k's

y bring you some luck," Jarek mocked when the

uth shut," Er

I growled. "Otherwise, you mi

peless," Arovan, my wolf, mu

ved to open my door, but I li

I need to spea

fell completely silent. Neither Eryon

firm voice. "Neither of you will speak to her or watch her. Jarek,

s her quiet manner or fragile appearance had drawn me in. Maybe I had simply grown too familiar with bold women who had been trained to charm men and bargain with th

was to keep

iced Jarek's disrespectful grin. "Being my brot

and pretended to seal it with a zipper

my structure. All three of us studied the front of the building. Only a month earlier, I hadn't known

pened a crack, I pushed through and ma

ay, I fo

hallway, Nerya stood as though s

getting ready?" I a

d allow

swer, but my cold inte

asn't for you.

ll open while his eyes widened in disbelief. Apparently

empty plastic bag remained pressed against her chest. She nervo

ur belongings?" I asked. "You we

hing she has," Toren snee

immediately s

wned fit inside one bag? She's twenty

ire anything more?"

he learns what happens when he stands ag

h voice suddenly rang out, and its piercin

revealed plenty about the kind of person she was. Loose blonde curls framed her face, and her green eyes openly traveled over my body.

r's mate the previous day. Fear had locked every part of her body in place

craped against my ears. "She'll probably make a decent slave for you, ju

l laugh burst f

settled int

t belong to you, and she isn't anyone's slave. Alpha Toren, you

knees. "How dare you accuse me of needing control? The only cre

she calling a ra

ened until m

nt," I replied without warmth. "Your mate

beneath his arm, he removed the thick set of docu

ned the Lu

y pages just to prom

went on carel

Eryon and pressed them fir

nue this in

yed close behind them because he clearly wanted to hear every word. My men followed the three of t

held tightly in her arms, and her gaze m

volved you more than anyone else. If you preferred, you c

?" she murmured without lift

t discussion, though. Watching you upset your brot

from her. Standing this close allowed me to see how badly they had treated her. No one should have been that thin, and looking at

oftly. "Which one

..

e front entrance and the hallw

I would go t

the bett

t her shaking. Her body wavered for a moment before she steadied herself. I followed several steps behind her. The

murmured while

t once, she recoiled as though even

Her wide eyes darted around the room in

again, putting more f

do that in this house,

ooked in he

ds permissi

erya. Nothing visible marked her arms or legs. Part of me wante

ked through my mind like a trapped animal. My wolf wanted t

air because she clearly hadn't expected me to

n Toren. "Teach your mate when to close her m

forget that you're s

ded my support

n orders inside their own home clearly infuriated them.

en Jarek and Eryon. Following a brief paus

oren growled. "I'll be

first would be wise,

you could take her unde

ol," Eryon

g a contract without checking ever

names without reading even one sentence. Once they fin

e," Toren

e sneered. "Now remo

se. Its terms ensured that none of them could ever harm her again. Their pleas wouldn't change that. Neither would any regret they felt later.

before extending on

of this miserable place before

the bag securely against her chest. Without looking behind her once, she stayed beside

e me all the an

them matched every bit of t

d. Her fingers slid away from mine. When she noticed

me," I insi

nd Jarek watched wi

Eryon asked over

er

re her, but she showed no response. Her eyes looked

ded to

rig

barely pass

closed around the doorframe. Her knuckles lost all color while the beat of her heart suddenly raced

ou," I m

her into my arms and carried her toward the car. The fragile feel of her frightened me because

into the back seat with Nerya across my lap, Jarek r

hinking, Jarek, ke

ng and racing pulse slowly returned to normal. My fingers gently p

, she hurried away from me and pressed herself into the opposite corner

other again. We talked about pack matters while I checked

I climbed out before the driver could reac

me

ge," she fina

hers, she carefully moved along the sea

od at least three times larger than the home she had left behind. Someday, I wanted her to feel protected wi

you around,"

d quietly followed me inside. Whether she understoo

enormous dining room, where the main table had enough room for twenty people. "The younger

My hand gestured toward the wh

g, write it on this board,

tween her eyebrows. Even s

in what I hoped was a comforting way. Perhaps

u stay in my home with nothing except

iously around the kitchen, an

need?" I gentl

ispered. "I didn'

training clothes, dresses, shoes, sleepwear, jackets, toiletries... I included

oth hands around her waist to estimate her measurements. My thumbs almos

was much

naged to remai