It's hard to explain what it feels like to die. I suppose that I should have an idea since I'm always putting myself into a life-threatening situation these days. But right now, it's undescribable. I focus on the frantic beating of my heart as I watch the darkness consume me, and intense regret pierces through my soul. I may have not known him for long, but Lorcan unndeniably had an eerie and sultry effect on me. I hated to admit that I can be thrown off, but it's the truth. I could have had something with him; what if his claims were true? What if I could have stayed safe in his arms and home? Perhaps, I could have saved Rosalina, Belinda, and Nubia? So many possibilities.

Soon, my heart began to slow down, and I inwardly smiled. The end was almost over. I was going to die. Despite my impending doom, I could still sense Aleks through our link, and I decided to speak to him one more time before I was gone. As I was preparing myself, the connection felt strange and unstable.

Aleks, I'm gonna die...just do your best to save my sisters. Take them with you; Lorcan will have to allow it. And tell him...I didn't want to leave...

I received silence in return, and small tears brimmed in my eyes. Until...

Please don't do this, MENA! You can't die; just keep hanging on! I'm coming!

Another voice screamed in my brain, one I could only identify as Lorcan's. Some consciously, I felt someone grip my waist, and panic breached my veins. Would I be able to wake up?

The cold air of the forest woke me up, but I couldn't open my eyes. It would hurt too much. Wait no. I just couldn't. I couldn't push myself awake. CRAP! My body fell on the ground, and I heard a scuffle, before warm delicious lips assaulted my own. This feeling was so surreal! Finally, a warm breath caused my senses to explode, and I opened my eyes. My lungs greedily gathered all the air it could, and my arms grabbed at everything it could. I croaked out,

"Aleks?" I don't know why I said his name first, but I suspected the bond was at work. My best friend came into my line of vision, and I warmly smiled. Then, I remembered. My body pushed itself up, and I tried to run. But someone else grabbed me; judging from the welcoming warmth, I knew it was Lorcan. Something scared me though. The desperation he emanated gave me such power, but I wasn't able to register it in my mind. He spun me around, and I flinched at the pain stricken expression in his eyes. Deep betrayal and anger plunged my existence, but at the same time, relief and joy covered my heart. This would never end until I told this man the truth.

"Mena, why did you run away?" The way he spoke brought shivers on my skin, and I couldn't answer. "Why were they trying to kill you?" I heard Aleks try to speak, but a thundering growl silenced him. Gathering strength, I boldly said,

"I ran away because this is my world. I was never meant to be at your pack." I shook out my hair somewhat and stood up. Now, I could see that Declan was among us, wearing a faux concerned expression. "My name is Ximena Montoya, and I'm the leader of the Montoyas. Two days ago, my father was killed." Tears piled up, but I continued. "Since I'm the oldest daughter, it was my place to rule. I immediately sent my sisters away, but we were attacked and..." I looked at Aleks and smiled. "Aleks saved me and took me to his home. He then told me that he could hide me in your pack." I felt the Mark burn, and I knew it was time. I yanked down my dress to reveal the Mark; Lorcan gasped, and I felt his fury. "I was supposed to be pretending to be Aleks' mate; when they put me into the mating dance, I never thought that I would actually have a mate. Then, you popped up." I gazed at my mate and hesistantly placed my hands around his face. He moaned softy, and happiness burst in my heart. It seemed like there was no one but us; his eyes gazed at my own, and I did the same. Then, I felt him, every thing about him. Devout adoration and loyalty rang through his body, and I felt myself getting high off the feeling. But...it didn't change anything. "Lorcan, I left not just because of my Mark. Declan told me that now I was a weakness for you...and I thought it made sense to leave-" I was interrupted by a strangled growl, dripping in venom and anger. My mate was changing again; his hair grew longer and I saw his fangs grow as well. He whispered to me,

"Don't be afraid." He tenderly let go of me, and then without warning, he turned into a Wolf, directly aimed at Declan. I screamed in surprise as the guy jumped, falling on the ground as a grey Wolf. Aleks ran towards me, anger covering his features. I squeaked as he yanked me towards him, and he uncovered my Mark. I wasn't sure what was gonna happen, but I knew I wasn't going to like it.

"Aleks, what are you doing?" He muttered,

"Something I should have done a long time ago. I REJECT YOU!" Then, he bit my Mark, bringing burning pain into my blood. I screamed and kicked, but he held on, and then I yelled,

"LORCAN!" Then, I blacked out.

~~~~

Punch. Kick. Smack.

I watched the beating in front of me with some sort of sick fascination. We were in the torture chamber, and Declan was probably losing consciousness by the second. Faolan, the Delta, was right next to me, trying to calm down Lorcan. I however was smart and wished to live a little bit longer than 17 years. I gingerly touched my black eye and winced at the sting. It may look pretty bad right now, but frankly, I was grateful that he only punched me. As soon as Mena had screamed for him, I was thrown against a tree by the angry Alpha, him only stopping when Declan said that I had unmarked her, thus saving her. Believe me, it took alot of me, but I don't regret it. Now, my mate will be in peace while I wait for her.

"Lorcán, calma síos!" (Lorcan, calm down!) I scoffed. While Lorcan was dark and strong and Declan was cunning and biting, Faolan was optimistic and hopeful. I personally thought that he was a slightly annoying wolf, but I understood his usefulness in the pack. He brought up our pack when despair was upon us, and when you were in a fight with him, be prepared. He's not a push over. He would lay down his life for anyone. "Would Mena like to see you doing this?" Unlike Declan, he didn't seem to have a problem with her, despite having not spoken to her yet. Speaking of Mena however, knowing her, she wouldn't have a problem. She's had to torture people on a regular basis, so it wouldn't faze her.

Finally, with a cry of pain from Declan, Lorcan stopped and watched his handiwork. Declan's face was covered in bruises, and I was sure that some bones had to be broken. I mind linked the Alpha,

Alpha, can I see if he's alright?

He stiffly nodded, and I ran to him, trying to get a word out of him. Unfortunately, he couldn't answer.

"Aleksander." I flinched as Lorcan addressed me. It was a rare occurence (even when he wasn't an Alpha), and my instincts were screaming at me to run. I held in my fear however and bravely looked him in the eyes. "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I'd never find Mena." Faolan grinned, and I nodded. "I think it's time to check on my mate now. Faolan, send Lottie to tend to Declan; he needs help." The Delta nodded, leaving me alone with Lorcan. We together walked upstairs, towards the Alpha's room. We didn't say a word to each other, but I knew that he wasn't angry with me. I opened the door to find Jess tending to Ximena. Even after two hours, she hasn't woken up. I suppose her body just succumbed to the pain. Lorcan gazed at her, and to my shock, unshed tears filled his eyes. In a flash, he ran to her side and held her hand. Jess immediately jumped up and left the room, dragging me out with her. When the door was closed, she whispered,

"So...she was never your mate?" I nodded, slowly gazing at the she-wolf. Her green eyes glistened as she spoke. "Mena, I never knew. I hope she wakes up. She might just be what brings the Alpha back. He hasn't been the same since...his father."

"Don't talk about him. It's only gonna piss him off. Anyway, I agreed with you. I just can't see her staying here and playing the Luna." Jess laughed, and for the first time, I found myself admiring her features. She was an unmated wolf like myself, but I had never felt attracted to her. She was, for a fact, not my mate. Wolves begin to feel the emotions of their mates from the moment they are born; if you felt them straight from the beginning of your life, it either meant that they were close to your age, or they were older than yourself. I knew my mate was younger than me by a few years, making her fourteen in this point in time. I was super impatient thinking about her. We only feel moments of intense anger and sadness until we meet them. Then, you are super connected to them.

"Alpha!" We perked up to see Faolan running towards us, wearing a frantic face. Confused, I asked,

"What's wrong?" For once, there was no hope in his eyes. Instead, fear covered his eyes. He whispered,

"Cadmar is here. His Beta and Delta are here as well; we need Lorcan, or something bad is going to happen." Cadmar? Shit! "Declan's healed, and he's trying to stall him, but knowing Cadmar, he'll get impatient really quickly." I nodded and opened the door. Immediately, Lorcan growled at us. He was holding her tightly, and I flinched at how feral he had turned. She was still unconscious, but she looked more alive now. Her skin was darker, and she was breathing less shallowly. Faolan said,

"Alpha, Cadmar is here." He froze, and then I could see traces of the old Lorcan back, except this time he was worried. He looked at the girl in his arms, and he whispered,

"He can't find out about her. He'll kill her." Knowing Cadmar, I knew that this was a plausible assumption. Jess spoke up.

"I'll protect her with Lottie." Lorcan looked reluctant, but she continued. "I'm a decent fighter, but Lottie is really good! She'll be fine."

"Not against his Beta Aedan and Delta Kirian. They would do worse things to you than kill you." Faolan answered, and I applauded his blunt answer. They were known for raping the she-wolves they killed. Jess paled, but she kept on fighting.

"Alpha, I am going to protect my Luna, no matter what it takes!" I was impressed with her determination, but I agreed with them. However, Lorcan groaned and said,

"Fine. Just do what you can. Hopefully this will take no time." He left her back on the bed and kissed her forehead softly. Jess walked in the room with Lottie following, and I left with Lorcan and Faolan. As we left the house, I could only focus on the growing anxiety deep inside; Cadmar had some twisted timing.

We met them in the middle of the plaza; a small crowd had gathered around us, and I flinched as I saw them. It had been five years since I had seen them, yet they weren't any less terrifying. Cadmar stood between Aedan and Kirian, looking the most dangerous. As we entered their midst, Declan pushed me behind him, silently telling me to back off. Lorcan however said through the mind link,

Let him stay. He can help.

Declan looked livid, but he quickly stopped. We walked forward and Cadmar smiled.

"Wow, the whole gang is here. I haven't seen you guys since you were teens. Hey, little bro." He was speaking directly towards the Alpha, and I saw the man flinch. He coolly replied,

"Cadmar, I believe that I told you not to come back to Pack Wolf Moon; it's been five years. Why now?" He might have been calm, but I knew for a fact that he was far from it.

"Come on; I miss you guys! Are you seriously going to let something as stupid as that get between us."

"You murdered our father in front of me. That's not exactly something that can be forgiven." Cadmar merely rolled his eyes.

"Ok fine. Anyway, I want to propose an alliance." Declan stiffened while Faolan looked murderous. Lorcan remained pensive as he answered.

"If you speak with me in my office, I'm sure we can reach a solution." Cadmar nodded, but then he froze. His eyes were no longer on us, considering the fact that Mena jumped on top of him.

~~~~~

"So where are you, you litte bitch?" The young girl hid under the bed, trying to mask her breathing. Fear wanted to freeze her body, but she kept reminding herself that she had to live for heer sisters. "Come on! I already got Rosalina; Belinda's busy with her little whore; and Ximena's too feisty. You're the last one...Come on, kid!" His arm wrenched hers from under the bed and held her tightly. She screamed and kicked, but he wouldn't let go. Some part of her told her to keep her eyes closed, yet it was too tempting. He banged her against the wall and hissed, "Open your eyes." She did so, and was shocked with this man's features. He had pitch black hair wth charcoal eyes-

"NUBIA!" I woke up screaming, and Jess and Lottie were on both sides of me. "Get me out of her! I have to save Nubia!" Jess yelled,

"Who's Nubia? Calm down-" I smacked her and leapt off the bed, causing Lottie and throw me on the ground. I didn't know where I was, but I did know that Nubia had been in danger! But she looked different. I didn't know how to explain it; I just knew that I had to save her. Who was trying to attack her?

"Mena, listen, you can't leave! Lorcan said-" My battle instincts kicked in, and I found myself kicking Lottie in the face. Without thinking, I jumped out the window, controlled by this animalistic desire to kill Nubia's attacker. As I fell on the ground, I could hear the girls yelling, and I knew that they would be following me. Not wasting time, I ran towards the crowd of people, looking for Lorcan. I knew that he could help me; I finally found him, but another person caught my attention. The same man who had Nubia was right there. Something took over me, and I grabbed the knife from my boot and ran for him. As soon as I could reach him, I jumped at him, sending him into the ground. I heard yells, but I just screamed,

"WHERE IS SHE?!" II didn't get a chance to get an answer, cuz this asshole punched me in the face with such strength. I saw stars, but I couldn't stop. He had Nubia! I knew he did!

"MENA!" I was wrenched into Lorcan's arms, and he was growling angrily at the man in front of us. My enemy had a nasty smirk on his face, and there was definite disgust in his eyes. "Mena, what's wrong?" He was whispering in my ear, but I was too focused on the asshole.

He had the same pitch black dark hair and eyes, but there was too much more that I hadn't seen. He was tall, maybe taller than my mate. He had sharp features, and while I hated to admit it, he could be considered beautiful. There was utter perfection in his features, but unlike Lorcan, there wasn't that certain animalistic magnetism that I was attracted to. It was a darker atmosphere, almost sadistic. It made me sick.

"Oh, so who is this bitch?" Bitch? Oh, he's got something else coming! I lunged towards him, but Lorcan was holding me back desperately.

"YOU FUCKING FUCK! WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH HER?" I saw Aleks come in front of me and hiss,

"Mena, who are you talking about!?" I answered,

"I had a dream; he had Nubia and was about to rape her! I know it was him! Lorcan, please let me go! I have to kill him!" I hated how crazy I sounded right now, but this desire was so compelling.

"Well, I don't think I've attacked or raped anyone named Nubia lately, BUT..." He walked towards me, and then I noticed  that he had two werewolves by his sides. "I'd like to do the same to you right now...would you scream in pain or pleasure, hmm?" Hearing this gave me strength, and lunged for him again, this time successful. I had my knife and managed to scratch his stupid face, but he managed to kick me in the stomach, bringing an ear-splitting shriek from my lips. How could he have done that? It was impossible-SHIT! I found a black wolf running towards me, and I knew this wasn't my loving mate. I tried to run, but he jumped on top of me, snarling. Then, I felt a flash of fury, and the wolf was off of me. Lorcan, as a Wolf, checked on me, sniffing my skin and quickly left to attack the ASSHOLE. Following him was a new werewolf who asked whether I could run.  Before I could answer, he picked me up and ran away with me in his arms; I couldn't fight but I felt the anger again as I recognized Aleks fighting. One of the guys was punching him over and over, and fierce protectiveness pulsated through my body. I yelled,

"Hey, lemme go! I've gotta help them!

"No can do, Luna. Alpha's orders. If it makes you feel better, what you did was badass." Oh great.

Ok, there is the chapter! I hope you guys like this, and please review! I love reading the comments, and let me know what you think!

~Bella