"You ready to go Char?" Ethan called from downstairs.

I ran down in yoga pants, a loose tank, tennis shoes, and a comfy blue sports bra. Elliot was waiting next to Ethan, he winked at me as I trotted up to them; swiping a piece of toast off the counter and tearing a piece off of it in my mouth.

I gobbled it down and chased it with some coffee while Ethan tied on his shoes. "You coming today Elliot?"

Elliot nodded. "Haven't gotten to toss around Char in far too long."

I rolled my eyes. "We'll see about that."

We ran together in our skin together towards the rings where pop and Billy were waiting with smiling faces; faces that said that we were going to get the shit beat out of us today.

"Morning Elliot," pop said, his eyes looked the vampire up and down before a smile tugged at his lips.

"Morning Emmet," Elliot replied with a smile. "Thought I come help."

"Fine by me," he replied.

Billy clapped his hands together and rubbed them excitedly. "Alright you two, today we're doing something a little different."

I raised my brows while Ethan muttered out a string of curses. Pop chuckled to himself then winked at Elliot.

"You're sparing together, two on two," Billy said. He was real damn proud of himself too, like a kid that built the biggest volcano in his class.

"Who?" I asked, flickering my eyes to Ethan then back to Billy.

"Andrea and me," Billy smiled out.

I looked around him to see Andrea, Evan, Jake, and Lyanna already on the jungle gym warming up. "Alright, let's get to it."

Ethan eyed me warily while pop looked me over, his beast pushing and pushing at me curiously. "You're in a real hurry to be cruising for a bruising girl."

I snapped my eyes to his. "I could say the same for you."

His eyes widened a hair before he looked to Ethan and nodded. "Let's go."

"Morning," Andrea called out. She trotted to me and rubbed my cheek. "I promise after we can have wine and chocolate and bitch together."

I rolled my eyes. "Andrea you know we always leave it in the ring."

"I know, it's why I love you, Char," she said with a wink.

"Rude, I thought you loved me more," Lyanna teased. She rubbed her cheek against mine while Andrea walked over to Billy, who was pulling his shirt off. "Pop's been talking about this all morning."

I raised my brows at her. "What?"

Lyanna walked back to Evan who smiled at me. "Morning little sister!"

"Hi Ev, hey Jake!"

"Hey, Char!" Jake called out before trotting towards Billy. Somedays Jake was like Billy's shadow.

"Did you know about this?" I asked Elliot.

He leaned on the fence next to pop and slightly nodded. "He needs to learn to let you stand next to him. He's coming from a good place, but he needs let you help him and you need to learn to let him and trust him. You two need to learn to work together."

I held Elliot's gaze with my curious one as Ethan and I stepped into the ring, our wolves crawling forward as Andrea eyed us both deviously. She was a hell of a she wolf, that much was certain.

"Alright," pop called out, "No shifting until I say!"

I could feel Ethan next to me, I could feel his concern. His need to protect me which only irritated me; I didn't want him put me in some ivory tower, my place was next to him as his was to mine.

The next thing I knew Andrea headed towards me. I stepped to the side, eying her approach us gracefully. That was one thing about Andrea, she was damn graceful, like a dancer when she fought.

She looked for a second like she was coming for me, when she ducked and lunged at Ethan. Billy was flying towards me, I slid underneath him then turned on my heel, running back towards him and ramming into him.

Billy and I tumbled to the ground, but lucky for me, I ended up on top. Fist to the chest then the shoulder before I leaped off of him; Ethan had tossed Andrea to the side and blocked me from the fight as Andrea and Billy circled us.

"Ethan," I warned.

He growled lowly to Andrea who eyed me deviously. She came after me, but Ethan pushed me out of the way. I growled at him but didn't see Billy coming for me.

"Dammit," I growled out before I rolled out of Billy's way.

He sent a fist to me that I dodged but landed two to my ribs. I could hear Ethan's growls from behind me; he was laying hard into Andrea, trying to get to me while I fought with Billy.

I was doing well, landing blows to Billy where it counted, when Ethan crashed into Billy, leaving me vulnerable to Andrea.

I turned and was able to dodge Andrea who was running towards me. She skidded around and lunged at me; landing a few blows on me before I landed some good ones on her.

Ethan growled again and sent Billy flying across the ring before he began to march towards Andrea. "Ethan!" pop growled out.

Ethan paused for a second. A second where I caught Lyanna's eye, she mouthed 'sorry' to me. A second where Elliot was in front of Ethan in a flash, pushing him out of the ring with Evan and Andrea helping.

I looked around and saw Lyanna and Jake walk up with smirks on their faces. Ethan was laying into the other's so bad the Billy had to come to their aid to help. Soon Ryder jogged up and stood next to Jake. He shrugged apologetically. "Sorry Ghostrider."

My wolf snapped out. Our guard was already up but now she was ready to strike; this game they were playing did not amuse her. We could hear Ethan growling out for us and we are split; part of us wanted to help him and part of us wanted to show him that we could handle this on our own.

"Ethan, you can't protect her from everything," Pop yelled out at him.

"Really Emmet?" I asked while the older male cocked his head amusingly at me.

He nodded. "What are you afraid up little Thorne?"

My eyes widened as Lyanna came barreling towards me. Damn, she was so like Liam. Thorne blood raging as it met more Thorne blood.

I heard Ethan roar from behind me, but I pushed it aside. I had to focus now, my beast and I had to focus. We were frustrated at our male, our male who was hurting us more by trying to protect us than helping us. We were frustrated with the silvering male; mostly this whole situation was frustrating as hell.

Lyanna dodged a blow right as Jaked ran towards me. I growled loudly. Something clicked in me and it was like I was on autopilot.

I cracked Lyanna's knee before hitting Jake right where he had an injury in his shoulder. As Lyanna fell, I grabbed her by the pony-tail; wrapping it around my wrist and yanking her across the ring before I slammed another fist into Jake's bad rib.

Evan ran to help Lyanna, who snapped at him while I blocked blows from Jake. She tried to come up from behind me, surprise me; but I growled out to her, ducking a blow from Jake that hit her instead.

I hit Jake's chin then sent my elbow back and found Lyanna's. I hit Jake's ribs again, over and over and over until he cried out in a howl.

Fury.

Eventually, they sent Ryder in, but Ryder did about as well as his broken and bruised comrades. Ethan was struggling against Billy, Andrea, and Evan; his beast was barking out to me, but I snapped at him. He needed to learn, he needed to trust us.

"Not bad little girl, not bad at all for a human," pop snickered out as he walked slowly towards me.

My knuckles were bloody as my beast rumbled at him, a warning. He looked back at Ethan and smirked. "Thinks he has to protect your ass. I guess he does, you let rogues have your ass twice."

I growled viscously at him. "You don't need to push me if you want me beat your ass, we Thorne's don't need much incentive for an ass beating."

Pop shrugged. He looked at me while his wolf eyed me, eyed me like I was just another she-wolf to him, someone he could easily take out.

I snapped. My beast snapped her teeth at him, sharp and with a warning growl as she raised her hackles.

Ethan Elliot was holding Ethan back while the other's continued to detain him. They weren't doing well though; it would be a matter of minutes before he was loose.

"Better hurry up before he gets loose," I said, sharp and dry with an undertone of unamused.

Jake and Ryder picked themselves up off the ground then ran towards Ethan. They weren't much help, but they were an extra layer he would have to fight off.

"Why? Waiting for him to come rescue you?"

My blood sparked. It was like the lighter that someone tossed into a pool of gasoline.

My beast had enough. We were more than annoyed and if this silvering alpha wanted a beating, we were more than happy to give it to him.

"Char no!" Ethan cried out.

But he was too late. He was too late because I slammed into pop hard; he flipped me over but my fist met his face while my knee met his gut.

I kicked him off of me, while Lyanna moved behind me. "I'm with you Char, I'm behind you."

My beast growled in approval. We stalked the male in front of us as he stood up quickly. He cracked his neck a little before eyeing us, cold wickedness swirling behind his eyes.

"Well, been a long time since I got to lay into a Thorne," he snickered out.

Ethan growled again loudly while pop lunged at me. He sent a fist my way, but I dodged it. He sent another fist my way, but I dodged it again. He sent a fist my way, but I blocked it, then sent one right to his nose.

"Going to hit me Emmet? Or are you just going to toy around with me?"

He snarled at me then lunged at me. Knocking me to the ground and laying hard into my ribs. I head butted him, dizzying both of us, before rolling over and sending a fist to his chin then to a rib before hopping off again.

He stood up, but I was already running to him. I leaped up, using his shoulder as leverage, and spun myself so my thighs locked around his head; twisting until we fell to the ground where I slammed his head back into the dirt before standing again.

I hopped up while Lyanna paced behind me, nodding to me before I turned to the furious silver male. He growled loudly to me; a warning that would result in blood if I didn't heed it.

I snarled at him and let my beast come forward. He should know better than to screw with a Thorne.

"Oh little girl, I am going to enjoy this," he sneered. Something flickered across his eyes that set my beast further on edge. He was pushing us, but this was more than your average spar, that I knew for certain. "You hear that, Ethan? You're going to have plenty of wounds to lick later."

Ethan growled loudly, but the group was keeping him too busy for him to get to me; he was a strong alpha male, but there were strong wolves around him, all working together to act as a wall–and I was glad.

I was glad because I really wanted to put a good ass beating on this male in front of me, without interruption.

"Give him hell Char!" Lyanna called out.

Emmet charged at me and I met him blow for blow for blow for blow until both of us were spitting our own blood out; growling and snapping at each other furiously.

But he was a former alpha. He was still strong even in his age. I was doing well until we caught a weak point on me and sent blow after blow after blow after blow to my ribs.

His elbow met my chin, sending me to the dirt with stars flying around my eyes. He spat out some blood and chuckled. "Thorne blood doesn't taste so bad, not like I remembered." I snarled at him. He circled me a little while Ethan watched with wild eyes as Elliot laid into him. "Not that I expected better, you were a human."

He came at me while I was down; kicking me in my stomach before he picked me up off the ground and nailed me again in my chin. He laughed coldly and shook his head. "Guess Ethan does need to keep you locked up after all."

He looked down at me and something flickered across his eyes. Something that set my beast off. This wasn't like when Levi pushed me. This wasn't like that at all.

I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but in that moment my beast felt threatened by the male. Ethan snarled loudly towards his grandfather who stalked up. "Back off pop!"

Emmet laughed a little. He laughed to himself and shrugged at Ethan who's blood was like angry lava oozing out of a volcano. "May have too, don't think she's ready. I mean, she was a human after all Ethan."

Nope.

"Shift!" I heard Billy call out over his shoulder.

He didn't need to tell me because fur was already sprouting. My beast was flaming with fury and fire. Something in us snapped. Something lit the fuse within us that lit up the long rope attached to the dynamite that was my blood. I was so consumed with anger that I could feel Levi stir over our bond because of it.

This male needed to watch his tongue. He was not the alpha anymore, and he wouldn't be for quite some time.

Soon I was snarling at a silvering brown wolf who was snapping his jaw at me.

I didn't wait.

My beast and I ran towards him, dodging last minute before we jumped on his back and ripped into his shoulder. He bit down on our thigh, but we didn't care; we ground our jaw until we felt the bone start to crack before we released him.

I wasn't thinking. It was all instinct. This male had pushed too hard to prove, a point that we were pretty sure he proved a while ago.

He would learn.

We whipped around, not minding the blood oozing out of leg, and ripped at the soft flesh between his leg and belly. We were quick; we were there ripping before we ripped away from him.

The male came after us, he rammed into us and laid his jaw into our ribs; but we landed our jaws on his front paw. My beast shook her head like a maniac until we knew we had broken a few bones and ligaments in his paw.

"Charlotte!"

We didn't listen. We didn't listen at all, because all we saw was red, and all we felt was the fire in our veins.

Emmet tried to ram us again, but we rolled out of the way, then bit at the back of his thighs. My female got a good bite in before she let go and whipped around him; ramming hard into him until she was laying into his other shoulder.

He bit at the flesh between my shoulder blades and I was pretty sure I could hear Ethan roar, but I didn't care. I shook my jaw again viscously until Emmet let go.

He let go and my beast sat up as skin started to replace fur. His eyes widened as I straddled him; my fist flying down to meet his snout.

Human.

It wasn't that I was ashamed. It was the way he said it. I may have been a human before, but that didn't make me less of a wolf because of it.

I hit him again. Again and again and again, and again while he scratched and bit and clawed and ripped at me; but my legs were like steel, holding him tightly in a cage while my fists released a flood of mad rage on him.

My hand flew forward and wrapped around his jaw, squeezing it so he couldn't open it while a clawed hand went to his neck.

"I may have been a human but I am a goddamn Thorne and you would do well to remember that."

He growled at me, but I released his snout then send another blow to it. My veins were burning and my beast wanted back out, she wasn't finished with this male and I was most inclined to let her.

Before the fur could even come back, arms were around me and pulling me off of Emmet. Emmet got up and tried to snap at me, but Lyanna and Evan stopped him.

I was furious, though. I was kicking, and clawing out to the set of arms that were trying to restrain me.

"Charlotte stop!" Andrea yelled out.

I growled out as my vision angrily swirled. Soon someone was in front of me, shaking my shoulders until I saw straight again. "Calm down, you need to calm down."

Aaron looked straight at me, concern laced in his eyes. I felt my mouth drop a little and my heart still as I looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was around and they needed help. You need to run it off."

I shook my head; the anger was making me dizzy. I looked around Aaron to see Billy trying to scrape Emmet off the ground; he was in his skin and looked like he had been shredded by a few mountain lions.

"Someone link Sam!" Billy boomed out.

Ethan was just staring at me with his mouth open. He looked at his grandfather then back at me then back at his grandfather while Jake, Ryder, and Evan started to loosen their hold on him.

"Run it off Char," Aaron said, soft but firm in his tone and enough to put some common sense back into me.

"Come on," Andrea pulled me away.

I shook my head in confusion and let my shift come, let her come forward with Andrea next to me. We ran hard through the forest; I didn't have a destination in mind, but I somehow ended up at my old cabin.

Andrea shifted quickly to her skin and let me in; into the house with a faint smell of Levi from when he stayed with us. I went back to the room he slept in; shifting to my skin as I mindlessly walked there.

"Char?"

I opened the door and walked straight to the bed, picking up a pillow and burying my nose in it; the familiar smell wrapping itself around me and calming me.

"Char, come on, let me help you get cleaned up," Andrea said, gentle and cautious.

I nodded but took the pillow with me as I followed her. She walked me back to my room, into my bathroom while she turned the tub on.

She was pretty beat up too, Ethan had laid into her pretty well.

Ethan.

"Pop?"

"He'll be ok, you just–well, we didn't think he would push you like that and we didn't think you would lay into him so hard."

"I don't know what came over me, I was so mad."

"We know," she breathed out as she tested the water. "You almost killed him. If Aaron hadn't helped me–"

"What was he doing there?"

"It was about time for him and the other warriors to come for their morning workout. He saw and, I guess you didn't hear, I yelled for him because the other's were busy trying to hold Ethan back, and dad was going to have to get pop, and well, we needed help and he was there and willing."

I buried my face in my hands and let out a shaky breathy. "He looked at me like–"

"Don't Charlotte," Andrea warned. She helped me up then helped me step into the tub. I lowered myself in; red and brown from the dirt and blood tainting the water. "Don't think like that. Ethan needed to learn a lesson. I know he knows what you're capable of, I just don't think he really realized who he's been sleeping next to every night."

I shook my head and dipped it under the water before surfacing and looking back into her green eyes that started to soften. "It's not a bad thing Char, you're a damn Thorne. Everyone knows an ass beating from a Thorne is a hell of one. Ethan and you just need to trust each other more, work together."

"I just feel like he thinks I'm being reckless and stupid."

He gave me a knowing smile. "Sometimes you are Char." I growled a little while she rolled her eyes. "Char, come on. Listen, you're ballsy as hell, and I love you for it, but sometimes you don't think things through before you do them.

"Ethan isn't like that. You know he's a thinker. It's one reason you two are good together; he makes you think and you make him act. You two just need to pull your head out of your asses."

I groaned and shook my head. "It's all so screwed up."

"Wanna talk about it?"

I shrugged. Andrea just rolled her eyes and whipped a claw out, before I knew what was happening, she was slicing her palm and looking at me expectantly.

"What are you doing?"

"Proving to you that I'm not the snitch you idiot," she replied dryly.

I looked at her palm then sliced mine with a claw, hissing as I broke the skin. She flipped her palm over, catching mine as he held hands and joined blood.

"I swear to the moon that my allegiance is with you," Andrea said firmly. I could feel our link in my mind tighten, it burst into life and created a new bond with a pulse that was the bond that Andrea and I had created.

"How do you know about that?" I breathed out, I licked my palm while she licked hers and smiled at me.

"I've been suspicious for a while. I guess I just always had a hunch; it's too smart for Thomas to do it all on his own."

I nodded. "Ya, it is."

"So, tell me, what were you two fighting about this time?"

I sighed and proceeded to catch her up. If she were lying to me or a snitch, I would know when I made the bond with her. I would be able to feel her betrayal.

Andrea listened carefully and asked me a few clarifying questions until the water turned cold and my fingers wrinkly by the time I was done. "Well, I see where Ethan is coming from," she breathed out. "But I also see your point. It's hard Char, it's not like this is black and white."

"He wasn't as protective before, he saw me fight plenty of times before."

"Yes but you're mated now, it makes a difference. Believe me, my last mate, well he was protective but not crazy about it. After we mated, God, it was like if anyone laid a hand on me they had were the enemy. I couldn't spar without him trying to insert himself."

"What did you do?"

She chuckled to herself. "Beat the hell out of him, obviously."

I nodded then leaned back in the tub. Andrea and I chatted some more until I finally got out and walked to my old bed. I could have gone home, but I just wanted to be by myself to think for a while.

Andrea understood. She showered off in Derek's old room then kept watch in the living room while I crawled under my old blankets.

I kept trying to fall asleep but my mind was still buzzing. My beast was uneasy, as was I.

Levi.

We reached out to our bond and tugged a little at it. "Levi?"

I felt him reach to me, settle a little while his beast reached into our bond to feel out my emotions. "What's wrong, girly?

"I just, well, I–"

"Girl, does this have to do with you almost killing Emmet?"

I stilled. "How did you know about that."

"Evan can't keep his damn mouth shut."

I growled out of annoyance and buried my head in the pillow that still smelled like him. "I didn't mean to do that, I was just pissed the hell off."

"I know, I know," Levi sighed out. "Evan told me. Emmet shouldn't have pushed you like that. Pisses me the hell off that he did. There's one way to push someone and there's going to far."

"Ethan's just–"

"Being a damn male girl, he's just worried about you."

"He wants to put me in an ivory tower Levi. Half the time that's what our arguments are over; he wants to play it safe, play it safe with me. It's really more about the principal of that than anything else."

Levi sighed. "Mating changes everything girly. Before Eve and I got together, well I was protective of her, but I wasn't murderous; well, I was murderous, but I wasn't a borderline maniac."

"Like you are now?"

Levi growled slightly. "Do you want to here this story or not?"

"Fine, fine," I breathed out.

"So after I marked her, well, we fought all the damn time. I was always so worried about her. My beast hated being away from her, hated seeing her near anything that could hurt her.

"I remember I sent so many wolves to our pack hospital because of it, drove Lander up the damn wall and my dad crazy. She kept saying things like you are, and I, well I didn't really care. I wasn't about to let her get hurt. She was going to be the mother of my children, I was hellbent on making sure she was ok."

"So what happened?"

"Well," Levi sighed. "It is amazing what a case of blue balls will do to you."

"TMI, so much TMI. I do not want to know," I rushed out.

Levi laughed and laughed and laughed while I felt my beast groan. "Well, that's what she did. She gave me a real bad case of blue balls then one day, she tells me to come to the rings, our sparring rings. I think maybe, just maybe, she was going to give in, but she proceeded to beat the living hell out of me."

I laughed. My beast nodded in approval while I longed to know Eve. I could only imagine she was one hell of a female to put up with Levi. "That's amazing."

"She was," he breathed out. "I eventually realized that I was a moron. There are only a few wolves who could ever really give me a good ass beating, and she was one of them.

"If I wanted anyone next to me, backing me up, it should be her. She was damn tougher than most of my warriors and capable of laying a hell of a beating on them."

"I feel like I would have liked her," I mused.

"Oh she would have loved you Charlie girl, you're very like her in some ways," Levi added. "Listen, don't get too upset with Ethan. It happens to all males, it's just part of it. Now, you two are in a different situation than most wolves find themselves in, and he needs you. He does need to get over his shit real fast, but you also need to give him a break girl, the boy's only doing it because he's crazy in love with you."

I felt my heart throb dully. "I know, I think that's why it makes it harder."

"Well girly, is this more about him or you? And if you say yourself, then you're picking your ass up and coming straight to this pack line so I can beat some damn sense into you."

I hated when he was right. I hated it so much; if there was a tab, I would probably owe Levi a lifetime of wine and whiskey by now.

"You may need to," I breathed out. "I just–somedays I feel like I have this and others, like today when I lose my shit and hell, almost kill my mate's grandfather, I just–I guess I question myself and what I'm even doing. I know Ethan has a point, I mean I understand and I probably am a little reckless."

Levi sighed a little. "You probably do need an ass beating," he stated, gentle but still firm in the thought. "You know he's not your ex, right?"

I stilled. I hadn't thought of that. I was so scared of being put in a cage again, and I hated myself for it. I wanted those feelings to stay buried, but even things buried deep have a way of resurfacing.

"I know," I breathed out.

"You need to learn to trust Ethan girly. I see where you're coming from and you do have some valid points, but if you let that fear start to infect what you two have it will eat you both up girly."

"Is it always this hard?" I breathed out.

Levi chuckled. "No one is perfect, girl, and you two are not going to be perfect but that's ok. That's part of life. It's ok to question yourself. Means that you care, that it's important to you, and that you're trying to improve because you realize you don't know it all. That's a good thing girly, means you don't have your head too far up your ass.

"Moon didn't put you where you are for nothing, there's a reason. You're going to screw up, and screw up bad, but that's part of it. You gotta learn and move on girl.

"And you need to start talking to Ethan about this girly. He's your mate, I don't have to tell you how important that is. It's not healthy for you to keep things like this from him. He can't help you if you don't let him."

"I know, you're right," I sighed out.

"Usually am," he replied, his tone smug like the smirk I could imagine was on his lips right now.

I growled over the link and shook my head. "What do I do? I still can't believe I almost killed pop."

"Don't worry about Emmet. I'm pretty proud girl, wish Elliot got that shit on camera. I'll talk to him, he needs to watch his damn mouth. That was out of line, even in my book.

"Just talk to Ethan. Tell him what you told me. Then tell him you two are both due for an ass beating."

"Alright, I think I can relay that. Also, well, Ethan and I went to the tree again."

"And?"

"You're going to kill me for this, we have news, but can I link you later with him? I just don't feel right about doing it without him."

Levi groaned a little then seemed to settle. "Fine girl, but tonight. Understand?"

I nodded. "Ok, I promise."

"Get some rest girl, and I'll talk to you later."

"Ok, love you."

"Love you too Charlie girl."

As he popped out of my brain I felt my eyes grow heavy as sleep seemed to tug at me. It was too hard to resist; too tempting, so I gave in.

I gave in and I must have been sleeping hard, because when I woke up, I saw Ethan sitting on my bed.

It was still afternoon out, he was sitting against the wall with his legs hanging off the edge; my feet sitting on top of his shins.

"Hey," I breathed out.

He sighed and moved around so he could face me. "Hey, sunshine."

I bit the inside of my cheek and flickered my eyes down before looking at him. "I didn't mean to snap earlier. I'm sorry, I feel almost sick about the whole thing."

He shook his head. "I'm not mad about that. Pop was being a dick. He wanted a reaction and got one. He shouldn't have spoken to you like that. "

I nodded. "He definitely did."

"Char," he breathed out. "I'm not going to apologize, because I'm not sorry. I know you're irritated and pissed off, but I can't–I can't handle the thought of losing you."

I bit my tongue and thought back the conversation I just had with Levi. "I understand Ethan, but you have to trust me. Like today, I can handle myself. You're only going to hurt me. I know sometimes I do things that are probably pretty reckless, and I'm sorry for that, but you have to trust me."

"Sunshine, I'm just trying to protect you! How hard is that for you to understand? How hard is it for you to understand that I love you and I don't want you to have to stick your neck out if you don't need to?"

"What? You don't think I'm scared too? You don't think it scares the hell out of me as well? You don't think I don't worry about you, Ethan? Dammit, every damn day I am worried that Thomas will do something that hurts all of us or takes you away from me!"

"That's not what I'm saying Charlotte, and you know it. I can't try and save this pack if I have to save you as well!"

"Save me?!" I scoffed. "From what? Ethan, all I want is for you to trust me. Trust me enough to let me stand next to you. You're only hurting me and hurting us. You don't have to do this alone, stop trying to do this alone!"

"I could tell you the same damn thing Charlotte!" he growled out.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a stressed breath. "Ethan I don't want to fight with you. I honestly thought about the fangs and I think that you may have a good point, besides the fact that there are some other logical issues I have with them. I just feel like you're trying to cage me," I said softly before flickering my eyes down.

"It's your face I see baby," he breathed out. I looked up at him while his eyes dropped into a pit of fear mixed with familiar dread laced sadness. "I close my eyes at night and it's you on your knees with a knife to your neck." He paused and let out a shaky breath while his fear poured out onto our bond. My wolf whined out as my heart throbbed painfully in my chest. "It's not something I can just get over."

"Why didn't you tell me that?"

He shrugged. "I didn't want to worry you, we have enough on our plates."

"I'm sorry" I said softly.

"I know," he replied with a tired smile. "Do you want to go home? We can eat and link Levi?" 

"Ok," I breathed.