Alpha Killian

### Chapter 1: Chapter-1

I forced my eyes open to the sound of my mother yelling my name. My intense hatred for waking up early is known throughout my house, so this happens to be a regular occurrence. Although my eyes are open and I'm awake, I lay in bed and let her continue to yell through the door for a few more moments.

"Claire, seriously?" I hear my mother's wispy voice snap as she opens my bedroom door. With an annoyed grunt, I lift my head and meet her clear blue eyes with my own.

My bright blue eyes were just about the only thing I received from my beautiful but stern mother, while my younger sister seemed to be an exact replica, sporting her slender figure, curly blonde hair, tanned skin, and high cheekbones. 'The good looks in the family' my mother had called it when she thought I wasn't listening. It wasn't that my father was ugly, but he was gruff with an enormous build and a scarred face from defending our pack years ago. While the women in my family had extremely slender figures my figure was curvier, my breasts and bottom continued growing, while the rest of me didn't. My hair sported the same look as my fathers, chocolate brown and straight as a pencil and my skin was the same pale color as his, only turning red when the blood rushed to our faces. The only redeeming quality about my hair was that it had grown extremely long at the beginning of the summer, so now it reached well past my waist. My face was round and baby-like, always making me look younger than what I am.

My height was a whole different issue. The women in my family tend to be taller than the men, with my mother coming a few inches higher than my father. I missed the height gene all together. Standing at a whopping 5'3' both my mother and father towered over me. Even my younger sister had grown taller than me over the years. As I grew over the years, my mother and father realized I wasn't what they were wanting in a daughter. Strong willed, disobedient, insubordinate. Those were words my mother used to describe me. My older brother, Derek, the future Beta of the pack was the only one in my family to find my stubbornness an unexpected gift. They got lucky with my younger sister Sabrina, my mother liked to say, as she was the perfect little lady deserving of a quality mate.

"I'm awake." I sigh, not wanting to face the fact that this was going to be a busy day.

Every year the Moon Ball is held on a different pack's territory. Finally, the time has come for the Southern Pack, the one I and my family belong to, to host the Moon Ball. The Moon Ball is supposed to be an extravagant and romantic event geared towards giving young wolves a chance to find their mate. Each year I managed to skip the event, but this was the one year there would be no escaping.

I refused to feel worried. There was nothing for me to fear, I would simply go to the ball and when no one was looking, I'd sneak away and spend the rest of the night by myself. My wolf, Sierra, rolled her eyes at my absolute disregard for a mate. While she rolled her eyes, she understood why I felt the way I did. After what had happened, there was no way in hell I was going to become some hot-headed wolf's mate.

"You need to get up and get dressed! Derek will be here any minute!" My mother hissed, her stern gaze on my face didn't falter, even when Sabrina poked her head into my room.

Scolding myself for almost forgetting about Derek, I stood from my bed and made an effort of showing my mother that I was in fact up and getting dressed. With another disapproving look and a sigh, she closed my door and gave me some privacy.

Derek had been visiting a neighboring pack when he stumbled across his mate. After staying with the pack for a few months, he was finally making the trip home to introduce his mate to all of us. I couldn't help the excitement that had risen to the surface with the thought of seeing Derek. He never saw my personality as one big flaw, the way the rest of my family did, he just saw his 'feisty little sister'.

With little more than a glance, I grabbed a black off-shoulder top and a pair of ripped denim shorts and threw them on all while pulling out my phone to text my two best friends. Adding them both to a quick group chat, I sent them a text about Derek, knowing they'd both want to be there to welcome him home.

You guys up? Derek is going to be home any minute!

Obviously we're up, not all of us like to sleep all day!

What can I say, I'm in a committed relationship with my bed!

Shit, he isn't there yet is he? Be over in 5 minutes! I can give you a committed relationship princess ;)

Gross!!! Same here, I'm on my way!

Without another glance at my phone, I slipped on a pair of worn-out shoes and half tumbled down the stairs. Knowing damn well I had slept through breakfast; I grabbed a blueberry muffin from the pantry and began shoveling it into my mouth. I nearly moaned from the sugary goodness when I heard the familiar voices of my friends.

"Hazel, Brandon! Thank you for stopping by!" My mother's people pleasing voice rang out from the living room. Stifling an eye roll, I made my way into the living room where I couldn't help but smile. My two best friends stood waiting and ready to drag me out of the house.

Hazel and Brandon had been my best friends for as long as I can remember. While Hazel appeared to be this sweet submissive girl, she had a wild side of her own. Her brown eyes would often glint mischievously and her small lips would pull up into a smirk whenever she had something reckless on her mind. Brandon is one of the few males in our pack that doesn't expect women to be completely submissive to other men. Hazel and Brandon had both grown into their looks over the years and each caught the attention of many pack members. However, in this pack it's frowned upon for women to be friends with unmated males.

The first time I brought Brandon and Hazel home, my mother had just about lost her mind. She screamed for an hour after they left about how I need to be more responsible and respectful towards my future mate. How would my future mate feel about me being friends with an unmated male? Would I be able to resist the temptation of other men until I met my mate? I remembered all of this and resisted the urge to roll my eyes. After my hidden past, resisting the temptation of men has become all too easy. Sure, Brandon was definitely flirty, but it was also harmless and he happened to flirt with everyone.

As I came into the living room, Brandon and Hazel's faces both lit up. I could see the sly look in Hazel's eyes and I wondered what she had planned, and I desperately hoped I wouldn't hate it too much.

"You guys head outside now, Derek will be here in a few minutes!" My mother chirped excitedly, more than ready to have her eldest son and future daughter-in-law arrive. Without another glance at my mother, or Sabrina who was finally coming down the stairs, me and my friends made our way outside.

The three of us plopped down on the porch steps like we had done countless times over the years. I absentmindedly picked at the peeling white paint on the steps of the porch when Hazel's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"You really don't want to go to this ball, do you?" Hazel gave a small laugh, her thin eyebrow raising up as she stared at the frown on my face.

"No, I really don't. I'll probably show up for the first half, but once the speech is over, I'm making my escape." I gave a short nod and smirked at my smiling best friend.

"We can meet up if you want, I'm not too interested in the ball this year either." Brandon frowned, ignoring the looks of confusion on mine and Hazel's face. Brandon had attended the ball the past two years without a word of defiance, but for some reason something had changed this summer.

"Since when don't you want to go to the ball?" Hazel asked, eyeing him suspiciously. We all sat in silence for a few moments while Brandon thought about his answer. From the look on his face, and the glances he shot my way, I could tell he wasn't going to answer.

"That's fine, we can meet up in the forest. Sierra wouldn't mind stretching her legs." I shrugged, breaking up the silence. My wolf, Sierra, frowned at the thought of not being at the Moon Ball but was agreeing that she would love to go for a run.

"Well, screw you two, I want to meet my mate." Hazel quipped, sticking her tongue out at the both of us.

"So, you can bow and begin your duties as a submissive and caring mate?" I recited my mother's speech word for word as I smirked at a sly looking Hazel.

"I don't know about all of that, but I have a few things up my sleeve." Hazel winked at me, laughing as I fake gagged in her direction.

"Oh, Claire?" A sickly-sweet voice called out, and I sighed before I turned to face the spitting image of my mother.

"What's up, Sabrina?" I replied, keeping my voice even. I knew how much she loved to provoke me, and how she would run into the arms of our mother when I reacted badly. The princess would run into the arms of our mother and cry about how I was this cruel sister. While me and my younger sister had a bad relationship, I couldn't say the same for me and Derek. He had been there for me through my toughest times, he had been the only person I trusted with my deepest secret. I trusted Derek with my life. He helped me move on from what had happened to me, and kept my secret to himself.

"Mom just wanted me to let you know, don't even try to flake out on the ball tomorrow night. She's going to be keeping her eyes on you the entire time." Sabrina smirked at me, placing her tanned hand on her hip.

Heat flooded my face as I realized she had listened in on our conversation and told my mother my plans. I could feel the anger bubble within me and the silent excitement from my wolf, Sierra. The anger was quickly replaced with the cold realization that I would be forced to attend this stupid ball. My blood ran cold at the thought of finding a mate and being forced into a life of servitude. The thought of being used mind, body, and soul, sent fear coursing through my veins until I could no longer breathe.

"Bye now Sabrina." I heard Brandon's annoyed voice snap, pulling me from my spiral. Sabrina's blue eyes widened slightly at the anger in Brandon's tone, but she wouldn't dare talk back against an unmated male. With a huff she turned and went back into the house, the old screen door slamming behind her.

"Shit." I muttered, placing a cold hand on my hot forehead.

"You might not even meet your mate, Claire." Hazel said gently, placing her hand on my arm. Neither one of them knew why I was so against finding a mate, but I also didn't have the heart to tell them the truth. Telling them the truth would require that I re-live what happened, and I couldn't put myself through that. The nightmares weren't as frequent as they used to be, but the more I thought about what happened, the harder the nightmares returned.

"Let's hope not." I trailed off, not finding any other words to say. I kept silent as this heavy ball began to take place in my stomach, weighing me down as if it was a hundred pounds. I had only had this feeling once before, and it was right before something terrible happened.

"On the bright side, guess who is coming dress shopping with me today!" Hazel squealed, trying her best to take my mind off of the mate topic.

"Let me guess... Sabrina?" I smirked half-heartedly at her as her eyes widened in mock disgust.

"No, very funny, but no. You are!" She smirked at me. Hazel knew I was partial to shopping, but the last thing I wanted to do was shop for a dress to the ball I was being forced to go to.

"Guess that means I'm coming too huh?" Brandon chimed in, his expression looked unhappy, but his eyes had this strange shine to them.

"Well duh, we need an unmated male's opinion." Hazel chuckled.

At once all of our heads turned to the driveway as a black sedan pulled into the open spot. The knot in my stomach had been forgotten for now, the thought of seeing my brother had been pushed to the front of my mind.

"The only one dying here is you." He spat, and pulled the trigger.Everything felt as though it were moving in slow motion. I could see the bullet heading for my face, spiraling as it planned my death."He's never going to hurt us again." Sierra's voice was clear as a bell.I could feel Sierra take the reigns as I ducked to the side. I could feel the air part around the bullet as it missed me by inches. A look of fury formed on Damien's face as he raised the gun, his aim once again on me. Damien's miscalculation was thinking he was faster than a werewolf. That miscalculation would cost him his life. Just as the small explosion emerged from the gun, I ducked towards the ground and rolled towards him.Damien didn't move in time, and he struggled to stand.Before he could lift his bottom from the ground, a single one of my elongated nails grazed his throat.Not enough to tear it out, but enough to nick his artery.

I didn't have the time I needed to process what just happened.Sierra pushed me forward, keeping my legs from collapsing out from under me.I had just killed someone. Someone who tried to kill me, but that didn't change the fact that I had taken a life.I peeled off the hospital gown in haste, and grabbed a random set of scrubs sitting in a basket. The scrubs were baggy on me, but that didn't matter. It was better than running into a fight in a hospital gown.I stumbled out of the hospital room and down the hall, everything around me feeling like a haze."You need to snap out of it." Sierra barked, and I cringed at her hostile tone. "We need to find Killian."That was one thing we agreed on. I didn't care if there was a war going on, I needed to find him and make sure he wouldn't become one of the casualties.I followed the trail of blood that began just outside of my hospital room. My stomach twis

My breath caught in my throat as the last person I wanted to see came into my hospital room."Maria." I choked out. My eyes were peeled on her every movement as she sauntered into the room.She wasn't alone.She had a guy with her. someone I hadn't seen before. I glanced at him wearily and she caught my gaze."That's my mate. The one I told you about." A small but cruel smile formed on her face.I ran my eyes over her so-called mate. He was most definitely a werewolf. His build was large and muscular like one, and he had the scent of a werewolf."What the hell, Maria?" I growled, my eyes flickering between her and her mate.Maria did the last thing I would have expected, she giggled."Surprised?" She snickered. "You and your kind deserve what's coming.""Keep her talking, Claire." Sierra snapped. "Killian's out there fighting and Kira won't get here in time. We're on our own."

*Claire's p.o.v*I opened my eyes and cringed against the bright light.I was seriously getting tired of getting hurt, knocked out, or passing out.I knew I was in the hospital when the smell of cleaner and sanitizer filled my nose. Something was stuck in my wrist, irritating my veins.My first reaction was to rip the obstruction away and frantically search for Killian. I was a little upset seeing that he wasn't here, but I knew it had to be something important that took him away."Luna." Someone off to the side called out to me. I ignored them and picked at the IV taped onto my wrist."Luna, leave that in!" An older man's voice called out. His hand grasped my own gently and peeled it away.I looked into the eyes of the man, and had no clue who he was."I'm the pack doctor, Luna." The man said, reading the confusion on my face.My entire body felt sore. My torso radiat

*Killian's p.o.v*"How could she do this?" Travis was at a loss for words. He sat on the floor with Kira's head in his lap.I shook my head. I couldn't focus knowing Claire was lingering between life and death.I felt completely torn. Torn between my duty towards my mate, and my duty towards my pack.Titan desperately wanted to be with Claire at this moment, all reasoning had left him. While I wanted nothing more than to be at our mates side, I needed to find out how this happened.The threat of war lingered over the heads of everyone in this pack, and it was my duty to minimize the damage as best I could.I knew a war was coming. I could feel it in my bones.I had multiple groups of warriors stationed all around the pack perimeters, ready to alert me when the hunters brought the fight to us.I stood from the floor and walked over to the second unconscious body.The ra

*Killian's p.o.v*I knew something was wrong the moment I came into the pack house.Everything looked exactly the same as I left it, and yet something was still picking at me.It was like a hole had begun forming in my chest and I hadn't noticed it yet."Do you smell that?" Titan's voice called out in my head.I lifted my nose to the air and stiffened as the smell of fresh blood registered in my mind.Not just fresh blood; Claire's blood.The night she tried to end her life, the smell of her blood seared itself into my head. I couldn't forget the smell even if I tried. As Claire actively went to therapy and improved, my fear for her life had diminished. She had become happy with me and the life she had finally claimed.Titan's strength and speed slammed into me, and I bolted up the stairs. I couldn't place my finger on what was worse, having Claire kidnapped or smelling

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### Chapter 2: Chapter-2

I hadn't realized my mother, father and Sabrina had made their way outside at the sound of the black sedan pulling into the driveway. I could hardly contain my excitement at my brother's return home. I thought fluttering to the forefront of my mind that gave me some semblance of hope; maybe my brother would help me skip this horrid ball. If anyone understood my absolute disliking to the thought of having a mate, it was my brother, Derek. The thought made my stomach flutter with happiness, and my wolf grumble angrily.

My wolf, Sierra, only wanted what was best for me. She protected and supported me more than even Derek did, but that doesn't mean we see eye to eye all of the time. Sierra believes it would change my life to have a mate, I happen to agree with her on that front. I know that finding a mate will destroy what bits of me I have stowed away for myself. Having a mate will strip all of that from me and more, and leave me nothing more than some man's play toy and child incubator. The thought of some strange man touching me again made me shudder in fear.

"You alright Claire?" Brandon asked, running a hand through his sandy blonde hair. A look of concern crossed over his face and I stifled a sigh.

"Yeah, I'm just a little chilly." I shrugged, keeping my eyes locked on the black sedan.

Finally, after what felt like an hour, the door to the sedan opened and out stepped my brother. The two of us locked eyes as huge grins broke out on our face. As my brother approached me, I took a good look at his face. He practically glowed with happiness as he made his way towards me. He had the same blonde hair that my mother and sister had, his build had gotten bigger over the months and I wasn't surprised to find that he towered over me. My brother had always been quite lean like my mother, but he definitely had gained some muscle. He no longer looked gangly, he looked strong, just like a Beta should.

My brother ignored the rest of my family for the moment and wrapped me in his arms. With his extreme height he had to lift me off the ground so I could reach him. I breathed in his woodsy scent that always seemed to calm me and give me a level head when I needed it the most.

"Still staying strong I see." My brother chuckled into my hair as he set my feet back on the ground.

"Aren't I always?" I smirked, but he could see the truth in my eyes, Derek always could. A knowing smile played on his lips and I resisted the urge to confess all of my worries to him right there on the spot. Derek always had this calming energy about him, he made you feel like no problem was too big, like you could solve just about anything with a clear head. I wished I could take some piece of that calmness with me wherever I went.

A growl rang out from across the lawn and I quickly took a step away from Derek in shock. A beautiful, tall brunette came out of the sedan with a shocked expression on her face. I scolded myself as I remembered that new mates can become extremely jealous at the smallest thing. I resisted the urge to snap at her, reminding myself that not everyone is miserable at the thought of having a mate.

"Relax Amber, she's my sister!" Derek called over to her, making a light pink blush form on her cheeks. I watched as she made our way over to us. Amber, my brother's new mate, was beautiful. Her brown hair and brown eyes resembled melted chocolate, as well as the sprinkle of freckles that adorned her face. While she happened to be tall, she was still much shorter than Derek, and had an athletic figure.

"I am so sorry! I don't know what came over me." She said to me, sounding breathless, her chocolate eyes met my blue ones and she smiled apologetically.

"It's all good. I'm Claire." I replied, wanting to get formalities out of the way.

I heard someone clear their throat and this time I did roll my eyes. Sabrina stepped forward and made her way up to Derek and Amber, her cold blue eyes roamed over Amber.

"Derek!" She squealed, giving him a long hug and Amber a pointed look. Could Sabrina be any more ignorant. While I hated the idea of having a mate, I cared if Derek was happy. If having a mate made Derek happy, then I already considered Amber a part of the family.

While Derek welcomed the rest of the family, I made my way over to Amber. Hazel and Brandon followed me after saying their hello's to Derek as well. I could hear Derek telling mother and father the story of how he and Amber had met, a story that seemed to be quite interesting.

"Welcome to the family." I smiled at her, and was surprised to see that her smile met her eyes.

"You don't know how much I appreciate that. Derek talked about you loads, I could tell you're important to him." She replied, a look of relief crossing over her face. I could feel my face break out into a grin as well, knowing that no matter how the rest of my family feels, I'll always have Derek. And now I'll have Amber as well.

"See, having a mate isn't so bad." Sierra said smugly.

"Doesn't make me want a mate either way." I replied stubbornly, giving a mental shrug as Sierra huffed.

"Think the rest of your family will be as welcoming?" I heard Amber ask quietly as she snuck shy glances to the rest of my family. I looked on at them and watched as my father clapped Derek on the back, his face beaming with pride that someday he would have grandpups running around, continuing on the family line.

"That depends on how submissive you are." I hear Hazel say, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"I heard this pack was big on being submissive to your mate, but I didn't believe it. Things aren't like that in my pack, you're more equals than anything." She replied confused. I couldn't help but be surprised at her words. I never noticed how other packs interact with their mates, so I couldn't tell the difference either way.

"Don't let them boss you around though." I stated, my mouth set in a thin line.

"Sometimes men need their heads knocked straight." Hazel laughed, giving Brandon a pointed look that caused him to raise his hands in surrender.

"Oh, most definitely not." Amber replied, a sly glint in her eyes which made me like her even more.

"I think we're going to get along swimmingly." I laughed along with Hazel.

After a while of chatting amongst ourselves, my mother, father and sister began to head inside. Before the screen door shut, I could hear my mother calling Derek and Amber inside, telling them to come grab some lunch. I took this chance to ask Derek about the idea that had formed in my mind, my desperate attempt to get out of attending this summer's Moon Ball.

"Derek, before you go in can I talk to you?" I asked quickly, causing him to raise his eyebrow at my worried face.

"What's up, something wrong?" Derek frowns at me, wrapping his arm around Amber's slender waist. I keep my eyes plastered on Derek's face, trying to keep the blood from rushing to my face.

"The Moon Ball... Sabrina told mother that I would try to skip out and now she won't let me. Can you help me out? You know how I feel about all of that." I tried to keep my voice even, but I couldn't help the uneasy tone that had taken over. I watched as Amber frowned at me, then looked to Derek for an explanation. A knowing look flashed over Derek's eyes as he recalled exactly what had happened that night.

"Claire..." Derek trailed off; his eyebrows closely knit together. I could tell that he was thinking long and hard about something.

"Could I speak to Claire alone... if that's alright with you guys." Derek asked, looking between Hazel and Brandon with a serious expression on his face.

"Yeah sure, we're going to be in my car down the street. When you're done, we can go shopping!" Hazel said smiling at me, but I could tell she was still confused.

"Do you mind if Amber stays?" Derek asked sincerely. I could tell by the look in his eyes that if I wanted him to send her inside, he would.

"...She can stay." I nodded, instantly regretting my answer.

"Where to begin..." Derek trailed off, his hand coming up to run through his blonde hair. I noticed the gesture from my father, he would do the same thing when he was stressed out. Their hair seemed to be constantly a mess from all the times they run their hands through it. I kept my mouth shut and rolled my bottom lip in between my teeth; anxiety flooded through my veins as I anticipated what he was about to say.

"Claire... I think finding a mate would help you." Derek said slowly, a sad look coming over his face. I kept my eyes trained on his, not wanting to look at Amber's confused gaze.

"Derek, it wouldn't. I can't give a mate what they want." I replied adamantly, my arms snaking around my body as if I could protect myself from the words he was speaking.

"You might be surprised Claire... Not everyone is like mom and dad. Your mate is made to love you, help you, and heal you. It could fix what's been broken inside of you for so long." Derek spoke softly, but the words didn't lessen the blow of what he was saying. Why did everything have to come down to finding a mate. I felt as though I had no say in my life, what I wanted didn't seem to matter, the only purpose I had was finding a mate.

"You're wrong." I said choked out, turning so they couldn't see the tears that sprung to my eyes. "Tell mother I went shopping with Hazel." I managed to shout as I turned and began walking down the street. Derek didn't try to stop me; he knew that I needed some time right now.

Don't cry, don't cry. I chanted this to myself a hundred times, willing the tears to dry and fade from my eyes. After a few deep breaths, a headache, and a small pep talk, I made my way to Hazel's red Ford Fusion that was parked down the road. I plastered a fake smile on my face as I hopped into the passenger seat, and ignored the confused stares from my friends. The knot in my stomach that was once forgotten, was now growing at an unprecedented rate.

"So... he's going to help you?" Hazel asked in a confused voice, her disappointment shining through her words. I ignored the stab of pain that made its way to my chest and answered honestly.

"No, he thinks finding a mate will be good for me. I disagree, but whatever. I'm just going to try to make the best of it, and if I happen to find an opening to escape then I will." I shrugged as if it was no big deal, but in reality, my insides were reeling.

"That means I'm going too then." Brandon shrugged, giving me a small smile. Something in his eyes seemed different, something was off. I tried to make a mental note to ask him about it when we were alone.

"Dress shopping it is!" Hazel shouted as she put her car in drive and slammed on the gas.

"The only one dying here is you." He spat, and pulled the trigger.Everything felt as though it were moving in slow motion. I could see the bullet heading for my face, spiraling as it planned my death."He's never going to hurt us again." Sierra's voice was clear as a bell.I could feel Sierra take the reigns as I ducked to the side. I could feel the air part around the bullet as it missed me by inches. A look of fury formed on Damien's face as he raised the gun, his aim once again on me. Damien's miscalculation was thinking he was faster than a werewolf. That miscalculation would cost him his life. Just as the small explosion emerged from the gun, I ducked towards the ground and rolled towards him.Damien didn't move in time, and he struggled to stand.Before he could lift his bottom from the ground, a single one of my elongated nails grazed his throat.Not enough to tear it out, but enough to nick his artery.

I didn't have the time I needed to process what just happened.Sierra pushed me forward, keeping my legs from collapsing out from under me.I had just killed someone. Someone who tried to kill me, but that didn't change the fact that I had taken a life.I peeled off the hospital gown in haste, and grabbed a random set of scrubs sitting in a basket. The scrubs were baggy on me, but that didn't matter. It was better than running into a fight in a hospital gown.I stumbled out of the hospital room and down the hall, everything around me feeling like a haze."You need to snap out of it." Sierra barked, and I cringed at her hostile tone. "We need to find Killian."That was one thing we agreed on. I didn't care if there was a war going on, I needed to find him and make sure he wouldn't become one of the casualties.I followed the trail of blood that began just outside of my hospital room. My stomach twis

My breath caught in my throat as the last person I wanted to see came into my hospital room."Maria." I choked out. My eyes were peeled on her every movement as she sauntered into the room.She wasn't alone.She had a guy with her. someone I hadn't seen before. I glanced at him wearily and she caught my gaze."That's my mate. The one I told you about." A small but cruel smile formed on her face.I ran my eyes over her so-called mate. He was most definitely a werewolf. His build was large and muscular like one, and he had the scent of a werewolf."What the hell, Maria?" I growled, my eyes flickering between her and her mate.Maria did the last thing I would have expected, she giggled."Surprised?" She snickered. "You and your kind deserve what's coming.""Keep her talking, Claire." Sierra snapped. "Killian's out there fighting and Kira won't get here in time. We're on our own."

*Claire's p.o.v*I opened my eyes and cringed against the bright light.I was seriously getting tired of getting hurt, knocked out, or passing out.I knew I was in the hospital when the smell of cleaner and sanitizer filled my nose. Something was stuck in my wrist, irritating my veins.My first reaction was to rip the obstruction away and frantically search for Killian. I was a little upset seeing that he wasn't here, but I knew it had to be something important that took him away."Luna." Someone off to the side called out to me. I ignored them and picked at the IV taped onto my wrist."Luna, leave that in!" An older man's voice called out. His hand grasped my own gently and peeled it away.I looked into the eyes of the man, and had no clue who he was."I'm the pack doctor, Luna." The man said, reading the confusion on my face.My entire body felt sore. My torso radiat

*Killian's p.o.v*"How could she do this?" Travis was at a loss for words. He sat on the floor with Kira's head in his lap.I shook my head. I couldn't focus knowing Claire was lingering between life and death.I felt completely torn. Torn between my duty towards my mate, and my duty towards my pack.Titan desperately wanted to be with Claire at this moment, all reasoning had left him. While I wanted nothing more than to be at our mates side, I needed to find out how this happened.The threat of war lingered over the heads of everyone in this pack, and it was my duty to minimize the damage as best I could.I knew a war was coming. I could feel it in my bones.I had multiple groups of warriors stationed all around the pack perimeters, ready to alert me when the hunters brought the fight to us.I stood from the floor and walked over to the second unconscious body.The ra

*Killian's p.o.v*I knew something was wrong the moment I came into the pack house.Everything looked exactly the same as I left it, and yet something was still picking at me.It was like a hole had begun forming in my chest and I hadn't noticed it yet."Do you smell that?" Titan's voice called out in my head.I lifted my nose to the air and stiffened as the smell of fresh blood registered in my mind.Not just fresh blood; Claire's blood.The night she tried to end her life, the smell of her blood seared itself into my head. I couldn't forget the smell even if I tried. As Claire actively went to therapy and improved, my fear for her life had diminished. She had become happy with me and the life she had finally claimed.Titan's strength and speed slammed into me, and I bolted up the stairs. I couldn't place my finger on what was worse, having Claire kidnapped or smelling

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