I woke to Theo's arms around my body. My throat is sore and my muscles ache, but his hands touching my bare skin feels like an healing antidote.

"You're up." Theo says and I look up at him. I'm laying on his chest with his arms around my back and shoulders.

"I guess so." I yawn loudly, which resembles a moaning animal of some kind.

"You've been asleep for two days. I had the pack doctor come in here and check you on several occasions." He mentions and I raise up.

"Two days?" I ask unbelievably. Theo nods his head, "You did a lot of work a couple days ago, he said you were dehydrated and exhausted."

It's then I notice that have a fluid IV attacked to my arm, "Wow."

I pull the IV easily out of my arm, to Theo's protest and try to stand.

Theo catches me before I fall to the ground and sits me back on the bed again. "You still need to rest." He insists.

I shake my head, "I've been asleep for two days, I need to get up."

Theo lets out an exhausting moan, "You are so difficult."

I crack a little smile.

I stand on my feet again and finally manage to walk to my suitcase where I could change into different clothes. The clothes I'm wearing now smell more like Theo than Jared now. I'm guessing Theo's spent a lot of time cuddling with me while I've been passed out.

I don't blame him for that. He probably took into consideration that mates can heal each other faster just by being in one another's presence.

"How many warriors died?" I asked feeling guilty that maybe some of them did. The rouges were strong and relentless. I killed a lot, but I started to question how many came from the direction I didn't have a view of, like the ones who came in the house.

"None. A few wounded, but most are healed now." He says and I let out a breath I was holding in.

"That's great." I say, and turn to him and smile. I'm happy there were no causalities.

"It's because of you. You had to of killed more than half of the rogues." Theo admires. I look to the ground knowing that it's true, yet I don't know how true it will stay.

"They will bring more next time Theo. I won't be able to handle them." I say, fearing the worst. There is no use in me acting like I can be badass all the time, it's not possible.

"I know and I've been thinking about that a lot." He says, standing up. I get some clean clothes out of my bag and hold them in my hand.

I wait to hear his thoughts about all of it, but instead he looks a little unsure about whatever he is going to say. Or maybe he's unsure about how I will respond to it.

"What's your thoughts?" I ask, because it looks as if he's having second thoughts.

"Ahem." A throat clears and I see Jared standing in the hallway of the door. "Alpha Bradley said you have to teach me The Ten Commandments." He says to Theo.

My questions about Theo's mindset completely turn over and I look at Jared. "He let them stay?"

Theo looks to the floor again, something he does when he is about to tell me something I probably wouldn't like. "Only him. Drake is still being decided."

I don't understand why Drake seems so untrustworthy to them. I get the threats may really spooked them, but he came forward and basically told his own Alpha about his mate! Not a lot of werewolves would choose the pack over their mate.

It's honorable and sad at the same time.

I decide not to say my input on the situation because I know it will not solve anything. Jared is still standing awkwardly at the door and I smile at him. For a kid who grew up as a rogue, he is still a kid at heart. I can't see any ounce of evil in his soul.

Sometimes I think of Jamie and wonder what would've happened if I had left him there at camp instead of bringing him back home with me. Then I wonder about what if I was never kidnapped. What kind of man would Jamie be then?

He's only eleven now, so I hope the pack life has impacted him in a more positive way than the rouge pack did.

I miss him, even though I didn't allow myself to get too emotionally connected. I wonder if I'll ever see him again, or if it's even too dangerous to see him. My parent's don't like the idea of that.

"Come sit down." Theo says to Jared. I guess Theo doesn't want to leave my side since I'm awake now or else he would have a more private session with Jared.

Jared comes and sits down on the futon couch in the corner, and I can tell he's a little uncomfortable. I give him a reassuring smile and take the clothes in my hand, then walk to the bathroom to shower and change.

Two Weeks Later (Same P.O.V)

"Tell me you're joking?" Theo asks in a worried tone. I sit down on the sofa in front of the rest of the immediate and high ranking pack members. Kate sits beside me and pats my back soothing the edges creeping up.

"I feel like it's the best option." I say, shrugging my shoulders in defeat.

Chase and Violet stand beside Theo, giving him the back-up he needs. This is something I did in the beginning and now I could do it safer and better.

"You are not running away again." He says, getting upset. I knew he would be, especially him. He can't go with me, he has to stay because he's the Alpha now.

I hate seeing Theo this way. I hate making him upset with me. I hate making him feel like I'm trying to abandon him.

"This pack has suffered ten losses just this week from an attack. Including him." I state. The rouges have doubled in size, which doubles them in strength. Hundreds of rogues have died, but they've left their mark with the pack. They have hurt this pack.

Included in the warriors who are deceased, Alpha Bradley died four days ago. Five rogues targeted him at once, finally his body gave out and he fell to the earth.

I watched as it happened, from up high in the attic where they barricaded it for me for these wars.

I seen Theo rush to his father's side, trying to wake him up or get him breathing. I saw as Theo cried out into the night at his father's death. Even then the rogues kept hitting us harder and harder, until our anger over took us at our Alpha's untimely death.

Theo killed so many that night. He is still devastated and heartbroken, which makes it harder to leave him or even bring up that idea.

No one blamed me, but I blamed myself. I should have protected him, and seen that he was pinned down.

Theo stays silent at my response and Kate lets out a small weep. "I think it's best I leave and keep traveling. The rogues all know where I am right now. They will chase me across the country before they catch me."

Kate is the only one who seems to agree with me about that, but it's not like she wants me gone. She wants me to stay, she and I have grown close over the past few weeks. However, in her husbands death- she decided that something different needed to be done and she didn't know what.

"Is that what you want to do for the rest of your life? You will run forever!" Theo says glaring at me coldly at what I want to do. I look away, unable to meet his gaze.

"I can't sit here and get weaker everyday. More people will die, if I stay." I explain. Theo lets out a sound of annoyance. I wish he could understand how I feel and come to agree with it. But that will never happen.

"Whose to say that when you leave that the rouges will leave us alone? They could think that you are still here. Or what if they decide to slaughter us, just because we protected you?" Chase asks and Violet touches his arm. Chase and Theo are closer than I realized before. Chase always has Theo's back. I expected nothing less from Chase as he defended Theo.

"Our options are limited. I don't want anyone else to die because of me." I say defeated. My plan and Theo's plan both make sense. It's hard to know what to do when both can be a disaster.

"Think about it. Do you really want to leave me?" Theo says, which surprises me. No I don't want to leave him. He's not an emotional person in front of others. We haven't even kissed again since the time I did it before the first war.

We sleep together and cuddle, but the tension has been so bad that the last thing on our minds is romance or sex.

All we care about is devoting our attention to border control, expanding my powers and becoming a stronger pack. The love is still there, the lust is still there, and the bond has always and will always be there.

I guess I can admit I was okay with not connecting to him like that. I knew I may have to make a choice that would hurt him.

I look at Theo with longing and regret in my eyes. Everyone in the room gives us the floor in silence. I shake my head no at his question and my eyes water. I couldn't leave now even if I wanted to. I'm going into my third heat and I can feel it creeping up my spine even now. It has been for a few days and Theo can sense it too, but doesn't say anything.

Theo's face relaxes and he walks up to me, and wraps his arms around me. He leans down to my ear, "I won't let you go again." Some may see this as possessive, but by the softness and love in his voice, he's scared to let me go. His breath fans my ear and he puts his nose in the crook of my neck.

My skin is hot and his touch cools the burning sensation down. The unmated wolves in the small group notice this and twitch in their place. "I'm starting my heat, I should get to a room. "I say and look at Kate.

She's sitting exactly where I left her and gives me a slight smile. Theo grabs my hand.

"We will decide something in another week. For now, keep watch and report anything suspicious." He says to the remaining in the room who respond with, "Yes Alpha."

The women and children have practically went down to the bunker and stay down there. They only come out for sunlight or to get extra food. After five attacks in two weeks, they'd rather not be caught in the middle or out in the open.

Especially the women with smaller children. Kate however, stays above ground. She wants to fight along with us in the next war, in memory of her mate. It's easy to tell she's restless, angry, and vengeful. She will either die killing several, or live killing dozens.

Theo leads me of down the hall to our room, or his room I should call it.

"I don't know how long I can keep this up Theo." I say apologetically once he closes the door to give us privacy.

He walks over to me and pulls me into his arms, "Shhh." He hushes me and I relax into his chest.

"Not all of this is on you." He says and pulls away to look me in the eye. It is all on me, everyone is depending on me, but then I'm depending on them as well.

"I don't understand." I voice and clutch the back of his shirt. "All of this is on me."

"Not if you let me take it." He gulps as he says this, but I still don't understand what he's implying.

I step away from his arms of comfort and let out a breath, "Explain please." I ask gently.

He leads me over to the bed to sit down. "If the rogues if they get your blood they can be unstoppable and immortal."

"Yeah?" I question and narrow my eyebrows because I can't comprehend where he is going with this. They will be immortal and unstoppable unless I die. They won't be as strong as me, but none of that matters if I become their captive and they constantly drain me of blood. There's great power in numbers.

"I want to become that- for you. To protect you." He says with slight excitement. I literally have to sit and ask him again what he just said, in which he repeats.

"You want to become everything the rogues are dying to become?" I clarify and he nods, a small smile on his lips.

"I can't let you do that." I respond standing up, shaking my head at the thought.. Theo stays seated and lets out a ragged breath.

"I knew you would react this way." He sighs, running his hands through his hair.

"You don't want to be anything like me Theo." I argue and pace back in forth. I can't let him do this to himself.

"I wouldn't be like you JC. I will be stronger, faster, and immortal just like you, but I wouldn't possess the powers like you have. I can protect you better that way. And being immortal, we knew we would have made that choice when my hair started turning grey." He reaches out for my hand, and rubs it tenderly.

The thought of myself being immortal, and out-living everyone around me including my mate has really put a sad feeling inside my soul. I don't want to bury Theo and remain on this earth for the rest of eternity running away from those who want to use me.

I'm speechless that he would want to do that, grow old with me without actually growing old. What a man. My wolf says.

"I want to protect you forever, JC. I need you as much as you need me. Let me do this for you, for us." He pleads, looking at me in the eyes as if he was peering into my soul. He knew the answer.

"Okay." I say, allowing a tear to fall down my pale cheek. "Don't make me regret this." I say adding a little laughter to the moment.

Theo laughs and wraps his hand around the back of my neck and into my hair. The heat from our bodies radiated off one another and I couldn't take my eyes off his lips, eyes, dimples, and smile. I couldn't get enough of him, even though I act like I do.

"Can I?" He says faintly, and I look up to his eyes in confusion.

Then, I understand perfectly what he wants. I realize I want it too.

!