The nurses were fluttering around Gavin's bed, monitoring his every move while they swapped his bandages and checked his throat. Relief coursed through my body as they gave him the all clear but instructed him to rest in the following days.

Gavin nodded, a tired smile playing on his lips while he sank down in the fluffed pillows. The nurses nodded at everyone in the room before leaving, assuring they'd be there in a flash if Gavin needed them.

I could feel my own body relaxing as I could finally sit back, knowing that my big brother was going to be okay. He had always been my best friend, my hero, and seeing him like that, defeated, weak and helpless made me sick to the core.

He looked up at my approach, smiling softly. "Max..." he croaked, grimacing as each swallow he took pulled at the wounds on his throat. His eyes flitted through the room, coming to a rest on mom and dad.

"Hey guys..."

"You stupid, stupid boy." Father groaned with tears in his eyes while mom rushed to Gavin's side, weeping and trembling as she kissed his temple over and over again. "Why would you even fight so many alone?"

Gavin groaned in pain as mom's hands fluttered helplessly in the air, muttering praises to the Goddess and glared at Gavin when he chuckled softly. "You are in so much trouble, young man! Don't you think that just because you're the Beta, I wouldn't think twice of bending you over the knee."

"Sorry mom." Gavin whispered, swallowing thickly before reaching for the glass of water. Mom quickly picked it up, guiding the straw to Gavin's lips and smiled when he drank with some effort.

"I had to dad." Gavin looked at our father, who was slowly approaching the bed to reach out and hold the stretched out hand of my brother. "They were making a beeline for the community center... Luna, all the pups were there."

I swallowed thickly, pushing past the bile that threatened to erupt. Anger flooded my veins at the idea that my mate, Kyle... He had led the rogues to the pups? I knew he was despicable but this was just sick...

"When the breach was announced, I gathered everyone would rush to find the rogues..." Gavin panted slightly while mom hushed him. "It's okay sweetie, you don't need to-" She paused when dad held out his palm, eyes set on Gavin. "Continue son. What happened?"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "We all know what happened, Dad. It's the reason why Gavin lays here in the first place. He was the only one who thought ahead and saved the pups."

Gavin glanced around the room with a look of confusion but continued when Dad nodded at him. "Well... I wasn't the only one. Kyle got there before I did." For a moment, anger bubbled inside as I glared at Father, silently telling him that I was right all along before I stilled when Gavin continued.

"Man, I don't know what got in your mate but...he fought them like an animal. He didn't care that he was wounded. He was tenacious in defending the center and I admit, I first thought he led them there." Gavin shook his head, "I've been such an asshole to him in the past."

My muscles quivered as I stumbled and sank down in my seat, feeling my wolf struggle and claw against the hold I had over it. I barely heard my brother's explanation over the roaring barks of my wolf as it snarled and bit at me.

"Kyle had already taken two down and in my shock, I didn't notice one of those bastards sneak up on me. It latched onto my scruff instantly before Kyle managed to yank it off of me." Gavin brushed a big hand over his throat as he cringed slightly, probably reliving his memories.

"More kept coming, as if they desperately wanted to break in the center and kill the pups. Kyle and I fought them as best as we could. Hell, we wanted to alert the rest of the pack but the fight was so intense and fast, there just wasn't any time to lose focus like that." Gavin motioned to his throat, "That's what cost me."

"You..."

"Yeah," He nodded with a sigh as he stared at his hands. "I alerted the Alpha that rogues were trying to break into the center and by then, one of those filthy bastards grabbed me by the throat. I swear, I thought I was done for."

Gavin turned his head, his eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears, "But then your mate came to my rescue. He tore that rogue right off of me and ripped him apart. The rest of them fled at the approach of the pack."

No... no, no, no!

"I fainted as I felt Kyle lap at my throat and I guess I have him to thank for staunching the blood flow, cause I was sure I was a goner." Gavin grinned, looking around the room once more as a shocked silence filled it. "Speaking of, where is Kyle? Is our Hero too shy all of a sudden?"

I don't know what he saw in my face or how I even looked like. All I felt was the bile burning in my throat before I stumbled out of the chair and heaved, emptying my stomach all over the floor.

The stinging pain in my throat was nothing compared to the barrage of emotions and memories that flooded me, now all set in a new light.

Kyle's bloodied wolf looked up from where he had been licking at Gavin's throat. His muzzle was soaked in blood as the torn arteries had sprayed over his face several times before his saliva had kicked in, healing the wounds slowly but surely.

The pack came to a grinding halt, growling in shock at the sight of the bloodied wolf, whom limped to the side and off of Gavin.

Another wave of bile rushed up as I remembered how I had instantly assumed that Kyle had been the one who had wounded Gavin so badly, how I had lunged forwards and had attacked my own mate.

How I had bitten and shattered the bones in the paw that threatened to nudge Gavin when his wolf whimpered.

"What's going on?" Gavin muttered in confusion as I heaved and gagged, my wolf roaring inside and tearing at my mind with all its repressed anger.

"YOU REJECTED OUR MATE!"

He snapped his teeth at me, his hatred clear to feel as he snarled venomously.

"YOU TOOK MY MATE AWAY FROM ME!"

I collapsed on my side, panting as Mom instantly rushed over while my father stood there, gazing at me with repressed anger.

And disappointment.

Lowering my gaze away from him, I caught Gavin's and couldn't bare to keep eye contact. It was already bad enough to realize what I had done but to have Dad recount the entire story in a dry, monotone voice was even worse.

Gavin's look when he shook his head made me hang my head in shame as the truth finally sank in. All this time where I had cursed and spat on my mate's name, he was the very reason why Gavin, why the pack's pups, were alive.

He had saved countless of lives... and how did we thank him? I rejected him, turned my back on him as if he was a disgrace and banished him to a life of rogue once more.

Spasms raced through my body as nurses filed in, alarmed my Gavin's elevated heartbeat. They quickly ushered me out of the door, seeing that Gavin's wolf seemed to want to have a talk or two with me.

The second I was outside, my wolf took over and bolted for the border. Of course, Kyle's scent was nowhere to be found, as months had already passed and the rains in between then and now had washed away any trace of him.

Sitting back on his haunches, my wolf tilted his nose to the air and let a sorrowful howl, pricking his ears up to listen for any response.

Nothing...

The border patrol came running, alarmed by my howls but my wolf snapped at them when they approached. It was as if I was forced to a corner of my mind, watching my wolf bite and maul my own friends until the Alpha arrived and plowed into our sides.

The dominant snarl that reverberated through his chest instantly forced my wolf to a halt. Yet my wolf didn't stop snarling, feeding his anger, pain and sorrow into my body until I was forced to shift back much to my embarrassment.

"Shit." I muttered before closing my eyes, willing myself to shift. When I opened my eyes, it was to the snickering of my friends as I still stood there, naked and unable to shift.

"Max, get to my office right now. You are going to explain me what the fuck is going on here! First you create enough ruckus to make the pack believe they're under attack, then you attack your brothers and sisters in arms, only to make a mocking of yourself?"

I bowed my head under the Alpha's annoyance and scampered off towards his office, wondering what my wolf was up to. The Alpha was hot on my tail, growling to himself while my wolf was sending waves of pain and anger through my body.

The Alpha nudged the door open and motioned for me to enter but the turmoil in my body and the overwhelming pain and self-hatred coming from my wolf was eventually too much.

I barely heard the Alpha's surprised bark before my head cracked against the floor, where I passed out instantly.