Chapter 1

~POV Jensen~

I was sitting at the table in the conference room, listening to Alpha Maxwell's lesson on proper Alpha edicate. After acquiring the Alpha title, it became clear to me that there is much more to the rank than what I had been taught. Though, as I continued to listen in to my friend's lecture, I quickly lost interest and felt my eyes closing with a tired weight.

Surprising me, though, the burly man cut his sentence short and stood from his chair, worry showing on his face. He was clearly distracted, and by the glaze in his deep-set eyes, it was clear that he was mind-linking someone. "Excuse me, Jensen. I've just been informed that one of my warriors has been badly wounded. I'll be right back. Don't. Move." And with that, the Alpha slipped out of his chair, and I could hear his quick paced feet all the way down to the front door.

I jumped from my own chair only after absorbing the worry in Maxwell's voice, and quickly becoming worried myself. So, naturally, I disobeyed his order and with vigor, paced from the room, and followed the man to where he had gone. Though, the moment I had left the room, I smelled something strange. It was a scent that I had never experienced before, and it only urged me to take my action as it seemed to intoxicate me.

As I entered the main lobby and first laid eyes on the bleeding girl, my heart seemed to pulse backwards. She looked so innocent and small, curled to a man's chest who seemed awfully upset. 'Must be her brother,' I thought to myself, having noticed how much he resembled the limp woman. I watched, still in my own mind, as Maxwell gently took her from the man's arms and cradled her in his own. As if on instinct, I felt urged to take a step forward, and placed my hand rather firmly on the back of his shoulder. "Maxwell, hand her here. I'll take her to the infirmary. You talk with your pack and find out what happened to her." I reached out my arms then to grab the blonde girl, who couldn't have been more than seventeen years of age.

Seeming reluctant to hand over his wounded pack member, Maxwell finally but gently laid the girl in my arms. She was a bit heavier than she looked, having more muscle mass than fat on her bones. After he set her in my arms, the Alpha patted my shoulder and sighed. "You take care of her, ya hear?" I nodded.

Maxwell then sent me off and I turned instantly, and swiftly began walking towards the nurse's chambers. As I left, I heard Max's sigh and could imagine his crossed arms and hard-lined face. "Tell me what happened." His deep voice was the last thing I heard before turning into the hall and finding the infirmary door.

When I walked into the room, there was a tall, dark haired woman sitting beside her desk, holding a hardcover book in front of her. She looked surprised when I raised the girl in my arms a bit and called in a panicked voice."Help her, please!"

Just then, I was shocked to feel the beautiful, beaten creature stirring in my hold. Her weary eyes flickered open and she bore up at me with breathtaking, dull green irises. The look on her face portrayed shock along with wonder, as if she couldn't understand what she saw. The blonde must have hit her head pretty hard, because when she looked into my eyes, her malformed mouth opened and she mumbled, "No. It can't be my time… Angel.."

I was shocked. Had she just called me an angel? Goddess, this poor woman was nearing death. It was the only thing I could do to smile back down at her. I chuckled sadly. "Some guardian angel I would be if I let you die here." I felt my grip on her tightening as I spoke, as if it were the only thing keeping her grounded.

The girl just closed her eyes after that and seemed to fall back to rest.

"Oh, Goddess," The dark haired woman from earlier gasped as she looked down at the wounded girl. Swiftly, she began to wipe at the streaks of blood that ran from several areas over her face and upper body. I looked down then, and for the first time realized the red liquid covering my dress shirt. It seems the nurse had just noticed for herself the horrible angle that the girl's jaw was at, because she looked up at me, eyes full of concern and urgency. "What happened." She hadn't phrased it as a question, though I still felt inclined to answer.

Feeling a bit sick, I took a seat on the hospital bed that sat in the center of the room, still not letting go of the poor young woman. "I don't know, Ma'am. You'll have to ask Alpha Maxwell for the details. He is speaking with who seems to be her brother now." As I looked down at the girl then, I felt greedily curious. "What is her name?"

The woman looked at me then and raised a dark eyebrow. "You're the new Alpha Jensen, aren't you? Yeah, I'd heard you'd be here today." The nurse bent back down to inspect the blonde's jaw then, not seeming to hear my question. I had just thought that she wasn't going to answer when she spoke from the blue. "Her name is Retra Silbermond. But everyone just calls her Ret Silver because no one can pronounce her full name. And I'm Stella, by the way." The woman stopped, and I could hear her cursing under her breath as she examined a large dark spot behind 'Ret's' cheekbone. "She must have gotten into a fight with Axel again," She mumbled under her breath. "Damn monster likes to rough this girl up so bad. We're lucky Allys got there when he did this time. It could have been worse than last." Her curse was a hiss, as if she were near overly aggravated. But soon I began to feel the same way. Just the mention of someone physically abusing that poor Ret sent a menacingly cold shiver down my spine.

"Who the Hell is Axel?" I asked, sounding a bit more aggressive than I intended to.

Stella just shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head with a saddened expression. "No one's really met him, but every time she gets off the bad end, Allys comes in here cursing about Axel. Retra goes to see him about twice a month… Or he comes to her. Anyways, if you want to find Axel, I would talk to Allestair. He's the older brother you saw Maxwell with earlier."

I nodded. "Fine. I'll ask Maxwell later. But for now, I don't want to leave her on her own."

Stella nodded again, something resembling a small smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth, as if she were about to crack a joke. "As you wish, but you may still want to cover your ears."

"Wait, why is that?" I raised a dark eyebrow of my own at her words, but gently laid the girl down onto the bed beside me, then proceeded to cover my ears. She looked so peaceful, I realized, now that she was back asleep. I hadn't had time to really study her before, but now that I did it was clear that without all of the bruises, blood and broken bones, this girl had to be the most beautiful one I've ever seen.

The second I laid my palms beside my head, the nurse, Stella, leaned down, grabbed both sides of Ret's head, and with a strong tug, snapped her jaw back into place. The girl's back arched and her eyes flew open, which once green, were now a fiery shade of copper. A horrendous scream tore her throat raw from the pain.

The scream sent a shiver down my spine and made my sensitive ears ring. Even though my hands blocked out the sound, I could still hear remnants of it pulsing like a giant's heartbeat, wracking my brain. Then, suddenly, I felt something shattering inside of me. Without a moment's hesitation, I dropped my arms and pulled the screaming wolf to my chest, wanting to ease her suffering.

Now conscious, the blonde woman panted, her jaw clenched tightly. I hesitantly began to move back then, letting go of Ret, who seemed to be dealing better now. The moment had only lasted a few seconds, but to me, it had felt like minutes. Soon, I gazed down in wonder as she slowly began to open her eyes once again. She must have been squeezing them shut to help cope with the pain. Still copper, it was clear that she was still holding in her pain.

She turned her head upwards, arched her back and groaned through clamped teeth. A wracking cough shook her entire body, and had me jumping back in fear that I was hurting her. Ret's lips were spattered with blood.

"What the Hell is happening to her?" Becoming frantic, I looked up at Stella who was already at work, running her hands down the girl's sides and chest, prodding and feeling for any abnormalities.

"She has several fractured ribs and it seems that somehow her lungs are quickly filling with blood. It would be preferred that you would please step outside so that I can deal with my patient." The nurse said very straightly and didn't even look up as she continued to deal with the blonde.

"No." Was my automatic reply. This girl was my responsibility. Somehow… It confused me, but I still held my ground. What if I left and she died? Would it be my fault? No way was I going to let that happen.

Stella raised an eyebrow at my defiance. "So be it." She got back to work.

A minute passed. I turned my head back as the door opened behind me. It was Alpha Maxwell. The was shouldered by a ginger haired man. He was about as tall as me, with the same build and a grieven expression betwixt his ears. I recognized him as Ret's brother, but I could feel something was off about him.. He oozed with a strange emotion.

Maxwell didn't appear as stricken as the other, probably having been used to stressful things such as this. He seemed upset. Crossing his arms, he cooly stepped inside and looked between Ret, Stella and me.

"Max, I think she's going to die." My voice felt dry.

It was clear the Alpha was thinking the same thing by his lack of response. He simply closed his rusty brown eyes and exhaled with a defeated shake of his shoulders. "Retra. What th-"

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED OUT THERE TODAY!?" The ginger man cut the Alpha off, earning himself a dirty look but no further reprimandation. "You just run off in the middle patrol, and then the next thing I see, you're flying across the street like a mutilated deer!" The boy was fuming. He couldn't have been any older than me, but he seemed a little older than the wounded girl before us.

"Everyone, you need to leave. If you make her heart spike, she may bleed out. I'm doing the best that I can, but you guys have to help too." Stella was glaring at the redhead, her emerald green eyes flickering with annoyance.

No one made a move to heed her words. Ret seemed stable enough. The nurse must have been amazing at her job, because the patient was no longer wincing with every breath she took.

Retra looked down, her face laced in guilt. But other than that, she raised her hands and wrapped them around her stomach, as if to give herself a hug.

I felt a strong ache in my chest at the sight. She didn't deserve to feel guilty. Her brother had no right to yell at her. Especially while she was so close to death. I had to clench my deadly jaws together to keep my wolf from making a move on the other man. No one ever knows how badly someone wants another person dead until they actually end up killing them. I would not become a killer. "I agree with Stella. You need to leave her alone. Ret can't handle being criticized right now."

The teenager bared his ivory canines to me and let his copper eyes narrow into aggravated slits. "Don't tell me how to care for my little sister, 'Jenny.' I don't care if you're an Alpha. You're not mine. Besides, you lack the right, you don't even know her." It was strange how he told me off. He smirked. It sounded like he was telling a joke, but he didn't attempt to laugh.

I wanted even more now to slit his throat. I could feel my eyes warming up. It was a strange sensation, the changing of a wolf's eyes. Like embers settling themselves around your pupils and then beginning to freeze. It stung, but it felt so good. I knew that I was close to the edge when my voice no longer sounded like mine.

"You don't deserve to protect her. She's my mate. I have every right to express my angst." A low growl tore through my throat and echoed around the room.

Silence.