Ezra POV

The sirens ring out just as I make it to the pack border. My lungs freeze, useless to me in the wave of shock and horror. My head turns. The others on border patrol fulfill their roles perfectly.

We are all under command to rush towards the threat and destroy it, help in eradicating the rogues, but I just can't.

Because there is one single thought on my mind in this moment.

Klepto.

She informed just this morning that she wanted to spend the day with her brothers. They had a strong hold on her heart, and I won't deny her the joy they bring her, even if it is dangerous for her to be alone.

My mind reasoned that nothing bad would happen. What are the chances that we would be attacked when we aren't together? Now that we are officially together, we're be joined at the hip 24/7.

I'm kicking myself for those thoughts now.

My brain goes haywire the second those alarms are set off. Why did I have to be such a dumbass all the time?

The Green pack warriors area bit too excited for the fight, they take off down the strip, heading to the front lines in their wolf skins like it's second nature.

Conflicting thoughts war inside me, battling to be obeyed. The decision is not an easy one.

Duty, or love.

I am commanded to protect the males of this pack, help defend the little wolf pack nestled in the woods, but my heart demands I ignore the call to action.

My heart wants Klepto. I need Klepto.

It seems like my mind is already made up on the matter, and I don't stop to try and second guess it. I just go with it. My feet have a mind of their own in that moment, I bolt through the forest like a rocket.

I hope and pray to the Moon Goddess that I can find my mate. It makes sense that she would be at the safety bunker, if not I will probably freak out and try to strangle her if or when I do find her. I have to cross my fingers that she will be right where she's supposed to be.

My body works on audiopilot, steering me where I need to go to find Klepto.

It isn't long before I'm getting closer to the bunker. The pungent stink of fear and sweat soaks the wind and I cringe. The females and pups are cowering in terror while I abandon my post.

But, somehow an urgency to get to her side overrules every other instinct inside of me.

The noise of running makes me falter, and I see a dark furred rogue sprinting past me. It reeks of anxiety. As it passes I get a whiff of a sweet smell that is all too familiar.

Klepto.

Wrath crackles up and around me. She's nearby, she's in the woods, and a rogue carries her scent. I am not having this, any of it.

Part of me fights to chase the rogue and end its life here and now. Once again, the call for my mate is even more powerful.

I press on through the snow, determined to get to her.

"Klepto!" I bellow into the frigid sky, sprinting towards her scent that grows more pungent with each thudding step.

Two figures come into view and I almost crash to the ground when I see her sitting in her wolf form without a visible scratch on her. Her lighter muzzle is drenched in blood, her beautiful stormy eyes glazed over in a far off look.

"Sweetie, what are you doing?" I fall to my knees beside her, wrapping her up in my arms and holding her close. It's now that I notice the dead rogue a few feet away, blood surrounding it's corpse.

"Did you do this?" I ask quietly, softly. She nods her head, not looking at me. "Are you alright?"

She doesn't answer, but she continues to be despondent. I can sense the sorrow she feels. Of course, it seems a simple thing now.

Klepto has never killed before.

"Sweetie, so know you're not a bad person. You were protecting yourself, it shouldn't matter if he's dead or not. He wouldn't have shown any mercy to you, so why feel guilt?" I try to reason with her, but get nothing in return. Her head remains turned away, eyes glued to the wolve's remains.

I sigh, knowing that this was a big issue. She hasn't been around violence like I have, hasn't experienced what it's like to take someone's life. This will take time to work through, and I will be with her every step of the way.

My arms make their way around her body, pulling her to me and lifting her off the cold ground. I cradle her like a baby against me, her wet fur getting my shirt damp. It isn't hard to carry her, it's just like carrying a big dog.

She is calm in my hold, relaxing against my chest and sighing in peace. I glance down as I walk. Her eyes are closed, and her black nose twitches.

It takes a while, but the sirens finally shut off before we reach the cabin. I let out a sigh of relief. Some of the tightness in my muscles dissipates with the alarms. The attack is over, but there is still lots of fixing to be done revolving around the gorgeous creature in my arms.

When we get to the cabin, I carefully stride up the stairs as to not jostle her. She needs only comfort and calm now.

I go straight for the stairs. Sensing that no one is home, I relax a little bit more, taking my time.

My legs carry me to the bathroom, and I open the door with one hand while the other still holds my mate. She hasn't made a single noise this whole time.

Switching on the light, I make a beeline for the bathtub and set Klepto down gently into the large basin.

I lean back and observe her. She's silent, her eyes halfway closed and drowsy looking. The stench of the rogue's blood still covers her. The first step in this is to get that reminder gone.

I push down the drain cover in the tub. Turning the faucet to adjust the temperature, I decide to make the water hot to relax her. Every time I steal a glance at her, I realize more and more that she doesn't want to shift back just yet, she doesn't have it in her to talk right now, and that's okay.

The bottle of shower gel on the edge of the tub catches my attention, and I reach for it, popping the top. As soon as I pour some of it out, the bath begins to fill with bubbles. The aroma of lavender fills the small bathroom with a calming atmosphere.

Once the tub is full, I grab some more shower gel and go to work washing her. I take my time messaging her coat gently. Klepto's gray eyes roll back in her head, closing while I bath her. She appears so serene and relaxed in that moment, but I know a war wages in her mind.

The bubbly water begins to turn a murky red from the blood. I wash her fur thoroughly, being sure to not miss an inch of her. I feel that I need to replace the awful memories. She is my mate, and I now that I have finally realized how important she is to me, I will always take care of her, no matter what.

Eventually the water has cooled and I pull the drain up reluctantly. The water leaves the tub in drags with loud slurps. My arms wrap around her and lift her out, placing her on the tile floor. A large fluffy towel makes its way into my hand, and I drape it across her shoulders.

"Are you ready to shift back now?" I ask tenderly, her face bobs up and down gingerly. I nod back at her.

"I'll be right back with some clothes."

I go to our bedroom, quickly sifting through her clothing until I find something comfortable. It ends up being a baby blue nightgown. Though I really don't want to be seen as a perv, I glance at her underwear drawer knowing she needs panties. I cringe. Who actually likes the word panties?

I reach for the drawer, pulling it open lightening fast and grabbing the first pair I see and shutting it with a slam.

Well, that was interesting.

When I come back to the bathroom, Klepto is still in wolf form. She lays on the ground, her black head resting on her paws while she watches me with a tired, melancholy look.

I sigh, feeling the weight of her sadness in the deepest part of me. I've never once thought of how she would feel after killing someone. It has been such a normal part of my life for a long, long time. It's second nature now to end a life for me. But to her... to her this is all new.

"Here you go." I put the clothes on the bathroom counter, taking a quick glance at myself in the fogged mirror, then I look back down at my mate. She's so strong, and she doesn't even know the effect she has on me.

"Shift, change, and come back to our room. We can talk if you want, but if not that's cool too. Alright?" She nods again, remaining so utterly quiet that my heart throbs.

I inch out of the room, closing the door. My body goes slack against the wall. Oh boy, how am I going to handle this? I have absolutely zero experience in comforting someone or giving emotional advice.

This is the whole reason I've avoided Klepto for so long, why I pushed her away and acted like an ass. I don't know how to approach these situations.

But it's worth it. It's beyond worth it when I'm with her and know I can never let her go ever again. It's worth the uncertainty, the fear. I will try my hardest for Klepto.

I sit on my bed now. My leg bounces up and down with impatience. She's taking her time, but I won't rush her. If anything, this gives me time to think about what I'm going to say to her.

Reid's words suddenly pop into my head, "you just do". They're simple, kind of ridiculous, but more helpful to me now than ever.

The doorknob suddenly turns, drawing my attention. Klepto makes her way into our room. Her arms are wrapped tight around her waist, enhancing her eye catching curves. Her hair is still wet, those otherworldly eyes sullen and raw.

She closes the door and comes to me, slithering into my lap and wrapping herself around my body. I lean back on the headboard. I grab the covers, pulling them over us in one swift motion.

"You alright?" I ask after a long, drawn out silence.

"I'm not sure. I feel..." She breathes out as she thinks of what to say, "guilty. I know I shouldn't be, like you said, but I can't help it. I still see the blood."

I rub her lower back in circles, trying to calm her and reassure her that I'm here.

"I know, it just shows how good you are. He was a rogue. He was here to harm us, and you stopped that. Who knows, you could've prevented a lot of innocent people from being hurt. You even scared another one away in the process." After I finish, she's soundless again for awhile, and then she's sobbing.

I let her cry on my shoulder, snuggled up tight to me while she heaves with her tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She cries, and I shush her patiently, not sure who's she's apologizing to.

"It's alright, baby. You're not a bad person, you have nothing to be sorry for." She sniffles and then looks up at me. Her tears are breaking my heart.

"My whole life I've felt like there was something wrong with me. Klepto this, and Klepto that. Everyone calls me that to remind me that I'm broken. No normal person steals, no normal person gets high off of the rush of taking. I hate it, I've hated myself for so long because everyone else does." She shakes her head, salty droplets falling from her chin.

"Hey, it's okay."

"No! It's not okay!" She demands, her fingers getting tangled in my shirt as she pulls me closer. "You want to know the last time I heard my real name? I can't even remember, that's how long. Sometimes I whisper it to myself at night so I won't forget. That's how long!"

Her head collapses on my shoulder, the fight going out of her.

"What's your name?" I suddenly ask, and she sits up, rubbing at her running nose and sniffing.

"What?"

"I said, what's your name?" She watches me for awhile, suspicion clear in her eyes. I find that there is always a bit of suspicion hidden in her.

"Harper." She says in a small voice, and I smile at her.

"That's a beautiful name, I'm Ezra. It's nice to meet you." I hold out my hand for her to shake. She stares at it and then grins ruefully, the sight of her amusement is like the sun rising after the darkest night.

She shoves my arm back, laughing out loud.

Goddess, I love her damn laugh.

"So, Harper, huh? Do you want me to call you that from now on?" My mate ponders this for awhile, even going so far as to tap a finger to her chin as she stares up at the ceiling.

"No." She decides.

"No?"

"No." She shrugs one of her shoulders, and I let out a snort.

"Then what should I call you? Surely not Klepto." I say, and she now has a triumphant expression on her magnificent, heart shaped face.

"Surely yes. I want to go by Klepto." She tells me, a gleam of joy in her tone. I raise my eyebrows down at her. I can't help myself, I run my palm over her exposed cheek, traveling down. I cup the side of her neck and brush my thumb over her jaw.

"But they gave you that name. They called you that out of spite, and you want to keep it?" She nods, "Why?"

"I don't know if I can explain it." Klepto says, pursing her pink lips.

"Try."

She takes a deep breath, sighing as she collects her thoughts. I can practically see the wheels turning in her head.

"Well, if I choose to have that name it gives me... power. It makes me feel in control. I don't want that name to have any control over how I feel anymore. When I choose it, it empowers me, it's as if I've taken the name from them and they can't hurt me with it anymore." I'm amazed at her words, left momentarily speechless. My mate is beyond marvelous.

I reach for her again, laying her down across my chest and slouching down deeper under the covers.

"Klepto it is then." I kiss the top of her head, finally feeling some hope for our future.

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If you're reading this, I love you :)

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