{First published April 2016}

{Edited 6-18-2016}

|| No ||

}Kayden{

He could no longer take it. Standing there watching Avery form a bond with another.

Avery.

Bond with another. He knows it needs to happen. That doesn't mean he likes it nor does it mean he needs to watch it. Thinking about everything that's to come between Avery and Dean is driving him mad. He needed to get away. Run.

A pile of clothes is the only sign he was ever here at the house.

Soft dirt beneath is paws. The smells of the woods in his nose. He runs. Runs away from what he can not stop. He runs for miles, sometimes chasing a rabbit or deer but never to kill. He's not hungry at the moment and he just loves the chase.

He stumbles when a shock of pain zing's through his body.

Avery.

He slows to a stop. How far did he run? Kayden looks around at his surrounds for the first time. Panting, red tongue hanging out. He ran far. Too far. He will never be able to reach Avery in time.

The pack resides on over two hundred acres of woods and he's at the very edge. No wonder his muscle feel tighter than normal.

Turing around he runs towards home to Avery.

Another shock hits him. He stumbles flying into a stream. The cool water shocking his heated body.

What was that?

Something inside feels broken. He snorts shaking out his rich chocolate fur. Getting some of the cold water out of his rich coat.

He runs. Heart pumping blood faster through his body as he pushes himself to the limit.

Somethings wrong.

It's another long hour before he reaches the house.

He lets the shift come over him. Bones creaking and breaking. Everything reshaping into his human form once more.

Kayden jogs up on the steps stopping long enough to slip and his jeans and shoes. Shirt in hand he follows his nose through the house.

Cam. Aden. Nick. Jeff. Familiar smells of his pack. Cold snow. Avery. Something else. Something almost covered in Avery's scent. It's dark, if dark had a smell. He doesn't know how else to explain it.

The smells lead him into the den. Kayden stops in the door way. Hard green eyes taking in the scene.

Jeff and Nick are standing against the built in book case along the right wall. Cam is in front of the fire place along the left with Aden standing slightly in front of him. Body tense. It sends Kayden on the defensive side.

Avery is in front of the couch back facing them all. Her scent is wrong. It's tinge in something dark yet familiar.

Stepping into the room a board creaks under foot. Everyone looks in his direction. Even Avery with blood highlighting her normal pink lips dark. He stops cold. A shiver racking his already tense form.

A man is on the couch behind her. Kayden wants to growl. Pull her away.

Wait. The blood.

His eyes snap back to Avery. The line of blood slowly falling from her lips down her chin.

He looks up his eyes snagging on the tag.

A growl does burst from his lips then and he steps for ward. His body vibrating with anger and pain.

Who would touch her. She is mine.

He stops in the middle of the room when he finally tares his gaze from the crook of her shoulder. Her eyes. There's no light in them.

No.

His heart stutters.

Her eyes are vacant and cold once more. That smile that stretches across her bloody lips could make even the meanest of men have night mares.

"What did you do?" He snarls out at Cam.

His eyes never leaving Avery as she cocks her head to the right.

"I didn't do anything." Cam whispers like a scared child.

"Ahh, Kayden." Avery says standing on the tip of her toes, leaning forward, "I can see your pain." She breaths it out.

Kayden flinches at the devious note in her voice.

What did they do to her?

He watches her as if she's in slow motion her head leaning to the right then to the left.

"Do you want me to take it away?" She sings out, right hand fluttering in the air. Slim fingers wiggling.

His mouth opens, but no words come out has he hears a grunt and a growl come out from behind Avery.

He watches as her eyes light up. Not with the lightness that made them shine. No with a darkness that makes his stomach toss and turn.

"He's uppp." She sings, stepping out to the side. A hysterical giggle flushing her pale skin pink.

Thanks so much for reading.

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