As soon as West hit the floor, a gust of wind knocked out some wolves who were in hiding. West's magic impact probably had done that, and I ran to him. Watching West unconscious was actually top of my list of things I don't want to see. I crouched so his head would be on my lap, my heart encased in fear. Not for me, but for West.

From the shadows, appeared Nicholas, looking as every bit smug as I've ever seen him. I saw red, and growled out, "What did you do to him?!"

"Edith, Edith, Edith," Nicholas clucked his tongue, five wolves flanking on either side of him. He smiled at me in the most creepy manner. "West was right not to trust me. It's a good thing he's out because he would have been a problem had he been awake."

My heart lurched. All this time I was so stupid. West had every right to be skeptical of him.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked. Why an ambush on two wolves who accidentally met him?

Nicholas motioned for something and watched me.

"I was supposed to meet one of the students that was supplying wolfsbane, but instead I found you two. I'm glad I saw to it that you both be taken care of since you guys didn't find out who the student was, you're useless."

"Good job, Nick," a large burly man appeared, wearing a suite and looking like the villain Kingpin. "You did some good work getting these two little wolves down here."

"Evan, we need to collar him and chain her," Nicholas said, and the big one had a large black bag in his hands, handing it to Nicholas.

Collar? I hugged West closer to me, almost shaking, and before I could shift, Nicholas dragged me out, placing chains- silver chains- on my hands as I screamed out, hoping anyone could hear me.

Two wolves dragged West away from me, and the silver made me hiss out in pain. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction that I was hurting and it burned so badly, my eyes watered. I had to be strong. For West. For me.

The big wolf, Evan, got down on my level, smiling. "You're such a pretty little thing." He smiled at me, placing his cold hands on my face, forcefully making me look a him. Even though I saw Nicholas hold out the hideous thing that was a collar. They still made those things?

"Don't!" I pulled at the chains on my hands, unable to keep the tears pricking. Not at my pain, but West's pain. He wasn't even awake to feel it yet. Who did that?

"This is the only way I'll know to keep this...beast...in check," Evan said. "Thank you Nicholas for telling us who we should be cautious of. This young Alpha looks to have some potent ability."

Evan looked at me too. "And then who must you be?"

Nicholas said, "I don't know exactly, but he cares for her. There's no mark on her neck, so I don't think they're mates."

Thank goodness. What would they do if they knew I was?

I was slipping in and out of consciousness. They tied me up to a pole, and just a few feet away from me was West, chained by his collar to the pole, and looking worse for wear. My throat didn't work, as I choked up seeing how he was bleeding- because of the silver that was used against him.

"So tell us, where is the student in your school who knew about us?" Evan demanded.

"We don't know," I said. "Just let us go."

I tried not to sleep, hoping I could make sure West was there. That they weren't going to take him away. His pain I felt through the bond left a deep stinging mark on my heart. I didn't know what could be done. I couldn't shift. West couldn't shift. He could use magic, but that would mean it would take much energy- which right now, he looked completely out of it. There were two wolves surrounding him, guarding him, but for what I don't know.

Then I saw it. Nicholas

The whip. For me.

"You need to tell us where," Nicholas said to me. "Or your post will be the whipping kind."

"Don't hurt her," West lowly growled out, bruised and battered, but the liquid glow to his eyes told me there was enough fire for the both of us.

"West," I breathed, but he didn't look at me.

"Do it to me," West stated.

"What?" I exclaimed, incredulous. "No- No!" He couldn't take it. His body could not take getting collared and whipped by silver. That was almost a death wish. He'd barely recover.

A look passed between Evan and Nicholas, and Nicholas smiled. "I would gladly do it."

"Do it to me- you always were going to do it to me!"

A hard and painful crack sounded as Evan punched me.

Not knowing how he even had the energy or the willpower, West pulled his silver chain, letting out a blood curdling growl making Evan freeze up a bit.

"I'll rip you apart!" West was subdued again by the now five wolves that were always on him, biting down on him.

"Bring out the whip," Evan ordered. I screamed at them not to, fainting at how much I yelled to no avail, but I couldn't watch him get whipped.

Nicholas was all too glad to bring out the whip.

The sound of shouting woke me up. My vision blurred, but thanks to being a werewolf, my eyesight adjusted to the dark, noticing that the wolves flanking West were gone.

Confused, I looked around us, wondering what could have happened, when I saw a large fire burning through the forest, burning through where the rogues were probably residing.

For the hundredth time, I pulled on the chain, aware that it wouldn't do anything.

Movement in front of me made me jerk back.

"Hi there, Edith."

Standing before me, with an almost familiar green eyes exactly like my mate's, but not the same at all, stood Wyatt.