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The door unlocks and he opens it. The next moment a growl leaves Andrei and another vicious growl follows his, which must be from his mate.
A streak of fur runs at me as I step in, but Andrei grabs the gray wolf by the scruff of the neck, and she turns, sinking her teeth in his other arm. “Fuck!” Andrei growls, letting her go as Mateo shuts the door. The she-wolf backs up, her entire body shaking. “You bite my sister, I will fucking end you,” he snarls.
“Enough, Andrei,” I keep my voice calm and quiet. There’s no need to anger my brother now that I clearly see how much he is dealing with. That little mate of his is a ticking time bomb. So exciting, I love it!
At the sound of my voice, her growling stops, and she sniffs the air. She’s petrified, but I take the risk and step around Mateo, so that I can stay in view of her.
I open up the mindlink, forcing it on her. I need to speak to her, and this is the only way I can think to reach her. As soon as the mindlink connects, her eyes widen.
“Woman, you are a woman,” she sobs through the link. The next moment, she tries to race towards me, but Mateo steps in her path, and she instantly backs up.
I grab his hand, tugging him back. “She won’t hurt me. She is relieved because I am female,” I scold him, and he looks at her wolf before growling and stepping aside. I step toward her. “What is your name?”
“Sage, please, you have to help me. He locked me in here,” she begs before shifting. She’s so quick, I barely see her move before she is clinging to me like I am her lifeline. Andrei growls and steps toward her, and she panics, shifting back.
I hold my arm out, blocking him from her. “Leave or stay still, she is fucking scared,” I warn him and Mateo. These two have no idea what is happening, and honestly, neither do I. However, it appears that I am the only one with enough brain cells to understand that she doesn’t want men near her.
Finally, they both back up, but this time, I walk toward her before kneeling in front of her. Her wolf is small, and I can feel her bones under her fur, showing how underweight she is.
Seline did warn me his second chance mate would be damaged, ruined, but not even I pictured this. It makes me wonder if I have signed my brother’s death warrant already. She is petrified of men, that much is clear by those few words spoken and her reaction to them behind me.
For now, her life isn’t improving, but I’m sure it will as soon as she understands what Andrei is for her and how much he is willing to do for her. I know my brother, and for his mate, he will do anything.
“Your name is Sage?” I ask her, just to make sure I heard correctly.
The Goddess matched this woman to Andrei to purify his soul. The name definitely seems fitting with what she intends. I just hope they can save each other.
Mateo’s desperation of wanting to rip me away from the she-wolf is a constant thorn in my side. He doesn’t like that I am this close to an unknown wolf. The fact that the little gray wolf is a rogue doesn’t make his distrust fade, either.
“Kat?” Mateo stands behind me, but still keeps some distance, so as not to startle the wolf. I know he wants me to back away from her as soon as possible, but I don’t think he understands how much I need to stay close. It’s not only the fear for my brother’s future and life that draws me closer to the gray wolf. It’s that she’s so obviously terrified of men that I feel obligated to stay near and shield her.
“She won’t hurt me,” I assure Mateo in a whisper.
“Your wolf’s name?” I whisper the question to Sage. A moment later, I catch on the result of my approach, the soft, muffled noise of her wolf coming through.
“Sierra,” her wolf answers.
“Andrei, give me your shirt,” I order him, holding my hand out behind me.
Andrei takes it off, and her eyes dart to him. Her heart rate picks up. It’s just a tad faster at first, but soon turns into a violent thundering. At first, I’m not entirely sure if it is the bond she is reacting to, seeing her mate, or if it is total fear.
I don’t need to wonder for long because her fear perfumes the room. Her intense reaction to the presence of men makes me wonder what has happened. The behavior is worrisome, and honestly, I’m scared to ask, fearing I might not like the answer.
“Can you shift back? I have a shirt you can put on,” I hold the shirt before her. Then, I glance at Andrei and Mateo. “They won’t hurt you. That man,” I tell her, pointing my finger at my brother. “He is your mate,” I say with a slight smile across my lips.
While Andrei’s chest puffs up in pride, Sierra has a completely opposite reaction to my words. She whines, shaking her furry head. “Not mate, my mate is dead,” she claims.
“He is. You should be able to feel it. Can you feel it, Sierra?” I ask her wolf, it’s almost like talking to a baby.
Once the whimper leaves her, I know she can. She’s confused and scared, but she can feel the bond and the force that pulls them together. There’s no mistake, they are each other’s second chance.
I bring my hand to her head and gently run my fingers through the gray fur. “He won’t hurt you. He just wants to look after you, he lost his mate too,” I explain.
From the corner of my eye, I spy Andrei look away, and then focus his gaze on the ceiling.
I know his loss hurt him deeply. Could see it every time I looked at him. And judging by the way Sierra is staring at him, the intensity and understanding in her eyes, she can see the pain too.
“Why are there no women? I smell no women here?” She asks.
Here comes the hard part. I can lie or tell her the truth. My issue is that the truth won’t do us any good, it will only make her feel like she’s in grave danger.
I close my eyes, and sigh. “Another pack killed all their women and children.” Her body tenses at my words, but I quickly shake my head. “You are safe here, I promise.”
I lift Andrei’s shirt and pull it over her head, hoping she will shift. She does, but once she’s out of the protective shell of her wolf, Sage clutches onto my arms with all her might.
“Help me,” she begs, her blue eyes wide as she peers at me. She sounds desperate like she’s so close to the end of her rope that she would rather look into the eyes of death than stay here a minute longer.
She has a scar that runs the entire length of her face, from her hairline, over her eyelid to her chin on one side. But even with the scar, she is still beautiful. Breathtaking even. Her long hair is dirty and matted and hangs past her bottom as she crouches. Her hair falls down her back like a waterfall and spills onto the ground behind her.