JARED'S POV

"I still have the keys to the house I rented for the party. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you just used it for tonight?" Gia suggested, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

We had been searching for somewhere for me to quickly rent for around twenty minutes, and it wasn't going well.

The majority of landlords wanted to set up an interview during the day before they allowed anyone into their properties, understandingly so, and I was beginning to panic.

I had told Anna that the house wasn't mine, and that Gia had just rented it for the party, which was true, but what was I supposed to tell her when we headed in the direction of it? Anna would be expecting to come to my house, but, it was too risky.

I had to make up some kind of lie.

Another one.

I sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose. I was tired of being dishonest with my mate, and it was starting to take a toll on me. I would have to tell her what I was at some point, and I wasn't looking forward to it. I couldn't expect her reaction to be good.

"Okay, but we'll need to find somewhere for me to use as my real home in the morning," I reminded Gia, and she nodded, tapping away on her phone.

She was desperate for this to work out well with Anna and I, and I was eternally grateful for the help I was receiving from her. Gia had a good heart and she deserved a mate that was going to treat her right. I just hoped she found them someday.

I dialled for a cab on my phone, ensuring they had wheelchair access, and took the keys to the house from Gia. I couldn't help but wonder what state it would be in, but, I gathered that Gia had cleaned it up since the gathering. She wouldn't want to return it to the landlord in poor condition.

"I hope she's okay," Gia muttered, tucking a strand of her short blonde hair behind her ear, looking sheepish.

I hummed in response, unsure of what to say. My brain wasn't working, and I couldn't help but think the worst. What kind of condition was Anna in? I didn't understand what could have happened in such a short amount of time that would mean she would need to leave her apartment.

"You're going to pop a blood vessel, Jared," Gia said to me worried, and I forced a smile, shaking my head.

I couldn't help but worry though. I needed to make sure Anna was okay.

I spent the next seven minutes tapping on my knee, trying desperately to fill the time as I waited for the blaring horn of the cab, and once I heard it, I rushed outside with my rucksack.

The cab driver followed my instructions as I directed him towards the diner that Clara was at with Anna, the wait killing me. Rain was clattering down onto the windscreen, making a loud thumping sound, and I found myself counting the number of times the wind wipers moved in a minute, trying to make the journey easier.

However, it didn't work.

Every second felt like an eternity, and I released a sigh of relief once we eventually reached the diner. In reality, the drive was around three minutes, but it felt a whole lot longer.

I wheeled myself out of the back of the cab, the driver having let down the ramp for me, and I nodded at him as I made my way into the diner, my eyes instantly settling on my sopping wet mate who sat with a hot drink in front of her.

Her broken eyes settled on me, and I noticed how she visibly relaxed, her shoulders beginning to sag. She had a rucksack sitting next to her, but, it was soaked through, and I gathered that the contents were also wet.

"Anna, what happened?" I asked painfully as I made my over to them, waving away the waitress a she attempted to come over and take my order. I didn't mean to be rude, but I didn't want anyone interfering with my mate and I. The last thing I wanted right now was a hot drink. I just wanted to focus on Anna.

Anna looked embarrassed as she tucked her stringy hair behind her ear, and Clara released a sigh, gazing at me sadly.

"Somebody broke into my house. I don't know who," Anna said, biting down on her bottom lip as she lifted her china mug to her lips and took a sip, trying to avoid eye contact with me.

"So why were you outside by yourself? Why didn't you call me?" I said, slightly angry. Anna had put herself in a compromised position and she could have got herself hurt. The thought made me angry. Anyone could have taken advantage of her.

Clara widened her eyes at me as a sign to relax, and I noticed how Anna's hands shook, reminding me of how fragile she was right now. I had to think how a human would think. She didn't know we were mates, and she wouldn't have wanted to contact me and ask to stay at such short notice. Humans were very different to werewolves. They were pretty self conscious of how they came across to others.

"I didn't want to bother you," Anna admitted, gulping. "We had just seen each other and I was in shock and-"

"You don't need to explain yourself, Anna," Clara interjected, and I nodded in agreement, sighing.

"Clara's right. I get why you didn't contact me, but I'm not having you with nowhere to sleep. Would you like to stay with me?"

Anna's eyes widened, and she seemed frozen as she fiddled with her hands, looking unsure of what to say.

"I mean, it's very kind of you," Anna muttered, a small smile making its way up onto her face, but, I could tell that she was hesitant.

"My cousin is currently staying at my house with a few friends, so I'm not staying there tonight, but Gia is lending me the house she had rented for the party," I said smoothly, Clara shooting me an amused look before covering it up, lifting her coffee to her lips before Anna could notice.

"Is that okay?" Anna asked, and I chuckled, nodding.

"Of course it is."

I immediately called another cab, wanting to get Anna home and in the shower as quickly as possible. I just hoped she would feel comfortable staying with me in a house alone. I would not be making her sleep in a bed with me, as I knew that would be pushing things way too far and I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.. The large house had more than enough bedrooms to suffice anyway.

"Are you coming with us, Clara?" Anna asked, but Clara shook her head, shrugging.

"I think I'm going to continue on with my run as long as you guys are okay?" she said, standing up, and Anna smiled at her, nodding.

"I will see you soon, and thank you for the help." Anna's voice was soft, and I noticed how my sister looked at her before she left. It was clear that she wanted to protect her as if she was her own, and I was thankful for the way Clara treated my mate.

I couldn't have asked for a better sister.

"Are you okay? Do you have any injuries?" I asked, noticing how Anna gazed down at her hands, and I saw that they had a few small cuts on them, the scrapes making me scowl. They didn't look too painful, but, I didn't like the idea of my mate's skin being broken.

"The paramedics wrapped them, but the bandages got all wet so I took them off," she told me, shrugging, and I took a hold of her palms and analysed the cuts more closely, ensuring that they weren't too deep.

"I'll clean them when we get to the house," I told her, giving her hands a small squeeze before releasing it, causing Anna to smile. "How are the police handling it? Did you call them?"

Anna nodded, exhaling. "Yes, they couldn't find much but they said they'll be speaking to my neighbours to see if they know anything. I just have to wait to hear their conclusion. I doubt it will go anywhere."

I nodded, frowning. Anna's apartment wasn't located in the nicest of areas, and it was only a matter of time before something bad happened to her. I wasn't going to allow it again though. She wouldn't be going back to that apartment. It was too dangerous.

"The cab is outside," I told her, craning my neck to see a large vehicle waiting by the sidewalk for us, and Anna took one final sip of her drink before getting up onto her feet. I waited for her to go first, noticing how she left a trail of water as she walked, and her shoes squelched with every step.

I smiled at the cab driver as Anna got in, and he opened up the back for me so I could wheel myself up, clicking in my seatbelt.

Anna remained quiet for the whole journey, staring out of the window as we sped along the road, winding down a few lanes as I gave the driver directions. It was hard to see where to go from my location in the back, but I managed to lead us straight to Gia's rented property.

We thanked the driver, and I gave him a big tip as I wheeled onto the gravel, Anna standing awkwardly behind me, looking up at the large modern looking building.

I had forgotten how big it was.

Punching in the code, the gates opened and we made our way up the drive. I unlocked the door, gesturing for Anna to go in first, and I sighed in relief once I realised that the house had been left spotless. Gia had done a good job with cleaning it up. The party had caused a bit of a mess, and I knew that Gia wasn't one for chores.

I cursed as I gazed at the stairs, shaking my head when I remembered that not every house was wheelchair friendly. I would have to sleep downstairs on the couch.

"It has an elevator?" Anna muttered to herself, and I furrowed my brows as I wheeled myself behind the stairs, the elevator entrance coming into view.

Gia had rented somewhere she knew was accessible for me for the party.

I smiled, shaking my head.

Gia was a star.

"Let's get those cuts cleaned," I told her, making my way into the elevator and waving her in, hearing Anna laugh quietly as we began to move upwards, the feeling causing my body to tingle. It always had done.

Making our way to one of the bathrooms, I widened my eyes at the sheer size of it. It was tiled and sparkling, a large blue rug splayed out on the floor, adding a splash of colour to the predominantly white room.

"Sit on there," I told my mate, pointing over to the toilet, and she settled herself down on the lid, watching me intently.

I began to fiddle around in all of the cupboards. There had to be a medical kit here somewhere.

After around a minute of looking, I found one shoved into the corner of one of the cabinets, and I opened it and retrieved an antibacterial wipe, wheeling myself over to Anna.

"Hands out," I told her, and she complied, showing me her palms, hissing as I rubbed them gently with the wipe. "This might sting."

I also grabbed a spray, using it on the cuts and humming with satisfaction once they were clean. "Just let that all settle in and then you can have a shower. Or would you prefer a bath?"

"A bath please," Anna said, her eyes lighting up.

I chuckled, making my way over to the bath and beginning to run it for her, squirting in a little bit of clementine scented bubble bath that had been left, the smell fresh and relaxing.

"The towels are there," I told her, pointing to the rack on the wall. "Are all of your spare clothes wet?"

Anna peeked into her rucksack, sighing and nodding, pulling them out and holding them up in front of her. They were dripping.

I took them from her, burrowing them up into a ball under my arm. I would put these on a drying cycle for her.

"It's fine," I told her, rummaging through my own rucksack and pulling out a pair of jogging bottoms and a sweatshirt, passing them to her. "You can put these on afterwards."

Anna thanked me, blushing slightly, holding onto my clothing tightly. I noticed how her nostrils flared as she sneakily brought them closer to her face, and I could that she was trying to smell them without me noticing.

I remained quiet though, smiling at her. "I'll be downstairs when you're finished. I'll make you another hot drink for when you're done."

"Thank you," Anna told me, offering me a genuine smile, her eyes becoming teary. I could tell how thankful she was.

"You're more than worth it."

•••

Jared in his shining knight era.

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