The rogue wolf let out a low growl before quickly leaping in the opposite direction, beginning to flee from the scene at the sound of Nolan's howl.

The bushes and trees began to rustle as Nolan and a few other members of the pack shifted back into their human form and emerged from the bushes. The sight of him distracted me momentarily from the searing pain I felt; he was not wearing a shirt, and every line of his protruding muscles rippled as he walked.

Nolan was kneeling beside the driver's door in a matter of seconds, his piercing, hard eyes were filled with fear and concern as he stared at my flipped over figure.

"Charlotte?" his voice was filled with worry as he looked me over slightly.

I then realized that tears were streaming down my face rapidly as I gasped for air, "They j-jumped in front of the c-car and..." I tried to explain what happened, but I couldn't get the words out as I shook from my sobbing.

"Shhh," he hushed me in a soft voice, one I had not heard from him before, "Let's get you out of here."

"I'm stuck. It's the seatbelt..." I began to blunder with the restraint again, but he reached inside the car and placed a hand on mine.

"That's okay," he murmured. "Place your hands on the roof and brace yourself."

I did as I was told, and he reached across me, his arm wrapping around my waist as he unfastened the seatbelt with ease. Momentarily, I was suspended in the air, and then, in one fluid motion, he caught me with one arm and lifted me out of the car with ease.

Nolan quickly enveloped me in his strong arms, the contact of my skin with his bare chest sent electric currents through my body. My emotions were spiked, making me want to just close my eyes and fall asleep right there.

"Are you okay? Anything broken?" he asked as he carried me away from the totaled car.

I had gotten control of my crying by now and just slightly shook my head. I did not think anything was broken, but there were a few cuts on my skin from the glass of the shattered windows.

"Do you think you can stand?" he asked, looking down at me gently. He was no longer the cold man I had talked to before, but now a concerned, almost kind man.

Without waiting for an answer, he slowly lowered me to the ground, although he kept his hands on my waist to stabilize me. My legs were shaky, and immediately I almost collapsed when he set me down, but he caught me before I could fall.

It was then that I realized that there was a dozen pack members all bustling around the crash site. Some were in wolf-form, attempting to track down the wolf that caused the crash, and some were in human form, caring for Sophia, who I could see was sitting up now.

Nolan glanced over at her intently, wanting to make sure his little sister was alright as well, but he would not leave my side.

"I'm okay," I mumbled, feeling slightly awkward that I was the reason he had not checked on his little sister yet.

I gently pushed against his chest, propelling myself slowly forward a few steps and pushing him away from me. I wanted to show him that I was capable of standing without his support.

His eyes hardened when I pushed him away. "Charlotte," he muttered darkly as I turned away from him.

"I'm fine, go check on Sophia," I insisted, although I felt incredibly light headed.

He sighed loudly, "Rafael, come wait with Charlotte." He walked away as another man approached.

Rafael looked the same age as Nolan, with light brown hair and brown eyes, and he had a smile on his face as he walked up.

"Hey Charlie," he said, sounding kind enough.

"Hi," I muttered coarsely, and, when I tried to turn around to face him, I staggered and fell forward, landing on my hands and knees. A feeling of sickness overcame me and I coughed as I started to vomit, my head spinning and my throat burning.

Rafael immediately came to my aide, kneeling beside me and placing a hand on my back.

In a matter of seconds, however, a possessive growl sounded from behind me and Rafael lifted his arm from my body cautiously.

I did not have to look to know that Nolan was by my side. Instead, I could feel his presence and the connection between us. I knew that he thought we couldn't actually be mates, but, for me, there was no mistaking it.

Somebody else approached after I finished throwing up and Nolan spoke darkly, "What's wrong with her?"

A woman, who seemed a little older than thirty, knelt beside me and placed her hand on my head. The moment she touched me I felt a sharp pain and realized I had hit my head during the crash.

"Charlie, can you follow my finger," she held up her pointer finger and moved it up and down and then back and forth. I followed it with my eyes only and she watched me intently with stormy gray eyes.

"She has a minor concussion. It is what caused the vomiting and unbalance. I would suggest getting her home as soon as possible," she said to Nolan, who just nodded in reply.

"H-how is Sophia?" I asked hoarsely, my voice faltering slightly.

"A few broken ribs, but she has already started healing. She will be fine," the woman smiled and walked away, leaving me with Nolan, Rafael, and other watching pack members.

Nolan turned to Rafael, "I want you to organize a patrol to go after him," he spoke quietly, like he really did not want me to take notice of his instructions.

Rafael nodded and shifted into his wolf fluidly before barking at a group of wolves standing nearby. They leapt into the woods, leaving only a group of rustling bushes behind them.

I glanced at Nolan; he was wearing a shirt now, which nearly disappointed me, but I quickly shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts.

He was watching me with a burning, intense gaze, "You didn't turn back when I told you to. And this is what happened because of it." His voice sounded angry, although his eyes portrayed concern, as if, for a second, he thought I would die, just like his first mate.

I turned my head away from him, his alpha dominance was radiating off of him in ways that made my insides shake, "I'm sorry..."

He scoffed and stood up, just as a huge SUV drove up on the road.

He did not bother to say anything as he grabbed me and pulled me up into his arms once again. He walked me over to the car and placed me inside one of the seats in the back before closing the door and getting in the driver's seat.

I felt a little dejected by his actions as I tried to avert my gaze from him.

It seemed that now that I was safe, he was no longer interested in me.