Hiding out in the bedroom could only last so long. At the end of the week, Liam was becoming more and more anxious. I knew he needed to shift. This has been the longest we have been in our human form.

It was midday, but it was still pouring outside. The weather didn't look good for a good run. However, Liam didn't look so good. He looked pale. He needed the outdoors. Even I started to feel anxious. My skin kept sprouting fur.

Liam leaned closer to me, pressing his little body into mine. He shivered almost uncontrollably. Sweat drenched his body. I knew what he needed, and that was all it took for me to make a drastic decision.

"C'mon, Liam," I urged in a quiet tone.

Lifting him up, I took hold of his hand and led him to the door. Opening it a crack, I peeked out to see if anyone was loitering around in the hallway.

When I saw no one, I opened the door wider. With soft footsteps, I led him down the wide hallway and down the staircase that led to the foyer.

We moved fast so no one would catch us.

Liam whimpered from behind me and I knew he was in pain. I held his hand tighter and hurried out the front door. Clicking it softly behind me. Once we were outside, I lifted him up into my arms. He threw his arms around me instantly.

"Katya, it hurts," Liam cried.

"I know, Liam, I know. Just a minute. Wait just one more minute."

Liam growled, and I felt his tiny little hands transformed into claws. It dug into my shoulder blades. At this point, I was practically running in the rain. The rain drenched our entire bodies from head to toe.

My adrenaline pumped through my veins. My wolf peeked and woke up at the smell of the surrounding wilderness. I knew she wanted to shift.

When we reached the edge of the woods, I hurriedly set Liam down on the ground. Grabbing onto his cheek, I wanted him to look at me when I ordered him.

"You can't fully change, Liam. You can't let him control you. You have to be in control. Run and let off some steam. Do not go near the edge of the territory. Patrols would wander around and if they catch you, they may hurt you," I shouted through the pouring rain.

My shirt and hair plastered onto my skin. I felt a sense of freedom and calmness settled over me. My skin prickled alive at each droplet of rain that landed on my skin.

Liam nodded slightly before he let out a scream. I covered his mouth and looked around frantically.

"Don't scream. Don't scream, Liam," I ordered.

His dark eyes grew teary before it turned bright yellow. His beast peeked out at me. My heart thudded against my chest, threatening to escape with fear.

I released him and watched Liam fight against his beast. He growled and whined. It was better to let Liam go. Trying to contain him would only make it worse.

Suddenly, he shifted. His beast was almost my wolf's size. Immediately, I shifted with him. I needed to watch over him. Liam didn't wait for me.

He broke into a run. He ran so fast that I needed to pump my legs harder to catch up. Each time he would be near the border, I would block his vision. His beast seemed to like to avoid me. So, in order to avoid me, he would jerk the other way and run.

It went on like this for hours.

The dark, pouring midday quickly turned into evening. I knew if we didn't return soon, Hunter will notice our disappearance, but changing Liam back wasn't easy.

I was exhausted, but Liam kept going.

We ran down muddy valleys, treaded through high grounds, jumped rocks and trees, and followed a rushing river for miles.

Finally, he stopped. His speed slowed down. I fell into step next to him. A second later, he dropped onto belly and shifted. Immediately, my brother changed from his wolf into his tiny human form. He was completely naked and unconscious.

I walked up to him and was about to carry him back, when I felt a loud vibration on the ground. Lifting my head, I looked in the direction of the vibration.

Hunter and several werewolves were heading our way. His light blue eyes focused on me before falling onto Liam. I have to admit that I'm surprised he found us. Our scents are practically lost in this rain.

I noticed the werewolves next to him again and realized he had brought trackers with him. They followed Liam and my tracks. Without caring, Hunter shifted naked in front of everyone. No one bothered to even look as if they have seen their Alpha naked too many times already. I, on the other hand, looked down at my paws with sudden interest.

A werewolf was carrying a bag. Hunter reached for it before pulling out a short and yanked it on. Then he walked over to us and crouched down to sweep up Liam. He placed Liam on one of the werewolf's back.

"Take him back, have someone dry him up and put him in bed," Hunter ordered them.

The werewolves jerked and headed in the packhouse's direction. Hunter bent down and picked up the bag of clothes again before tossing them at me.

"Shift," he ordered.

Shift? For a minute, I was confused.

"Shift, little wolf. I need to talk to you," he ordered again.

Huffing, I nipped the bag and walked behind a bush and changed. When I came out, I had on an oversized t-shirt and big shorts. The clothes smelled like Hunter, so I could only assume it was his clothes I put on.

When I stepped out, I found him leaning against a tree. He looked up when I emerged and pushed away from the tree. My eyes traveled the hard planes of his chest and abdomen.

"What were you two thinking?" he questioned.

Isn't it obvious? We went for a run. I crossed my arms in front of me and looked at him blankly. He snarled in vexation. Hunter shoved a hand through his hair and I realized he liked to do that when he was annoyed with me.

"When you made the decision to run, did you happen to look outside? It's pouring, mate."

I lifted my chin defiantly. For some odd reason, I felt angry. It could be because he was yelling at me or the look of irritation he sent my way. I don't know, but it sets me off.

Wasn't he the one who said we aren't prisoners? So, who gives a fuck if I went out for a run in the rain? We didn't cross the border. We were unharmed.

"Your safety means everything to me. I can't have you running off without telling me where you are going. Is this how you are going to be? Are you always going to be irrational like this? Do you take this mate bond as a joke? I need you to tell me, mate, because I'm wondering if you even cared about my feelings."

My mom has always told me I had a fierce temper and before I could reign in my emotions, it slipped and unleashed. I took a step toward him, my eyes narrowing in anger, and I shoved him hard. He stumbled backward and in an attempt to right himself; he grabbed onto my arm. My eyes widened as I realized it was too late. Both of us were going down. I let out a yelp, just as we tumbled onto the ground. He had his arms wrapped around me to prevent my fall. I heard him grunt out in pain.

His eyes looked me over.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I shoved away from him and stood up. The fall made our clothes dirty with mud. His entire back, arms, and hands were covered in mud.

He sat up but released a hiss of pain. My eyes flew to his face. He injured his back.

I crouched next to him and examined his body. He hit his back on a large rock. I pressed my hand gently on his back and heard him hiss again when I applied pressure to his shoulder blade.

"Stop, mate," he grabbed onto my free hand and yanked me to crouch back in front of him. We stared at each other and for a moment, he looked me over. His eyes landed on my lip.

"How did you get that bruise on your lip?"

Unconsciously, my hand moved to touch my lip. I bit it last night when I laid down on the floor. Pain was easier than crying.

"Ever since you entered my life, I've been in a constant state of worry. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I can't breathe. I feel like my heart is being torn into shreds. I want to be close to you, but you push me away," he whispered, and my eyes flew back to him.

His tortured eyes glinted, and I looked away. This was dangerous. I tried to stand up again, but he held onto my hand tight. He yanked me back to his level.

"Tell me. What do I need to do, mate? What do I need to do for you to trust me?" he growled in pain.

I pushed away from him. A sudden urge to flee filled me and I tried to escape. We continued to fight each other. I pushed him away, and he pulled me closer until his hand shot out and threaded through my hair. He forced me to look at him. Our eyes were so close, I could now see the white specks that dotted his light blue irises. His lips collided with mine. He kissed me harshly and angrily.

Fear and anger rippled through me, but at the same time, I felt something more. A feral need to kiss him back just as hard. To thread my hands through his hair just like how he does so often when he was angry with me. I wanted to bite those lips of his and trailed my lips down his neck—a flash of Alpha ripping my mom's gown and pawing at my mom's body like a ravenous beast appeared in my mind.

I gasped and pushed hard against Hunter. He let me go. The back of my hand went to cover my lips. Tears threatened to spill and my vision blurred. I saw his composure slip, and he looked regretful, almost guilty.

"Little wolf..." he started.

I shot up from my crouched position and broke into a run. I ran without looking back and for the first time, tears slipped down my cheeks. I cried and sobbed while I ran. So many emotions tore through me. I felt like dying and I felt like running back to him. Confusion hit me like a boulder.

I didn't hear Hunter chasing me. I didn't bother looking back. By the time I made it back to the packhouse, I fell to my knees and cried in the field. I wrapped my arms around my body and rocked in that position. I needed to stop the cries. I needed to stop before I could go in.

I felt all kinds of emotions, but one thing I understood, I wasn't angry with Hunter and that confused me even more. I don't understand my willpower when I'm around him. I don't understand my emotions when he touches me. I lose control of myself when I feel his lips and I'm scared.

Scared of the future.

Author's Note:

So, we are seeing so much of Katya and as we all can tell by now, she's clearly broken and fearful. She's strong but afraid. 

Hunter is good at everything but it seemed when it comes to his mate, he seemed to fail to understand anything. 

It's frustrating, but very much needed for them to be together. Don't you guys think so? 

Also, I haven't seen many comments and I'm feeling discouraged! Where are all my silent readers? Show me a little love. Lol. Tell me what you are thinking. even add emojis to the comment section if you can!