Simone POV

Carli and Matt came racing towards me, pack SUVs with several more warriors, all in the bare minimum of clothing, are loitering in the parking lot above. They must have been in wolf form training and brought who they could.

I threw myself at Carli, still in wolf form, and started shaking violently with relief. She coos at me, rubbing my fur and letting me whine and cry into her neck until I calm down enough to shift back.

Matt brought me spare shorts and a t-shirt that smelled strongly of Lilly. When I couldn’t walk, my legs weak and wobbly from shock, he scooped me up and carried me up to the parking lot, where the police, all our people, were blocking off the incoming cars and urging the students already parked in the lot to move their vehicles. Parker pulled up as we reached the lot, running over to us and taking me from Matt.

I don’t realize I’m hysterical until he starts running his fingers through my messy hair, engulfing me in his aura, not to command me but to make me feel safe and protected.

“We’re here, Sim. You’re safe. You’re safe,” he repeats over and over again as I sob into his chest, gripping into his shirt like a liferaft.

When my panic settles, and the shock dies down some, he sets me on the curb, and I instantly fall onto Carli, gripping onto her as a fresh bout of tears starts flowing from my swollen eyes. Is it messed up that I’m thankful for not wearing makeup today? Relief that I don’t have to worry about runny mascara on top of everything else sends me into hysterics again.

Parker and Carli are enveloping me between them, just hugging and rocking me in their arms while reassuring me they will keep me safe. I feel crazy because all I can focus on is the fact my eyes probably look hideous right now from all the crying and sobbing.

“What can I do, Simmy? What do you need?” Matt crouches on the ground beside us.

“My sunglasses,” I choked out, making him laugh softly.

“Sunglasses?”

I nodded, burying my face back into Carli.

“Can you tell us what happened first?” Parker asks, leaning away from me slightly to look at my face.

I tell them what happened with Aiden, all three of them growling ferociously by the end. Matt was one of Casey’s closest guy friends and he’s been protective of me in Casey’s place since Casey moved. He gets up, looking almost as pissed at Carli before I remind him of the sunglasses. I want to be able to hide my face. I feel disgusting, and I still am having a hard time focusing on my other problems with that pushing at the front of my mind. I know it’s probably from the shock, but I still want my sunglasses.

He sighs heavily, “I’ll look for them while making a few calls. Where did you lose them?”

I shook my head, “I don’t know. It happened so fast,” I told him.

“He’ll find them,” Carli reassures me.

Parker goes off to explain to Cathal and Karina, the fairy knights on the council, what happened. Aiden was an apprentice under Cathal, and I’m one of his daughter’s best friends. He is livid, and they leave almost as soon as they arrive to find him.

People everywhere are watching curiously, and I suddenly feel sick, remembering how no one came to help me when he almost took me away with him. I can still feel his fingers and nails digging into my scalp as he dragged me out by my hair. I’m sure if I wasn’t a wolf I would have bruises all over my neck and body. I feel disgusted knowing I ever had any kind of relationship with that monster of a man.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

Carli is rocking me back and forth, telling me I’ll be okay as I start weeping all over her again.

“I’m okay,” I repeated over and over again to Carli as I tried to get my tear ducts to listen to me and quit filling and spilling over. I have all of them to protect me. Carli would kill him before letting him get to me again.

I’m breathing deeply, trying to control my crying when that delicious, spicy scent hits my nose, making me look up. There stands Vincent, talking to Parker. He looks pissed and even hisses, his fangs shining in the brilliant sun at something Parker told him. I stare at them confused about what he’s so mad about.

He looks over at me, and when our eyes meet, I’m hit with overwhelming emotions once again. Pain stabs at me. I told Aiden I had found my mate, but that mate has no idea what he is to me. He is in love with my best friend. Tears started pouring from me once again as I buried my face back into Carli’s shoulder, guilt and anger mixing together because I hated her right then for being the one my mate wanted more than me.

“Someone is here to see you, Sim,” Carli tells me softly.

No. He’s here to see you, Carli.

“I can’t, Carli,” I whimper. I can’t face him rejecting me for my best friend over everything else right now.

Matt bends down behind me, handing me the sunglasses I requested, but instead, I throw myself in his arms, not liking the mixed emotions I have for my friend right now.

“I know Sim. I’m so sorry. I called your parents. They’re on their way.”

“Matt. I miss Casey. I want my brother.”

“I know, Simmy. I know. You have us, though. I would never let anything happen to you, and neither would Carli or Alpha.”

“Or Vincent,” Carli added, making me want to scream. Is he still standing there? Why? I know he’s part of the council, but why is he standing around watching me be miserable? I’m having a hard enough time pulling myself together.

“Mark and Mitch are going to take shifts escorting you. You’re going to have round-the-clock guards until we find him.”

“He knows where I live, Matt. He can find me.”

“Stay with me then,” Vincent’s velvety voice surprised me, making me turn around and look at him confused.

“Why? You don’t know me.”

“Um,” he pauses momentarily, eyes wondering to Carli, “because you’re Carli’s friend,” he looks shyly at Carli, pissing me off. He doesn’t want me to stay with him for any other reason than to get close to Carli. I scoff in annoyance.

“No, thank you. I can stay at the packhouse.” No way am I being used by my mate so he can get closer to her. No way in hell.

“I think staying with Vincent might be a good idea,” Parker tells me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. He has to know how Vincent feels about his mate.

“You know he likes your mate, right? He is just going to use me to get closer to her.”

“I don’t think that’s the case here. He was only concerned about you.”

“And if he does just want to get closer to your mate? I know Carli told you, Parker. I know you know he’s my mate.”

“All the more reason for you to stay with him. I’m telling you, Sim, he was only concerned about you earlier. He couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

“I think you should too, hun,” Carli tells me, “Vincent is a good guy, with tough security and he’s also….protective. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind keeping you hidden for a few days while we find that asswipe.”

The smile that Vincent sends Carli makes me growl in fury. Are they all blind? Can they not see that he is in love with her?

The closer Vincent gets to us, the more the mate bond pulls me to go to him. Even though I want to fight it, my body is seeking his comfort. I hugged Matt a little tighter, fighting the urge to throw myself into Vincent’s arms.

“Simone, use this as an opportunity to get closer to him. What would you be telling me if I was in your situation? Hell, what did you tell me when I was in my f****d up situation? You should take him up on his offer and TALK to him.”

I’m thinking about Carli’s words, and she’s right. This is an issue that I can handle now, even if I don’t want to.

“Fine,” I grit out. I stare back at Vincent and he is smiling triumphantly. “Only until he’s found.”