If it wasn't for Alexander's arms around my waist steadying me, I would have fallen in to the sofa. But he sat by my side and pulled me on to his lap, rocking me gently.

"It's okay," he cooed softly, rubbing my back smoothly. "You're going to heal soon. Just bare with me for a couple of minutes. Please, Lyra."

His words hardly made sense to me, but I was furious.

My neck felt hot and there was a burning sensation that radiated throughout my body.

I could feel myself shivering and a temperature coming on, but the dripping wetness on my neck was my only focus.

"I'm dying," I told Alexander, my breath hitched. I was struggling to stay awake.

"You aren't dying, baby. You're already healing," he told me. "I'm sorry for hurting you."

I wasn't sure what was happening, but at his words, I could physically feel myself improving.

In a matter of minutes, all the symptoms that I had felt had disappeared. There was no temperature, and the wetness feeling was gone.

Glaring at my mate, I snapped, "What the hell? Were you trying to kill me too?"

Alexander frowned. "What?"

"Oh, please. What other reason is there for biting me?" I asked, pointing at my neck in horror.

My mate actually had the audacity to crack a smile. "I was not trying to kill you. I could never do that. You're mine."

I gave him a bored look. "Then explain this!"

"I marked you," he explained. "My mark on you means we are connected as one now."

My brows furrowed at his words. I was aware of the marking tradition, but the fact that he had done it without asking for my permission— that angered me.

But before I could project the anger that I felt, my eyelids were becoming heavy and I found myself drowsy. This was not the time for me to lose consciousness. I had to proceed with Jaxon's plan. It could get us all out of here.

"Lyra," Alexander's voice, faintly rang in my ears. "Baby, look at me."

His words became more distant by the second, and just when I thought I was going to pass out, I felt completely fine again. It was the strangest experience, but I found myself snuggling in to my mate's arms.

Alexander was still calling my name, but at my action, he held me tightly in his arms. I could feel myself being carried, but I didn't open my eyes to see where he was taking me.

When my back touched the soft mattress beneath me, I realised he had taken me to bed— to his bed from the musky scent of his cologne. Alexander didn't join me.

Instead, he left. I pried my eyes open to find myself in his room, alone. Before I could think twice, my fingers trailed along my neck, feeling the slight bump where his mark was.

At the touch, a tingling feeling raced through me. I was craving for my mate's touch, and it made me emotional.

'I am sorry for leaving abruptly. I will be with you as soon as I can.'

My eyes widened at Alexander's voice in my head and I gasped in surprise.

'How can you do this?'

'I am really sorry, baby. I promise I will explain it more when I see you.'

'No. I mean, how can you communicate with me?'

'The mark— we are connected now. Try to rest, I will be back soon.'

With that, Alexander was gone. Sighing loudly, I groaned as I pulled myself up and out of Alexander's bed.

I wanted to remain, and I wanted to get lost in his scent, but I couldn't fail my best friends. They were waiting for me, and I had promised Jaxon the deal. I was going to help them escape, and I was going to leave Silver Crescent before I got further attached to my mate.

Ever so slowly, I trudged out of my mate's bedroom. Alexander seemed occupied and this was the perfect time for me to proceed with the first task.

'I'm ready, Jax,' I quickly told Jaxon, as I readied myself to leave the pack house.

It only took Jaxon a few seconds before he responded. 'Sebastian is waiting for you.'

That was the green light I needed before I leaped out of the doors and ran. I sprinted as fast as I could to the border. I would have got there faster if I had shifted, but knowing Sebastian was waiting there for me made me think twice.

I wasn't exactly comfortable with being nude around him. There was one spot that I knew wouldn't be heavy on guards. Once I had reached the border to Silver Crescent, I glanced around in case anyone had noticed me.

When the coast was clear, I watched the distant guard carefully, waiting for him to turn the other way so that I could escape. When the guard was taking too long and I was loosing my patience, I picked up a heavy rock and threw it to the other side of the field and watched as the guard attended to the noise.

With the opportunity, I leaped out of the territory.

The guard caught me and yelled after me, but could not chase me because I was already out of their land. He would be trespassing if he tried to chase me— the exact thing Jaxon had told me.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I continued to jog along toward Pale Moon. Sebastian, Jaxon's good friend, was waiting for me where we had discussed. He ran towards me when he noticed me.

"You're here!" he beamed. "I was worried you wouldn't be able to get out of there!"

I didn't have time to catch up with Sebastian so I only nodded at the boy. "Jaxon said you would be here, but where are the others?"

Jaxon had told me Sebastian would be waiting with a couple of other Wolves, and we would work together to trespass Silver Crescent to get the trio out. But here I was, alone with Sebastian.

"Yeah, about that," Sebastian said, looking guilty. "I had gathered the men but then..."

"But what?" I snapped, annoyed.

"Gabriel found out," he responded, sighing.

"You're kidding," I accused him, but realised he wasn't actually joking.

Sebastian's forehead creased and he glanced at me apologetically before he took a step back and lowered his head. "I'm really sorry."

My brows furrowed in confusion as I watched the boy slowly step away, his head lowered.

"What are you doing? What's going on?" I hissed at him, taking steps toward him.

"Good job, Sebastian," Gabriel's voice echoed in the woods. "My darling, I knew you would be back."

At his voice, my spine completely failed me and I felt paralysed. My brows knitted together and I glanced at Sebastian in horror.

The plan that I thought was working so smoothly, was ending in a complete fail. I couldn't believe that I was back at square one. I had been gone for almost a week, only to end up back with Gabriel.

It was horrifying.

'Lyra, what's going on? Sebastian's blocked me out. Where are you now?'

'Gabriel.'

Before I could even tell Jaxon what was happening, Gabriel had me in his arms and was dragging me back to Pale Moon. I couldn't move a muscle in my body. I was frozen, completely.

It felt like a dream; a nightmare.

"What's wrong with her?" I heard Gabriel ask Sebastian, but I remained silent.

"I'm not sure, Alpha," Sebastian responded. "I think she's in shock from escaping the enemy."

"I'm going to kill them all," Gabriel growled, hugging my figure closer to him, making me cringe. "Don't worry, Princess. I won't let anyone take you again."

I wanted to respond, to cry, to scream, but nothing. Gabriel felt unfamiliar to me. So much like a stranger.

I missed Alexander and wanted my mate. I wanted to feel his protection, his presence.

My Wolf cursed at me, anger radiating throughout my body at her unhappiness. She blamed me for what was happening and I couldn't even argue against it.

'Lyra?'

When his voice entered my head, my emotions got the best of me and I felt the wetness on my cheek.

Maybe Alexander was the monster that Gabriel had made him out to be, but in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to be in his arms.

Almost realising how much of a mistake escaping him had been.

'Alexander, I am so sorry.'

'Baby, where are you? I came home but you were not here. Please, tell me where you are.'

His voice in my head calmed every cell in my body, but it had my waterworks flowing hysterically.

'I'm so, so sorry.'

'Tell me where you are, first. I will come and get you.'

'You can't, Alexander.'

'I can't? You don't want me to?'

Closing my eyes tightly, I exhaled heavily.

We had reached a car, and Gabriel ushered me inside of it, taking a seat beside me. He wrapped an arm around my back, and had me pulled close to him.

'Baby, what is happening?'

I wanted to respond to Alexander, but found myself unable to. When we entered Pale Moon, I had completely lost Alexander.

The safety that I had felt with Alexander's voice in my head, was completely gone and I found myself shook in fear.

"We're here," Gabriel whispered in to my hair after a while. "Welcome home, my dear."

My tears had dried up on my skin. I dared not to glance at the man whom had made me escape the pack in the first place.

Instead, I nodded once and followed him out of the car.

I wasn't sure what my future held beyond this, but one thing for sure; Jaxon's plan had completely failed, and everything that I had tried to work towards had only backfired.

I was back at square one.

Now, I had no way of escaping Gabriel. This only meant one thing; I was going to become his Luna. The precise nightmare that I had tried to escape from.