell for a week, a week! And you're asking me if I've been with anyone else?"

I was being ridiculous. It was just because she was sick. What if she was dying? No. I needed to stop. I wasn't helping either of us with those thoughts.

"Are you really sick?" I asked.

"I'm fine."

"Your body feels warm."

I didn't realize I had done it, but my hand came up to cup her face. She was too warm. It wasn't normal. My hand pressed against her forehead and her cheeks just to be sure. Suddenly, Sage pulled away from me and I saw the hurt in her eyes.

"I'll get the pack doctor to take a look at you." I said.

"I don't need a doctor."Sage shook her head. "I'm fine. I just hate the food the guards are bringing me. It's dry and it tastes like rotten food."

"I'll change that."I promised her

I gave Sage my shirt and was glad she didn't argue with me. She slipped on my boxers as well.

"Shayne, can you-"

"No."

"You don't even know what I'm going to say!" She said.

"You want me to let you out."

"I don't want you to let me go. Keep me locked up if you want. But not them."

"They knew-"

"No, they didn't know anything. I lied to you about them too."

"Is there anything you didn't lie about?"

Sage flinched. Could she honestly blame me? All she had been doing was lie to me. It hurt. Damn did it hurt knowing everything was a complete lie. It went as far as making me doubt if she even loved me at all.

"Jake knew what I had done but he wasn't the one who did it. He didn't even know me back then. Bre didn't know either and they have no part in this."

"They broke the Law. They're Rogues and they didn't turn you in."

"Is that what you would have wanted?" She asked.

"I'm not letting them go." I said, ignoring her question.

"Shayne, please," she was begging now. "Bre is going to die because of me."

"She will be punished. As for you, I'll let Eric and Rider decide."

"She didn't do anything. Bre is-"

"I don't care who or what she is." I snapped. "I've made up my mind."

"They're going to sentence us to death! Are you going to let them do that?"

No. They wouldn't kill her. I knew Eric would want her dead, but dead wasn't as fair of a punishment in his eyes. Maybe death would be better if he was thinking about a special kind of torture for Sage.

My wolf again was screaming at me to protect her. No one could even touch her. I was brought out of my thoughts when Sage started running. She hid behind a tree and I followed.

Before I could even reach for her, she was vomiting. What was going on? I had to take her to the pack doctor. This wasn't normal.

I pulled Sage's hair back until she finally stopped. Sage tried to push me away but her attempts were weak. She wasn't in any condition to even get me to move an inch.

"I'm taking you to the doctor." I said when she finally straightened.

"Why waste his time when I'm going to die?"

"You killed my sister."

"I was ordered to do it! Have you ever stopped to ask what happened that day? You think I wanted to do it? I was fifteen! I was scared and I didn't know what to do!"

"So you killed my sister?!"

"I didn't know! How was I supposed to know she was your sister? I didn't know you were my mate. I hadn't reached that age yet."

"You're lying. I don't care what you have to say."

"Keep in mind that I was part of Imperial and the orders had to come from someone."

Sage walked ahead of me and didn't turn back to look at me. Not even when I had guards escort her to the cells. As soon as the door closed behind her, I headed to see one of the pack doctors.

I gathered a few things for Sage and had Sam send them to her. I only had a short time to get ready for Rider's arrival. Three Alpha's in one territory wasn't a wise decision.

When Alex informed me that Rider and his pack were here, I felt my wolf go on high alert. The urge to eliminate the threat was almost unbearable.

I wanted Alex and Sam with me. Chase was making sure our territory was secure and that some of our best people were patrolling. The last thing we needed was a surprise attack.

"Shayne," Rider said as a way of greeting when he stepped out of his truck, "it's been a while."

"Rider." I nodded.

"Where is Eric? I thought this would be a party of three."

Every party needs its clown, Alex said through our mind link.

"He will join us in a few. We have a few things to discuss."

Rider nodded at a few of his guards that surrounded him. They all took positions next to the cars, and two trailed close to him.

I led them into the conference room that connected to my office. Everyone settled around and I had to take a few moments to make sure I kept a leveled head through this. I couldn't lose my temper and I couldn't let my wolf take control.

Sam, Chase and one of my best fighters were the only ones in the room with us. I wasn't worried about Rider trying anything. He would be stupid to do so.

"Where is your lovely mate? Will she be joining us?" Rider asked.

"No. My mate will not be joining us right now." I said. "We have a few things to discuss before we talk about her."

Rider raised a dark brow. "Alright. What do you want to discuss?"

"My sister. I want to know what happened that day."

"What happened that day is between Eric and I."

"It involves my sister. That means I need to know what happened. Your pack was involved. Something happened and I want to know everything."

Rider sat back in his chair and even though he seemed unconcerned, I could tell that he was going to try to toy with me.

"Have you asked your mate?"

"This conversation doesn't involve her."

"Doesn't it, though? She belonged to me. She was there that day and if my memory serves me right, she was the one who killed the Luna."

"Fine. You want to talk about Sage? You were her Alpha. Did you order my mate to kill my sister?"

Rider laughed and shook his head. He still tried to seem relaxed and unbothered, but looking closely, I could see it was all a game. His eyes kept shifting to black and even though his posture sagged, I could see he was tense.

"Sage is a traitor to our pack. The moment she chose to attack is the moment she stopped being a part of my pack. I didn't have control over her. I tried to stop it. The others involved were punished. Sage ran away before she had to pay the price of her betrayal." He said. "Now that I've found her, I demand to be the one who chooses her punishment. She rightfully belongs to me."

Before I could get out of my chair and attack him, there was a knock on the door. Eric walked in alone. He didn't need to protect himself from me or my pack. I was glad that he trusted me enough that he knew my pack would protect him if Rider decided to attack him here.

"If anyone is choosing her punishment, it's me." Eric said, taking a seat closest to me. "It was my mate that she killed."