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Hey hope you are enjoying the books and I'm up to 14 reads on the book. And shoutout to eatingismyjob and thank you for the votes.
Hope you enjoy the new chapter!
~ℒUℕᎯℛ Ꮖℋℰ ᏇᎾℒℱ~
Word count: 1,788
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Claire's P.O.V~
He carried me into the bedroom and set me in his lap. He pat my head as tears ran down my face. My face was burrowed in his neck and his sweet smell wafted up my nose.

"Go ahead Claire, please you have to tell me what they did to you." He kissed my collarbone before moving his hand up and down my back.

"Okay, it all started 11 years ago, I was enjoying time with my mom and dad when someone rushed up to us and was covered in blood. He was yelling about the "Erasers" and waving his arms. My father kissed me and my mom before running out of the house. I watched my father shift to his wolf and that night I heard the door opening. Thinking it was my dad, I went down and when I made it to the end of the staircase, my mom was screaming while a man held a knife to her throat. Six more men came in the house and started looking for me. I ran into my room locking the door and hid in my closet in a small trapdoor which was an extra compartment for clothes. I stayed there till the next morning. When I finally went out, they had gone and destroyed everything. As I walked downstairs, I found my mom dead. There was this huge gash along her neck. I remember leaving my house and finding all my friends and the rest of my pack members killed. Well as I began walking I was shot with a tranquilizer dart and I woke up to them experimenting with my wolf and giving me injections due to which I lose control."

I laughed humorlessly before speaking again. "Looks like it's a long-lasting one."

Ashton wove his arms around me and we stayed in the same position for a long time before he reluctantly let me go shower.

~Ashton's POV~

I sat there thinking about my mate as I was pissed about what they did to her. Kuro was gonna lose control soon if I didn't step outside for some fresh air. I stood up and slammed my bedroom door close, mind-linking my sister, her mate and her friend to watch Clair. I entered my office and opened the large doors to let the fresh air in. I leaned against the railing of the balcony and sighed.

"What can I do Kuro?"

"Kill all the bastards that hurt her." He growled and snarled, digging his paws on the ground.

I chuckled. "I'm not going to kill them yet. I wanna help our mate first."

"I don't know, let's just keep her happy and make sure we punish the girl that threatened her today." He smirked

"Hey Ashton!" I jumped seeing my gamma Daren standing there with some alcoholic beverages in his hands.

"What's up, Daren?" I asked.

"Oh nothing much, just thought I would let you know that I brought you a drink and the girls are taking care of your mate. Also, the girl, Georgia who almost hit your mate is in the downstairs cells." He says sitting next to me handing me a drink smiling.

I smirked as I took the beverage. "Daren, how do you make your mate happy?" I asked and watched as Daren choked on his drink.

He coughed a bit before replying, "Why do you ask alpha?"

"Well I love my mate, but I can still sense her pain and sadness due to the mate bond." I spoke while gulping the cold drink.

"Well she is probably still healing after the whole being trapped in a cell and tortured for 11 years. It seems like she can handle herself when it comes down to fighting." Daren laughed, lifting his own drink to take a gulp.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. As the hours passed by, I walked upstairs to my room to find Claire in her wolf form sleeping curled like a ball on my bed. My wolf growled a bit and started barking as he paced back and forth. I smiled as I sat on the bed, watching Claire wake up slowly due to me petting her. I looked at her as she tilted her head at me and licked my face. My heart began to race as I was so happy that my mate was so amazing.

"Claire, do you mind if I shift and cuddle with you?"

She shook her head and I smiled, stripping my clothes off before shifting to my wolf. I climbed up on the bed and I stared at her. Laying next to her, I could feel all the strong sparks and hear her content purr. And soon I was out like a light.

~Claire's POV~
I waited till he fell asleep to climb out of bed slowly. I got up and shifted to my human form and opened the door I looked down the hallway to see no movement. I then closed the door and snuck out to the living room, but as I got closer to the living room, I saw Jake, his beta, who held his wife on the couch with the pup that hit my mate in the nuts. I walked quietly to the door opening it and got out silently. I glanced at the moon before I sat down on the porch.

The wind was light and it brushed my cheeks. The crickets chirped and I laid my chin on my knees before singing 'Faded', one of the many songs that had stuck in my brain when the scientists had made me hear it. The chorus was the only part I remembered clearly and as I sung, something heavy lifted from my chest.

There was the longing for freedom that had finally been filled.

When I finished, I sat there smiling with the gentle breeze ruffling my ear.

I turned when I heard clapping which brought me to notice that I was in half-human and half-wolf form. Jake and Darren both stood at the end of the staircase, grinning at me. A warrior that had earlier been introduced as Max too, stood behind them with his hands in his pockets. There was a prominent smile on his face too. I blushed furiously before bowing.

There was a loud crash and before I could blink, Ashton flew down the stairs. He was in human form but his eyes changed colors. I stood and Daren and Max jumped at him.
I gasped before running towards them. They were holding Ashton down and soon Jake's hand covered my eyes. There was a ground-rumbling roar from Ashton before.

"Alpha, calm down before I let your mate see the scary side of you!" Jake barked. I kicked him in the shin and he soon let me go. I apologized to him but when I turned back to see Ashton, darkness surrounded him.

"Ashton?" I whispered and he looked at me with even darker eyes. Max and Jake were on alert and while Ashton advanced towards me, my body quaked with fear. Seeing the fear reflect in my eyes, he stepped back and his aura got sucked in till I saw it entering his heart.

He looked towards me with despair before turning around and commanding Jake's wife to take me to his room. My muscles shook with pain and my heart ran cold all the time I felt his gaze.

This was something greater than the Alpha's power and every second I thought about it, the more terrified I grew. Sometime along the night, I fell asleep after crying my heart out and when I woke, there was a note on the bedside table.

I'm sorry about last night. I just can't face you after you being so afraid last night.... I don't want you to hate me so, I'm leaving for some time. I won't be back for awhile. I will be back for you. Until then, you have to control the pack. I love you Claire. I promise I'll be back for you.

-Ashton

My heart ached in pain as I got up and stared into the mirror. My fist slammed into the thick bock of glass and it shattered into pieces by my feet. I cried out and was forced on my knees due to the turmoil of emotions I was feeling. The door opened and a pack member, Mina came in.

"Luna." She called out.

"What?" I sniveled, and tears ran down my face. The pain due to the bleeding from my arm was ignorable and much less painful than the ache in my heart. Mina came from behind me and wrapped her arms around me.

"I'm sorry, Luna. I promise he'll be back." She whispered as I cried in her chest. I felt her pet my hair. My pain turned into fuming anger. I looked at her and she nodded. I ran down the hall and jumped towards the first tree that I saw. I could feel Jake watching me, and I could feel the despair in his heart for his Alpha.

"You're not going to break that tree!" Jake shouted and now I felt challenged so I punched the tree even harder. It cracked and a chunk came flying off as I panted and calmed down a bit. I was panting loudly as I fell to my knees and cried softly. I couldn't feel any pain except the one in my heart.