Never in my life had I felt the sheer urge to protect and care for someone the way I did her.

I watched the slow rise and fall of her chest as she lay sleeping. It had been hours since she had dozed off, the sky now growing darker with each passing minute as I watched the sunset through the window. She had been beyond confused and scared to the death, and that had only added to her exhaustion.

Doctor Hudson hadn't been surprised when she had fallen back into a deep sleep. The trauma from her wounds and whatever else she had endured prior to finding her were extensive, and Doctor Hudson explained that the recovery process likely wouldn't be easy.

While she would physically heal to one hundred percent within a matter of weeks, her mental state looked to be something that would take time. Some of the bruises that covered her body looked to be weeks old, and while I hadn't seen them, a nurse had explained that there were several, deep scars covering areas of her body.

"There's a deep, rigid one right here." The nurse had said, pointing to the front of her hip right before it met her abdomen. "It looked to be about a year old and didn't have the chance to heal right. I'm not sure what it could have been from."

I had been warned that she had been exposed to violence, but hearing about it the second time, more in depth, wasn't any easier. I had never been affected by other's personal experiences, but each time I looked at her and thought of all the things I would come to know, I knew it was only the beginning.

In coming to know my mate and all she is, I would come to know a different side of myself.

Kristin Knight.

A weight had been lifted off my chest the moment her name slipped from her lips. A mate was something that a wolf anticipated their entire life, and after waiting years for the woman in front of me, I finally knew her name. And as cliche as it sounded, it was a beautiful name - sweet yet strong.

I also knew with her last name I could find out pretty much anything I needed or wanted with a few calls, but what I didn't want was to hear her story from anyone else. So, I would wait - although it would prove to be challenging as patiences had never been my strong suit.

A knock on the door brought me from my thoughts, and I turned my gaze from her to find Seth peeking his head through the door, looking like a curious child on Christmas.

"Can I come in," he asked, and when I nodded, he bounded through the door before closing it quietly behind him. He stepped at the foot of the bed, looking over my mate before turning to me and then up at the television. "The cooking channel? Who are you trying to be? Rachel Ray?"

A cocked my head to the side with a raised brow.

"That's all that was on," I deadpanned. "And why did you have to compare me to Rachel Ray? Why couldn't I be Bobby Flay or Guy Fieri?"

Seth shrugged. "Because Rachel Ray is the only one Addison watches." Then he gave me another pointed look. "But apparently you watch it more than you let on."

I rolled my eyes and adjusted myself on the tiny sofa, leaning my back against a pillow - a nurse had brought it in, along with a blanket, when I had made it abundantly clear that I wasn't leaving. There was no way my entire body would fit comfortably on the three seater, but I'd get over it.

"What do you want?"

"Geez, you could be a little nicer, ya know," Seth grumbled, sitting by my feet. "Or I'll tell your mother and sister that you're hiding out in a hospital room with your new mate."

I sat up quickly with a curse, reaching for my phone that had been tucked away in my pocket. When I turned it on, I had numerous missed calls - most of them from my mother and sister while two of them had been from my father.

Since finding Kristin, I had turned off my mindlink after sending out a message to go down the chain of command for emergencies only. I forgot, however, to come up with an explanation that would subdue my family before shutting it off. Why they figured I would answer my cell is beyond me.

Looking up at Seth, I felt my eyes narrow.

"What did you tell them?"

Seth pretended to admire his finger nails, and when I kicked him, he let out a hiss before shoving my leg off the couch. "I told them you were nose deep in paperwork with both Asher and I gone, but the next time they mindlink me, I'll be sure to tell them the truth."

"You do that and I'll make Asher second in command."

"Please," Seth scoffed. "That would mean Asher becoming in charge of pack affairs. You'd have a war on your hands within a week."

I just stared at him knowing he was right. Asher wasn't exactly the most leveled headed of the three of us. It was a last resort that I sent him overseas, but that was only because Alpha Ambrose in England had the patiences of a saint.

I rolled my eyes again.

"Why don't you just tell them," he asked with a yawn. "The reason I didn't was because I figured you would want to."

"I don't want them bombarding her," I said with a shake of my head. "She was terrified when she woke up. She needs time to adjust and rest. The last thing I need is my mother and sister interrogating her."

Seth sighed with a nod, raising his hands in defeat. "I get it, man. But you need to tell them something." He began rubbing his temples. "They are giving me a headache."

I shrugged unapologetically. "I'll tell them soon." I looked over at her again. "I just want some time with her first."

I could feel Seth's eyes on me, and when I looked back at him, I found him watching me with a soft understanding. Then his eyes were on my mate again as he began speaking, "what's her name?"

"Kristin," I whispered with a little smile.

"Luna Kristin."

My smile widened at the sound of that before I sighed.

"I can only hope."

Just as I could only hope that one day she would be Kristin Black. There was always a terrifying possibility that she wouldn't have me - wouldn't accept me. I swallowed down that fear, choosing to shake it from my mind with a deep breath. All I could do right now was take it day by day with her.

Seth gave me an easy smile that was full of confidence. Slapping me on the back, he stood before making his way across the room and towards the door.

"I'll let you get some sleep. If you need me, let me know. And for my sanity, please tell your family something."

I rolled my eyes but nodded, bidding him a goodnight and watching as he shut the door with a soft click. With that, I made myself comfortable against the sofa, rolling over to face my mate before my eyes slowly began to shut.

***

I was awoken to a gasp and shot straight up before my eyes fell on Kristin.

Her chest was heavy as she began coughing, tears sliding down her face, one after the other and before my body could fully wake, I was stumbling to my feet and towards her bedside. I watched as her eyes darted around the room, trying to decipher where she was as her eyes were glazed over. Reaching for her hand, I fought against the somersault in my stomach as she jerked from me like I was fire, grasping at her chest.

"Kristin," I whispered gently, lowering myself to sit on the bed, facing her. And when her green eyes locked with mine, red rimmed and shining a shade brighter than the day before, they softened marginally.

She still looked terrified, her body leaning away from me, but her tears stopped forming. Her breathing began to slow, but she never removed her hand from her chest as she began gently massaging it. Her gaze darted between mine, observing me once again, and I had never tried harder to look less intimidating. But once her eyes darted towards the top of my head, a surprised giggle escaped before she slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes widening.

It was the cutest fucking thing I had ever seen, and I couldn't contain my smile as I quirked a brow in amusement.

"What's so funny," I asked softly, and when she hesitated, I chuckled lightly. "Come on. What about me is so funny looking?"

Whatever it was, I would do it over and over again in a heartbeat.

She sniffled a little, rubbing her nose with her palm.

"Your hair," she said cautiously, her voice soft and sweet, and I turned around, glancing at myself in the mirror on the wall. When I saw the multiple strands of hair sticking straight up, I couldn't help the little laugh that escaped myself - it was everywhere and really a sight.

"It's not the easiest thing to maintain," I confess, turning back towards her, not bothering to try to fix it. If it got her to giggle like that again, I would willingly wear it like this everyday.

Kristin eyed me for a moment, rubbing her irritated eyes. She took in a shuddering breath as she sniffed again and looked around the room once again. I had wondered what had woken her. If it had been a nightmare or if maybe she had forgotten where she was for a moment. But when she grabbed at her chest again, I straightened.

"What's the matter? Are you hurting?"

She shook her head. "No," she said shyly. "I just had a nightmare and now my chest feels weird."

I automatically leaned forward, startling her a little as I pressed the call button on her bed rail. She eyed me in slight disapproval but didn't object and minutes later, a nurse was walking through the door, eyeing us in concern with a small smile.

"Alpha," she acknowledged quickly with a bow of her head before turning to face Kristin. She hesitated for a moment, no doubt wondering whether to show respect towards my newfound mate, and settled for a bright smile. I also didn't miss the way Kristin eyed me with apprehension before returning the nurse's attention.

"What's going on?"

"My chest," she trailed, rubbing it again. "It feels strange."

The nurse nodded, and I piped in, "she had a nightmare and now it's bothering her."

"That's normal. You have some broken ribs and a punctured lung," she recalled caringly, turning to face the machines and rising something. "Are you feeling pain or just tightness?"

"Tightness."

"Okay. I've upped your oxygen intake a little. The nightmare probably just startled you and woke you from a deep sleep. As long as you aren't feeling pain and can still take a decent breath, you are fine," she assured with a smile, reaching to place a comforting hand on Kristin's uninjured shoulder. And while I stared at the contact with a little envy, I noticed that Kristin didn't jerk and shrink from it. "Feel free to call me at any time. I'm just right down the hall."

Kristin nodded, sending her a soft smile in thanks before the nurse bowed her head again and exited the room.

Once the door shut, an awkward silence fell over the two of us. Kristin's eyes fell on the blanket, twisting a loose strand between her fingers tips while chewing on her lip. I eyed it for longer than I should have before forcing myself to look away, glancing down at my watch.

It was a little after three in the morning. I wanted more than anything to ask what her nightmare was about, but she clearly had limits I didn't want to push just yet.

"Want to watch some tv?" I made sure to keep my voice low so as to not startle her, but she still jumped. And just as I was expecting, she shrugged and I took in a breath, reaching for the remote. I offered it to her and she simply looked at me for a moment before hesitantly taking it.

With a gentle smile, I removed myself, much to my growling wolf's dismay, and sat back on the sofa, watching as she began flicking through channels. I turned my head, watching her as curiosity flickered through her eyes with each press of the button. And once they lit up, I turned to find that it had fallen on the Disney Channel playing Beauty and The Beast.

I felt myself smile, looking back over at her to find her staring at me in question, and my smile grew. "I'll warn you that you'll probably hear me singing 'How Does A Moment Last Forever', and I'm not very good." A little blush covered her cheeks as she bowed her head, and I caught a glimpse of her shoulders jerking with a chuckle.

She didn't say anything however, just looked towards the television while relaxing back into the bed. And every once in a while, I would feel her eyes on me before I would glance over to catch her. Each time she would quickly avert her eyes back towards the television, and I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped a time or two. Little did she know, I was doing the same thing, she just hadn't caught me in the act yet.

And after nearly an hour, the credits began to roll and when I looked over at her, I found her sleeping soundly.

"Pathetic."

I held back a cry as my back hit the wall of the cellar harshly before falling to the floor. Rolling to my side, I began coughing intensely, eyes widening at the sight of blood covering the palm of my hand. I didn't have time to overthink it though because once I looked up, the Alpha's black eyes bored into mine and I cowered, hastily crawling away from him.

The action didn't do me any favors.

He grabbed a fist full of my hair before his large fist connected with my stomach, one heavy punch after another before I was slumping to my knees - cries no longer fell from my lips.

"You were a useless trade," he spat before letting out a cruel laugh. "Your own mate couldn't even love you despite the bond. That should have told me everything I needed to know." He landed another blow to my side. "I don't know why I waste my time on you."

Pain erupted throughout my body, a little from the punches while the majority of it was caused from the insults falling from his lips.

He retracted his fist, still holding me up by my hair as I dangled limply. My vision blurred in and out as I watched him reach into his pocket for something...my stomach coiled when I noticed the silver blade of his pocket knife.

I couldn't even fight when his arm pitched forward, forcing the blade into my hip, right up to the handle. A piercing scream echoed from my lips, dancing along the walls, and another one followed soon after as he ripped it from me. With that, he released me and I crumbled to the cold floor, cradling my hip as I writhed.

Bending down, he grabbed my jaw in a tight grip, forcing me to look at him.

"If only you'd have been what I needed," he spat quietly, running his eyes over my features before dropping me with disgust and turning his back towards me as he exited the cell.

"No, mom."

An exasperated sigh followed those two words as I came to, eyes flying open to be met with the bright, white lights above me - it was an instant reminder of where I was, of where I no longer resided.

The nightmare was still fresh, images of the memory flickering through my mind at lightning speed as I took in a deep, controlled breath. My reaction had been nothing like last nights, the one that had awoken myself and my mate with instant panic, but it didn't make it any less real or terrifying.

"You'll meet her as soon as I feel she is ready."

There was another pause, and I looked to find my mate pacing the room while running a hand through those tousled locks, wet from, what I assumed, was a shower. He had changed out of the sweatpants and hoodie he had been wearing during the night, and was now dressed in a long sleeved shirt that hugged his biceps and a pair of jeans. And while he wasn't looking, I allowed myself to check him out, Kita purring at the sight.

He is so hot. The things I would let that man do.

What? Don't act as if you would be opposed to the idea. I mean, look at him.

Kita said nothing in return, and I let my mind wander as I gazed over his arms and hands, curious of how they would feel on my body. And despite the mate pull, I felt myself grow nauseous at the thought before pushing it out of my mind completely.

It wouldn't matter anyway. Once he figured out everything, he wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole.

Kita whined at the thought.

Stop thinking like that, Kris.

Kita didn't respond, just whined again, and I felt her sink further into the back of my mind. I sighed, feeling guilty.

I know.

"You're awake."

I blinked, pulling myself from the conversation with my wolf to find Grayson looking at me while putting his phone back in his pocket. Slowly, he approached my bed, taking a seat at my feet, a little further than he had been the night before. And I wasn't sure if I liked it or appreciated it.

"I'm sorry if I woke you." If only he could have woken me. "How are you feeling," he asked, arm moving as if he were about to rest it on my shin over the covers but decided against it at the last second, bringing to rest in his lap.

I took a deep breath, ignoring the part of me that wished he would've followed through with the action. "I'm feeling better," I replied truthfully. The pressure on my chest had lifted slightly and I felt no pain, but I was also aware of the fact that I was still on pain medication. However, my limbs no longer felt heavy, which I was grateful for.

"Good," he smiled, and it took my breath away. That stupid muscle in my chest seeming to skip at the sight, and I instantly looked down at my lap to try and force away the feeling of butterflies erupting in my stomach.

"Doctor Hudson said if you were feeling better by this evening that you could possibly be discharged. You'll be sore and lousy for a few days, but he said that didn't prevent you from being well enough to leave."

I stilled, my heart beginning to pick up its pace at his words. What would happen when I was discharged? Would I leave? Would I stay? I suppose I was now classified as a rogue, and although I had never felt my connection from Silver Crescent break, there was not a chance in hell that I was returning. There was nothing left for me there, nothing that I wanted at least, and as much as I really hated to admit it, I didn't want to be away from the man in front of me.

Kita had already formed a bond with Grayson's wolf, and even when he wasn't touching me, I could feel the bond growing between us and it had only been a little over a day. I wonder if it had something to do with him being stronger, more powerful, and maybe slightly older? I remembered feeling the mate pull between Aiden, but not to this extent and not this quickly.

Goddess, it was going to hurt when he realized I wasn't what he wanted or needed.

"Hey." He scooted closer, resting his hand over mine, and when I didn't jerk from him, I allowed myself to feel the overwhelming warmth that invaded the area. I stared at it for a moment, a sense of calm washing over me, and when I looked back towards him, his eyes were gleaming as they danced over my face. "What's wrong?"

I raised a brow, and he chuckled.

"Your heart is beating really fast."

I closed my eyes, releasing a breath - stupid wolf hearing. Or maybe it was the heart monitor.