Cari watched the passing scenery with little passion, her blood pumping through her body as if it were sludge as fear gripped her. She knew her fear polluted the air so that even with her duller senses she could smell it. Everything she tried failed to reign it in.

She was a beta blood for crying out loud. She should be able to control her emotions, be able to not be afraid of such a small thing. How many times had she crossed the pack boarder before? And the Nightwolf pack was not a strange pack that she'd be afraid of them.

The silence in the car didn't help, but she was the one who'd made it so. Her grandmother had tried to engage her to no avail. Cari still couldn't bring herself to talk much as she wanted to. Words wouldn't come no matter how much she wanted them to.

Trying to relieve her stress, Cari took out her phone. She no longer had any friends, the few she had had given up on her so no one but her family sent her messages. She decided to google something just to while up time, maybe gossip about celebrities.

The message icon showed she had one new message. Staring at it she wondered if she should open it. As much as she wanted their love and support when her parents had shown it, it'd felt like a burden. Biting her lip she debated if she should open it.

As much as she wanted to be brave, to face the world, a large part of her just wanted to shut down. Did she want to be faced with her mother's self recriminations? Or her father's self blame? Then there was Trip.

He too had been ordered not to say or do anything. Which meant he hadn't been able to even support her. But would he have if he could? Her older brother had always been closer to her sister, always took her side. Would he have sided with her?

Cari decided to ignore the message and go to YouTube. Silly videos were better than the drama that was her life. She could be selfish and ignore her family couldn't she? There was nothing left in her to give and their concern seemed to take more from her.

With her headphones on, she lost herself in the antics of humans and weres embarrassing themselves for a quick buck. She couldn't understand why they would but she smiled at their absurdity.

Losing herself in them, she soon lost her fear of leaving the pack. It took a her a long while after they'd crossed the border between packs to realize it. As her eyes took in the new scenery, relief washed over her so swiftly she almost cried. Tremors wracked her body before she took a deep breath to calm herself.

Her grandmother's soft hand took hers and squeezed. Without looking away from the window Cari returned that squeeze. She was free! At least for the time being. It was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. A heavy one she hadn't realized was crushing her.

A part of her had been afraid that the second alpha's reprieve wouldn't stand against the Alpha's command. That she'd come to the border and experience the pain of trying to disobey an alpha order. Now she was already in her grandmother's pack and feeling a bit safer.

Not that she wouldn't feel it when her sister and Xander had sex, but she wouldn't have to face them on a daily basis. That at least was something. She also wouldn't be there for the pity and or accusations of her pack when they found out. She knew some of her pack mates would agree with the Alpha and see no problem with what he'd done. Even if she had suffered because of it.

"Open the message dear." Her grandmother advised.

Cari turned wondering eyes to her then swiped down on her phone to see her notifications. Most were generic, facebook birthdays for online friends she'd never really talked to and the like. The message was there too, a foreign number she couldn't reason. She looked back at her grandmother who smiled her encouragement.

Deciding to trust the woman who had the gift of knowing, Cari clicked on the message then opened it. She read it, frowned then read it again. It still didn't make sense. Why would anyone write her this?

"Why would anyone wait for me at the castle?" She asked out loud then blinked as she hadn't meant to do that.

Her grandmother gave her a confused look for a moment then her eyes cleared. "Werewolves who've lost their mates for one reason or another go to the castle. The king and queen allow then to stay there and find a second chance mate among those like them."

Cari didn't want to believe, couldn't allow herself to believe. "How would he know about me then?" She queried.

"Your father called the King last night and I assume Claire's true mate would've been at the castle this whole time. It wouldn't take long to piece two and two together."

Cari looked down at the message in sorrow. "She told me her mate had died, that she'd felt him die." She turned her eyes to the Beta. "Why would she lie to me Nana?"

Her grandmother once again squeezed the hand she still held. "I think for so long everyone in your pack, and some in mine, assumed she'd be the second luna. To find out that wasn't the case would've been humiliating to your sister and I think that got the best of her. It's no excuse by any means but your sister has always lived her life for other people."

Cari nodded her agreement then looked down at the message. Claire had a mate out there, she'd lied. And yet how could she believe this was true? What if Xander, the Alpha or even her own grandparents had set someone to write her. She could think she had her freedom and they would set her up to have her heart broken and come running back to the pack.

She read it again:

Hello Cari,

I'm sorry to intrude upon you but I couldn't help myself knowing you were out there. The years that I've awaited you here at the castle have seemed like a lifetime yet looking at your picture makes it all worthwhile. I hope you will write to me so we can know each other before we meet.

Andre.

Then there was a picture of him. Cari bit her lip as she once again glanced at it and felt her heart thud inside her. She looked back at the message wondering how old he was to write as if it was a letter. He didn't look that old, but their race lived to be a thousand and looked young way into their sixth century. But if he were Claire's true mate then he'd have to be close to their age.

How do I know you're not lying to me?

She quickly sent before she could change her mind. The message had been sent about six hours ago while she was still sleeping. Maybe to give the impression that the sender was at the castle. Faking an international number would be really easy for an Alpha or Beta with their resources. And the fact that he looked a bit like Xander gave her even more pause. It'd be so easy to photoshop him.

I will petition the king to send you some confirmation.

His quick reply surprised her. Was he waiting at his phone for her? Or maybe whoever they'd hired had instructions to reply promptly. After all the trouble they'd gone through to stop her mating Xander she knew they wouldn't let her go that easily. Not if her absence weakened him.

They must have known about her needing to go to the castle. Yet they'd chosen to let her suffer. Maybe they hadn't wanted Claire's lie to come to light but what did they expect. That she could lie for a thousand years?

The idea of the king sending his confirmation caused a thrill of hope down her spine. Not even her Alpha would dare impersonate the king, right? That'd be treason of the highest order and punishable by death. Yet the last thing she wanted was to burden the king with her problems.

There's no need for that.

There is every need, if it sets your heart at ease.

She bit her lip again. It was the kind of thing she wanted to hear, the kind of concern she needed from a potential mate. If this Andre was really Claire's true mate then he'd be even more compatible for her than a second chance mate. Was she ready for the pain that might be if this turned out to be a lie? Then again, did she want to live constrained by fear?

I'm sure the king has better things to do.

He has a duty to us as much as the rest of the kingdom.

In an ideal world it made sense but Cari had long known the world was far from ideal. He looked back at his photo, at the impossibly good-looking face. She couldn't really say if he was better looking than Xander or not. They looked too alike for that. He did have a brooding quality to him that her true mate didn't. Like a bad boy heartthrob from a teen movie.

His wavy windswept hair was a bit longer than fashionable but suited him. His amber eyes were direct and framed by ridiculously long lashes. His brow ridge was prominent, defined, like it was sculpted to show decisiveness. His jaw looked just as decisive, its square aspect sharp enough to cut glass.

Then there were his lips. They seemed to be the only soft part of his face. Sculptured as well, they were neither too thick nor thin looking just right. She lingered on them for a moment until she had to pull herself back together. Cari couldn't afford to hope again, to trust. Claire had crushed the remaining part of her that had held on to trust. If her twin and mate could betray her like this how much more someone else?

I know I have to earn your trust. I am just asking that you allow me the chance to do so.

He wrote again when she didn't reply. Couldn't find anything to say in reply. Her body shuddered, she closed her eyes to stop the flow of tears. It was too much! Of its own will, her hand crushed that of her grandmother but she hardly noticed. Could she bare her soul to him?

And if you're for real shouldn't I also earn your trust too?

She didn't want one more burden, couldn't carry anything more. A mate would want time for himself, to be nurtured. Cari was too empty to fulfill that role. Maybe she'd always been empty and the Alpha and Xander had realized it.

I have carried the hope of meeting you for so long Cari, I already trust that you are mine.

You are mine.

Those words brought tears to her eyes, a lump to her throat. How she'd longed to hear such words. To be claimed by a mate who wanted her, longed for her. And how she hated that it was the nature of her kind to desire a mate so strongly that not having one was near incapacitating.

Please Andre, I can't. Not right now. Can you give me time to process?

Cari didn't want to risk hurting him if he really was her second chance. Still it was too much to take in. She felt overwhelmed, like she was now trapped under the sea with the weight of all that water on her. She felt herself close to hyperventilating and had to constantly swallow to distract from it.

What if he abandoned her for even asking for some time? What if he decided she wasn't worth it after all? Oh goddess what had she done? Would it be better if she took it back even if she did need the time?

As you wish my Cari. I shall say goodbye then.

My Cari. He'd called her his. Again. Did that mean he wasn't angry with her? Wasn't hurt? Looking at her grandmother from the corner of her eye, she wanted to throw herself into the Beta's comforting arms. With the four enforcers with them though, Cari wouldn't let herself break down. She and her grandmother had the middle seats of the SUV with a couple of them each taking the front and back ones.

Goodbye.

She put her phone away, not even wanting to go back to the meaningless videos. "You knew I'd be coming back with you." She reasoned to her grandmother.

"Yes." She replied gathering Cari to her side.

Cari closed her eyes to stop the tears that wanted to flow. The men with them knew she'd been rejected so why pretend to be strong? She wouldn't let herself cry though. Her grandmother's comfort was all she'd allow.

There was no one waiting for them when they arrived at the Beta's mansion. Cari knew it was her grandmother's doing. Her family had always been underfoot the moment she stepped onto the property, even her Beta of a grandfather. Now, no one was in the house, not even the pack members who took care of the beta family.

It was one too many consideration, the last straw and Cari broke down. All the pain, all the rage she should've felt all these years. The betrayal she shouldn't have had to endure. It all came forward to assault her.

Was it the fact that someone was maybe pretending that she deserved better? Or the fact that her apparent sacrifice had been for nothing, a lie. She'd comforted herself with the knowledge she was doing it for her sister's happiness, for the good of the pack. All that had been a lie manipulated by the two people who should've cherished her but had given in to their selfishness.

"Why Nana?" She cried out her anguish. "Why would they do this to me?" She demanded. "Am I such a terrible person?"

"No, my beautiful girl. No." Her grandmother soothed.

"Then why?"

"It's easy for some people to be selfish."

Cari couldn't believe that. There had to be more, something wrong with her. People in the alpha and beta bloodlines were taught the value of sacrifice. Taught from an early age that their position called for it and when to sacrifice and when not to. No matter their feelings Xander and Claire should've sacrificed them.

Even the fact that she had no wolf wasn't a good reason. She was a beta blood and had the strength of that bloodline. Everyone knew it even if they hated that she had no wolf. For the first time she acknowledged that she wouldn't have been a liability of a luna. Why else would Claire have lied to her about her own mate's death?

Once she'd cried herself to exhaustion, she felt herself being lifted with care by a set of loving arms. She knew those arms and didn't need to look up to know her uncle carried her. He was another giant of a man like her father and was even more gentle.

She lay on the bed once he'd put her there and kissed her forehead like she was still a child. "Rest easy Care bear." He whispered and Cari opened her eyes to meet his familiar brown ones.

"I love you uncle Dan." She whispered back, wanting to let him know how much she appreciated him.

"Love you too sweetheart."

With that, Cari allowed herself to sleep.