There was a rush of activity when we arrived back at the compound. There was a doctor and gurney. I was rushed into the medical clinic. It was the pin prick of pain relief that finally ease the pain.

Maverick stood beside me, there was worry etched in his features but I could feel the anger vibrate from him. I didn’t know whether it was for me or if it was still from the fight with the bounty hunter.

I frowned. “How did you find me?”

“Let’s leave that conversation until you’re on the mend,” he replied tightly, his focus was fully on my vitals that beeped in the background.

“Why?” I asked. Why couldn’t we talk about it now?

I wasn’t one to back down from a confrontation and I wouldn’t start now.

Even if it felt like I was floating and was struggling to keep my thoughts in order. It was the weirdest feeling. “What ever they gave me really works.” I wasn’t in any pain at all as I lay on the hospital bed in a small room within their medical clinic.

I stared at Maverick. He was so handsome and my heart inflated. My usual tight control unravelled with the drugs.

“I don’t want to fight with you right now.” His voice tight.

I frowned again. “You saved my life.” That was all that mattered. Didn’t he realize that?

It was difficult to think, all I wanted to do was float in sea of bliss where there was no pain or heavy emotions.

His jaw was tense and I reached out to touch it. He moved away and I dropped my hand. I hated how he was keeping his distance when I needed him the most.

“We need to do some x-rays,” Sandra said as she entered the room.

“X-rays…” I murmured sleepily.

I watched as Sandra and Maverick seemed to converse without words and I again wished I could hear what they were saying.

After some x-rays which they determined I had broken two ribs they sedated me.

When I woke up I was sore and grumpy. My ribs were on the mend, Sandra had told me that I would heal quicker because I was a werewolf. But it wasn’t the pain that had put me into a bad mood it was the lack of Maverick’s presence.

I hadn’t seen him since the day before when I had been high on pain killers. Where was he? And I resented the fact that I cared, way too much.

By that afternoon I was angry and tired of waiting to have it out with him. I decided if he wasn’t going to come to me, I would have to find him. He had left me no choice. I got dressed, trying my best not to jolt my aching ribs before I left the clinic much to the disapproval of Sandra.

“You need to rest,” she told me but I couldn’t do that until I confronted Maverick.

“I’ll rest later,” I yelled back at her as I left the clinic, determined to find Maverick.

I couldn’t take this anymore. The silence. It was the worst punishment.

I went straight to the house and followed the voices coming from the study. When I reached the door and I opened it without knocking.

Maverick stood beside Sebastian and a few other people I didn’t recognize.

Everyone’s eyes were on me.

“You should be in medical,” Maverick said, disapprovingly with a dark look in my direction.

“We need to talk.” I glared at him as I crossed my arms.

There were no words but everyone one other than Maverick filtered out of the room and they closed the door. We were alone.

“What do you want Victoria?” he asked refusing to even make eye contract with me as he studied a piece of paper he was holding, like I was some sort of stranger. It only irked me, blowing my temper into full throttle.

“Are you kidding me?” I was taken aback and angry.

“No Victoria. I asked you what you want.” His eyes lifted to meet mine. They were closed off and it hurt. More than the physical pain I was suffering.

“Why are you avoiding me?” I asked, reading to get down to the truth, ugly or not.

I was ready for a full on fight, yelling and screaming. Whatever was needed to rid me of this horrible feeling inside of me. I hated how he was making me feel.

“I have things to do.” He dismissed me. Just like that.

My mouth opened and closed. He was shutting me out. I wasn’t used to this.

“I was injured….in the clinic.” I had to stop myself not wanting to reveal the emotion swirling inside of me.

“What do you want from me Victoria?” he asked. He finally lowered the document in his hand and placed it down on the desk. I had his undivided attention.

“I…I…” I couldn’t put into words what I needed from him.

“When you figure it out, let me know.” He sat down at the desk and picked up another document, completely ignoring me again.

The worst thing to do to me was to ignore me. It boiled my blood and I saw red. I stalked over to the desk and ripped the paper from his hand.

“You know what you mean to me,” I yelled, physically wanting to shake him but I stopped myself.

“Really?” He stood, rising to his full height which meant I had to look up to him to keep his gaze. “Are you sure about that?”

I bit my lip. I knew my reasons for leaving, he didn’t.

“Yes, I’m sure.” I knew that much.

“Really because you aren’t supposed to leave the people you care about.” His eyes hard and unyielding.

“If it’s to protect them, you do.” Damn. I had revealed too much. I pressed my lips together as he frowned at me.

“What did you need to protect me from?” His eyes narrowed.

I lowered my gaze and moved to step back but he grabbed me by the arms, halting my retreat.

“Tell me.” There was unrestrained anger in his voice and I knew it would explode if I told him the truth.

Being honest, didn’t come easy. Lying and deceit I was a natural at. Laying everything out in front of him without fearing his judgment was more than I was capable of.

“If I tell you the truth, it’ll change how you see me.” I spoke softly. With him I felt so vulnerable.

“You don’t get it, do you?”

I lifted my eyes slowly to meet his.

“Nothing will change how I feel about you. Nothing. Victoria.” The conviction his voice reached the part of me that was starved for love.

I wanted to believe him so badly but I knew better. He probably thought it was some small issue that could be fixed. A lifetime of pain and abandonment that had shaped me into who I was now and there was no changing that.

He couldn’t fix the scars from my past. They were deep and mine forever.

It was who I was and how I viewed life. He saw happiness and love. I saw the side where people used others for what they could gain with selfish intent. It was how I lived my life. How could he care about someone like that? When he saw my true colors he wouldn’t feel the same way, werewolf or not.

“I don’t believe that,” I admitted. “When I woke up this morning you weren’t there.”

He shook his head. ”I’m angry with you.” He sighed. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”

I swallowed slowly, not knowing how to deal with this.

“Instead of coming to me and asking me for help you ran.” He dropped his hands from my arms. “Do you know how that makes me feel?”

I didn’t know what to say.

“I told you how much you meant to me, I let you in and you vanished. I had no idea why.” He frowned. “You asked me not to pry into your past, you asked me trust you.”

I remembered.

“I did as you asked and I trusted you. But after everything that’s happened I think it’s time you come clean with me. I need to know everything. Do you understand?”

I didn’t want to tell him anything.

“Let’s start with why you feel you had to leave to protect me?” he asked. He wasn’t going to let it go.