Tate's POV

I was about to leave before I did anything I would later regret as I watched her door open. I don't know when I decided that I was going to run into her but I could not stop myself as I shifted quickly in the woods. She had been watching her feet as we bumped into each other.

We had talked the entire way to the corner store. We shopped side by side grabbing random things. It was hard to not take her with me back to the pack house as I left. The bond was so strong already. It would only intensify if she ever activated the shift.

I could listen to her all day. Her warm voice. The way she smiled shyly at the ground as the blush rose in her cheeks. I had always heard stories about what one goes through when they meet their mate. But even then I never imagined they would be like this. I would give anything just to keep her happy.

I had made it back to the woods and was headed towards the pack house, when I noticed West patrolling the border. He shifted as we approached one another.

"Anything to report?" I asked him.

"A couple pack warriors from Fenris Moon got a little close to our perimeter from the neutral zone. They didn't cross over... but they usually don't make it this far out".

"We should send some scouts out to the neutrals. See if they can pick anything up. Nolan rubs me the wrong way. I don't trust him after what he did to get Alpha". I shuddered internally at the thought. It had only been a year ago when Nolan had taken the title from the previous alpha. He was cold and calculated. It was no coincidence that two of his pack warriors had made it this close.

"I saw you talking to her".

My head snapped up towards West's face.

"Did you tell her yet who you are," he asked.

"No. We just talked," I replied trying to dismiss any emotion from my face.

"You have to tell her eventually. We can't keep doing this forever. The warriors on her watch know there's something up. They will only willingly stay in the dark for so long. The pack needs a luna. Especially with Fenris Moon. Nolan is a dictator who knows what he'll try to do. Our pack needs to be strong. It needs to be ready," He went on.

"I'm well aware of the pack's needs. I don't need you of all people to question my judgement on the matter. What I say is final, I don't need pack members questioning me or my judgement. Whatever this is... It stays here between you and I," I glared at him.

West raised his hands up in defense "Tate you're my best friend. I'm just looking out for you and the pack. Lets just head back,"

.....................................................................................................

"Tate! Tate! Wake up now!! It's Hadley. Rouges attacked they dragged her into the woods,"

I had never felt fear or rage more than I had ever in that moment. I let my wolf take over. I was a passenger in my body. No longer in control as the blood filled killing calm took over. I ran past West not even acknowledging him as I shifted in the house into my grey wolf.

I ran as hard as I could to the woods. Following my mates scent. Hadley's scent. In my killing calm state I only knew one thing. That every rouge would suffer. I wouldn't kill them right away. No no, that would be far too easy. They would pay, and I would get the information I needed.

The moon was a day away from being fully out. The woods were illuminated from its glow reflecting off of the snow. I made it to the neutral zone when I heard a scream in the distance. Definitely Hadley. I pushed myself harder. I knew the pack was closely behind. If it had been anyone else I may have waited. But not for my mate.

I jumped the first wolf I saw closest to the edge of the clearing. I ripped him apart just enough from not allowing him to not heal quickly enough but not enough to kill him either. The bitter taste of rouge blood dripped from my muzzle.

Hadley was being pinned to the ground and her face pushed into the ice by two rouges. I quickly took in my surroundings. Eight all together. It was unusual for so many to all be in one spot working together. When I scented her blood and saw her pleading eyes as she gazed up at my wolf I unleashed myself on the rouges. I tore them all down one by one. Starting with the ones holding my mate down. The last begged shifting back to their mortal forms kneeling before me. My wolf didn't allow me to show mercy. Not when they had hurt her.

After taking the last one down. I turned to Hadley still in my wolf form. She was covered in blood. Mostly not hers, I was able to detect from her scent. She was watching me, her green grey eyes wide with shock. I approached her slowly. She reached her hand out towards me. That's when the other pack members arrived. West's wolf approached Hadley. I growled at him. No one could come to my mate not now. My wolf was still on full edge. West backed into the trees leaving us in the clearing. I moved closer to her. Her hand stroked my fur. We silently watched each other. Never breaking our gaze. I lowered my head so that our foreheads were connected. I leaned into her touch. I focused on her breathing trying to calm my wolf down. The rest of my pack had slowly dragged away the injured rouges. I looked up at Hadley. She was shaking in her light sweatshirt and leggings in the snow. I backed away into the woods to shift.

A pack member handed me a random pair of grey sweatpants. I went back to the clearing. Hadley's face was still in complete shock her eyes darted over my body back and forth from me to the woods.

"Hadley," I said slowly approaching her again. "Hadley I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here with you. You're safe now," I kneeled in front of her. I reached out tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "You are safe" I repeated the words over and over.

"Your eyes. They're the same. Your eyes are the same even when you're not human" She said almost in a whisper. Her words took me back for a moment.

"Yes. That part of me stays the same. The eyes are the window to the soul. My soul never changes despite my form" I replied quietly. She was shaking so bad. It took everything in my not to pull her into my arms and breathe her in.

"You followed me home from the trail when I was running. That was you?" she asked.

"Yes. Yes that was me," I searched her face for anything. It was so neutral. I couldn't stop myself as my hand grazed her arm. Trying to comfort my mate in any way.

"They killed him. They killed Cam. Right in front of me. They were going to kill me too. But I ran. I thought if I made it to the woods I could lose them. But then they turned into wolves. This isn't happening. This is just a dream," her voice quickened.

"Hadley" My heart broke seeing my mate so upset. I would give anything to take away her pain.

"Why did they attack us. Why are you here. What do you want from me," she asked, searching my face. She had gone from frantic to calm again so fast. The shock of everything.

"The wolves that attacked you are called rouges. They don't belong to a pack and they don't follow our laws we set in our packs. I don't know exactly why they targeted you but I'm guessing they caught your scent," I couldn't lie to her.

"My scent?" she asked.

"Your scent isn't totally normal. I don't know how much but you have the werewolf gene. If you activated it you would be like me. A shifter. A wolf". I was trying so hard not to freak her out.

"You think I'm a wolf. I never. No. No way.... Is that why you came up to me in the woods?"

I wanted to tell her. I wanted to grab her in that moment and tell her what she meant to me who she was. She was still shaking so bad though. It wasn't right. Not yet at least.

"You have the gene no question. Do you have a single parent?" I asked.

"My mom raised me herself. My dad knocked her up when she was a freshman in college and left when she told ..... Him," She slowly connected the dots. "My dad was a wolf," Her voice was a whisper.

"It seems to be so.." My hands felt the electric pulse where our skin met. Being this close to her was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

"What am I supposed to do now. I can't go back there," she said as the tears slowly traveled down her cheek.

"You'll come back with me to my packs home. I can keep you safe there,"

"I don't know why but I trust you. I can't go back home. And Cam oh god what do I do. Do I call the cops," the tears were coming harder now.

"I'll take care of all of it. Let's get you out of this snow though it's freezing out here. I promise Hadley I will keep you safe at all costs," Her head fell onto my shoulder as we kneeled on the ground. She didn't object as I scooped her up into my arms holding her close to my chest. We made our way back to the Atlas Moon Territory. When I looked down she had fallen asleep in my arms. Despite how horrible I felt a small part of me glowed with warmth at having my mate finally with me.