02

Her terrified eyes are wide and alert, I watch as she rips her hands off the hood and darts into the woods again.

I quickly open my car door and step out. "Wait!" I yell after her.

Her little legs carry her fast, I see the fear practically dripping off her with every step. She was shaking violently, her head whipping around to see how close I was to her.

Taking big strides to catch up, she turns again and looks at me in panic. Her breathing hitches as she attempts to run quicker, her feet dodging the tree roots in the floor.

Managing to get level with her, her eyes look up at me in shock as stops right in her tracks. Her clothes were dirty and ripped like she had been neglected.

I stop in front of her and I watch as she takes small shaky steps backwards, her foot treads down onto a branch as it cracks under her weight. Her whole body loses balance and she falls down onto her back, a quiet hiss comes out of her mouth.

Instantly rushing to her assistance but she scurries away from me, stopping when her back hits a tree harshly. Her eyes glisten with tears which soon fall down her cheeks, against her pale broken skin.

"P-Please don't hurt me," her her voice begs quietly.

As I bend down to her level she flinches at how close we are, she shields her face behind her knees. "I'm not going to hurt you," I tell her softly, my tone trying to sound sincere.

Her breathing becomes harsher, continuing to try and push herself away from me. Her brown eyes hesitantly wander over my face and watch my body actions carefully.

"It's okay," I say. "I won't hurt you."

Turning back to to my car for a split second to see how far away I had parked, I see her run off again in the corner of my eye.

"Hey!" I yell as I shoot up to chase after her.

Managing to grab her delicate wrist and stop her. I can't help but notice the tingles that raced through my hands when I touched her skin. Having to stop my eyes from closing in pleasure, a feeling that felt all too familiar.

"Please," she begs as I feel her body shake with fear. "Please, just let me go."

Instantly noticing how her bottom lip quivers and tears fall endlessly from her terrified eyes. Afraid that I could do unspeakable things to her.

"You're hurt and you're clearly in danger. Please just let me help you. I'm not going to hurt you." I try to plead with her but I understood how hard it must be for her to trust someone with the state that she's in.

There was no way I was going to just let her disappear into the night, not knowing if she's safe or if people are after her.

She shakes her head vigorously. "I'm not going anywhere with you." She cries out and tries to shake the grip I have on her wrist.

Lucy, I need your help. Right now. I demand through mindlink.

Looking back down to my mate, her eyes staring back at me wearily. Her chest was heaving and her breathing loud. "I am not going to hurt you." I whisper down to her. "I could never hurt you."

Her eyebrows slightly furrow at my words and she pulls her head back. "I don't believe you," her voice wobbles.

Whats wrong? Are you okay? Lucy's mindlink pings back.

Quickly taking in my surroundings I tell my sister where I am, describing that she'll see my car on the edge of the road.

Okay, be 5 minutes. She rushes.

"Okay, that's fine you don't need to believe me right now." I gently, my voice trying not to sound patronising. "But one day you will trust me."

She shakes her head. "Why are you saying this?" She sounds confused, her face scrunching up. "You don't know me!"

Her words scream distress and I didn't even want to think about the things that she had been through. "I know you don't know me but it will make sense soon, you will be safe now." I nod to her.

"Please, I don't want this. I just want to get away. Please." She begs again, her voice becoming hysterical with sobs.

I open my mouth to talk but I am cut off by Lucy's voice in my head.

Jaxon, we are here. Is it safe?

Yes.

Lucy and Sebastian emerge from the direction of my car.

"What's going on?" Lucy asks as she rushes to my side and eyes the girl that I have a grip of.

"I'll explain later," I mumble to her. Turning back to my mate as she looks at Lucy and Sebastian with uncertainty. "This is my sister and her boyfriend." I say to her.

"We want to help you, please let us help you." I say to her, my fingers moving up her arm slightly for better grip.

"Get off of me you psychopath!" She screams before realising what she has said and quickly shields herself from me.

My hear shatters as I think about how she was expecting me to hit her. "Hey," I say tugging her arm gently so she looks at me, her eyes struck with fear. "I'm not going to hurt you."

I turn to my sister. "Sleep," I whisper not loud enough for my mate to hear and Lucy nods her head.

"Wait, wait wait!" My mate screams as Lucy stands in front of her and closes her eyes. She waves her hands over my mates face and chants in her head.

Lucy was blessed with the talents of being a healer, in which she can put somebody to sleep with a spell. Almost like telepathic sleeping gas, it has come in handy many times.

I watch as my mates eyes fall droopy and I quickly catch her limp body in my arms. She was tiny compared to me and she looked like she needed a decent meal. Her body felt like a bag of bones and it was the worst thing to see.

"Want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Lucy yells at me and I flick my eyes to Sebastian who is also looking back at me confused.

"Get in the car, we will talk at home." I mumble as I carry my mate away from the clearing

-

Once we are back at the pack house, I carry my mate up to the guest room. Letting her body down onto the bed, she was frail and I was terrified of what she had been through.

"Jaxon?" Lucy gets my attention quietly but her voice still comes out loud. "Are you going to tell us what on Earth is going on?"

Pressing a finger to my lips as I frown at her. "She's still sleeping." I whisper.

I watch as one of Lucy's eyebrows flexes at me and her hands find the way to her hips.

She's my mate.

Lucy's eyes instantly go wide at my words "Excuse me?!" She says out loud, not even registering she has.

"Shhh!" I say harshly towards her.

She's your mate?

Yes.

How?

I don't know but she is and I know she is.

Lucy's eyes wander down to my mate.

"What's her name?" She asks and I quickly shrug.

"I'm not sure, we didn't quite get to that point." I sigh and watch as my mates breath becomes more rigid and harsh. "But I just know that whatever she has gone through, it's been hell."

My fists begin to tense and I can't help but grit my teeth in anger at the way that she has been mistreated.

I turn to look back at Lucy. "When she wakes up, can you be here please? She's terrified and maybe seeing another girl will calm her down." I say, my voice full of hope because that's what I needed right now.

Lucy nods instantly. "Of course." She wanders over to the bed and perches gently down beside me.

Her hand reaches up to grip mine and she squeezes. "I can't believe this, this is just crazy." She breathes out not looking at me, her eyes stay firmly on my mate.

"I know," I whisper. "Me either."