I floated above my body as Hank rushed toward my body. He picked me up before facing the guard who had shot me.

"She was important. Who told you to shoot?" Hank demanded as the guard looked at him.

"No one but he attacked your mate," the guard said trying to defend his actions.

"Unless I said shoot you don't!" Hank yelled looking at me. "Call the witch!" He placed my limp body on the bed as Eric teleported in.

"You honestly expect me to save her?!" Eric demanded as Hank nodded.

"We had a plan and her death during the party wasn't it now heal her!" Hank ordered. I felt a burst of Eric's magic but this time it wasn't light it was dark, darker than before...

---

I breathed sitting up looking at my healed belly before facing Eric. I looked at him with sadness, he was trying to be good and now he was more evil than ever.

"I'm leaving," Eric said when I grabbed his arm.

"Eric," I said softly. "I forgive you." He paused looking at me before yanking his hand away. "No matter the magic you have you can be good Eric. Prove the ancestors were wrong about you!" I watched as he teleported away. I got to my feet facing Hank. "Ready to die."

"I have decided against killing you at the moment but I still might use you," Hank said as I looked at him confused.

"But I thought it was good for recruiting," I whispered as he looked at me. I could see the battle deep inside him. He wanted power but he also was starting to care about me. How did I change his views?

"I don't care," he said quickly trying to rush past me. I stepped in front of him looking into his eyes. There was a pain deep inside that he was trying to hide in his anger. Something was wrong and I was going to figure out what the haunted expression in his eyes was from.

"Are you okay?" I asked taking his hand. "I used to have the same look as you. I know what pain and fear look like even when they are bathed in anger."

"I don't know what you are talking about," he snapped pushing past me.

"Everyone needs some help," I said causing him to stop briefly before he continued out of the room. I looked down at the dress which was soaked in blood. I shut the door pulling the dress off. I walked to the closet finding jeans and a white tank top. I walked into the bathroom stepping into the shower washing the blood off before pulling the clothes on. I walked out of the bathroom and into the hallway making my way down the stairs and into what appeared to be a living room. I found Hank sitting on the couch his face buried in his hands. He clearly hadn't heard me approach.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't stop it," he sobbed softly as I looked at him. What couldn't he stop? "They refused to listen when I told them." He was losing it right in front of me. I walked toward him quickly pulling him against me. I shouldn't care about him in fact I should hate him but he had the look I know all too well. He was going to extremes for his pack the only thing I couldn't figure out is what pushed him so far.

"I'm here and I won't say anything, just let it out," I said as he cried for a minute more before pulling it together and pushing me away. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Fine. I used to be a real Alpha of a pack when a human came onto our land. I made a judgement call asI thought the human was a hunter and I killed him. He was the son of a council member who never became a Lycan. The council punished me by slaughtering the pack, I was a coward who ran away," Hank said as I looked at him. He killed someone to protect his pack and was punished.

"Hank you couldn't have known, it's not your fault they died. You weren't a coward for running you stayed alive," I said firmly as he looked at me.

"I could have tried to save them the way you jumped in front of a bullet for Tony. Maybe had I done that the rest of the pack would still be alive," Hank said as I crouched in front of him.

"Hank look at me!" I snapped as his eyes locked onto mine. "This was not your fault and I promise I'll help you avenge them."

"But I tried to kill you," he said as I laughed.

"You aren't the first and you certainly aren't the last. Most of my pack tried to kill me," I said softly as he looked at me with shock on his face.

"Sapphire," he said as I stood. "Thank you. You are a good person and I promise not to harm anyone who you care about including Tony."

"Can I find Tony to tell him I'm okay?" I asked as Hank nodded.

"You'll come back right," he said as I nodded. I teleported to Tony only to land in the middle of a council meeting.

"He shot Sapphire and I can show you where he is," Tony said as the council gasped.

"Tony," I said as he spun facing me. I rushed into his arms taking in his scent, he always smelled like the woods on a rainy day, his scent was intoxicating. I pulled away looking at the council. "What did you do?"

"I told them all about Hank," Tony said as I looked at him sadly. I faced the council ready to uphold my promise to help Hank.

"Hank is under my protection," I said firmly as the leader's mouth dropped open. I just openly defied the council's desires and could be labeled a traitor...