Prologue

A year ago.

AARON.

"Oh, please Jacob, not him! Where is Beta Gavin?" Janna shrieked at her brother the moment I stepped out of my big truck. Her eyes were narrowing at her brother, and I was sure displeasure was flashing in them.

"Beta Gavin is probably in bed, pleasing his mate. But if you want to disturb them, be my guest. I can drive you over to his parents’ house." I answered, annoyed, as I slipped my hands into my jeans pocket, watching as her squinting eyes shifted on me.

"Aaron!" My sister Clair, also the Luna of this pack, gasped at my response, while Alpha Jake snickered before pulling his sister into a tight hug.

"I could have explained it better, Janna. But the Gamma was right. So, unfortunately, you’re stuck with him." He answered in a coy manner.

"Can somebody else drive me? Maybe he’ll throw me off somewhere." She groaned.

Janna and I didn’t have a good history. We’ve been at each other’s throats since the first day we met months ago. I thought she was a spy or an enemy lurking on the forest ground in our territory, so I ended up tying her up before submitting her to my Alpha, only to find out later that she was Alpha Jake’s half-sister. 

They shared the same father, and Jake had no idea until that fateful day that he had a sister. But ever since that day, Janna has been going back and forth to the territory to familiarize herself with the wolf’s ways of living and the pack itself. And never a day went by that we didn’t clash. And the people around us just got used to that.

And since we were not on good terms, it was Beta Gavin who was assigned to drive her until today, since the Beta has more important things to do. So I was left with no fucking choice but to drive the little wolf back to the city, four hours away from here. 

Or I should say, little dragon, because she spits fire when she talks.

"Look, Janna. I would never trust you to anyone except my Beta and my Gamma. And as much as that man irritates the hell out of you, no one can protect you better than him. He’s my best warrior, and I would trust him with my life. That’s why he’s here to drive you when I can't." My heart warmed at my Alpha’s words, and I was glad he knew how much I would offer my own life for him and for Clair, and well, for his sister too.

"Jacob..." She was still not buying it.

"You need to go now, so he can come back here before midnight." Alpha Jake kissed her forehead before letting Clair hover over her.

"Hey, Janna, he’s my brother. He’s really nice, and I’m sure in no time you will get along well. Just don’t let his teasing piss you off." She kissed Janna on both cheeks, and the little wolf started to pout as if she would cry, and I couldn’t help but snicker.

She threw a hateful glance my way before looking back at my sister, "I wonder how you ended up with a brother like him. He’s nothing like you."

Clair hugged her and whispered softly in her ears, probably not wanting me to hear, but she forgot I have werewolf genes. "He's the best brother ever, and I'm happy just the way he is. Just give him a chance."

My sister was being so sappy that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I looked at Jake, shaking his head and suppressing a smile.

I watched as Janna took her bag from the Alpha and stomped her way down the stairs and proceeded to the passenger seat of my car without looking at me.

I glanced back at the Alpha and Luna and bobbed my head. "We’ll go ahead. Wish me luck!" I groaned at them before I winked at my sister, as the Alpha wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his side.

I waved at them and slid into my seat. I wasn’t even done closing the door when she started ordering me around.

"Not a word, Gamma. Don’t talk to me or..." She said in a cold voice.

"Or what?" I asked as I revved up the engine to life. "You’ll jump out of the car and run away?" I added as I drove away from the packhouse, waving one more time to the couple before speeding off. "Suit yourself. Just let me know when you’re planning to jump so I can open the locks for you." I told her as I locked all the doors.

"I hate you." She said it in almost a whisper, her arms crossed over her chest while her head was tilted to the other side, looking over her window.

"I know that. Put your belt on," I answered in a cold manner.

She ignored my words and just continued to stare at the window.

"Belt on, Janna!" I raised my voice, but there was no response.

"I said, put your belt on." When she didn’t say anything and didn't move, I pressed my foot on the brake hard, jerking her body forward, but I moved my hand just in time to support her forehead so she didn't hit her head on her dashboard.

"How could you?" She shouted at me, swatting my hand away from her forehead, "You’re an idiot!!! Do you want me dead?" Her eyes were hostile as she gritted her teeth.

"That’s exactly what you're trying to do. Now put on your fucking belt or I’ll do it for you! You’re not a fucking baby, Janna! Grow up!" I yelled back at her. I was losing my temper with her, and it wasn’t even five minutes yet.

"I hate you..." Her lips quivered while her hands were shaking as she tried to buckle her seatbelt.

I just looked at her and waited for her to finish, but she couldn’t get it right. I think I scared her enough when I suddenly halted the car.

I took a deep sigh and took the belt from her hands, buckling it in place for her. "I was asked to drive you home and not babysit you. So don't make it difficult for either of us." I told her calmly, without looking at her.

I heard her sniff, but she didn’t say anything.

The next thirty minutes as we drove out of the territory went without any incident. She just stayed silent, and although it was what I was hoping for, I wanted her to say something. I wanted to regret what I did earlier. I didn’t mean to scare the fuck out of her, I just wanted her to get my point.

I put the radio on and let the music play before turning to her. "You can choose a song if you want."

She didn’t say anything and didn’t even bother to look at me.

"Janna, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to scare you like that..."

"But you did... You always seemed to find it amusing to scare me."

"No. Why would you think that? If you just put your belt on when I told you to, then the problem could have been solved right away." I calmly explained to her and I was trying my best not to lose my temper. 

 "I didn’t mean that, although that too. You think I got over the fact that I thought you were about to kidnap and rape me when you took me from the forest the first time we met?" She turned to look at me at the same time I glanced her way. Her eyes were soft, but I could see pain through them.

She rendered me speechless.

"I still get nightmares about it. I don’t know how I would get over that."

"If you just talked and explained then..." I was trying to reason it out, and for fuck’s sake, I don’t even know why I was trying.

"You’re always blaming it on me!!! I was not used to being shouted at. You appeared naked in front of me, shouting at me as if you wanted to slice my head off! What was I supposed to do?" She yelled at me, but her eyes were watery.

F*ck this! 

I took a deep breath and was thinking of the right words to explain when something dropped at the top of the car, making the car swivel along the rough road. I tried hard to make sure we didn’t hit any trees, and as I gained control of the steering wheel, I hit the brake gently to a full stop.

Janna was shrieking beside me. Her eyes were fully round as she stared at me. As our gazes turned to the windshield, I could see fear in her eyes. Paws thudded at the top of the car until a wolf's head hovered at the front, his saliva dripping as he growled loudly before stomping his paws hard on the windshield.

Janna screamed again and sank into her seat while I unbuckled my seatbelt. 

I had to do something or the rogue wolf would end up shattering the glass.

In a brief motion, I faced Janna. My fangs were already out. "No matter what happens, stay inside the car! I will come for you!" 

I didn’t wait for her to respond. I slid off the car and locked the door before shifting into my wolf.

The rogue wolf turned his head on me and leaped from the front hood of my car, rolling us over to the ground. 

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

JANNA.

I was pissed off, and I wanted to cry, but I kept my tears at bay. I didn’t want him to see me crying or, worse, let him know that he could make me cry.

"You’re always blaming it on me!!! I was not used to being shouted at. You appeared naked in front of me, shouting at me as if you wanted to slice my head off! What was I supposed to do?" I yelled at him.

I watched as he bit his lower lip. His ears were turning red, and I was guessing he was starting to get pissed off. I swallowed hard and kept looking at him, hoping he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me when, all of a sudden, a loud noise came from the top of the car, as if some heavy stone had been dropped on it.

My eyes grew wider as the car swiveled along the road, and my hand automatically grasped Aaron’s arm for support. His veins were all visible in his arms as he tried to control the car from hitting the trees until he was able to put it to a full stop without any accident.

With my breath hitching, I turned my head towards the front windshield to see a big black wolf growling at us. His paws were trying to break the glass. My throat let out a scream as I sank into my seat, and before I knew it, Aaron was already outside the car and had shifted to his wolf form.

I scrambled from my seat, taking my seat belt off before crawling to the driver’s seat, peering at the window to see his wolf rolling with the other wolf. I couldn’t hear anything but the hard beating of my own heart. I was scared, but I was scared more of what the wolf could do to Aaron. As much as I didn't like him, I didn’t want to see him dead right in front of my eyes.

The wolves were fast and my eyes could not follow their movements until they were out of my sight and got lost in the forest. It was starting to get dark, and I tried to peek more, leaning my palms on the side window when a dark figure hovered over from the outside.

I let out another scream as I scrambled towards the back seat of the car, the wolf outside kept growling and transferred to the back window where I was. 

"Aaron!" I was shouting like crazy as the wolf outside tried to bump his body into the car, making it shake as he did. My whole body shivered from fear as the window at the back shattered. Without thinking, I opened the door from my side, slipped out of the car, and ran towards the unknown.

I could hear paws thudding on the ground behind me, and I could feel him closing in.

'Where are you? Janna! Janna!' I heard him in my head, but I couldn’t answer. Instead, I screamed, trying my best to scream my loudest as I ran for my life.

"Aaron!!!" I cried out his name as I felt paws scraping my back and I could hear my skin tearing. I stumbled to my feet and my whole body dropped to the ground, my face slamming against dead leaves and broken twigs. I knew this would be the end of me. 

I kept my eyes closed while trying to crawl away. My heart was thudding so loudly that I couldn’t hear anything but my heartbeat. My body felt so numb that if the wolf was tearing me apart, I never felt it.

Am I dead? 

I opened my eyes and found myself in a sitting position, my back leaning on a big tree, and crouching in front of me was Aaron. He was naked. His body was covered with dried blood, and his hand was tapping my cheek gently.

I couldn’t fathom his expression because it was too dark.

But for the first time since I met him, I was glad to see him.

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

AARON.

I panicked the moment I went back to the car, and I couldn’t find her anywhere. The window in the back seat was broken, and the door was left open. Did she run away or was she taken? The rogue I fought with was rabid and was out for a kill, and my heart clenched just thinking of the many possible ways Janna could have been hurt, and only the Goddess knew if she was still alive.

'Where are you? Janna! Janna!' I tried to reach her mind, but she wasn't responding.

I shifted back to my wolf and let Ark lead me to her scent, and not long after, I heard her scream from somewhere. A part of me was relieved to know she was still breathing. Now, I only needed to get to her fast.

Ark leaped and ran at the fastest speed we’d ever done, just in time to see a gray wolf reach for Janna, forcing her to stumble down on the ground.

The rumble in my throat deepened to a snarling growl as I sprung forward and took the gray wolf by its neck, dragging him away from her petite frame.

Ark was in a rage, and so was I. I wanted him dead in an instant. As soon as I had him on hold, I sank my fangs deeper and snapped all the veins in his neck, immobilizing him until his head finally rolled back. I flung his body away and didn’t waste any more time before shifting into my human form and rushing to her side.

She was sitting with her back against a tree, but she looked lost. Her eyes were round and watery, but no tears were falling.

Shit! 

"Janna..." I crouched in front of her and reached my hand to touch her cheek gently, tapping it to wake her up from her shock. "Janna, you’re safe now. It’s okay."

It took a few more taps before she blinked, and I let out a relieved sigh and waited for her to get a grasp of where she was. When she finally tilted her head and looked at me, her quivering lips parted, but no words came out.

I let go of the breath I was holding and pulled her into my naked chest, wrapping my arms around her. I was beyond relieved to see her breathing, but it went away fast when my hand felt the wetness on her back. I leaned over her and saw blood soaking her cardigan.

She wasn’t still talking as I adjusted her position and tried to take off her cardigan, but she was gripping her clothes tightly.

"Janna, look at me! I’m not going to hurt you. You’re wounded. I need to see if you’re healing." I told her calmly, although my heart was thudding loudly in fear.

She just looked at me and nodded her head before she loosened her hold on her cardigan. The entire back of her top was soaked in blood, and when I raised her clothes to check her skin, a shiver of fear coursed through my veins.

She wasn’t healing, and from the look of it, the wound was already infected.

"F*ck!" I cursed and closed my eyes. I wanted to punch something. I don’t have a fucking first aid kit because let’s face it, wolves don’t need one, but Janna doesn’t have a wolf yet.

I ripped her cardigan and started to wipe out the blood covering her wounds using it.

Without thinking further, I leaned down and began licking her wounds, spatting the blood on the ground until I was able to lick every wound on her back.

I had no fucking idea what I was doing.

Only a mated wolf could heal his or her mate. The only exception was pure Alpha blood.

I was holding on to the latter. My father was the son of Alpha Carlos Montrell. He was an Alpha before someone raided his pack and took over the Alpha post and his pack. And my mother was a first-born Alpha Female. I was hoping that it would matter at this point because there was no fucking way I would let Janna die. Not on my watch. Not in my hands.

"Aaron, what are you doing?" Her voice came out raspy as she coughed, and it was breaking my heart.

I didn’t answer her. I sat on the ground and put her in my lap, not caring if I was naked. She slid into my arms and buried her face in my neck."I’m cold."

"We need to get you to a hospital. Stay with me. Don’t sleep."

She nodded, but I could see her eyes fluttering as I scooped her up in my arms and sprinted towards the car. "Janna, don’t sleep. Please. Please."

My heart was in turmoil as I placed her on the passenger seat and moved to find my clothes at the back of my car. After I put on my shirt and shorts, I grabbed a large shirt and helped her change into it, discarding her torn clothes.

"Janna," I tapped her cheek and she opened her eyes. I leaned my forehead against hers. "Stay awake. Please..."

"Hmmm..." She mumbled, and I knew she was trying to keep her eyes open.

After I buckled her into her seat, I immediately rushed to my seat and drove off. We’re off the road, and if I calculated correctly, the next city would be 20 to 30 minutes away, and I don’t know if we have the luxury of time before the wounds get totally infected. I cursed myself for not bringing any cell phones.

I kept glancing beside me, watching her fight to keep her eyes open.

I saw the first tear drop from her eyes as she came to realize what had just happened.

"Am I dying?" She asked without looking at me.

"No." I grabbed her hand and clasped it with mine as I sped off more. I was supposed to reassure her, but it came out sounding like I was reassuring myself more.

"How’s your back? Do you feel anything?" My voice came out hoarsely.

"I felt numb. I can’t feel my body, but I'm thirsty." She answered in a low voice.

I let go of her hand and tried to feel the water bottle Jenny gave me to take with me. It must have slipped somewhere in the back seat. After a few seconds, I was able to find it and open it for her. "Drink up as much as you can. Just leave a little. I want to clean your wounds with water."

She started to drink, and I parked the car, jumped off my seat, and rushed to her side. She gave me the bottle, and my eyes widened as I lifted the shirt covering her wounds.

The wounds were still visible, but they were slowly healing. I felt a big thing lift off my chest as I subconsciously wrapped my arms around her and pulled her head into my chest.

"Aaron... Is it bad?" Her voice was breaking.

"No. You’re healing."