ELLIE

        I didn't let on that with all them hugging me at the same time I was in an immense amount of pain from the the wound to my neck and bruises which covered my body, I was just happy to see their faces again.

        But I couldn't stop the hiss which escaped my lips when Jackson squeezed me a little too tightly.

        "Right. That's enough. The poor girl has only just woken up," Nicole said sternly and they all pulled away from me with guilty looks on their faces.

        "Sorry," Jackson muttered, though I couldn't miss the smile which was now covering his face as he looked at me. I definitely preferred his smile over listening to him cry because he thought I was going to die.

        "It was too quiet without you. I almost missed your sarcasm," Jayson said but I couldn't miss the smile on his face either as he sat in a seat at the end of my bed.

        "And I almost missed being around you," I managed to laugh, though it only lasted a couple of seconds because of the pain which surged through my neck.

        I moved my hand to hold onto wound in an attempt to relieve the pain, but it didn't do all that much other than remind me of the scar which I was going to have left once it had healed. I was also reminded that Link was the one who did this to me.

        But then I remembered what Kyros told me. Alpha James had drugged him and messed with his mind, he was nothing more than a weapon in that asshole's game, a game I didn't want to play anymore.

        He messed with my family and that was something I wasn't going to stand for. It didn't matter to me that I didn't want to kill him or that I didn't really want his pack, what matter was that he was insane and he needed to be stopped before he did any real damage.

        "It's a good job you're alive. I don't think I could deal with the moaning from Blake about you dying," Lex laughed as he took a seat back beside his brother. When I looked across, my heart pretty much broke at what I saw.

        He looked at awful as I felt right now. Link did this because Blake was trying to protect me from him. I needed to see him, I didn't care what the others said, he was my brother and I needed to hear from him that he wasn't himself when he did this.

        "Where's Link?" I asked and, as I looked around at each of the faces in front of me I knew they were expecting me to ask the question but they didn't want to answer it. "I want to see him."

        "Ellie-"

        "I don't care that he did this, I really don't give a damn right now. I've spent the last ten years' thinking all my family were dead so just let me see him. Please?" I pretty much whispered before Jayson could even say whatever it was that he was going to say.

        "I don't want that animal in here," Lex growled and it was only natural that he wanted to protect his brother, but it was also natural that I wanted to see my brother. Especially when I had lived under the assumption that I was never going to see him again.

        "Hate to burst that bubble but, if we're being technical, we're all animals so therefore none of us should be in here," I said casually.

        "I see two days sleep has done nothing for your sarcasm?" Jayson asked with a smirk. Damn that smirk, I didn't realize it was possible to appreciate something so annoying about one person.

        "You know me, I hate to disappoint," I smirked back at him. "But stop changing the topic. I want to see my brother and if you won't bring him to me, then one of you can take me to him."

        "It would seem you have your hands full with this one brother. Now you see why I rejected my mate," Lex said, his eyes never leaving mine as he pretty much insulted me, but I had heard worse so I could take whatever it was he planned on throwing at me.

        "No. You rejected your mate because you're an asshole who didn't even bother taking the time to get to know her because she wasn't your typical girl with huge breasts and who looked like she hadn't eaten properly in months," Blake snapped, unimpressed with Lex's choice of words and that made me smile.

        "Look, either one of you can take me to Link or I will take myself. Either way, I want to see my damn brother and I want to see him now," I shouted grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.

        I was too annoyed to be worried about the pain in my neck at that moment. I just wanted them to listen to me and do the one thing I had asked of them. I needed to see Link and I needed him to tell me for himself what had happened.

        It was all well and good Kyros telling me what had happened but he was just a faded memory in the back of my mind from when I was a kid. He wasn't real and he only ever appeared when I closed my eyes.

        I needed to hear what happened from a real person, from someone who knew what had happened, but I didn't want to give the others a chance to have their say first. I wanted to speak to Link and I wanted him to tell me whatever it was that he happened to know.

        "You're not leaving that bed Ellie," Nicole told me without a second thought. God she was infuriating at times and, right now, I just wanted to punch her and tell her where to stick her comments.

        But then I remembered that she was the reason I was alive now and she was the one who had given me the life that I had. She was the one who had saved my life and given me to a family who knew what it was to love a child. I couldn't hate her, even if I wanted to hate her.

        "I think she has a right to see her brother," Blake said and he was the person I least expected to say anything on the matter.

        "But he's the reason you're in this bed now," Lex seethed.

        "But he also didn't know what the hell he was doing. Or did you forget the part where some psycho Alpha drugged him, fucked with his mind and turned him into a weapon against his own sister?" Blake defended and I didn't know what to say.

        "I'm with Blake on this one. I mean, I'm not his biggest fan, but she hasn't seen him since the day she lost her parents, it wouldn't be fair to take him away from her again because of something he had no control over," Jackson said from beside me, his hand on top of mine as he gave me a slight smile.

        I knew there was a reason I was friends with this kid for. He understood me and he knew how much it meant to me to be able to see Link, he knew how much Link meant to me when I was younger.

        "The drugs are totally out of his system and his memories are all his own now. When I told him that it was Ellie he had attacked, the poor guy was distraught and didn't know what to do. He hates himself knowing he almost killed his own sister," Nicole stated.

        Looking at her I did wonder whether she was still protecting me because she knew who I was and the truth about how I ended up with David and Jayne in the first place. I wondered whether she was doing all of this to make me happy or because it was her job to do it.

        "I think he at least owes both Ellie and Blake an explanation. If anyone in this room doesn't agree with that, you know where the door is because I don't want any trouble," Jayson said, though the only person his eyes were really on in that moment were Lex.

        "Actually, I think perhaps Link should speak to the both of them alone before you start dragging other people into it all," Nicole told her son and I thought he was going to argue, so I was surprised when he got up without another word and walked out of the room, Jackson and Lex both following after him without comment.

        "You sure about this?" Blake asked with a gentle smile. I pushed myself from my bed, ignoring the disapproving look Nicole was giving me, and walked over to Blake's bed.

        I sat myself down next to him on his bed and returned his smile, taking hold of his hand and interlocking his fingers with my own, kissing him on the cheek before I sat back up and lent myself against his leg which he had propped up.

        "He's my brother. I know him and I know that this wasn't him. He's too nice," I replied without looking back to Blake.

        "I know that too. Nicole told me what Alpha James did to him. If I really thought he did this on purpose then I wouldn't agree to you seeing him," Blake said.

        "I don't want to lose him again Blake. I look around me and you've all got someone left, I've been alone for so long and under the assumption that my whole family are dead that I can't bear the thought of losing Link again. I need him," the words came out so strained that I was surprised they came out at all and I could feel the tears roll down my cheeks.

        I didn't want to cry but I couldn't stop myself. This was Link, the guy who had been there for me since the day I was dropped off at his front door until the day I lost him. He was my older protective brother who would keep all the negative at bay for me, simply because seeing me smile was the one thing he prided himself with.

        "Hey. Look at me," Blake said and I didn't argue with him, I just turned to look at him as he pushed himself so that he was sitting up now, I saw his jaw clamp as he bit back the pain but he didn't let that stop him. He tapped the space beside him which had now been created and I moved so that I was sitting beside him.

        I put my head on his chest with my arm lazily across his stomach, being sure to avoid where his wound was still in the process of healing, while he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and he placed a kiss on the top of my head.

        "I promise that you won't lose Link. I want you to be happy and if being with your brother makes you happy then I will do anything to make sure that happens. I love you," he spoke again and then kissed the top of my head.

        I wanted to say the words back, I really did, but I wasn't ready right now. There was too much going on for me to want to say those words back, I also didn't want to say them knowing I still had an Alpha to kill and there was every chance he was going to kill me first.

        "I'll leave the three of you to talk," I looked up to see that Nicole was standing by the door with a faint smile as she pushed Link in and closed the door behind her.

        "I can't believe I really did this to you," Link's words came out in a whisper and I noticed that his wrists were still bound with silver chains and his face looked like he hadn't slept properly in a few days.

        "I missed you Link," were the first words which came out of my mouth. I felt Blake's hand slowly moving up and down my arm to prevent the tears from falling again, but he didn't say anything, he didn't need to say anything for me to know that he was there for me.

        "You know, I was five when you came into my life. My parents never told me how you came to be in our lives, just that you were a part of our family and I was to protect you like you were my own sister. I did my best, I really did, but I still managed to mess it all up," Link sighed. He still hadn't moved from the spot where Nicole had left him, but his eyes were trained on mine.

        "I don't care about that. You are my brother and you never did anything other than protect me. You were always there for me, even when I was thought I was being childish, you were still there for me and you listened. You never complained or told me to shut up or even tried to walk away. You were there for me and that's not something I can easily forget," I replied.

        "I am sorry for this. I really don't remember any of it and I hate myself more than you will ever understand," Link muttered.

        "Please don't hate yourself. This wasn't your fault, you know that and I know that, even Mr Obnoxious here knows it," I managed to laugh because if there was one thing Blake wasn't then it's obnoxious.

        "Now that's just rude. I happen to find that offensive," Blake muttered seriously but it made Link chuckle as he finally walked over to the both of us and took the seat Lex had previously been sat in.

        "I could have called you worse," I shrugged casually.

        "Anyone would think you were eight, not twenty-eight," Blake smirked and it made me smile. I hadn't really seen this side of Blake before and I liked it, the playful and carefree side which didn't care for anything other than the moment which he was living in.

        I understood now why the moon goddess had made us mates. I needed him just as much as he needed me, we were the other half that we had been searching for but had never been able to find. He could show me what real love was and I could show him what it was to be loved by another.

        "Perhaps mentally. I never have been all there," I shrugged as I moved myself so that I was as close to Blake was I could be without physically hurting him. His arm moved so that is fingers were interlocked with mine and I could get used to this feeling.

        "I like this. Having you in my arms," Blake said.

        "Can you two do the whole 'romance' thing while I'm not around. There are just some things a brother never needs to see," Link complained to which Blake and I both started laughing.

        "Now you don't want to murder either of us, all me to introduce you properly. Blake, this is Link, the guy who will kick your ass and happily put you in your place if you do anything to hurt me," I found myself giggling like a child. I don't even know where the sound came from, but I liked it and I liked that that it was Link who had made that sound come from my mouth again. He had always been the one to make me giggle, no matter how old I was.

        "You think she's joking, just wait until you make her cry for the first time," Link said seriously.

        "He's being serious. I mean, I know I said he's too nice, but he once shouted at a seven year old because he made me cry," I replied.

        "I remember that. Didn't he steal your Barbie from you?" Link asked.

        "It was my favourite toy. Mum had bought it for me two years before and I hated it when anyone other than me played with it," I shrugged. I even shouted at my dad because he touched it, but all he was doing was picking it up from the floor so that no one stood on it and broke it.

        "Didn't that seven year old then become your best friend?"

        "Yeah. Three weeks' after you shouting at him, he actually introduced himself to me. His name was Luca but he left the pack when he was seventeen after he found his mate. I don't know where he is these days," I sighed. I was happy that Luca was living happily somewhere and that he had his mate, he managed to get out before the destruction was upon us.

        "He's part of Darkness. He's a guard for Alpha James," Link replied and just like that I wasn't so happy that he was alive. "Luca Cooper, right?"

        "I know him. He's one of James' top guards. Luca hates the guy mind you, only does the job because it pays well and he needs to look after his pups," Blake said and I turned my head so that I was looking at him, giving him 'how the fuck do you know him' kind of look. "Jayson has had meetings with James more than once in an attempt to reach a peace agreement between our packs. Luca has always been the one to escort us to the pack house and then back to the border again. We've had some interesting conversations."

        "Luca was the only one who was kind to me while I was there. He would slip me some water when no one was looking and he always made sure I had more than enough food. He's still a good kid, just like he was when he left the pack at seventeen," Link smiled and that was enough to make me smile too.

        I would love to be able to see Luca again. He was my best friend and we told each other everything when we were younger, I was even the first person he told when he found his mate and I was the person he told when he was leaving the pack to go with his mate.

        I had tried to convince him to stay, telling him that I needed him, but he told me that I would be just fine without him around. I was always happy knowing that he left when he did because, had he stayed, I would have had to deal with the guilt of his death too.

        "Link, this is Blake, and I would like to think there's going to be no ass kicking since he's done nothing but look after me since the day I turned up in this pack. He attacked Jayson on my first day in the interrogation room," I laughed.

        "Jayson was going to kill you. I wasn't about to let that happen and he should have known that when he allowed his wolf to take over," Blake replied.

        "Well, Blake, it's a pleasure to meet you. And, once again, I must apologize for what I did to you," Link extended his hand in Blake's direction and he willingly took it, shaking the hand of my brother without so much as a second thought.

        "It's a pleasure to meet you too. And, once again, there's no need for you to apologize, you weren't in control of your actions," Blake smiled and I couldn't have been happier than I was in that moment.

        Sure, the other guys were like my family and they cared about me, but these two were my real family. These two were the ones who were always going to be there for me and I wasn't going to let either of them go, not when I finally had them both again.

        I'm not stupid enough to lose them twice. And, if either of them tried to leave me, I wouldn't stop until I found them again. They made me happy and that was something I hadn't been in a very long time.