"What happened?" Solkolov intercepted my path.

"Those infected changelings attacked us. She sensed them but it was too late to do anything more." I explained. Solkolov kept pace with me as we entered the Pack house. He swiftly cleared the guest bedroom, yanking down the sheets.

Although my heart beat a chaotic rhythm, I tried to hold on to the lone string of calm I possessed.

"Shit." Solkolov cursed, running a worried gaze over Aella. She was complete dead-weight in my arms. I managed to keep her head elevated but as I placed her across the mattress, I felt completely futile. I didn't remember how I managed to navigate myself back to the Pack house with the scent of her spilled blood haunting me. The venom still hadn't stopped her heart, but she was running out of time. My wolf was on the brink of letting loose, but the soft rhythm of her struggling heart kept me grounded.

I focused on the soft sound, counting each beat.

I hid the tremble in my hands as I knelt beside her.

The more I watched her struggle to breathe, the more my control slipped from me.

Fuck, she was having full-body tremors. It didn't help that she was pale as a sheet.

"Seamus is here." Someone said. I didn't let my gaze fall away from Aella. I held her cheeks, needing the contact. "Aella?"

I heard Seamus command everyone out the door. They did this hastily. I felt someone squeeze my shoulder, but I had no energy to respond. The doors closed with a slight click behind the scuffle of feet.

"Fuck, Jude."

I growled, ripping my hands from her face and staring at the man who watched over me my whole life. He shook his head. I ignored how his lips pressed into a tight line.

"Tell me what to do. She's fading." I ran my shaking fingers through my hair. "Tell me, Seamus!" I was going to lose it. I could feel it.

Seamus shook his head again, lowering it. "You know what happens when people get attacked by them and have their venom in their system, Jude. I'm so sorry."

NO!

I went to my knees beside her, clutching her hand helplessly. The tremors were fading. I blinked, trying like fuck to get the wetness out of my eyes. This wasn't happening. There was no way in hell that this was happening. Her dainty hand was so cold. I tried to warm it up by rubbing it between my palms, but it refused to take my warmth.

"Mark her," Seamus whispered.

I whipped my head around to see the man kneel beside me, focusing his gaze on Aella.

"It might help. You know the bonds between mated pairs are stronger than what we can understand. She's yours. Mark her Jude. It may be the only way."

"She...." I clamped my lips tightly, refusing to admit the rest to Seamus.

I wanted her to choose. To choose me. This wasn't what was supposed to happen.

But the chance that this could save her...

"Seamus." I squeezed her hand, holding her palm against my heart that was hammering a hole in its place.

"I'm done seeing you lose more people in your life Jude, even if she's taking her damn time warming up to you. Mark her boy."

His gaze studied mine. His expression gradually faded as he read my answer with approval. "We must get the venom out now and when the bad blood is out from her system, I want you to mark her as soon as possible. The bond will snap in place, and it'll help her recover. You must do it when I tell you, Jude. If not, she'll lose too much blood and..."

I nodded.

She was mine.

I would save her dammit.

"Good." Seamus unveiled a thin knife from his side, holding the blade under the light. It gleamed. His gaze studied her vulnerable body until he identified the claw and bites marks marring her skin. He did swift work making the wounds bigger, so the blood pooled quickly. The metallic scent made my wolf crazy. My jaw clenched but I trusted the man to know what he was doing. Her breathing was barely detectable now. I clenched my jaw tightly, fighting the urge to throw my fists. It took all my formal training to not throw Seamus across the room. I waited, barely breathing as Seamus slid the blade across her skin.

In reality, seconds had passed but I felt like I was trapped in a perennial loop, rewatching Seamus pierce her skin over and over again.

"Jude, now." Seamus cued, retracting the stained blade.

I quickly moved, pressing my teeth against her neck, letting the points sink into her soft skin. Her body jolted from the contact. I placed a hand over her hip to calm her as I sank my teeth further until her blood trickled across my tongue.

***

"Something is wrong."

What was the man's name? Emerys? It was intriguing that the man given to babysit me for the day was keen on cracking jokes rather than taking his job seriously. The man was unbearable. I contemplated knocking him out, but I was sure I would get the boot out of the Pack. Instead, I was forced to listen to the man break into a fit of laughter after he cracked another dry joke.

I did not laugh.

Jude Slater was definitely a man who knew what he was doing. It was no work to wonder why someone wanted him dead. Who? He didn't know in the slightest. Many wanted the man dead but only someone so stupid would approach him to do the deed. When he first received the message, he'd been surprised by the audacity of some people.

No one wanted to make an enemy of the man.

That included me.

Now, that feeling was back.

I glanced at the clock; it was almost midnight. Something was happening but I couldn't rid of the feeling.

I opened the door to my bedroom. Emerys immediately recoiled from his position from the wall and approached me, "What can I do for you Eyeball?"

There was no hiding how much I wanted to skin this man alive. I was- am what people refer to as The Eye and for some inexplicable reason, this man enjoyed making a mockery of the name.

"Where is she?" If there was someone I cared about being in this Pack, it was her.

He merely shrugged his shoulders, "And who may this she be?"

I eyed the man, taking in his raised brow and mirthful gaze, "She is my daughter. Her name is Aella."

"Well, that's a fucking surprise." The man grinned big, showing his pearly whites as he threw his arms wide. "I know Aella."

I wanted to kill this man.

"Is she safe?"

"Yes. All Recruits are always protected by the Elite Syndicate."

"Recruit?" The word tasted bitter on my tongue. "Is she recruiting to be part of the Elite?" Surprise and conflict weighed on my chest.

Emerys nodded, only further fuelling my worry.

My daughter wanted to be part of this Pack?

"Where is she?"

Emerys, the mutt, didn't speak.

I made a note to keep an eye on this changeling.

***

There was an unexplainable ache on my neck. My eyelids felt like heavyweights as I forced them open. The brightness in the room felt invasive. It stung but I was all too aware of the body half slumped on the bed.

Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I caught sight of Jude sleeping in an office chair he must have dragged to my bed side. His face was half buried in the folds of the blanket someone had draped over my body.

I struggled to sit up but then there was a hand helping me up. Tingles shot up my arm from where his hands skimmed my skin. "Careful."

"I'm okay." I leaned against the headboard, releasing a pained exhale.

His gaze studied my face before it dropped to my neck, lingering. Now that my head wasn't spinning wildly, I zeroed in on the warm sensation on my neck. I gently swept my fingers across the spot out of curiosity. It tingled as I brushed over the broken skin.

I checked to see if my wolf was okay, but I was surprised when I probed, only to find another bond that hadn't been there before. It was vibrant, a crimson red tangled with oranges and yellows that resembled crackling flames. For a second, I was stunned speechless. My wolf was surprisingly quiet, not in the least disturbed by the new bond.

"You see it?" Jude asked warily as if he were holding his breath.

"You marked me." The truth formed around my lips before I could think.

It couldn't be anything else.

Our eyes connected as he nodded solemnly, "There wasn't another way. I didn't think it would work but I had to at least try. I couldn't let you..." He stopped abruptly and stood, raking both his hands through his hair.

He couldn't let me die.

That is what he couldn't do.

If our places were reversed, I would have done the same thing.

"I know this isn't what you wanted, but it's done," Jude said quietly, holding my gaze firmly. His eyes were blood-shot. I wondered briefly what had happened to him. My hand twitched as he took my hand gently and held it in his like a cushioned diamond. "We took care of the changelings. They're no longer a threat. I have my men scouring the vicinity around the Territory. The attack had been abrupt. We don't have much to go on considering it was so sudden." He may have been trying to hide it but there was worry tainting his tone.

"Your hands are shaking." I shook my hand from his, cupping his instead. I brushed my touch along the callouses that marked his fingers.

"You scared the fuck out of me." He rasped.

"I'm fine now." I held his hand, catching his gaze. "I want to know how you are."

Jude blinked, stunned by my question. "I'm fine. Really."

"Thank you."

Jude raised a brow.

"I guess you saved my life."

Jude shook his head, "No, I-"

"You saved my life Jude. Thank you."

Jude gulped audibly but offered a reluctant nod.

"I'm worried about something." I admitted.

"Tell me." Jude prompted softly.

"Do you have any idea how crazy this whole thing is? "I laughed, without humour. "Everyone will know what we are...and what about my training Jude? I came here to be trained, to become part of the E.S. The other Recruits won't see this as fair if I come back and they see the bond between us. Your Pack hardly know me and Seamus walks a thin line of deciding whether he likes me or not. Is this something that you're really okay with?"

"You're not exactly an open book too Tinkerbell." His fingers rubbed along my knuckles, sending tingles along my skin.

"I know." I huffed, "I'm not good at this whole emotional thing. I'm emotionally challenged, haven't I told you that before?" I joked.

"Then tell me."

"Tell you?"

"Yes, tell me about you. I want to know everything Aella." He settled into his seat again, keeping his gaze alert. "What makes you sad?"

I spluttered, trying to find words, "Why are you asking that? Are you planning to make me cry?"

"Of course not."

"That's a little deep for a first question."

"Aella."

"What makes you sad Jude?"

"If I recall correctly, I was the first who asked the question."

I fidgeted with the corner of the blanket, pointedly ignoring his probing gaze, "Ma, she makes me sad." The confession startled me a little. How long has it been since I've heard her voice? What was she doing now? Was she gazing outside our flat window, aimlessly watching the dark sky?

"Call her."

"What?" I blinked.

"Call her." He took out a sleek android from his pocket and slipped it into my hands, "Now Aella." He demanded.

"But the rules...I'm still a Recruit Jude. Seamus said we couldn't have contact home."

"You're my mate." He corrected. I protested but he effectively cut off our conversation. "Seamus also heeds my orders, not the other way around."

"Are you being serious?" I clutched the phone tightly, afraid he'd tell me it was a joke but when he remained seated, I quickly tapped the familiar digits my fingers have already memorised from typing repeatedly as a child. In all honestly, she was the only number I could recall by heart. Her line rang four times before her dainty voice flooded through the other end.

"Hello?"

"Ma?"

"Sweets?" I heard her soft call among the distorted noises of her TV.

"Mom." I cried into my palm, holding the phone like a lifeline. I sensed Jude shift in the chair. Now that I was paying him attention, he looked like an oversized giant sitting in the plastic chair. He kept his gaze on me, his eyes tracing the warm traces of tears that ran along my cheeks.

"Aella." Her voice was soothing, it immediately relaxed my emotions. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, clutching the device tightly in my hand, "I'm okay." Her familiar voice was enough to soothe me.

We talked until our voices tired from use. When Ma hung up, I felt more than emotionally tired. Jude had left the room to deal with Pack duties but returned once I slipped the phone on the bedside table. He made his way over the bed, pocketing the device into his back pocket without a glance to the black screen.

I felt more than grateful for this man. My insides feel like mush when he returned to his languid perch on the chair. "Thank you for letting me speak with her."

He nodded, glancing to my wet cheeks, distracted by the shiny traces. I couldn't recall how many times I cried as Ma told me about her day. I had to bite my lips so she wouldn't detect the tears I shed. I missed her so much.

"Sorry, I was a bit emotional."

"A bit?" His lips quirked up. I had no choice but to swoon inwardly.

This man, he was making my emotions go haywire.

"I need to give you a hug." I scrambled to my knees.

He stiffened but I was already set on throwing my arms around his waist.

I leapt from the bed, reaching for his stiff body.

My face smashed into his side. He stumbled a step back, catching the brunt of my weight. "Have I told you that you're amazing?"

His arms took a full two seconds to squeeze around my shoulders. I melted under his touch. One of his hands fisted my hair, cupping the back of my head. I felt his lips skim the top of my head briefly.

"This wasn't the reaction I thought I'd get from you." His words were rough against the crown of my head.

I chuckled against his hard pec, "Did you think I was going to kick your ass for marking me?"

He chuckled against me, tightening his embrace.