"I, Melina Fedorov, hereby reject you, Trevor Burne, Alpha of the Still Water pack, as my mate."
"Don't do this, Melina. We can make this work. I will give you more children."
"I don't want more children, Trevor. I want this one. They're gone, just like my love for you. I see you for who you are, Trevor: a liar and a cheater. Isn't your dream to be with Heidi? I know it's been hers. Now, you only have two options here. Accept my rejection, or death."
"Melina, I'm sorry. I messed up. I made bad choices and blamed you for something you never did. I swear to you, if you give me another chance, I will-"
"Enough! You just want my power! I'd like to leave this Goddess-forsaken pack. Accept my rejection and allow me to leave. Or I'll turn this place into hell, now."
I’m thankful that I even found out that my mate was such a piece of sh*t. I’m glad I never told him how much I had now.
I'd never imagined the Moon Goddess would grant me a second chance. When the most powerful Alpha offered sanctuary, I'd hesitated—hybrids like me were considered abominations, a threat to werewolf purity. But his words cut through the doubt:
"I'll protect you. My mate!" he growled.
*******
Chapter 1
Melina’s POV
Six Years Later
It’s frightening how quickly your day can change. One minute you're looking forward to having dinner with your mate. Next, you're running for your life. I’m thankful that I even found out that my mate was such a piece of sht. I had been looking forward to finding them my whole life. Dreaming of a wedding where I could claim them as mine in front of all my friends and family. I should have seen the truth staring me in the face. I was so in love, so completely enamored of him. I went along with all his suggestions. Every. Single. One.
I never saw his true intentions. I just lived in my little bubble of happiness, where everything was going as it should. I’d allowed him to charm me. I’d let him explain why we hadn’t had my Luna Ceremony. I’d accepted his excuses as to why he couldn’t mark me just yet. It was never the right time. I'd swallowed my pride repeatedly, all for a dream. It was all an illusion, and he played his part to absolute perfection.
He had seemed so caring at first. He was interested in learning everything about me, and I was flattered. I was foolish. I'm thankful for all my training as I sit perched over thirty feet up in this tree. I hate that I didn’t bring my cell phone with me. I’m too far away to be able to mindlink anyone for help, and this is life and death. The forest is silent, and I cursed myself for not seeing this sooner.
I’m smarter than this. How could I have allowed this to happen? I held back a sob. I cannot make any noise. My mate, Trevor Byrne, wanted me dead. I knew that a new team was now out here with me. The whole situation was ridiculous. I already knew that Trevor was going to spin it, to try to keep my family from getting involved. That wasn’t going to happen. Trevor wasn’t the smartest Alpha out there, but I recently discovered he is among the most ruthless.
I was the happiest I can remember six hours ago. I went to find Trevor. I'd just returned from the pack hospital with the best news. We were going to have a baby. I ran into the pack house's back entrance and took the back stairs. I wanted to tell him the good news. I was moving so fast, I was just a blur. Trevor had been interested in what our pup would be if we were to get pregnant. His pack, Still Waters, was not as welcoming to me as it should have been.
I know they had a recent scare and lost some warriors. But my team ended that threat for them. I wasn’t like the vampires that had caused them issues. Yet, with each passing day, the stares became more aggressive. Trevor told me that the pack would warm up to me. I was just paranoid, but they didn’t warm up. In fact, it had gotten much worse in the last two weeks. I hope this good news will be the turning point for the pack to accept me, and their Alpha heir.
I knew something was wrong the moment I arrived outside his office. I could smell Heidi in there with him. I could scent the fact that they were hа'ving sex. Although my heart doesn’t beat, it still broke into a million pieces. I trusted him. I stepped back in shock, as my first instinct was to pound on the door. Although we were primarily vampires, Maksim and I received our wolf counterparts the day we turned sixteen. Dr. Gurin had been amazed. More like thrilled, as I'd never seen him so excited.
Although he had charted our growth our whole lives, his excitement at having been given such a gift could not be contained at that point. My wolf, Storm, was like a built-in best friend for me. We were one entity, but Storm had her own opinions and strengths. She made me stronger and faster. She also increased my vision and hearing by over double. I could scent danger well before they could get close enough to hurt me. All because of Storm.
My mate was still fking that b1tch, and I heard it when they both climaxed. I felt like I was going to be sick. I've asked him at least thirty times in the last two months about Heidi. He always said they used to date, but were just friends now. She was always putting her hands on my mate. She didn’t care that it bothered me; she seemed to enjoy that fact. She always portrayed it as being innocent between them. They were best friends, and I had a suspicious mind. She always knew how to dig the knife in deeper with her rude comments.
“Why are you so suspicious? Is it because vampires cheat a lot? How could Trevor or I be willing to do that to you? I think your opinion of me is disgusting,” Heidi told me last week. Acting shocked that I would even suggest anything between them.
She even produced tears. Her father, still the acting Beta, had thrown me a disapproving glare across the table. Trevor lost no time leaning over to comfort her, not me, which was another red flag. I’m sickened to hear them both trying to catch their breath as they come back down. This certainly explained his long hours at work, since this was part of what he'd been doing. It all made sense now.
I pushed my anger down and reached into my jeans. I would record them as leverage for him to accept my rejection. I have a great deal of money. My father had been saving up for all of his children. I was just the first to leave the nest. I only took a portion of it. I had been using my money to invest in his pack. I’m glad I never told him how much I had now. The issue was, in my excitement, I’d left my cell phone at the pack hospital.
“Trevor,” Heidi whined. “When are you going to get rid of that disgusting bloodsucker. The whole pack is nervous with her in it. I won’t allow her to stay here. You’re mine. You always have been. I can’t believe that you’re cheating on me with her. Goddess only knows what disgusting diseases she has from drinking blood.”
“Soon, love, soon,” Trevor replied. He sounded so happy. I’m utterly disgusted by his behavior. “I already told you, we need a few more improvements done to the pack. I didn’t hear you complaining when you got to go shopping with me the other day. You seemed pleased with your new vehicle and wardrobe. Melina is loaded. She only took a portion of her money with her. Goddess only knows how much she has still in the bank. She put almost two million into the pack's account. Why would I cut her loose when she’s so valuable to me and the pack?”
“Well, I don’t like that you’re still sleeping with her. You belong to me, you promised me, and I know how the bond works. It will only get stronger. How did she even know that you were her mate? It’s impossible. Are you sure you’re not falling for her?” Heidi complained. I could hear her snuggling closer into my mate. They are both despicable as far as I’m concerned.
“No, I’m not falling for her, Love. You forget, my best friend was killed by one of those bloodsucking monsters. I would never accept one of them as my mate. She's a good lay, and she adores me. But I’ve got her down to just sleeping with me once a week. She still thinks I care about her,” I heard him stop to laugh with her. I felt ice refreeze my broken heart. I refuse to allow him to hurt me again.
“Good, but you'd better figure something out soon. I won’t let our pup have any competition. It’s easier for a true mate to get pregnant. I don’t even know how that bimbo could, but it seems she is pregnant as well, Trevor. My friend Shelley at the pack hospital called to warn me. They don’t know how far along she is yet, but I won’t have a bloodsucking bаst3rd take my pup’s place in your heart, or this pack. So you better come up with something soon. Or else I'm leaving with your pup. You can stay here with your undead queen, without me,” Heidi snapped out.
“I refuse to live without you, Heidi. I’ll figure it out. We might not be mates, but I love you. Can’t you just be patient? I can’t get the other money she has without using this money first. I’ll let her think I still care, while I figure out how to get rid of her. We have to be careful here. Also, I need to warn you. You didn’t meet those who came here to end those rogue vampires. They are deadly, and they are good at their jobs. It would be nothing for them to return and wipe us all out. I'll deal with Melina. I will tell her it’s not the right time for us to have a child. She always does as I ask. I won’t allow that child to be born. The doctor linked me. He is horrified at the thought of that monstrosity being allowed to be born, let alone rule the pack. He already gave her abortion pills instead of prenatal vitamins. So, stop worrying. We’ve been together this whole time; nothing will change that. I’ve been slipping her wolfbane in her morning coffee. Melina won’t find out about us,” Trevor replied confidently.
“But what if she does?” Heidi asked again. I started to get worried. Wait. Does she know I’m out here?
“If she does, I’ll move the plan up and end her. I just need to find something that would be believable. I’ve been asking about her life the whole time she’s been here. I know her much better than she thinks I do. I needed to learn how to make it look like a plausible accident. Now, stop worrying about what might happen. I need to have you again before I complete this paperwork," my mate replied. I could hear them kissing again.
I backed slowly away from the door. I don’t need to hear this. I already felt like I was going to be sick. My eyes were wet with tears. My mate never wanted me at all. He just used me for my money. I’ve got to get out of here. I turned to go back the same way I came and walked right into Beta Charles’ chest. I never heard him approach. I guess I was so upset at finding out what a piece of cra'ap my mate was, that I wasn’t paying attention.
“I knew something was off, Lina,” Storm linked me.
“We both did, Storm,” I linked back. It was the whole reason I went to the doctor. I never suspected that my mate, who happily brought me my first cup of coffee each morning, would hurt me like this.
“Come along quietly, Melina. No need to make this harder than it has to be. He will never leave Heidi. Too bad the Goddess hated you enough to bond you two together. You are the bane of our existence. It is blasphemy for our kind to be diluted with another. It’s best we deal with you and that thing you’re carrying now,” Beta Charles stated quietly.
Chapter 2
Melina’s POV
Beta Charles never called me Luna, not once in the nine weeks I’ve been here. Now I knew why. I wasn’t paranoid at all. My mate was just an incredible liar. I wasn’t going to go anywhere with him. He'd kill me the first opportunity he got. I knew he was planning on taking me down to the cells. They would torture me and kill me. I'm too far away from my brother to be able to mindlink with him. I needed my phone, but I can't just waltz out to the pack hospital to get it.
I did the only thing I could do. I gave a quick turn and hit him in the temple as hard as I could with my elbow. He fell heavily to the floor. This alerted Trevor and Heidi about an issue, but I believe Heidi knew I was out here. She enjoyed hurting me, so she led the conversation. She didn’t tell Trevor that I could hear what he was saying. If he knew I was here, he would have sent Heidi away. I didn’t wait around to see if my hypothesis was correct. I just ran.
“I’m sorry I can’t help you very much, Lina,” Storm linked me.
“It’s not your fault, Storm. Save your strength, rest for now. I'll try to get us to a safe spot to rest. You can hide my scent while I sleep. We trusted Trevor, but he never deserved our love. It hurts, but I won't let him break me. He isn’t worth it,” I linked her back.
“Deal,” Storm replied before fading away.
I ran through the forest. Bushes caught my clothes and tore at them. I could feel my face being scratched, along with my arms and legs. My arms bore the brunt of it. My shirt was much thinner than my jeans were, but I never slowed down. I could hear the sounds of the warriors and Trevor coming after me. I bet Trevor was furious now. Well, that’s on him. I know the real reason he never marked me. He didn’t have to wait for the Luna ceremony. He just wanted to be able to scr'w around with Heidi as long as he could, and not get caught.
Well, now he can scr'w her as much as he likes. I was disgusted that he slept with her. That jger'erk to my virginity, yet didn’t defend me to that witch. If anyone had a nasty disease, it would be her. I hope his p3nis falls off. I know I’m being petty, but my anger drives me now. I hope the added strength he got from having me here disappears. I ran for miles, but I could hear them behind me. Howling as they followed me further into the forest. I knew I needed to play this smarter than I was before I became exhausted. I was running at full speed and wasting energy.
I knew it was only a matter of time before I needed to feed. I was running too fast to even think about finding a small animal to drink from. Plus, if they found it, they'd know I was close. I would rather die than allow myself to be substance back to Still Waters. I kept my eyes trained ahead and focused on my path as I continued to run. I was slimmer than they were in their wolf form. I slipped through places I knew they couldn’t follow. I knew trackers had trackers out here following me. He was not planning on letting me get away.
“Baby, stop, I’m sorry, Melina. It was a one-time thing. It won’t happen again,” Trevor called out, trying to get me to stop. Now, I’m sure that Heidi and her father were the only ones who knew I had been there. She intentionally mentioned being pregnant to get me upset, that’s probably when he father walked up behind me. That confirmed that he was planning on getting rid of me this whole time. I felt sick again, but I have to keep moving forward. I refuse to allow them to kill me and my baby. I knew they would terminate my pregnancy if they caught me. The doctor didn’t even feel bad about giving me abortion pills. This whole pack was full of disgusting wolves.
I see a section of broadleaf evergreens coming up, and I know what to do. I picked up more speed and jumped. I was about thirty feet in the air on a solid branch, but I can’t stop here. I have to keep jumping. Luckily, the tree next to it only had a few leaves. I could jump from tree to tree until I got to around the middle of the area. I needed a place to hide. I needed to rest and calm down. I needed to think clearly, as I had been running nonstop for two hours. I know that I have covered around a hundred miles.
“When we hear them, hide my scent, Storm,” I told her. I was in a great spot. About thirty-five feet up in the air. I couldn’t see them from this little nest I had made for myself. They couldn't see me if I couldn’t see them.
Trevor had asked me so many questions about myself. I foolishly thought he was trying to get to know me better. I never thought it was for him to use it against me. I had to hold back the scoff. They weren’t close anymore. They were nowhere as fast as I am. Thankfully, I had lied a few times to spare his feelings. Like when he asked how fast I could run. I told him about sixty-five miles per hour at full speed. It was still much faster than a wolf, but Trevor could run about forty miles per hour in his wolf form. Even with me downplaying it, he was still upset about it. That should have been the first clue that he thought his species was better than mine.
My first inkling of a problem was when we met with the packs after we arrived, to figure out where the vampires were hiding. That was our first day here, and the day we met. I was so excited about finding my mate that I ignored that he wasn’t smiling back at me. In hindsight, he seemed ashamed to admit I was his mate. I caught the looks from the other Alphas in the meeting. They weren’t happy for him, like when you meet your mate. I didn’t notice it at the time, but my brother had. He warned me to be careful.
He calls me four times a week to check on me. If he calls and I don’t answer, or Trevor makes an excuse for not coming to the phone, they will be on their way by the next day. I hate that Maksim was right about Trevor. I hated being so blinded by love that I thought Trevor felt the same way about me. He has humiliated me, and I'll be happy to return to Black Adder. I'll lick my wounds privately and build my home near my parents' house. I’ll be fine. I’ll try to remember the good times, or what I thought were the good times, when I tell the baby about their father.
I’ll raise my baby on my own. I don’t need Trevor for anything. I’ll be dаmed if I allow my innocent baby to go to Still Water with Trevor and Heidi. That won’t be happening. I managed to get comfortable enough to nod off. My concern now is the fact that I can’t eat. They’ll be able to scent the blood from miles away. I may have outrun them for the moment, but they’re still after me. Trevor won’t give up. He can’t allow me to escape. He might be able to keep my brother at bay for a week if he can take pictures of me showing that I’m fine.
But it won’t last forever. He has no idea who he’s dealing with. My brother won't allow Trevor to keep me here against my will. Neither will my family. I need to focus on staying hidden until I can find someone to allow me to use their phone to call for help. I know the scent of the Still Water pack members. I'm paying more attention now. I won’t let anyone else to sneak up on me again. I have to hang on until help arrives. It took them some time to get here. I heard them before I saw them. I could tell that at least two hours had passed. I was about two hundred feet away from them but heard them speaking clearly.
“She couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air. Spread out and look around for her. She has to stop to rest. She was moving too fast for her not to need to rest. Even a vampire needs to stop moving to regain their strength. I know she’s around here somewhere. Start with where you lost her, and focus. We can’t lose her. I have an SUV coming out to pick us up. The team in the SUV will stay behind to search overnight,” Trevor announced.
“I’m glad we’re not on the graveyard shift looking for that parasite,” one of the trackers said with a laugh.
“Yeah, that leech will probably off at least two of them. I don’t want to be around to see her in action,” another warrior replied with a fake shiver of fear.
“Agreed, that vein sucker is about to meet her end, and I’m glad. I hate having to look at her. She reminds me that our friends got slaughtered every time I look at her. She disgusts me. I don’t know what the Goddess thought when she paired you with her. She made a big mistake doing that. She is the shame of our pack,” another replied.
“Just keep your noses peeled for the scent of blood. She's going to have to feed. She went to the doctor mid-afternoon. They always make her wait; I thought I had more time. I should've known that Melina would have come to tell me she was pregnant. I don’t know what she heard, but Beta Charles is in the hospital. She caught him by surprise when he caught her eavesdropping. We need to find her, and quickly. Her brother will be calling here tomorrow. If I can’t prove she’s okay, he will tear the pack apart looking for her. We can’t let them come here. If you thought those rogue vampires were dangerous, you haven’t seen the power their group wields. We can’t beat them, we have to find her,” Trevor stressed.
There was a faint honk in the distance. “Their here. I will stay here, and you guys wait for me. I need to give them their instructions,” Trevor stated.
As soon as they were gone, Trevor called out to me. “Melina, I know you are hiding from us. You need to come down now; otherwise, when we find you, we’ll kill you. Stop causing issues, and come to me. I don’t know what you think you heard, but I can explain everything.” It took his men five minutes to get to where we are. I didn’t respond, and he sighed and gave them their orders.
“Find her. I believe she's hiding somewhere close. Either in the brush or the trees. Stay together. Shoot her if you need to, to get her down. Then kill her. Make it look like an animal attack. Don't leave evidence behind. Injure her, then leave her alive for a bear, or mountain lion to finish, but don’t let her get leave here alive,” my mate advised.
Chapter 3
Trevor’s POV
This situation is horrible. Yesterday started so well. Melina still adored me, and Heidi did whatever I asked because she's utterly jealous of Melina. She has reason to be. Melina is gorgeous. She is smart, funny, and strong. She would have made a good Luna if she had come before those rogue vampires. Once they killed off four of our pack members, we all hated vampires. I lost my best friend, Drake, to those dirty blood suckers.
I would have rejected her on the spot. She and her team hadn’t dealt with the rogue vampire's problem yet. We needed them to stay here. We were defenseless against them. Why on earth would I have rejected her? Her team would have just left us in danger. We would have all died. Plus, she was hot. Even if she was a blood sucker, you really couldn’t tell it at first glance. She and her brother even had a slight tan. Things were unusual with her. So, I decided to learn as much about her as I could. It’s always best to know your enemy. So, that’s what I set out to do.
The first thing I wanted to know was how she knew I was her mate. She looked right at me and walked right up to me. I hadn’t even wanted to acknowledge her as being my mate, yet she knew. I found out about her mother getting pregnant by a blood sucker while she was still a she-wolf. I didn’t realize that it was even possible. She said that they got their wolf counterpart the day she and her twin turned sixteen.
I learned she could be in the sun for hours without being hurt. Out there in the forest, she was protected. It was overcast again today, so she will be fine again. I hated that they didn't find her. How could she still be on the loose? She should have already been found and dealt with. I wanted her gone in the worst way. She was now a liability to me. She would tell them what I had done and what I said. Her brother can’t stand me. I know he doesn’t because he approached me while the rest of her team congratulated her.
“So, Melina is your mate? You sure about that?” Maksim asked slowly.
“According to my wolf,” I replied. I didn’t want her, and wasn't planning on claiming her. I didn’t care what my wolf, Dane, said.
“I get the feeling that you have something against us, Trevor. Do you have a problem with us? Because we can leave. I can transfer the money right back to you. We don’t have to be here, especially since you don't like us. We do this to protect people. We provide a service that others can’t. These rogues won’t stop unless they get stopped. But if we’re causing you problems, just let me know. We can be out of here in less than an hour,” Maksim told me. He was serious, and the other Alphas started glaring at me. I hadn’t rejected her. He asked, and I answered.
“No, I’m glad you’re here. People are dying. I've lost several warriors in my pack. It's a serious situation. We need your help. Please don’t leave us,” I begged. The other Alphas relaxed, and I felt relief. I needed them to stay here and kill the rogues that were killing off our packs.
“An impassioned plea. Except you never mentioned your mate. I’m going to give you a piece of free advice, Trevor. Melina is my twin. We have an incredible bond. If you hurt her, you'll be answering to me for it. I won’t step back and allow you to take my sister’s joy away from her. She is blissfully happy right now. Make sure it stays that way. If not, I will return. I will take my sister back and punish whoever took her joy away. It won’t matter if it’s you or a she-wolf. Make sure my sister stays happy, Trevor, or I swear the next time I return, you won’t see me coming,” Maksim told me.
I shuddered at the memory because I know what’s coming. Maksim wasn’t just saying those words for fun. He meant every one of them. I'd told Heidi, but she laughed it off. She didn’t hear what he said. He wasn’t joking. He was dead serious. That is why I instructed my men to tear her apart. We can’t have them finding out we were involved. Maksim might get suspicious, but he won’t be able to prove anything. I hope he leaves Heidi alone, but as much as she lets her mouth run, I doubt that will happen.
I must admit, my wolf, Dane, wanted Melina despite her being one of them. He seemed to be very enamored of Melina and Storm. He hated being with Heidi, but I slept with my mate, against my will. He can sleep with Heidi, against his. How did he expect me to fall in love with Melina? She was attractive and had a great body, but that was it. I needed more.
“Like Heidi’s a prize?” Dane huffed out.
“I never said she was perfect, but we have been together for almost ten years. Her voice can get whiny, but she cares for me,” I rebutted.
“No, Heidi cares for herself. You may have been together since you were fifteen, but she was with others before you. Our mate waited for us. Yet, you refuse to accept her. You’ve lied to her this whole time. I’m not going to be a part of it. You are drugging your mate to suppress her. I can’t support you doing this to mate. Melina is the only mate I will accept. The Goddess gave her to us. She’s ours,” Dane responded.
“You know as well as I do that the pack hates her,” I scoffed.
“They hate her because Heidi runs around here telling lies, and getting them worked up. It would have set the pack straight if you had manned up and claimed her initially. They would have accepted her because you did. You dragged your feet. The pack saw how you treated her—hiding her away, allowing her to be disrespected. They did the same thing you did. Heidi told the pack you hated Melina. They felt it was acceptable to judge her as well. It was as good as an admission backing Heidi, but not your mate. You don’t deserve her, but I want her. If you ruin this for me, Trevor, I swear, I'll make you sorry,” Dane replied before disappearing.
I mindlinked my men in the forest to see if they had found her. I already knew they hadn’t. Otherwise, they would have linked me to tell me. I’d mindlinked them before I went to bed last night if they succeeded in finding and ending Melina. I would give them each five thousand dollars. The irony of it being her own money to pay for her murder wasn’t lost on me.
I need results, and I need them fast. I felt Heidi’s hand grip my shoulder to pull herself up. I scr'wed up again. I allowed her to spend the night here. If Maksim comes into our home, looking for Melina. He will be able to tell that Heidi spent the night here. Her scent is strong here. Why did I let her talk me into this? She isn’t scared of him at all. She is being unreasonable and laying her claim on me, while I still have a mate.
“Stop worrying, Trevor. Everything’s fine. We can spin this any way we want. No one will ever know any different. How could they? We’ll tell them Melina found someone else and left you. She went into the forest independently, and we can show them the proof. We can show you running after her to save her. Either way, they can’t prove any different. She probably got lost and has already been killed. I’ve got your back. I won’t let Melina’s family come in here and start anything,” Heidi cooed at me. Her words made sense. She was right. How could they possibly know?
Melina could mindlink and telepathy with her brother, but they were limited because of the distance between where her family lived and here. She had no phone to contact them. She had no money, and we hadn’t seen anyone while we were out and about. I felt guilty about wishing she were dead, but that would be the best-case scenario in this. Then I could pretend to be sad that I lost my mate and child. I could stay on their good side, and see if they will give me the funds I need to get my pack how I wanted it. I don’t see a downside to this.
“I am sending another team out to replace you. Stay until they arrive. Send out your GPS coordinates for them to be able to find you. We need to find her, even if it's just to recover her body. We must prove that her death was not on us,” I mindlinked my warriors in the forest.
I felt better now. Much more relaxed than I was. Heidi was right. There’s nothing to worry about. I'd just started kissing Heidi when Melina’s phone began to ring. The screen lit up with MAKS on it. Shelley had brought it to Heidi at dinner last night, as Melina had left it behind. Time to face the music. It would take them twenty-four hours to get here anyway. They would have to pack up and get tickets to fly out here. Driving would also take them a while, too. There’s nothing to worry about. Melina will be dead by the time they arrive.
I calmed myself down again and answered the phone on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Let me speak to my sister,” Maksim’s voice growled out of the phone.
“I can’t. A misunderstanding occurred yesterday, and Melina ran off into the woods. We're still trying to locate her. I have a team out there overnight, one heading out to relieve them now. Don’t worry, Maksim, we’re going to find her. Give me two days to get her safely back to the pack,” I replied smoothly.
“Wrong answer, Trevor. Let me guess. Did this alleged misunderstanding between you and Melina occur because of your Beta’s sl'utty daughter again?” Maksim asked.
Shhht, she told him. I told Melina that she had nothing to worry about, but she still mentioned Heidi to him. This is not good. What made it worse was that I had him on speaker phone so Heidi could hear the conversation. Her quick intake of breath alerted him that we were here together.
“So, I see I’m correct. If you don’t want us to level your pack, you had better find my sister quickly. The only way we won’t level your pack is if you safely return my sister to us, unharmed. Anything other than that, and you can assume that we will deal with you and your pack, per the werewolf laws.” Maksim’s voice let me know that he was prepared to back it up.
I frantically tried to search my mind, trying to remember what the punishment would be. I was too scared to think at the moment, but Heidi’s low gasp told me that whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good.
Maksim spoke again, this time with a warning: “Find her, now, Trevor.” Then the call dropped. My heart was frantically beating. I looked at Heidi, but now she was just as terrified as I was. We have to find Melina.
Chapter 4
Maksim’s POV
Something’s wrong. I can’t connect with Melina, but she’s scared. I felt it before bed last night, but she didn’t answer when I called. Melina always answers her phone, no matter what. She knew not answering would cause problems for her mate. I know something big was going on when she didn’t answer. If she doesn’t answer my call in the morning. I was going to show up on their doorstep.
Trevor wasn’t the brightest Alpha I’ve met. He seemed decent enough when we met. Then he started making mistakes, like when he began gaslighting my sister. Making her think she was being judgmental and paranoid when she was right the whole time. I know he has a woman on the side. I’ve seen them together when they didn’t realize I was there. Jrking apart was just as much an admission of guilt as the kiss they shared. From how familiar they were together, there’s no way Trevor wasn’t sleeping with her.
Despite the warning I'd given him about mistreating my sister. Trevor continues to make bad choices. But Melina loved Trevor; she defended him. He had treated her well the first few weeks. Then the arguing started. No way was I going to let that slide. Melina always told me to calm down and make excuses for him, but I knew my sister. I know how to read between the lines.
When she finally admitted her concerns about Trevor and Heidi, my heart broke for her. She was hurt, and I knew why. She wanted her mate to love her. Someone to truly love her. We were considered outcasts outside of our coven. Despite having friends who accepted us in Black Adder, many still didn’t like us. Most of those who didn’t want us there were jealous of us. We were highly competitive, and we excelled on every course. If we competed, either Melina or I were sure to win. Melina enjoyed training with Dad, and that was their special time together in our family's three-story gym.
It’s no secret we have a significant amount of strength. We trained daily, and our parents always taught us to do our best. To not hold back. We shouldn't let others beat us because we felt bad for them or wanted them to like us; they were right; it didn’t work, and I learned it the hard way. The one time I let our biggest bully win, he spent the next two weeks degrading Melina and me. She then challenged him to a rematch and beat him badly. It showed not just him, but the whole pack, that I'd let him win. He still hates me to this day.
I think sometimes Melina deferred to me in our competitions, too. She wanted me to be the clear winner. We'd discussed it, and Melina assured me she wanted me to be the team's next leader. Neither of us wanted to do it for the accolades or power. We did it because he hated for anyone to be bullied or killed for nothing. It served no purpose other than to stroke their egos or for them to feed on the ones they attacked. We do not feed from humans or werewolves. We feed from donated blood that we've purchased. The people who donate to us are well paid for their effort, and each bag is tested to ensure it's safe to drink.
The pack members who don’t like us hide it under the guise of not liking vampires, instead of admitting the truth, which is their jealousy over our strength. They are still trying to speak against us. To rally others against us. They want us to leave the pack and go live in the coven. Thankfully, Alpha Jaxon doesn’t listen to them. His father gave our father permission to live here. My uncle, Alexei, also lives in Black Adder. I'm planning on living in Black Adder with my own family. I won’t let them drive us out of here.
I immediately called my sister when I woke up at 6:45 this morning. I got Trevor, who lied to my face. My father was already dressed and ready to go. He knew I could be prepared in five minutes. Dad knew I had been up late and had let me sleep, but I could tell that Dad was really upset. That was unlike him. He never gets upset unless it's over Mom, one of his children, or the rest of our family. So this was serious.
“Grab a shower, we’re heading out at seven,” Dad told me.
“Is it Melina?” I asked. I just had a gut feeling.
“Ivan had a vision. Your sister's mate intends to kill her. We need to leave now. Trevor will be very sorry if she gets hurt,” my father replied. My mother was upset too. I just noticed her sitting in the darken living room when I heard a strangled sob.
“You stay, Dad. Mom can’t be left alone. I'll deal with Trevor. I know what to do,” I replied as I turned to go upstairs.
“I already called Kira and Blake. Blake will stay with your mother and the children. I'll need Kira’s skills to help heal Melina. She's already hurt, but according to Ivan, she's going to be hurt worse before we can get to her. So grab your shower and get dressed. I already have the plane being fueled up now. Just get ready to go. Once Kira and Blake arrive, we’re leaving,” my father answered.
He was all business at the moment. I’d never seen him like this before. I looked like his twin, just younger than he was, but not by much. He'd stopped aging and looked like he was in his thirties. He looked more like my older brother than my father. He was always calm and respectful to everyone. But right now, he looked like an avenging angel. I didn’t mind stepping back and letting this play out with Dad in charge.
There were two SUVs outside at seven. Kira, Irina, Polina, Nadia, Adrik, Ivan, and Dmitry were all in the special SUV. One that prevented light from getting into it. A warrior would drive them, and Dmitry was sitting up front. I watched my father kiss my mother goodbye and whisper into her ear. Each time we leave, there’s a slight possibility we won’t come home. My aunt Cara was there with their children as my uncle had just kissed them all goodbye. Everyone with a mate had been here to send us off, as I also saw Tatiana and Bonnie here.
Damir, Tatiana, and Dmitry’s son was here and upset that he couldn’t go. I hugged my mother goodbye and told her, “We’ll bring her back, Mom, don’t worry.” I knew it wouldn’t prevent her from worrying, but I needed to say something.
The ride to the airfield was quiet. Dad rode with me, as did my uncle Alexei, Alpha Jaxon, and his brother Chase, and two warriors, who were both expert trackers. Fourteen of us were going. Our group was even larger than the group that went to deal with the fledglings. Nerves were high as we loaded onto the plane.
We were in the air less than five minutes later. Trevor underestimated us, but he had been warned. His condition will depend on my sister's. I was grateful when Jaxon started to speak.
“We’re going to a werewolf pack, so I already alerted the Werewolf Council and got them up to speed. They agreed that even though Melina hadn’t been marked, she had been acknowledged as the Luna. We can use werewolf law against them. Treason against the Luna is punishable by death. They believe that since she wasn’t formally introduced to the pack as their Luna, they can use it as a loophole. They can’t. It will only take us over an hour to get there, but we've been allowed to deal with this issue as you see fit. You have helped the High Council out with rogue vampires and werewolves on numerous occasions. You've shown that you can be trusted. They are going to let you decide on the punishment for Still Waters. We all agree that we'll wait to see what happened to Melina before we decide. Is that still correct?” Jaxon advised.
“It is, for the moment. Ivan had a vision, and it’s not good. At the moment, she’s safe. Maksim called Trevor as soon as he woke up this morning. He warned Trevor that Melina needed to be kept safe. According to Ivan’s vision, Trevor sent two more teams to find and kill her. The worst part? She’s pregnant with his child. He doesn’t want the child or Melina, as he gave instructions for them to both be killed. His men out there are armed. I didn’t have the heart to tell Cheryl that Melina is pregnant. Ivan's only good news was that someone stepped in to help Melina. He couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. They were wearing a loose outfit with their head covered. I’m praying to the Goddess that Melina comes back to us safely,” my father replied.
“I’ve had no further visions, Anton. I can’t tell you anything else, but I hate not knowing. I can say that the person who stepped in to help Melina didn't hurt her. I’m hoping that with both Kira and Alexei here, we can save her. You know we love both Melina and Maksim, like they are our own. They gave us all hope that we could one day have our own children. We would die protecting either of them,” Ivan responded, his voice filled with emotion.
I knew he was telling the truth. We were raised with an abundance of love. Everyone on this plane treated us like their child when we were little. They never stopped loving us. If Melina were seriously hurt, they would go scorched earth on the Still Waters pack. With Polina’s control of fire, that was actually an option. I held back my tears. I was truly worried about my sister. I can’t imagine my life without her. I love everyone on this plane who came with us on short notice to save my sister.
I’m praying we get in and out of there without injuries. I didn’t want anyone else getting injured. I was suspect of the stranger who helped my sister. Melina was a vampire, and people would sooner leave us to die than help us. I couldn’t figure out why they were helping her. I gave up trying as my father and uncle laid out plans of what we would do. After we landed, Ivan suddenly asked to change our plans, which was a surprise. Once we make plans, we never deviate from them.
“Maksim, you need to get your own rental car. We will head to Still Waters and start the investigation. Jaxon already has local council members headed this way to enter with us. You need to go to a drvg store on the corner where Main and Fifth Street intersect. Wait until you see someone wearing a dark brown shirt and pants entering. If you follow them, you will find Melina before we do. I know you want to go with us, but your sister is in danger. You need to follow the person back to where they live. Melina can’t be saved until you find where she is. Take a handheld GPS with you to send us your location,” Ivan told me.
I did as I was told, but only because it would get me to my sister faster. Because if something bad happens to her or her baby, Trevor is a dead man.
Chapter 5
Trevor’s POV
“Alpha, we need you at the gate,” one of the gate guards mindlinked me. We didn’t have much defense around our pack; there was a forest around us, so anyone could slip in if they wanted to between patrols. For someone to pull up to the gate is a problem. They wanted us to know they were here.
“Who is it?” I linked back in annoyance.
“Two members of the local council, and their guests,” came the response.
“Guests?” I asked in concern. I had a suspicion of who the guests were.
“Vampires, Alpha. They also have the Alpha and Beta of Black Adder pack,” came his response.
Sh1t, how could they get here so fast? Melina was out there and still alive. I don’t need to deal with this right now. Heidi told me what she'd done last night. She said she was trying to get Melina upset enough to leave. She did it to protect me, so how could I blame her for doing it? She wanted the same thing I did: for Melina to leave the pack and never return.
I stalled for ten minutes before I arrived at the gate. I couldn’t take any longer than that. The Council demanded respect. They were supposed to have immediate entry upon arrival. When I arrived at the gate, I apologized and acted like I was in a meeting when they got there. My Beta, Charles, agreed with what I was saying before we were rudely interrupted.
“What was the meeting about?” a voice from the back of the group asked.
I didn’t have an answer, as it was a lie. The Council seemed to have taken my apology just fine. Who were they to try to cause an issue?
“Pack business, which is none of yours,” I answered coldly.
“Don’t get mad because I know you're lying. How about you and your Beta, who just vouched for you, tell us what subject you discussed? Because I know that you're lying,” the man responded.
“Melina,” I answered as Beta Charles snapped, “Pack safety.”
“I rest my case,” he replied with a laugh. We all heard the sarcasm in his voice.
“Melina’s safety is pack safety,” I scoffed, trying to regain the upper hand. He knows nothing, but I won’t give him an inch.
“First things first, Trevor. You never accepted Melina into your pack, but she's not one of your pack members. Second, we know that you sent warriors to track her down to kill her and your child. We required immediate access to your pack to investigate, yet you refused entry. If it shows that you,” another man spoke out. He paused before looking at my Beta and finishing his thought, “Or your Beta, or even the Beta’s daughter, had anything to do with Melina’s disappearance, or injuries. You'll all be punished to the fullest extent of werewolf law.”
“Just wait one minute here. What the hll do you know about werewolf law? You don’t have any power here. You can’t enter our pack or make wild accusations. You also can’t just show up and threaten us. We didn’t do anything to Melina. But you can’t punish us either. Melina is not a part of our pack; you just said she’s not even a member. , Trevor never marked her because he didn’t want her. So you can return to where you came from, as we're not here to follow your orders,” Beta Charles replied.
I already knew this was going to turn ugly. He needs to start thinking before he speaks. Before he could say another word, the man who had just spoken nodded, and five people jumped over the fence and headed for the pack house. Yeah, this isn't good.
“Stop them! Right now. They have no authority to be here,” Beta Charles screeched in anger. Before he could chase after them, he rose in the air, struggling and helpless, screaming out in fear.
“Maybe get your facts straight before you try to stop us,” the man who spoke earlier said as he looked right at me. He looks just like Maksim, and I suddenly realized that this man had to be Melina’s father.
One of the Council members spoke up, “I advised your gate guard that we demanded immediate access to your pack. Yet, you left us standing here for over ten minutes. Your claim of a meeting has been debunked. I warn you that two team members can tell if you lie to them. We're already considering taking your pack away from you, Alpha Trevor. Please don’t make it your life, too. Return Melina to her family before she gets hurt. If not, I’m afraid that even though you haven’t marked her yet, she’s still considered the Luna of this pack. If harm comes to her, no matter who did it, the perpetrators will be punished, per the laws we have in place. The high council is on its way here. I would suggest allowing them to find her and allow her to leave. If you sent someone after her, you need to call them back. This is a grave matter. It won’t just go away, do as we ask, before we allow them to dole out the punishment for harming your Luna.”
“I haven’t done anything to her. I don’t know where she is. She just got upset and ran away. I’ve sent warriors and my best trackers to find her. I’m doing the best I can. I asked her brother, Maksim, for more time. Then the next thing I know, you're on my doorstep. Melina loves me; she wouldn’t want you to do this. Just stay calm, and I'll let you know when she returns. I sent two more teams out less than an hour ago. They'll find her and bring her home,” I replied, trying to stay calm as my Beta floated beside me.
“Still lying, good job, Trevor,” Melina’s father replied.
“We know you sent two teams out, Trevor. To try to kill her. Why else did you send your warriors out armed? The only danger she's in is from you. Let me spell this out for you. The Council is on our side. We want Melina back safely. If you give her to us, we will leave and never return. If you allow your men to hurt her, you won’t have a pack to run. We'll burn it to the ground,” the man from the back of the group called out.
A moment later, one of the women, an attractive brunette, held her hand out with a little fireball suddenly floating in her palm. She flicked the fireball at a shrub near the guard's shack, which was instantly consumed. It was like she could control the intensity of the flame. My breath caught in my lungs. They didn’t even try to hide the threat from the Council. They were not intimidated at all by them, nor worried about being punished. How could they be allowed to come here and cause chaos in my pack? Worse yet, with absolutely no fear of punishment?
“They have no authorization to enter the Still Waters pack. I want to see paperwork allowing them to search my pack,” I managed to say. I needed to mindlink. I’m trying to figure out how to do it without getting caught. I need to call my men off.
“You're right; you do need to call your men off,” Melina’s father replied. I felt an incredible amount of fear in this moment. My heart jumped at the knowledge that he really could read my mind. This is not good at all.
、
He was right. I could hear her screaming at the top of her voice at our visitors before I even set foot in the pack house. I sent up a quick prayer that she doesn't get us all killed.
Chapter 6
Unknown POV
I continued to stay silent, watching the men continue to look for the woman in the tree. I’d seen her coming. She ran so fast that she passed by me, but never saw me. I didn’t know what was happening until much later, when I heard that Alpha threatened her. He couldn’t be very bright. Who, in their right mind, would come down from where they were hiding to come to someone who had just threatened them? I could almost feel her fear from where I was hiding. I slowly approached to feel out the situation after she hid herself.
I heard them coming way before I saw them. Crashing through the trees, making no attempt to be silent. She knew they were chasing her, so they didn’t put effort into being stealthy. I don’t know how long she was running for, but I didn’t recognize their scent. The men chasing her looked tired and angry. When I heard them coming, I reapplied my scent-masking spray and watched it play out. She was terrified, but I didn’t know if she had done something. I honestly hadn’t wanted to get involved. I kept telling myself she might have done something to warrant being hunted, but deep down, I doubted it.
That level of fear she had was why I couldn’t just leave her here. I wanted to watch and see how it played out, but something pulled me towards her. I dressed to disappear when I came out to find food. The world was a dangerous place, I knew that for a fact. Thankfully, I had left home with my emergency bag; I knew I was stuck out here for the night. Every one of these men was armed. I’d heard what the Alpha said. They were ordered to kill her, but I don’t think she had earned the sentence she was getting. She hadn’t said a word in her defense. She hadn’t given up. She was biding her time.
Pain, fear, and sadness were the strongest emotions she carried. I could tell this selfish Alpha had broken her heart. I was willing to step in to protect her. I couldn’t just stand by and let them kill her. I had to help her, even at the risk of my own life. I would be her champion. I knew the feeling of being left to fend for myself. To be bullied, or forced into doing something I didn’t want to do. But I was no longer helpless and scared. I knew how to protect myself.
I made up plans in my head. After the Alpha left, I watched the new group. I knew who the leader was. I knew who was the most nervous in the group, and I knew the other two were phoning it in. Those two would be the least dangerous, as they honestly didn’t care one way or another. They were told to come here, and they did.. I would have to deal with the leader and nervous Nelly first. The other two would be easy to pick off after the first two. The only problem was that I only had my knives with me. They weren’t very effective against handguns, but I didn’t expect to come across this mess.
She needed my help, and I was going to help her. I felt drawn to her, and I had to assume it was because of her situation. I felt a lot of empathy for her. The woman had been silent all night long. Not responding to anything that the warriors called out to her. Their frustration was evident as the sun rose this morning. They doubled down on finding her with the sunrise. I bet their Alpha was angry they hadn't located her. They started climbing the trees in the area where they had lost her. It was clear they were getting desperate.
They used their claws to climb the trees and try to find her. They knew she was still out here. Two of them had spread out and tried to locate her scent. She might have been able to lose them if she had kept running. But even from a distance, I could tell she was exhausted. I knew what she was and wondered when she had fed last. I didn’t want to put myself in danger, but I couldn’t stand by and allow her to be killed just for existing. Vampires had it bad in this world.
My mentor would be disappointed if I had turned my back on this person. I knew a few things about vampires, but not everything. I did know I can’t let her feed directly from me. If she is severely malnourished, she might not be able to stop. My mentor had spent their entire life helping others and had learned that the hard way. I wouldn't;t be here today if not for them. I resprayed the scent blocker. It lasted around eight hours each time, and I knew better than to let it run out.
My wolf wasn’t strong enough to block our scent, but knew when it needed to be reapplied. I had done that the minute I woke up. The warriors had been more nervous when they woke up, watching the trees suspiciously. Then trying to pick up her scent. They were on a mission, and they were now on a timeline from how they acted.
Once they confirmed that the last place to hold her scent had been the first tree she had jumped on. They redoubled their efforts, serious about finding her. They brought out their gear and started to examine each tree. They used binoculars, with two of them climbing up to get a better vantage point using them. I knew it was a matter of time before they found her, and she knew it, too. I can’t imagine how helpless she felt at this moment. I stayed quiet. I couldn’t tip them off that they weren’t alone out here.
They would have no qualms about killing me along with her. I’ve known men like these my whole life. Didn’t matter what pack they came from, their attitudes were all the same. Cocky and condescending, most warriors had a big chip on their shoulder. Hating to do all the grunt work, while the ranked wolves ordered them around. They hated it as much as any non-ranked wolf did. But the warriors had it way easier than the Omegas did. The Omegas had no choice in anything. Forced to accept the very worst treatment in a pack. It's the reason why I left. That is unacceptable, and I wouldn't be a part of it.
As unusual as it was for a vampire to be in a wolfpack, it wasn’t as rare as it used to be. These days, people are finding their mates in different species more often. I think it’s a good thing. I think that the bigots who believe that it’s acceptable to belittle someone for how they were born. How can you change who you are at your core? We're all born with no choice at all in the matter. Of course, if we had a choice, we would all choose the path of least resistance, where we have a safe roof over our heads and a full stomach.
A life where we had money in our pockets to get something, and didn’t have to budget for it. If we could choose, we would all want to be ranked wolfs. To me, it isn’t about money or buying things that I like. It was respect that I wanted. To be looked in the eye and not be dismissed as unimportant, or less than someone else. I wanted to be seen. I wanted to be accepted as the worthy person I am. No matter what ‘level’ I was assigned, by people who only seemed to appreciate others with a rank. A cheer from one of the men brought me out of my thoughts. I knew she had been spotted, and they were thrilled. Then they started to call out to her.
“If you come down calmly and play nice, we’ll allow you a head start. I swear we won't turn you in,” their leader called out.
She didn’t move or reply to his taunts. She just lay there, probably praying that they hadn’t found her. She wouldn’t be tricked into showing herself. I could tell they had found her; they were looking in her direction. She wore a white button-up shirt; now they knew where she was. She was a sitting duck. They kept calling up to her with their suggestions, growing more vulgar. I didn’t know which pack they were from, but these disgusting men reminded me of my old pack. Which is going to make things much easier for me to deal with.
They gave her about three minutes before they fired the first shot. She sat up quickly and looked around for an exit route. The leader was the one who had fired his weapon. The nervous one backed up and drew his gun, but hadn’t fired yet. I think the ringleader told them to let him deal with her. She didn’t have a chance to leap to the next tree when the next shot hit her. His first shot had missed, but he meant it as a warning. She had been on the edge of the limb, ready to make her leap, when she was hit.
She fell quickly, hitting several large limbs before she crashed to the ground. She lay on the ground, but wasn't moving. They all approached her. Some were wary, and some with clear interest in their eyes. They probably never stood a chance against her when she was healthy, but she’s hurt now. I’m sure they're willing to throw caution to the wind and shoot their shot. They were so focused on her, they never saw me coming.
With the element of surprise, I could sneak up behind their leader. My blade was out, as I knew I needed to end them quickly. I couldn't let them overpower me; they were not good men, and I would be killed with her. My sharp knife slit his neck and his gurgling breath alerted his team there was an issue. The nervous one immediately drew his gun and fired a shot. I used his leader's body to block the shot before throwing my knife straight into the nervous one's chest. I dropped the leader after I slid his gun from his holster, and watched his friend hit his knees, and then the ground.
The two who had been phoning it in suddenly decided they needed to avenge their friends, but before they could draw their weapons, I'd shot them both. The woman was lying on the ground, still unconscious, but I saw that her jeans were now wet. She had liquid between her legs, and I felt sick. She had been pregnant, and I hated how this played out. I had honestly hoped that she could have waited them out. I know that a fall from that height with as many limbs as she hit probably caused her to lose her baby. She didn’t deserve this.
I pulled my sled out of my bag. It was a tarp, one I used to bring my kills back to my home. I cleaned it after each use, but knew I couldn’t carry her back alone. I lifted her as gently as possible and placed her on my tarp. It had handles on it to help me drag it more easily. I left the men lying there on the ground and headed the two miles back to my home. I might need to go into town to see what I can do to save her. I can’t just let her die, not on my watch. In my opinion, she's already lost way too much.
Chapter 7
Maksim’s POV
I’ve been waiting here for over an hour now. I backed into a space so I had a clear view of the front door of the drvg store. I had been trying to link my sister, with no results. I knew she wasn’t dead, but she wasn't conscious. This was a busy place with people going in and out quite frequently. I was starting to get frustrated. Everyone here was in jeans and t-shirts, and no one fit Ivan's description. I would’ve thought he sent me on a wild goose chase if I didn't trust him so much.
I spoke to my father, who filled me in on the trouble at the gate. He also told me how Trevor managed not to succumb to my uncle's mind control suggestions. I don’t know how Trevor did that, but even his Beta pushed through without calling the team off. According to Dad, Trevor sent more men out after my sister, right before we arrived. Trevor must have a death wish. I know my uncle had pushed both suggestions on them. I guess the fear of incriminating themselves was the only thing that scared them. The High Council would be demoting them both once they arrived.
Another thirty minutes passed before I noticed someone wearing a dark brown long-sleeved t-shirt and brown pants. They wore aviator sunglasses and a baseball cap. I can’t tell if they’re supernatural or not from where I’m parked. I slid out of my car and jogged to the store. I wanted to get a better look at them. They had a slim build, but their t-shirt was loose. The only other thing I’d noticed was that they were about 5’10”. They seemed young, but I didn’t want to get close enough to crowd them. The last thing I needed was for them to get scared and prevent me from following them to get my sister.
Ivan said that they were helping her, but didn't know why. They might be healing her to sell her on the black market. I know better than to put my guard down. They were on the medicine aisle, grabbing products, and my heart sank. My sister was hurt, and I have no idea where she is. I wanted to catch them and force them to tell me where she is, but I knew that wouldn’t work. I walked past them to grab a bottle of water.
It was faint, but I could sense my sister’s scent on them when I passed. Not just my sister’s scent, but traces of blood on them. That's not a good sign at all. What on eаrth is going on? I quickly made my purchase and headed back out to my car. I needed to be out there to follow them. I grabbed a tracker and ran over to put it on her car. I had come prepared for anything today. As far as I was concerned, this rescue was the most important one we had ever attempted.
