Maxwell's wolf was finally satisfied.

He pulled back and admired his claim. He had branded his claim on his mate and there was no force in this world that could undo it. She was now his. The mark on the neck was for the world to see his claim.

His Mate!

As he became content, his singular objective achieved, he let Maxwell wrestle the control back.

As Maxwell took control back, one feeling overcame him. Horror.

Horror at what he had done.

He realized that he was still holding her as a rag-doll and she was clearly in shock and sobbing inconsolably. His hands recoiled in shock as he released her.

She collapsed at the door, the very door which would have granted her freedom some time ago. But now, there was no door in this world that could give her freedom back. She curled in to a ball and the gut wrenching sobs wracking her body shook Maxwell to his very core.

How could he? How could his stupid wolf!

There was no excuse, he had claimed this girl against her wishes. His horror slowly turned to disgust. Disgust at himself, for his actions. He looked down at the girl sobbing, his hand automatically extended to comfort her but stopped midway.

She was curled in to a ball, her head at her knees and her hand on top of her face as if trying to protect herself. It was heartbreaking and wrong on so many levels.

He would be the last person on the planet who could comfort her right now, he could feel the mate bond slowly forming with every minute. It would only grow stronger. He was terrified of her reaction, what would she do? What would she feel? She would surely hate him. But right now looking at her so helpless he felt overwhelming bitterness of his actions.

He looked around and saw Alex half lying on the floor with shock and Adrian standing stoic with a grim expression on his face.

Finding one's mate should be a celebration, a happy event. Not this. Anything but this. This was wrong!

Seeing Maxwell's horrified face Adrian jumped into action. He figured out mostly what happened and he would fill in the blanks later, but for now, he needed to prioritize.

He walked up to Maxwell who was looking down at the girl in horror and gently put an arm on his shoulder from behind.

"Maxwell, get out of here" he gently said

Maxwell turned back to him still with an expression of disbelief as if he could not believe what happened in the last few minutes.

"I..." Maxwell started but words failed him.

"She.." He started again pointing to the girl but nothing came out.

"Leave Maxwell" Adrian said firmly "You cannot do anything now, go to the room and take some time, I will try and sort this out meanwhile.

Maxwell nodded and he looked at the girl "I am sorry, so sorry!" He whispered more to himself then to her. Adrian shoved him out "go!" And finally Maxwell turned and left.

Adrian went over to the covering guard "I need a car in 2 min at this door" he said pointing to the door where Evelyn was still lying and sobbing. The guard nodded

"And" Adrian said in a tone that would not take any prisoners "not a word about this"

The guard eagerly nodded "once you are done, I want you to pack up and leave for Roma and don't talk to anyone. Do you understand?" The guard looked in to the hard eyes of Adrian and nodded again "good" Adrian said dismissing him as the guard jumped in to action.

Adrian walked over to Alex who had finally got up but not over his shock yet. Adrian held his arm and dragged him to the crying girl.

"Pick her up"Adrian commanded as Alex looked at his with a question mark expression.

"A familiar face would help her" Adrian said "Pick her up, now!"

Alex crouched and slowly whispered "Evelyn" as he touched her shoulder with his hand.

She recoiled at his touch shuddering and he winced pulling his hand back . Anger flared in him. How could he do this to her. Of all people, her! she did not deserve this, no body deserved this! he thought bitterly.

That bastard!

He considered her as his friend and he did this to her. He never in a million years thought that Maxwell of all people would do something like this.

Adrian nudged him out of his thoughts.

"Evy! it's me Alex, let me take you home" he said gently coming close to her.

He saw no reaction but when he gently laid his hand on her shoulder she did not recoil as she did earlier.

"Pick her up" Adrian said with urgency.

Carefully, as if handling a china doll, he picked her up and she buried her face in his chest, sobs still wracking her body in periodic intervals. Adrian opened the door and Alex stepped out with her held in his arms.

A car was waiting for them outside with engine running and the same guard Adrian instructed at driver seat.

Adrian opened the back door as Alex carefully got in with Evelyn, he gently laid her down on the back seat, where she curled up immediately and he slid in next to her. Adrian closed the door and moved to the front, sliding in to the seat next to the driver.

"To the pack house" Adrian barked even before he closed the door and the driver immediately swung in to action.

The car was totally silent with suffocating tension as it sped towards its destination. Each one of them in their own thoughts.

Alex peeked at Evelyn's neck and winced again. The angry looking puncher marks would take time to heal, but heal they would. He was not sure on the wounds inflicted on her heart and soul.

He gently tried to clean her neck off the blood but she moaned in pain as he tried to clean and left it there. She had stopped crying but was lying lifelessly next to him, she had passed out. His heart clenched at her sight.

***

"What happened to my baby!" Cathy Parker exclaimed as she opened the door. The sight that greeted her terrified her. Her baby was lying lifelessly in a strangers arm's with dried blood on her neck and shoulders.

"Ma'am" Adrian interrupted her "Where is her room?"

"Here" She hurriedly showed the way. As she opened her bedroom door, Alex passed her and gently laid her on the bed.

"Can you give me a wet towel?" Alex asked her.

She hurried in to the the bathroom and wet a towel under a tap and handed it over to him.

He gently, started cleaning the blood away as Cathy hovered behind him.

Alex gently pulled her hair away, turned her neck away from him to clean her throat covered in dry blood when he heard her mother gasp.

The cat was out of the bag.

"Who?" she whispered "Who did this to her?" she demanded, not that she understood. The puncture marks clearly visible on her neck were like a beacon and he just noticed as he had taken a breath, her scent...it was changing, it would take a few days for it to become evident to everyone but if you were really in close proximity to her, in this case he was. You could detect the shift in her unique scent. One of the side effect of the mate bond kicking in.

"Did you do this to her?" Cathy asked Alex with accusation in her voice.

He gritted his teeth in anger as Adrian responded "No. Ma'am, its not him."

"Then who?" she demanded "Who did this to my baby?" her voice had pain only a mother could experience.

"Ma'am. Please take care of her, that is the most important, the rest we will handle" Adrian assured gently steeping near the bedroom door.

"Alex" he called out to his brother, he wanted to beat an hasty exit before she threw in more questions.

Alex got up from near Evelyn's bed where he had been kneeling and walked over to Adrian.

"I know you" Cathy Parker said "You are the Roma twins" that was the nick name that the pack had given them.

"Was it someone from your group? And now you are protecting the perpetrator, because he is one of you?" She demanded and looking at their stoic faces her eyes widened "That's it, isn't it?" she asked "I am right" she declared "You are protecting someone who did this to my daughter!" he pointed an finger at her daughter, who at the precise time chose to moan and was coming around.

The mothers attention shifted completely to her daughter as she keeled near her daughter's bed and blinked the tears forming at her eyes rapidly away.

"My baby" she cooed, gently putting her hand through her daughters hair trying to comfort her. She had totally forgotten about the twins.

Adrian taking this opportunity dragged Alex out of the house.

Alex was seething, barely in control of himself. The driver was still waiting for them.

Adrian looked at the drivers and said "Leave"

And the driver sped away with the car.

Adrian dragged Alex in to the forest, far enough from the pack land and house and Alex came with him without resisting as his mind was a million miles away.

He stopped in the middle of the forest and asked "Alex, what the hell happened?"

At Adrian's questions Alex broke out of his reprieve, noticed his surroundings and asked Adrian "What the hell are we doing here?"

"I am not taking you back until you cool off and tell me what happened."

Alex's eyes flared "That bastard did this to her!" he spat out.

"I am assuming by bastard you mean your life long friend and also your prince, Maxwell" Adrian calmly responded.

Alex widened his eyes at Adrian's statement.

"You and I know Maxwell all his life, do you really believe Maxwell would have done this intentionally?" Adrian demanded.

Some of the anger subsided, but frustration welled up in it's place.

"No" Alex conceded after a minute of silence.

"Good" Adrian responded calmly "Now, tell me everything you know, from the beginning, without leaving anything out"

While I try to sort this mess out he thought to himself.

***

"What happened?" Jeff demanded as he entered Evelyn's room.

"oh Jeff! Look what they did to my baby!" She exclaimed as she flung herself at the man she loved.

He calmly wrapped his hands around the love of his life as he saw his daughter, even though she was not his daughter of his blood, he still considered her his. His daughter was lying on the bed with blood on her.

As he was looking at her face, her eyes opened and what he saw in her eyes, shook him to his core.

The colour of his eyes turned black.

Who ever did this to her would pay!