Fifty.

Eren

His words stopped me in my tracks. For the guy who hardly speaks to be so direct with me so suddenly took me by surprise. I quickly looked around the area we were in to make sure that we were alone.

"How do you know her scent so well," I asked him as I started to strip down out of the clothes I was wearing. While I waited for his answer, I bunched up the white shirt in my hands and took a huge whiff. 

Dylan's scent filled my nose and I closed my eyes and imagined my body absorbing the scent into every orifice. When I opened my eyes I saw Vit staring at me intently, and I had to remember that I was supposed to be keeping the fact that she was my mate a secret.

Well I had already f*cked that up within the first few minutes of leaving her side. Gods, I was such a f*cking idiot. Dane on the other hand was cocky as hell and didn't give a sh*t who knew that she belonged to us.

Vit finally answered me and I did not like his response one bit. "Because he has had me watch her for years. I am very familiar with her scent by now." 

I wanted to snarl at him for being complicit in all the things that my uncle had done to Dylan, but I still wasn't sure how much I should tell him yet. I still needed to feel him out and fighting with him now wouldn't help me.

Throwing my shirt and shorts in the bag I had with me, I put on a clean pair of pants and watched as Vit looked at some of the scars on my body. I've sparred with him before, but I usually stuck with Noel. 

I knew a bit about the things Vit does. Secrets and information were Vits specialty, but I needed to know how to find out how loyal he was to my uncle. 

No one ever heard anything about that man's appearance on our pack lands so now I had my own information that I could use against him if needed. 

Vit kept watching me and for a second I thought that there was more to it than just trying to read me, until his posture completely changed and I immediately shifted in a fighting stance.

"No f*cking way," he hissed at me. Vit was standing at his full height, legs spread slightly apart, and he had both fists clenched tight at his sides. Widening my stance, and rolling my shoulders, I waited to see what he was going to do next.

The skin on his knuckles was turning white and I heard soft cracking noises, but kept waiting. When he linked me, I was surprised by the sudden change, but it didn't last long because it was replaced by anger.

"There's no way that she can be your mate! Tell me I'm wrong boy!" Boy? Who the f*ck did he think he was talking to? This a**hole may know my uncle, but he sure as hell didn't know sh*t about me. Why the f*ck did this matter to him anyway?

"That's none of your business, my life has nothing to do with you," I said back to him. But the moment the words were out of my mouth he snarled at me, "but her's does!"

"Why," I shouted at him. Where was this coming from? Dane and I couldn't understand what he was saying right now, but I was not going to let him leave until I got answers.

I had not expected that to come out of either of our mouths, but I waited for more. I stood there watching him. The muscles in his neck were stretched so taught I knew that he was fighting the urge to attack me, what I couldn't figure out was why.

I took Vit's full measure in a way I'd never done before. Standing at my height he had about forty pounds on me, but he was still lean. Bald, but he had a well groomed full beard of dark copper hair. His hazel eyes were full of fire as we stared each other down.

It didn't seem like he was going to tell me anything more, and I wasn't sure how to make him talk. Vit worked for my uncle so I'm sure he has seen his fair share of pain and torture, but I wasn't sure how much he had personally experienced.

Dane was ready to shift and fight this out with him, but Vit linked again, "what do you know about Dylan?"

Well, I guess I knew what most did. Still standing in position to block an attack if need be, I told him briefly all I knew about her. Again he linked me, but what he said next floored me. "It seems you know nothing. Dylan isn't from this pack."

Disbelief filled me, but I briefly noticed that he said this pack and not our pack. Regardless of what he said, I wouldn't believe him without proof. It didn't make sense for her to be here if she wasn't part of our pack, right?

"How do you now, what proof do you have," I asked through the link knowing that this information should not be spoken aloud. Vit softened his stance a bit, but not enough for me to let my guard down.

"Spar with me," he said out loud, but said through link, "we can talk while we spar." Dane was eager for me to agree. Nodding at him was the best he was going to get out of me, and I followed him out to the training room. 

Someone had left mats out so we went over to that area and began running through the same training drills everyone first learns. As he did he linked with me. 

By the time we were done sparing I had had my feet knocked out from under me both figuratively and literally. While I knew there was some information that he had left out for what ever reason, I believed his tale.

His words had to be true and I knew that he wouldn't have shared any of it with me if she hadn't been my mate. That fact made him share it with me, but he told me that it was now my responsibility to help him save her.

So much had changed in such a short amount of time, and while I wanted to trust Vit I still held some doubt. As I laid there on the mat trying to catch my breath, Vit linked me one last time before he left and this last part hurt.

"What will you do if she rejects you, will you still help me save her from your uncle?"

It wasn't truly a question. From the moment the mate bond locked in place in me I had been afraid that she might not want it or accept me. It wouldn't be anyone's fault but my own and if she rejected me it would be my own damn fault as well.

Bastard! 

F*ck, we were all bastards!

Everyone who had played a role in her misery. I was kidding myself. There was no way that she would want to be with me after everything I've done to her. 

My uncle was planning something and I needed to get Dylan as far away from him as I could even if that meant that I couldn't be with her. I would let her go to keep her safe and when I looked back at Vit, he had known my answer without me ever speaking it.

Nodding at me, he went back to the locker room. I stayed there for a while trying to process losing Dylan before I had even had the opportunity to have her. An ache in my chest throbbed and Dane was angry, but he didn't say anything because he knew this is what needed to be done.

When I got back to the locker room, there was a note in my bag from Vit and my shirt was missing. Annoyed, I read the note quickly before crumbling it up and stuffing it into a small pocket in the bag.

Do better about keeping your bond a secret.

Vit was an a**hole, but right now, he was the only one who was actively working to help Dylan escape my uncle. I still held a sliver of hope that we could figure something out that didn't involve me losing her, but I wasn't going to share that with him.

The next few days went by just as slowly as the previous week had, but my nights made it all worth it. I would spend hours every night sitting and talking to Dylan. Even though she was still unconscious, I basked in her presence. 

I built a routine for my visits. I would talk to her about my day while I rubbed her feet. After that, I would share secrets with her while I rubbed her hands. 

My skin was accustomed to the tingling sensation by now and I loved the increase that happened when we touched. I would end every night with a kiss on her forehead or the tape that now covered her eyes before leaving.

The feel and taste of her stayed on my lips and skin. I savored all that lingered there. Making sure to keep her scent off me, I would shift and shed my clothes every night after leaving her room. I had learned what each monitor was and what it did. 

Her heart monitor is the one that went off every time we touched, but not as loud as when I kissed her and I held on to the sound of the erratic beeping each day to get me through until I could be back with her.

Lecia had started sitting with me at lunch, but I still hadn't shared any of the information that Vit had given me. He had been gone since the day we talked and I had to discreetly ask Noel about it because I was afraid that my uncle had caught him.

Apparently he had gone on a trip with my uncle. Noel and I hadn't spent much time training, but he had worked a few patrols with me. One day he asked if I was sleeping alright because I apparently "looked like sh*t", but I assured him I was good.

It had been almost a month now and while I hated the fact that there was little to no improvement in Dylan's condition, I loved the routine that I had going on with her everyday. As much as I wanted her to wake up, I wasn't ready for it.

Tonight when I left her room, I struggled with wanting to kiss her lips. While I hadn't stopped myself from touching her hands, feet, and even parts of her face, I hadn't allowed myself to kiss her on the lips.

If I ever got the opportunity to kiss her, I wanted it to happen because it's something she wanted. Something that she either asked me for or gave me permission to share with her. Kissing her cheek, I went out the window and headed to the trees.

So lost in thought I hadn't realized that Vit was standing there until he reached out and grabbed my arm, "you should pay more attention to your surroundings."

Thankfully I had recognized his voice, so I was able to stop myself from attacking him when I heard him. "I thought you were on a trip with my uncle, when did you get back?"

Vit was dressed in all black and looked as if he had just come from robbing someone. "Gods, is that your usual attire, I'm surprised someone didn't see you out here and call the patrol or the guards on you."

Vit tsk'd at my comment, but linked with me, "have you been careful to keep your relationship with her a secret?"

I shifted right in front of him, and linked him as Dane walked right up to him, "If you don't know the answer to that then maybe you're not as good a spy as you think you are."

The soft chuckle that escaped his lips sounded off, rusty almost and I couldn't help but think of the fact that he probably never did that. I stayed where I was because I knew that if he had come to find me that he must have something to tell me.

After a moment he linked with me, and Dane was unsure how to react to his news. Apparently, the intruder who had come to the pack lands a month ago wasn't just a wolf who belonged to Dylan's pack, but he was a relative of hers.

While Vit had previously told me about the man, he had left out the part of them being related. If Dylan had family out there, then she would have a place that she could go to when she left Blood Mist.

This new revelation brought too many feelings with it. I had questions for Vit, but I didn't know where to start. He continued to tell me about the man named Tristan and how he has been meeting with him to help him get Dylan out of here.

I should be happy that Vit and this man were both working to help her, but I didn't know what that would mean for us. Dylan was still in what the doctor was calling stasis, and there were no signs that she would come out of it any time soon.

Vit went over some of the things that they were planning, but he said that none of it was set in stone due to her current situation. Dane didn't respond once and neither did I. What could either of us say to this. 

"Where is my uncle," I finally asked through the link and I knew that he could feel the confusion pulsing through my thoughts. "We parted ways a few days ago and he instructed me to come back here when I was done with my tasks."

Without knowing when he would be back, this would be the perfect time to move Dylan, but I couldn't think the words at all. I wasn't ready to be apart from her. I truly didn't think I ever could, but I was not going to share that with him.

Dane had wanted to go back to be with Dylan. He was done talking to Vit and I didn't blame him. While I knew this was good news, it didn't feel that way to me or him.

The sky was lightening up and I knew that I had to get to the barracks. I kept clothes there in the lockers so that I could train, shower, and then head to school. All I wanted was to get away from him and the words that cut like glass.

Vit didn't stop us when Dane stood up and took off into the woods. I knew my time with her was dwindling and if I didn't figure something out soon, I may loose her before she was ever even mine.

I needed to clear my head. I had been thinking of my parents lately and I wanted to visit their old home to see if being around their old things would help me figure out what to do.

While I didn't remember my father well, I knew that he had loved my mother fiercely. They were always touching and kissing, and while I didn't know it then, they had sex, a lot.

Talking about my parents was one thing that I never did, but I thought about them often, especially my mother. Some of the things about them were starting to fade away, but the most important parts of them were imprinted on my soul.

When I left the training hall, I showered, grabbed an extra pair of shorts, and took off to my parents old house. We had lived a ways up the mountain past the northern border of the pack lands, and I took off without a second thought.

Dane had questions that he kept playing through and while he didn't ask them out right, he didn't hide them from me either. 

Could we trust Tristan?

Will Dylan wake up soon?

Should we help Vit with his plan?

Will Rae come back when she wakes up?

Could we follow her when she left?

Damn him and his stupid questions, I was taking this trip to clear my head and figure things out, not to work myself up more than I already was.

I felt Dane's wince at my annoyance, and while he tried to stop his thoughts from bleeding into me it was already too late for that.

When we made it to the house, it was almost mid-day and it took me a while to shift and talk myself into going inside. Not wanting to disturb it too much, I went into my parents room and looked through some of their belongings.

Everything was left exactly the way it was the last time we had all been there together and as I looked through the pictures around their room I stared at the last one that we had all taken together.

I was the spitting image of my father and while it made me happy, I wished that my mom was still here to see me. Staying for a while longer, the bitter sweet feelings turned into resolve and by the time I left that evening I had made my decision.

Dane and I had headed to the pack house, I ate, and took a quick nap before heading to the hospital. My body was so used to our routine that I had woken up a few minutes before the time I usually headed to go see Dylan.

The moment I opened the window, Dane perked up and I noticed that tonight we weren't alone. Lecia was asleep on a chair and I had thought that she was what Dane had noticed, but tonight her scent seemed thicker and heavier in the air. 

"Something is different," Dane said and while I agreed with him, I didn't care because once I saw her I felt my decision click into place. When she left this pack so would I. I would follow her until the end of my days to make sure that she was safe.

Leaning closer to her, I whispered so that I didn't wake Lecia. "I've missed you." I caressed her softly and the tingling sensation was much more intense then it usually was. "I wish you would open your beautiful eyes and speak to me."

It was just then when I realized that there was no tape over her eyes, her body was in a completely different position, and while there was no heart monitor, I could hear her heart racing. 

Had Dylan woken up? And just as the thought popped into my head, Dane forced a link, "Rae, are you in there," he asked and when she replied, Dylan's eyes popped open and met mine for the first time in weeks. And Gods were they breathtaking!