Ruth’s POV

The days started to melt into each other and I lost track of the date. I knew that I couldn’t go to New York; that would be the first place Jubal looked for me. I had passed several packs, but I avoided them.

I was currently lying in the sun on a rock, watching several butterflies float around before me. It had been late yesterday when I stumbled upon the small clearing with a lake. Si loved lying in the sun just as much as I did. Stifling a yawn, I leap from the rock and drink from the cool water. After I quenched my thirst, I shift back and pull on some clothes.

I started walking North, I think, pushing the thoughts of Jubal and my mate from my mind. I wasn’t watching where I was going and before I realized what was happening, I was falling off the side of a cliff. A silent scream slipped from my lips, but I heard nothing.

Pain exploded throughout my body as I hit the rocky ground. I whimpered and looked around me. Several times I tried to move, but each time I tried, the pain overwhelmed me. My eyes were closing on their own, and as I fought to keep them open, I called out to Jubal. Just as I finished fighting, I thought I heard Jubal’s voice.

Jubal’s POV

I sat at my desk, my eyes glued to a picture of Ruth and me. I just got off the phone with Dolph, but he promised that Ruth hadn’t shown up at his place. He swore that if she did, he would call me the second he saw her. I didn’t place much stock in his words, but I was desperate.

Suddenly, a part of her note made sense. Only one person was coming to visit our pack and the thought of it made my blood boil. The alpha’s nephew had done something to my sister to damage her. Not only him, but his cousin, my future alpha, as well.

Growling, I link with Nate. I need for you and your son to meet me at my house Nate. We need to talk.

What’s it about Jubal? Have you found Ruth?

No, but I’ve found one of the people who made her run.

We’ll be there in a few minutes. I knew that Nate wouldn’t like what I was about to accuse his son of, but it had to be him and his cousin. I waited for them to arrive and before I knew it, I heard Nate walking towards my office with his son right behind him.

“What have you found Jubal?”

“In Ruth’s letter, she mentioned that her mate and someone close to him once caused her harm. She said that she thought she could handle being close to her mate, but once she heard that another one of her tormentors was coming here, she couldn’t handle it.

“That got me to thinking. Only one person was coming to our pack: you nephew. And that could only mean one thing; your son was the other one my sister was talking about. He’s her mate and one of the people who hurt her.” Nate glances from me to his son who he finds looking pale as a ghost.

“Castiel, what do you have to say for yourself?” Nate demands, glaring at his son. “I’ve never laid a hand on your sister Beta, I swear.”

“But you don’t deny that the two of you are mates correct?”

“She’s my mate, I won’t deny that. When I first saw her I thought that I met her before, but I wasn’t sure. She reminded me of a girl that Kirk and I picked on when I went to visit him in New York.”

“Why would you do that son?”

“Because Kirk said she was a liger, and that she wasn’t fit to be a member of his pack.”  Nate let out a growl that had Castiel shaking. “My own son hurting another were just because of what she was born as?!” I take another look at his face as Ruth’s nightmare flashed through my mind.

“That’s not all you did to her was it Cass?” I asked, my voice soft yet hard as steel. He looks me in the eyes and his face pales even more. “N-no that wasn’t all.” Nate looks at me as understanding hit him. He knew about Ruth’s nightmares. “Why would you do that to the girl Castiel? She did nothing to you.”

The boy shrugs, and I tighten my grip on the arm of my chair. If I hurt him, Ruth would feel it and I would never hurt my baby sister. “That girl you hurt then was my sister. That girl turned out to be your mate Castiel.” His eyes snapped to mind.

I felt like killing him, but I couldn’t. My phone rang and I snatched it up. “Hello?”
“Beta Boaz, this is Alpha Stone. I’m calling because one of my men spotted a girl matching the description you sent out. She’s just inside of my territory.” I let out a sigh of relief. She was only twenty-five miles away. I thank Stone and hang up. “I have to go get my sister. When I get back, I don’t want you near her Cass.”

I look up at Nate. “I know Kirk’s your nephew, but I don’t want him on pack land. If he’s here when I get back with Ruth, I’m leaving.” He nods once but I could see that he knew I was telling the truth. I would not allow my sister to live around those who hurt her. Storming out of the house, I shift and race into the woods.

I was close to her I knew that, but I still couldn’t get her scent. I knew that she was wearing mom’s necklace. For the millionth time since she ran, I wished that she forgot to put it on that day. Suddenly, I see her. I watch as she falls off the cliff. JUBAL! She screams through our link and I race towards her.

I’m coming Ruth. Just hold on. Don’t give up sweetheart. I reach the edge just as her body hits the ground. At first I thought the fall killed her, but I hear a small groan slip from her lips. I leap from the cliff and land on my feet beside her. Picking her up gently, I spot several of Stone’s pack watching us. “I need the pack doctor right away.” The wolves nod and I follow them to the house.

I look down at my sister and my heart breaks. “Just hold on for me Ruth. I need you.”

Castiel’s POV

(Unknown)

I watched as my father paced in front of me. I could feel his disappointment rolling off of him. Hanging my head, I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that the liger Kirk, a few of his friends and I beat and abused so long ago was my mate. And that she was Jubal’s sister.

I shuddered as I remembered the look of hatred he had in his eyes as he looked at me before he left. “Dad, I’m sorry…”

“Not right now Castiel. I’m trying to get in touch with my brother. I can’t believe my own flesh and blood would treat another were like that. Your cousin, yes I could see that. But you? Your mother and I raised you better than that. At least I thought we did.”

As much as his disappointment hurt, I knew that as soon as my mom found out what I done, I would wish that I was dead. The one thing that always managed to stop me in my tracks was the look of hurt and disappointment in her eyes. I heard Dad speaking so I listened.

“Thomas, how are you? Good, good. Listen, I’m sorry but Kirk can’t stay with us… I know I promised but something came up. I just found out that a member of my pack was brutally abused by Kirk and a few other boys when she was younger…She lived with her family in New York. Yes, I think they were part of your pack; the Boaz’s. No, she’s not here right now. Once she heard that Kirk was coming here, she ran.

“Her brother, Jubal Boaz, is currently out looking for her…Yes, I am sorry to brother. But until things get sorted out, Kirk is not allowed to enter my territory…I’ll speak with you later.” He hung up and turned to face me. “Castiel, without your mate, this pack with start to crumble, and without your mate, you won’t be the Alpha your pack needs.

“Knowing Jubal, he won’t want you anywhere near Ruth. It’s up to her if she wants to try to patch things up.” He sighs. “I know Dad. And I will do everything and anything I know of to make things up to her. I regretted what happened to her and my part the second I did it. Every day since then I’ve wished that I could go back and stop myself from hurting her.” Dad left and I stood up. Slowly walking out of Jubal’s office, I was hit with a faded scent of Ruth. Following it up the stairs, I stop in front of a door.

I slowly push it open and step into the room. Looking around, I realized that this was her room. I spot a picture hanging out from under her mattress and I walk over and pull it out. I look at it and feel my heart stop. The girl in the picture was laughing and smiling. I knew that it was Ruth, but it wasn’t the Ruth I was used to seeing. What Kirk and I did to her that night changed her. Gritting my teeth, I swore that I would make her smile and laugh like that again, even if it killed me.