I was alone. My father pulled me further away. The trees closed around us, surrounding us in darkness.

There was no way for someone to save me without the possibility of my father ending my life and with his arm closed around my throat in a vice like grip he could do it with one swift move.

I was in a precarious situation. My over confidence had landed me in this situation I was fighting against him with everything I had. The further away he pulled me from my mate the worse off I was.

If I couldn’t get myself out of this then Maverick may not be able to find me and that wasn’t an option.

Even as dots appeared in my sight I knew I was running out of time. If I passed out, I would be vulnerable to whatever evil my father had planned and I could not let him succeed.

Finally, accepting that I would get out of my father’s tight hold by fighting I suppressed the panicked need for air and slackened my body to imitate that I had passed out. It was the most difficult thing, not to struggle.

Almost instantly my father eased the tight hold and it took every strength of my control not to inhale sharply, to fill my lungs with much needed air. I kept as still as possible as he adjusted his hold.

It was only for a brief moment but I managed to catch him off guard and I was free. I stumbled back turning to face my father while trying to fill my lungs with air.

My father was already shaking his head. “You keep fighting me. When are you going to learn that you cannot stop me.”

I trembled but refused to allow him to see how shaken I was.

“I’ll never submit. I would rather die.” My chest heaved with each deep filled breath as I took a step back, intent on getting as far away from as possible.

“You need to learn your place and I’ll make sure of it,” he promised, his voice low but deadly as he closed the distance between us with deadly intent.

I could not out run him. Any confidence I had in any of my abilities was so badly shaken but I knew I had a better chance if I shifted.

I tried to close off the looming threat as my father grabbed my arm, concentrating solely on bringing my wolf out.

The first hit to my face sent me back and jarred me. I cried out. I didn’t even have a moment before the next blow landed in my stomach.

I fell down on the ground, gasping as I tried to block out the pain. His boot connected with my side and rolled into a the fetal position cowering behind my arms to protect me. Any thought of shifting, impossible.

One second my father loomed over me about to inflict more damage when he was suddenly gone.

I heard growling and lowered my arms to see a werewolf push my surprised father to the ground. It took a moment to take in what was happening, the relief that flooded through me when I realized it was Maverick. Maverick was here.

It hurt to breathe but I tried to sit up. I was too injured. I lay there watching as my father shifted in the blink of an eye.

Snapping, gnarling and the smell of blood filled the air. I could do nothing but watch with growing fear of what the outcome would be. My father was much more experienced than Maverick.

They continued to wrestle, I fought back tears as I watched the power struggle continue. I could not lose Maverick.

Then another werewolf broke through the trees just as blood sprayed in the air.

I stared as Maverick’s wolf sank its teeth deep into the neck of my father. He was still in his werewolf form as I watched the light in his eyes disappear.

It was finally over. He was dead.

I closed my eyes, overcome with relief and pain. I felt hand on me and looked up to see Kane kneeling beside me. It was the first time I saw concern, a show of some type of emotion from him.

“He did a good job on you,” he murmured, taking in my injuries.

Maverick shifted into his human form. He was covered in blood. He wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand before he dropped to knee on the other side of me.

He soothed the hair from my face. “You’re okay.”

I nodded, trying to myself from crying but I felt the wetness gather in my eyes.

“And I thought I had a fucked up family,” Kane muttered.

“I think I win,” I managed to whisper as Maverick helped me sit up.

I felt battered and bruised. Every square inch of me was either in intense physical pain or aching.

Maverick put his arm around me and pulled me close. I leaned my head against his chest, feeling so tired.

“I got you Alexandria.”

I nodded. “I’m so tired.”

It felt like I had been running my whole life, and for the first time I didn’t want to run. It was more than physical relief, it was an emotional one too.

“Let’s get you back so we can get you checked over.”

I nodded, feeling weak. He lifted me in his arms.

I didn’t remember much of the ride home. For most of it I drifted between consciousness and the darkness where there was no pain.

When I finally woke up I opened my eyes to a sharp light, feeling the glare like looking directing at the sun.

A chair scrapped beside me, the hand holding mine moved.

“You’re awake,” Maverick whispered.

At the sight of him I wanted to cry so I swallowed hard and nodded.

“You’re a bit banged up but you’re going to be fine,” he assured me, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

I felt so overwhelmed I couldn’t speak. He brushed my cheek gently.

I looked around the room and didn’t recognize it. “Where….are….we?”

“Your father’s pack.”

My eyes widened with alarm.

“Relax.”

It was difficult to release a breath.

“What you did out there in that clearing is impossible.”

“How?” I murmured.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know if that you saved us. If you hadn’t stopped them, it would have been a blood bath.”

I swallowed. It was a very sobering thought that we had come so close to dying. Although I pretty much felt like death warmed up.

“My mother?” I couldn’t help feeling that even with the deaths of my brothers and father, my mother was still a possible threat.

“She has been exiled. She no longer has a place here.”

I nodded, feeling slightly less threatened. My body sighed with relief.

“You have nothing to fear Alexandria. I will protect you.”

I felt another emotional wave. “I know.”

He pressed his lips to mine and I touched his cheek as he lifted his lips from mine.

“I’m here to protect you too.”

This wasn’t a one side partnership. I would protect him from any danger in the same way he would protect me.

He frowned. “I know why you did what you did. But it still doesn’t detract from the fact that you risked your life Alexandria. You can’t do that.”

I pressed my lips tight, not wanting to argue.

“I can’t lose you.” The emotional in his voice made my heart ache.

“I can’t lose you either,” my voice hoarse.

He frowned.

“I wasn’t going to sit safely from afar while you risked your life for me,” my voice steadier. “We are in this together. For better or worse.”

“The key word is together. You went off on your own Alexandria. You can’t do that.”

“I want to say I regret my decision but right now it’s difficult not to be relieved that despite what happened we are both here, alive.”

“This time we were lucky. But what if we hadn’t been?”

I didn’t want to think about that right now.

“Why don’t we just be thankful we are alive,” I reminded him.

He sighed. “You’re right.”

He stared deeply into mine before moving to kiss me. This time there was nothing brief. He kissed me so thoroughly, I was left wanting more.

I touched his face. “I love you more than I have ever loved anyone.”

For the first time he smiled, wiping the heaviness in his features. “Same. So damn much.”