LUCIAN POV    "She heard me put Jolene in her place," I growl as soon as Kohn finishes reading our refineries report.   "How did you put her in her place," Kohn immediately asks, and I lean back in my chair while sighing.  "Jolene showed me disrespect, and I rutted her to put her back in her place," I snarl, and Kohn falls into my other office chair.   He groans while shaking his head.   "You have a mate now, Lucian. Rutting to show dominance isn't an option for you anymore," Kohn says as if he is talking to a teenage pup.  I growl to show my displeasure, but even to my ears, the growl sounds weak.  "It's how I have always kept the of age females in line. But after the anger faded and my instincts vanished, all I could focus on was her crying.....Why the fuck did I get a human,"

LUCIAN POV ( rated R)     How fucking dare she talk to me like that. First, she calls me a monster, and then she blatantly refuses to eat? She must have a death wish.  "Ruben," I call, and feet sound on the floor below.  He runs up the stairs quickly, and I look him over. He reeks of the servant, Dany, but I don't comment. Now that I know my third's story, I feel ashamed I hurt the girl... A feeling that is becoming more and more frequent now that I have Amber.  "Gather everyone. I have an announcement to make," I order, and he nods his head before spinning on his heel.  Irritation is coursing through me as Amber's face remains the focal point in my mind. She has found a weak point in my armor, that's for sure.  How do I force a human to eat? I need her healthy...she is my mate. I hate seeing h

LUCIAN POV  "You can put me down," Amber whispers, and I accidentally growl.   She flinches, and I sigh as I reach our room.   "Sorry," I mumble, and she stiffens even more.   "It's okay," she whispers, and I barely manage to hold back my grin.   Her voice is so light now. Not like it was downstairs when she was defending that whore of a wolf.  I get the door open easily since Amber weighs even less than when she first arrived. I set her on my bed and head for my closet without saying a word. I need to get on clothes before I try to sort through the mess going on in my head.   First, I need to decide what I'm going to say to Amber, and then I need to decide what I'm going to do with Jolene. Her injuries are extension, but since I didn't reach her heart, she should recover.

KOHN POVSeeing a pup mate-claim, Amber is pretty funny. I know he is doing it because his pack needs higher members, but Amber. She can't even be deemed fit by human standards. Her body is extremely weak from lack of food and the abuse she has suffered at the hands of Lucian.I didn't even put two and two together. I thought they were claiming her due to their protective natures. I mean, she is bruised, skinny, and just giving out an overall sad aura. But mate-claim...Lucian growls louder, and Malcolm roars. Both begin to size each other up, and the rest of the pack moves to protect their Alpha's mate. As the atmosphere grows tenser and tenser, my attention shifts to Amber.She looks terrified and helpless as she watches Lucian and Malcolm begin to circle one another. And I second her emotions. If Malcolm keeps pushing, Lucian will have no choice but fight him...and their size difference

LUCIAN POV    "Lucian, the doctor would like to talk to you," Kohn says through my door after knocking, and I grunt loud enough for him to hear.   Last night was awful. I slept for about an hour, but I was too scared to sleep for longer than that. Anxiety has all but taken over my senses. Any slight change, whether it be her heart rate or her breathing, I panic.  "Come in," I answer, and Kohn opens my door.  I glance over to look at the doctor that saved my mate and give him a nod. I owe him, but I don't like him.  "Mr. Bishop, how is our patient," he asks, striding in as if my bedroom is his personal office.   I bite back my growl and glance down towards Amber's peaceful face.  "She is alive. Her heartbeat is strong," I reply, and he nods while taking a listen for himself.