Charisse's POV

Grrrrrrrr. 'Shift, I could open it for you,' says my wolf.

I keep pulling the bag of chips but never open it. I hand the bag to Brad and watch as he easily unlocks it. "Try to finish this," he adds as he leads me to the game room, where Xavier awaits us.

They pushed me to eat something earlier and are now attempting to persuade me to snack. While sitting on the couch, Brad laughs, "You're about to see me kick Xavier's ass at Halo."

I was ready to do the same thing as my brother and sit next to him, but Xavier let out a low growl and pulled me towards him instead. "Eat," he grumbles, sitting crisscross with his legs on the outside of mine.

I curl up against him, looking up at him, and insert the smallest potato chip I can find in my lips. It feels good to be fed and cared for, finally. Xavier and Brad have yet to hit me; all I have to do is do as they say and hope they don't turn out to be like the men in the Blue Stone Pack.

Xavier's arms are squarely in front of me, clutching the X-Box controller and wrapping his arms around my body. Looking up, I notice his lips are slightly apart, and his tongue protrudes slightly. 'Does that imply he desires a chip?'My wolf inquires.

I grab a potato chip from the medium-sized bag and place it in his mouth. "Why'd you do that?" he wonders as he chews on the chip. Was that anything I should have done?

"Y-your tongue was sticking out," I say quietly.

I watch him and Brad play for a bit, occasionally nibbling on a potato chip. "You barely ate."

"I'm not hungry."

He and Brad exchange glances but don't say anything else. I'm quite aware I'm underweight and have been trying to eat. It's only that I've gone years without eating and been considered overweight.

Brad inquires, "Charisse, do you have any hobbies?"

I sigh.

"Favourite color?"

I sigh.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

As I shake my head, Xavier laughs. "You two are opposites, and I wish Brad would stop talking."

I shift my weight and wrap my arms around myself. It's quite cold. The sleeves on the shirt Xavier allowed me to wear practically reach my elbows, and the boxers extend past mid-thigh. It's still freezing outside.

For warmth, I lean back and put my head against Xavier. It was quite cold. "Are you OK, baby? You're trembling."

"Y-yeah." I stammer. He pauses the game and grabs a lovely blanket to put around me.

"Thank you," I respond, extending one foot.

Brad laughs, "You're still the same." "You always slept with one foot outside of the blanket."

"How tall are you?" I inquire at random.

"I'm 6'0," he says.

"You're tall."

"I'm 6'1," Xavier exclaims.

"And you're a little taller."

"That's what I was thinking," he mumbles, tenderly caressing my cheek. I burst out laughing.

"No!" Brad yells, hurling a pillow at Xavier. He does, however, take care to shoot away from me. "No PDA. No lips on lips or lips on anything in front of me!"

He shakes as he says, "Nasty."

When Brad notices me laughing, he teases, "Ha, Charisse thinks I'm funnier than you."

"No, she doesn't," Xavier says flatly.

"Then explain to her that she stopped laughing when you started talking."

All eyes are now on me. "Charisse, why'd the chicken cross the road?" Xavier inquires.

"To get t-"

"To get to the other side!" he exclaims, tickling my sides and making me laugh. Because of my ailments, laughing hurts, but I can tolerate it. The whip marks on my back are already numb.

He ends his assault on my skin with one last laugh, "Ha." 'I like it,' says my wolf.

'Me, too.' I concur. While cleaning, I noticed people hanging out at Red Stone, but I was never one of them. It feels good.

I also appreciate how Xavier allows me to spend time with my brother. Often, Alphas are overly protective of their mate and forbid any men from approaching her. Brad rushes up from the ground, placing the controller and his hands under the blanket and around my waist.

"Hands above the blanket, Ryan!" he exclaims as he points at us. I clutch my palms and shrink even further against Xavier. My brother's yelling is frightening me.

When Xavier returns his arms to their original position above the blanket, he says, "That's better." My wolf laments the loss of contact but does nothing about it.

"So, when do you want to go shopping?" asks Xavier.

My puzzled expression tells him I don't know what he's talking about. "For clothes, we could go to the mall and fill up half of the closet."

I explain, "I don't have any money."

"I'm paying." I don't like the idea of someone wasting their hard-earned money on me. I'm fine with old clothes; that's why we have washing machines, right?

"How many clothes did you have before?" Brad inquires.

"From the pack ladies; they had small clothes in storage and gave them to me when Alpha wasn't looking," I explain.

"I swear I will find and kill your old Alpha."

"You need to tell me the name of your old pack," Xavier continues, but I shake my head fiercely.

"Why not?" "They shouldn't get away with abusing you!"

Xavier's POV

Charisse says quietly, "I don't want anyone to get hurt." Her former pack mistreated and malnourished her, and she didn't want them to suffer.

I can tell she's compassionate and caring, but it doesn't mean she has to look after her old pack. "You realize I'll find out who they are sooner or later, right?" I want her to know that they'll receive what they deserve no matter what.

She nods, tightening the blanket around her. "When do you get your cast off?" Brad inquires, abruptly changing the subject.

"Three weeks for the boot, five weeks for the rest," I explain. Charisse was fast asleep when Dr. James told her how long she had to wear them. We're expected to return to the hospital in a week to get her stitches removed.

She heals slower than the usual wolf, almost human-like, but her wolf powers are gradually improving with me nearby. "You want anything to drink, sweetheart?" I am still waiting for a response.

Brad says, "She's sleeping."

"Did you review the patrol plans yesterday?"

"Yeah, I added three more wolves to sector seven to improve communications."

"Anything else happens?"

"We've got two rogues in here," he says.

"How come they aren't dead?" Rogues are usually dealt with swiftly. Only enter Lunar Blood land if they intend to fight.

Brad says, "They said they came to get someone."

"Who?"

"I don't know, but we could conduct some interrogation tomorrow."

"I'll do the interrogation, and you'll stay with Charisse," I say. I want to be at her side, but if I don't let out my rage, I might take it out on the house--there's no way I'd hurt my friend, but I don't want her to be any more terrified of me than she already is.

She should be terrified of me.

"Shit. I have to cancel the search team," Brad says as he struggles to stand up. He bolts from the house, slamming the door behind him.

What should I do now? I would be alone on a typical day, watching TV or assisting the search team with Brad. Now that my friend is beside me, I have nothing to do.

I reach my feet and carry her bridal gown into our room to place her on the bed. She mumbles something about surfing on potato chips as I open the door. Despite the strange occurrences in her dream, she appears to be experiencing a dreadful dream.

"Charisse," I murmur, attempting to rouse her. She's supposed to sleep a lot, but I don't want her to have nightmares when she does.

"Hmm?" she asks as he gradually opens her eyes.

"You had a bad dream again."

"Oh."

"Are you hungry?" I inquire, even though I already know the answer. She sighs and shakes her head.

"Do you want anything?" she asks, which surprises me.

"What?"

"If you're hungry, I can cook something," she offers, looking at me in the eyes.

"No, it's fine," I say dismissively. Charisse shouldn't be doing anything right now; she shouldn't be working at all.

"Are you sure?" she asks. "I could bake you cookies or a cake." She sits up straight and leans on me like the mate bond is working on her.

"I'm perfectly fine."

I keep my gaze fixed on her while she fiddles with my hand. She appears to be innocent, but the black bruise beneath her eye, cut on her lip, and damaged jaw indicates that she has endured a lot of blows. Scars covered her skin when I first met her.

Most people believe that shifters do not have them, although nearly everyone has at least one. Charisse has much more than usual; nonetheless, they will heal with time.

Scars fade and disappear when friends meet; my parents informed me when I was younger. "Are you cold?" I inquire.

She sighs and shakes her head. How can I start a conversation if she doesn't respond verbally? "Do you want to go shopping tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?"

She sighs. Is she frightened to speak up? She's happier and more open when we're simply messing about, but when we talk about her needs and herself, she's quieter than usual.

"I need to do some office work; do you want to stay here or come with me?" I inquire.

"Can I come with you?"

I take her back in my arms and head to the office. This room was once a bedroom, but I made some changes. I should work at home rather than at the pack house or elsewhere. Charisse breaks the stillness by asking, "How long do you work every day?"

'HECK YEAH!!!' SHE BEGAN THE CONVERSATION!!!!'My wolf applauds.

"Three to six hours, depending on the day," I say, "and I do the papers a few weeks ahead." All I did for the first few months of being Alpha was paperwork to get ahead; now, I'm almost two months ahead in paperwork.

"Xavier," I like how my name sounds in her tongue. "Your telephone is ringing."

"Who is it?" She asks, picking up my phone and reading the caller ID's name.

"It's Brad." He was just here; why disturb my friend and me?

"Ignore it," I say, wishing my phone still had a decline option.

"What if it's really important?"

"He wouldn't mind if you linked me if it's important."

"Brad called and left a message."

"Ignore it."

"He's been texting you... a lot."

"Ignore it." I go over and turn off the ringer. Should I mute the whole thing?

"Won't he get mad if you don't answer?" Charisse's expression tells me she's terrified of what will happen if I don't answer the phone.

I hold the phone between us, pressing the answer button and putting it on the speaker. "Wow, I didn't expect you to respond," Brad exclaims.

"Yeah, yeah, what exactly do you want?"

"I'm not sure," he would say, shrugging.

"Is Charisse awake?" he inquires.

"Yeah... Wait, never mind," she said before falling asleep again.

"What brought you here?"

"The team was wondering when they'd finally see Charisse again." Because the search team mostly comprised people who knew her when she was younger, they spent a lot of time looking.

"Probably at the ceremony or when I get them to be guards."

"OK," he responds before hanging up the phone. Sometimes, I am not by Charisse's side, but she will still be protected somehow. Brad will undoubtedly be my first contact for the assignment, but I shall enlist my father's or Gamma's help if he is also unavailable.

My mother will try to go shopping or do anything with my friend, and neither my father nor I will let them go alone. He will even dispatch guards to lurk from a distance when he feels the need. 'Send guards and trackers,' urges my wolf.

Trackers?

'To track down anyone who attempts to flirt with my mate,' he explains.

Excellent thought.

Should I ask my mother to accompany Charisse shopping? Of course, I'll attend, but I'm not familiar with feminine stuff--but my mother will give me a big lecture about not telling her that I've found my mate.

Should I contact her straight away? Should I call my father instead? 'Or we could nap,' my wolf says.

He has the most brilliant ideas.

After closing my laptop and putting up my documents, I lay down on the couch. Charisse is now lying beside me and in my arms, so I move her. Fortunately, the blanket is long enough to cover my body; not every blanket does.

When Charisse curls up to my side, I close my eyes and smile as I fall asleep.

*** (After one nap)

Click.

Click.

Click.

CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK.

"What the hell is that?" I mutter as I open my eyes.

"Xavier! Watch your language!" My mother warns as she puts her phone away. Was she photographing anything?

"What's going on?" Charisse asks, waking up and emerging from beneath the blanket.

"Charisse, this is my mother; Mom, this is my mate, Charisse," I say.

Charisse sits up and says, "Hi."

Mom gasps, "Oh my goddess!" and pulls her in for a hug. "I've been waiting to meet you!"

She gives me a sneer before releasing her embrace on my mate. "What did I do?!?" I exclaim, clutching my companion close.

"You were supposed to tell me when you found your soulmate."

"I didn't have enough time-"

"Yes, you did," she says, cutting me short.

"Mo-."

"I don't want to hear about it."

"It's not even my fault-"

She sobs, "You don't even love me!" Oh no. She's sobbing.

Charisse furrows her brows and murmurs, "Xavier, you made your mum cry." She turns away from me and embraces my mother. I did nothing!

"Uh... Mom?" I'm at a loss for words.

"Can you get me a tissue?" she says, her eyes welling up.

"I don't have any tissues," I explain.

"If you loved me, you would have some!" She holds Charisse and sobs even more.

"Do you want some toilet paper?"

More sobbing.

I get up and dash to the loo. Dad would murder me if he found out I made my mother weep.

Charisse's POV

"Are you OK, Mrs. Ryan?" I asked, massaging her back. I don't remember having parents, but I know you're not meant to make those who reared you cry.

"Oh darling, I'm fine," she says, sitting up straight as if nothing had occurred. She giggles as she wipes her face with tissues from her purse.

"I was faking it so that Xavier would leave the room."

"By the way, my name is Eva," she says.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

"That's the same thing Brad said."

"It's not a bad thing, honey. He and Xavier could learn a thing or two from you; all they do is talk." she chuckles.

"Won't Xavier be back soon?" I inquire. Perhaps he needed help.

"No, I hid all the toilet paper and towels while you two slept."

"Really?"

Eva shows me her phone and says, "I also drew a mustache on a picture I took of him." It shows Xavier asleep with a bright green mustache and unibrow.

"Enough chit-chat. Have you two kissed yet?" she asks directly.

I slowly nodded.

"Well, then, tell me about it!"

"Xavier kissed me on the first day I woke up." I begin. "I got scared when we were talking about being mates, and then he just leaned forward."

"Have you done anything else?"

"Last night, we slept in the same bed," I say. Eva's expression tells me she wants to hear more.

"I tried to see if he's ticklish."

"I meant if he does anything romantic." she chuckles.

Oh.

I shrug. "He just holds me a lot."

"Mom, I couldn't believe you weren't crying," Xavier says as he walks into the room.

"Were you faking?" he inquires.

"Yes, now what's that?" Xavier asks, his right hand clutching both crutches and his left bottle.

"Charisse's crutches and medication." Didn't I take my medications already? Is there anything else I should bring?

He informs me, "It's for your back, sweetheart."

"Oh, I'll put it on for you then," Eva replies as she stands up. She takes Xavier's bottle and crutches and assists me in getting used to them.

"Mom, I was going to do it."

"Well, I am. Charisse and I will have some girl time, and besides, you have work to do."

Xavier gasps and swiftly crushes his lips against mine before retrieving his papers. Eva wraps her arm around me to support my weight; unfortunately, I can't even walk independently with crutches.

Eva reads, "It says to wear sanitary gloves when applying and to massage the product into wounds lightly."

"Will it hurt?" I inquire, concerned about the cream's potential for burning.

"Just a little bit. Can you lift your shirt for me?" I hesitantly turn away from Eva and lift my shirt, exposing my back.

As she gasps, tears well up in my eyes. "Oh, my goddess," she exhales as she examines my scars and sutures.

"Who did this to you?" she speculates.

"My old rucksack."

"I'm so sorry," she says, pulling me in for another hug. "You don't deserve to be hurt like this."

She takes care not to put any pressure on my back this time. Long whip wounds, medium knife cuts, and bruises cover my skin--it's just one of the reasons I dislike my appearance.

Aside from the fact that my eyes don't sparkle like everyone else's and my hair isn't soft like everyone else's, my will to live has vanished. Maybe it was Alpha James' torture that made me like this, or maybe it was the misery I put on myself.

Charisse's POV

"Have you and Xavier been on a date yet?"

I explain, "I've only known him for two days." Surprisingly, Eva makes me feel at ease enough to speak freely. I don't feel the need to keep my ideas hidden from her.

"It was eight years before you were taken," she corrects.

"Did you know he used to have a crush on you? He stated that he was certain you were his mate."

"Really?" I inquire. Normally, you can only recognize your mate once you shift for the first time. However, youngsters with Alpha, Beta, Gamma, or Delta blood tend to shift before age sixteen. I shifted into my wolf for the first time when I was around ten or twelve, somewhere in that range.

"Xavier's wolf is stronger than any other Alpha's. His senses are even more acute than they should be, so he favored you so much." Eva elaborates.

"I wish I could remember that," I mutter as I feel her latex-gloved hands on my back.

"Your memories will gradually return, and your scars will fade." "I was abused as well," she claims.

"You were?"

"Yes. After declining to marry the Alpha of my previous pack, I was promoted to Omega."

"I was ranked lower than the Omegas." I'll start."I wasn't even allowed to be called the pack enslaved person--Alpha said I didn't deserve a title."

"I cooked, cleaned, did chores, and handled rogues-"

"How do you deal with rogues?"

I finally nodded, allowing some tears to fall. "If they were male, Alpha would have sent me out alone to force them to leave." T-the rogues took advantage of me and fled."

"Oh, Charisse, I'm so sorry it happened to you! I can't image how badly you were handled." Eva dries my back before pulling me into her arms.

"I-I-I can't go b-back." I keep my voice low. "What if they come looking for me?"

Red Stone guys have a chance of escaping with me. They are unable to abuse anyone else since Alpha will not allow it. Furthermore, Lunar Blood and Red Stone are neighbors; the only land that separates them is unclaimed rogue territory that both packs are attempting to conquer.

"Xavier can easily fight them off without an army, honey." Nobody will let them take you away." Eva states. I truly want to believe her. But Alpha James and Beta Matthews have me convinced that every time I open my eyes, I will be subjected to endless hours of torture and pain. They had broken me beyond repair.

"W-what if he likes them?" What if Xavier treats me in the same manner?"

"I know you think no one can save you, but Xavier has already done so." You'll realize the importance of friends sooner or later. Every second you spend at his side strengthens your bond; he already loves you."

"They s-said th-th-that love d-doesn't d-doesn't exist for m-me." I stutter as I struggle to keep my breathing regular.

Eva's POV

With sympathy and grief, I glance at my son's classmate. Her account of her previous life is far worse than mine. Only the cruelest, vicious monster would assign rogues to a sweet teenage girl like Charisse. Even worse, they merely came to rape her and then left.

If one rogue discovered that the Alpha of Charisse's old pack was sending her out alone and helpless, all rogues would come to use her.

When I was her age, I thought that love didn't exist for me, but being told that directly takes it to another level.

She was always happy and dreamed of meeting her soulmate. Many people would try to bring her down, but she ignored them and kept her head held high-the fact that she was terrified of almost everyone meant that the pack that kidnapped her did everything they could to break her.

"Charisse, your old pack is incorrect. Everyone will fall in love and adore you the moment they meet you. Remember that most pack members knew you as a child, and everyone had been waiting for you to return."

"I don't have a place to call home." Charisse murmurs.

"Everyone has a place to live. Your home is here in Lunar Blood, with Brad and Xavier."

Charisse's POV

"We should go grocery shopping next week," Eva recommends using coconut butter lotion on my scars. According to her, if used daily, it lightens scars and marks.

"No, it's okay-"

"Do you know your bra size?" she asks, disregarding me.

"No."

"Raise your arms; I know how to measure," she says as she pulls out a measuring tape.

I smelled Xavier five minutes after I found out my bra size.

"Don't even think about coming in here, you spawn!" Eva dials.

"Spawn?" I inquire quietly.

"Because I pushed him out of me and gave him life, Xavier is my spawn."

"Are both of you fully clothed?" he inquires.

Eva does not respond.

"Charisse, are you both dressed properly?" I nodded, then realized he couldn't see me.

"Yes." I react, trying to be as loud and clear as possible.

"Are there no razors out there?" "Isn't anyone shaving?"

"No, nothing's out."

Xavier walks directly toward me after opening the unlocked door. When he wraps an arm around my waist, I cringe at his tall, muscular body but relax. "You smell like cocoa butter," he says as he takes a whiff of me.

"It's called cocoa butter lotion, stupid." Eva sighs and rolls her eyes.

"Why did you come here?" Xavier requests that I sit on his lap. Eva makes silent eye contact with me and says, "You need to tell him." I trace lines on my wrist instinctively, slightly shaking my head.

"I became bored. If your father phones, I'll be in Walmart."

"Why didn't you just call Dad and tell him you were coming here?"

Eva shrugs and says, "I didn't feel like it."

The doorbell goes off.

"He's got here."

"Bye, Mom," Xavier grumbles and pecks my cheek. His lips are gentle, yet his facial stubble irritates my skin.

"Are you hungry?" My head shakes. He hands me a little pill and adds, "These are supposed to make you eat more."

Swallowing it, I wince as it slides down my parched throat. "How was your day at work?" I inquired, my hands in my lap.

"Boring. "I don't have anything to do."

"Xavier!" Eva yells from the basement. "Your father wants to see both you and Charisse!"

Xavier mutters.

He places crutches under my arms and grabs my waist to assist me in standing. "It's like I'm living with them again," he murmurs.

"How's it going with your back?" "Does it still hurt?" My head shakes.

"I can't feel it; it's numb."

When we arrive downstairs, Eva and, I assume, Xavier's father is in the living room. When we take on his intimidating form, my wolf whimpers.

Xavier is taller and intimidating, but I've seen his good side. "Son, why do you smell like a coconut?" inquires a deep male voice.

"It's Charisse." Xavier moves his arm to make me visible.

"Oh, goddess, it's you." The only feeling on his father's face is shock. He makes a stride forward, but I reflexively take a step back.

He gives me a perplexed look, and I lower my head to gaze at the ground. The only difference between him and Xavier is their eye color and age: both are equally terrifying.

"Charisse, don't you remember me?" That is the first question everyone asks me. My head shakes.

"Well, then, we're going to leave." After a few moments of stillness, Eva says. "We should have dinner soon!"

"Are you afraid of my dad?" Xavier inquires as to when they will go. I'm still determining whether or not to respond.

He'll be upset because I'm not responding if I don't. But if I tell him the truth and say I'm terrified of his father, he might get angry and attack me. I could also lie and pretend I'm not afraid, but he'll catch me, and the penalty will be harsher.

"Sweetheart, are you afraid of me, too?" he asks as I sit on the couch facing him. I nod slowly without looking at him in the eyes.

I cringe and almost jump away from him when he lifts his hand at me. He appears both surprised and hurt by my behavior. "You thought I was going to hit you?"

As I nod, tears well up in my eyes. Shifters are taught as children that their mates will love and protect them no matter what, but I'm terrified that mine will mistreat me just like everyone else. "I would never hit you, baby." That's something I've said before. I will never mistreat, abuse, or starve you."

I bury my face in his chest and let the tears flow. They're soaking his shirt, but he doesn't seem to mind. "What else did they do to you?"

There is one thing I haven't told Xavier yet. He is aware that they separated me from my family and friends, beat my childhood memories out of me, tormented, starved, and tortured me, yet, he is unaware that they also took my innocence.

Red Stone robbed me of everything worthwhile.

They ensured I had nothing, from my home to fundamental werewolf rights.

"I don't w-want y-you to h-hate m-me." I sob.

"I will never hate you, no matter what they did." I'm not upset with you, even if I appear to be. "I'll be angry at them," he says ahead of time.

I take a long breath and murmur, "Th-they r-raped m-m-me."