My heart has been uneasy since that call from Sam. I was so jittery, my eyes glancing at the clock every now and then waiting for my class to end so I could bolt out of here. I hope they didn't do anything. Fuck! I'm so stupid, I shouldn't have left her there alone. I knew this was going to happen. I knew it. Oh, God.

I checked my phone a million times, keeping it in my hand hoping she'd call. She asked me not to come over, but how can I not?

(conversation with her wolf below)

W: Avery, something is wrong.

A: With Sam?

W: I think so, I'm feeling pain. All over me.

Oh God no. No. Please no. That's it, I'm leaving. I packed my things and ran out of the class, running to my car outside.

A: If they hurt her again I'm going to kill them.

I muttered angrily in my head, the protective beta in me coming out.

W: Get her out of there Avery! Hurry.

My wolf wailed in my head and I sped. Uni was about half an hour from Sam's place but I got to make it fast. Oh, God. My knuckles were white, gripping onto the steering wheel tightly as I passed every red light when it was clear. I didn't care if I was getting a million tickets at this point. Sam needed me. She's not okay.

As I was reaching her street I saw it. Thick, black smoke. Oh my God. No, no, no. Baby!

I sped even faster and saw police cars and ambulances outside as well as the fire brigade. I parked my car and ran out, my heart racing, I tore through the crowd of people, pushing them with my strength.

"Ma'am you can't go in there. They're getting them out. Are they your parents?" A policewoman neared me and I shook my head, my eyes still looking for Sam.

"No my friend, she's, where is she?" her eyes widened.

"There's another girl? We only located a couple inside," she says and my heart broke. No. No. I turn back to the fire.

"Sam!!" I yelled, my eyes welling up with tears and I ran up to them.

"Please you have to find her!" I yelled at them and they nodded rushing into the place. Come on. Baby. Please. I pressed my nails into my palm, waiting for them.

It's been 2 minutes. Nothing.

3 minutes.

"Sam!! Where are you? Sam?" I yelled out again tears pouring down my face now. I can't lose her goddess please, please do something. Please. I prayed and begged.

I'm going in. I'm going to find her. She's okay. She will be okay. I pushed past the firemen upfront, taking a fire blanket and running into her house. I heard everyone screaming for me not to go in. But I couldn't leave her there.

"Sam?! Baby?! Sam?? Where are you?" I shouted calling out her name, there was fire everywhere, it was so hot, but it was bearable because I was a werewolf. I had sweat trickling down my neck. Okay, I needed to concentrate and find her scent. I took in a huge whiff and got a tinge of it upstairs.

"Miss please leave. We can't find her, maybe she already left." A fireman said wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me back. I shook my head and pulled away with all my strength and ran upstairs, hearing them curse and follow me. Her scent was there but it was faint. Where was she?

"Sam?! Call out to me, where are you?" I yelled, frantically running from each room to hers. I got in and scanned her room and bathroom, there was so much smoke at this point, it was almost hard to see. But then I heard something, some moving. Her cupboard. I gasped and ran to it.

"Sam?" I pulled the door open and my heart broke, I froze completely looking at her. She was there, in a pool of blood, marks on her and she was naked and curled into a ball. I reached for her hand and found a pulse and immediately, I sobbed.

"I'm here, Sam, hey, hold on baby. I'm here." I whispered to her. She had no energy in her, her eyes only open slightly and she was groaning and gasping in pain. I put the blanket over her and lifted her off the floor of the cupboard and held her in my arms and ran down the stairs. I kept my eyes on her the entire time as well as making sure nothing fell on us as fell as I kept her tucked in my arms. I passed the firemen who looked shocked that I found her and immediately, I was outside and running to an ambulance.

"Sam, hey, open your eyes, please," I mumbled, my hands were shaking as they took Sam from me, all of their eyes turned to horror and pain, looking at her and they got her strapped down and given some oxygen.

"Ma'am, your arm!" I heard someone shout behind me and I tensed seeing that it was slightly burned, I didn't even feel it. I couldn't. At this point, only Sam mattered.

"I'm fine. Let's go please." I got into the ambulance with them, holding Sam's hand, and caressing her hair.

"Please," I whispered over and over again, just staring at her face. Please be okay. Please I can't lose you. Please goddess, save her. Please. I tried to control my sobs, but it's so hard when your soulmate is here in front of you and dying.

We got to the hospital in 10 minutes and she was immediately rushed into the ER. I gave her a kiss on her forehead before they took her in.

"I'm here Sam, I'm here. I'm never going to leave, just come back to me." I whispered in her ear as they asked me to wait outside. Heavily, I walked outside and leaned against the wall, falling down to the floor and sobbing.

She needs to be okay.

I took my phone out and called my mother and told her what happened and she said she'll be coming in a while. Then I texted Jake and told him and he said he'll also be here in a while.

I sat there on the floor, holding my legs, trying to compose myself. Just thinking about Sam and praying every second waiting for them to be out of the ER.

"Sweetie." I turn up and saw my mum. I quickly got up and hugged her tight.

"Mum it's so bad mum, she has scars all over, they were cigarettes marks mum." I cried into my mother holding her tight and I felt her tense and rubbed my back.

"It's okay, she'll be okay honey. We'll get her with us okay. I'll call Ronnie and Lawrence to start on the paperwork." she whispers and I nod.

"I just want her to be okay," I mumbled into her shoulder.

"She will be, come on, we'll wait for her okay." I nodded and we sat down. I held her hand, calming down now. I was so thankful mum was here, I was really lucky that she was like my best friend and she's always there for me. We sat and waited for about 45 minutes before a doctor called us.

"You're here with the girl inside right?" he asks and I nod standing up.

"Is she okay?" I ask and he nods.

"Yeah she is, we've wrapped her up, she has uhm a lot of cigarette wounds up her whole body and some slashes on her thighs and back. But luckily she has no other major burns besides that. She's not awake yet, but she should be soon, she passed out from the lack of blood but she should be awake in about an hour or so." He explains and I nod.

"Can we go and see her?" mum asks and he nods.

"Are you both family?" I tensed hearing that word. They are going nowhere near her.

"No, I'm her friend. And her parents did that to her, and I managed to get her out of her burning house. I don't want her parents anywhere near her." I say my eyes hard and he winced with the power coming from me since he's human and nodded. I was full-on protective mode now for Sam.

"Right, they're transferring her to the common ward, you may visit her in her room." He says. I thank him and he walks off.

Mum walked away to make a few calls and inform the police of what happened, the deputy was a friend of dad so he immediately helped us out with this whole situation and would come by with the detective later to talk to Sam. Her parents are now under arrest for abuse and I'm going to make sure they never ever come near her again.

I followed the nurses as they brought Sam to a separate room, my eyes trained on her the entire time till they left us alone.

I took her hand in mine and kissed her head, caressing her hair, and sat down beside her. She's so beautiful, and she looks so weak and even in sleep, she looks like she's in so much pain and I hate that she is. I can't believe they did that to her. I was livid, absolutely livid. It's taking so much in me from not finding them and beating the hell out of them. I know she wouldn't want me to do that, but I'm going to do something. They're going to regret doing this.

Suddenly I heard her groan softly and my heart bloomed as I immediately neared her, caressing her hair. Then she went into shock. She was having a seizure almost, the whole bed was shaking, and her eyes rolled to the back. I watched in horror for a few seconds before yelling for a doctor.

"Sam? Hey, wake up, look at me. Sam?" I kept my hand cradling her head, tears flooding through my eyes again. Just when I thought she was okay.

"Miss step aside." I heard someone pull on me and immediately they dragged me outside, a few other nurses and a doctor ran into her room, I heard slight shouting from them and then silence. I stood there horrified, not able to move. No. No. No. Baby. Please. I choked back a sob. I neared the door and saw through the small glass of then crowding around her and suddenly the sound of the heart monitor. A flat line.

My body froze and went slack, and I dropped down to my knees, gasping, clutching my chest. I couldn't breathe, my heart was racing. It was so loud. Stop it! Stop. Sam.

She's gone.

She's gone.

Sam's gone.

My mate's gone.

I couldn't comprehend this feeling, it was almost as if I was in a vacuum and everything was moving so slowly, my senses were heightened but all I could hear was that flat line ringing through my ears. I tried to move my head to look around, but I couldn't. I couldn't move. I was afraid that if I moved I would collapse. I was that drained. I had never felt this way before.

"Avery." I jumped as mum touched my shoulder, immediately I was out of that, whatever just happened. I could see and hear normally. My eyes blinked a few times, focusing on mum.

"You okay?" she called out, her eyes panicked. How long was I there? I didn't answer her. I had no energy to say anything. I felt so drained.

"She's okay. They saved her, she's stable honey." Once she said that I felt alive again. Slowly I was getting my strength back, my fingers and toes were numb and I still couldn't talk.

"Stand up, hey, come on." I turned around it was Jake. He gave me a small smile, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me up. I cling onto him, afraid of my legs giving out.

"S-she okay..." I mumbled so softly into his neck and he nods.

"She is. She's fine. We lost her for a bit, but she's okay now." I nodded slightly. I pulled away from him, my legs still wobbly but walked into her room and sat down with her again.

I took her hand again, feeling a little small spark almost but slowly this time, as I still had no strength and I did not know why. I leaned down and kissed it, before dropping my head on the mattress and giving into darkness.

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