Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

Bronx's POV

As soon as my guard Tyree told me an omega was trying to get in my suite, I left the party and rushed upstairs. My wolf, Saint, urged me to hurry.

“Something’s wrong. We need to get to her now,” he growls.

I don’t have any pack secrets in the suite but that doesn't mean I want a stranger going in without my permission. As we turn the corner, we see a scrawny little girl at the end of the hall struggling to push open the heavy door of my suite.

The scent of fresh rain and lilacs wafts in the air, somehow making me feel less angry.

The girl looks up at us from under her baseball cap when Tyree yells at her. I can’t see her face from the shadow of the hat, but I don’t need to. I’m immediately drawn to her. My heart almost skips a beat.

“Mate,” Saint cries out, taking over control of my body. He strides over and roughly pushes her against the door. I feel my fangs extending as I deeply breathe in her scent.

“Saint, don’t you DARE mark her,” I warn, pulling on his consciousness, trying to regain control. He growls, but pulls back slightly.

At that moment all Hell breaks loose. Saint immediately acts to protect his newly found mate, resulting in the Silver Moon Luna ending up with a broken wrist and the drunk Alpha getting punched by one of his own people. My pack members put themselves in the middle to prevent me from attacking someone.

During the commotion, I feel a small tap on my arm and a sweet little voice whisper, “Help.”

I turn to see the girl looking up at me. The color of her eyes instantly shocks me. They’re as purple as UV lights. Her hair is an odd sparkly gray color. I feel a pang of pain when I notice how sickly gaunt and pale she is. As I take in her features, her eyes roll back in her head and she passes out.

A familiar scent hits my nose as I catch her falling body. Blood. My hands and the door behind her are covered in it. Saint didn’t claw her. What the Hell happened?

“Hospital wing! NOW!” I roared, stopping the Silver Moon pack members in their tracks.

***

"What are we going to do, Bronx?" Lenora asks. She is sitting in the back of the SUV holding my mate on her lap during a fuel stop. She wipes some stray hairs out of Kas's sleeping face. I take the last drag of my cigarette and stamp it out on the ground.

"I don't know, but we’ll figure it out. We’re her family now. She's obviously not the future Luna we were expecting but I don't care. She's mine and no one will ever hurt her again."

Lenora and I switch places and I finally get to hold my mate in my arms. I breathe in her amazing fresh rain and lilac scent. Having her close to me gives me a sense of calm I have not felt in years, if ever. I have waited for so long to find her. I almost lost hope. I will treasure her for the rest of our lives.

“You gonna be okay?" Lenora asks.

“Yeah. I'll tell the driver to pull over if there's a problem," I reassure her before she closes the door.

I look closer at the beautiful girl. There are small scars at her jawline and near her ears, but in my eyes, they only add to her stunning beauty. I take a few of her silver hairs in my fingers. It's like nothing I've ever seen; like a wig of silver filament but it isn't a wig. It is just how her hair is. Her breath hitches as she sighs in her sleep. I tuck the hairs behind her ear and pull her closer to me.

The doctors are ready and waiting when we get to our packhouse. They start by asking Kas questions about her medical history but she is clearly not in any shape to give them answers. She flinches and shivers at the noises and talking around her but doesn't look to see where the sounds are coming from. Getting no information from her, they decide to move on to her physical examination.

The nurses shoo me out of the room so they can get Kas changed.

Once they change her into a clean hospital gown, they check her vitals. Her heart is racing even though she is sitting still. The stress of everything is too much for her, so they decide to sedate her to finish the exam. Once she's asleep, they roll her on her stomach, exposing her back and immediately call Lenora and me back into the room.

One of the nurses is standing in the corner crying, being consoled by another nurse. I approach the bed and look at my mate's back in horror. I can't remember seeing something so gruesome in my life. Her wolf has mostly healed her, so there are only a few open wounds but every inch of the rest of her back is covered red, raw scars on top of old healed scars, on top of even older scars from being whipped over the years. The doctor tells me it is the same on the butt and backs of her thighs as well.

Lenora gasps and puts her hand to her mouth, gripping my forearm with the other.

Saint rages in my head at the sight. I shake in anger and ball my hands into fists. I let out a low growl that shakes the room causing the medical staff to take a step back and bow their heads, exposing their

necks in submission.

If I knew where Connors had gone, I would go right now and destroy him. How could anyone do this to another werewolf? Let alone a child. A child who was under their care. Part of their own pack.

“Bronx," Lenora whispers calmly, "I don't know what you are thinking right now but your priority needs to be Kas and only Kas. Nothing else matters, no one else matters. Don't let yourself get distracted by revenge. Your mission is to be here for her and help her get healthy.”

Lenora isn't afraid of me like everyone else is. She always knows just what to say. I'm grateful to have her by my side right now.

"Doctor, finish whatever tests you need to finish and we can have the rest this conversation in your office. Make her as comfortable as possible,” I order, walking away before he can answer.

I leave the packhouse and walk until I get to the treeline. I roar into the woods, releasing some of the built up anger. The birds stop chirping and even the crickets are silent. I undress and shift to let Saint out for a run. He needs to blow off steam so I can focus. Lenora mind links me when the doctor is ready for me.

He tells us there is nothing they can do about the scars, so Kas being underweight and malnourished are his biggest concerns. They can't tell exactly how old she is, except that she is at least seventeen. Her fast healing indicates her wolf is awake and trying to keep her alive.

"Find that rogue Alpha and murder him," Saint growls.

“Saint, Lenora's right. We need to be here with our mate. I'm not spending another second of my life thinking about that asshole if I can help it," I respond, trying not to let Saint's anger influence me again, "Our focus needs to be on her now.”

“Fine, but if I ever even catch a whiff of his scent, he's dead," Saint snarls, getting in the final word.

The doctors can't account for Kas's unusual eye or hair color. They say it could be from malnutrition but not likely. Every blood test comes back clean. There are a few unusual genetic markers but she is a pure werewolf, not a hybrid. Not that it matters, but we want to make sure she is getting the correct treatment for whatever type of creature she may be.

They keep her overnight for evaluation but then let me take her upstairs. I carry her to the suite next to mine, so she can have some privacy until she is comfortable.

Lenora and I get her settled in the bed. We give her the green and gray blanket from her old room to help comfort her. She sleeps for three days. Occasionally she wakes up whimpering and confused. We feed her applesauce or pudding, but she only eats a bite or two before falling back asleep.

The doctor checks on her everyday and says she can sleep as long as she wants. She's been through a lot of trauma and it is her mind's way of protecting her. I only leave her side to freshen up and get food from the kitchen. When I'm not there, Lenora sits by her side.

It's the fourth day. I'm cutting some fruit in the kitchenette, so there is something to eat in case she wakes up. I hear some stirring from the bed.

"H-Hello?" a soft voice calls.

"You're awake!" I call out, so she knows she's not alone. I don't want to scare her after everything she has been through. I put down the pineapple and walk around the corner. Relief floods over me when I see Kas sitting at the edge of the bed.

She looks startled when she sees me. She tries to stand up but falls to the floor and starts to scoot backwards away from me.

"Put the giant knife down, dummy! You're scaring her!" Saint yells.

"Oh shit! I didn't realize I was holding it," I set it down and kneel on the floor in front of her, hoping it will be less intimidating for her if I'm closer to her eye level.

"Kas, it's okay. No one is going to hurt you. You're safe now," I reach my hand out but the look on her face becomes more desperate, so I pull it back.

As I am pulling my hand away, I notice her eyes flash black. Without warning, she thrusts her palm out toward my face and slams it into my nose. There is a loud crack as my nose breaks and blood gushes out.

Her wolf broke my nose?! What the Hell?!

“Arrghhh!” I put my hands to my face, waiting for the pain to fade while Saint heals me.

“I knew she would be feisty!” Saint chuckles.

As the blood dries, I look up to an empty room. Where did she go?

“Kas?” I ask out loud. I hear a little growl coming from under the solid oak bed frame. I bend down and look. Sure enough, I see her glowing purple eyes looking at me. She has positioned herself so there is no way I could possibly reach her without lifting the whole bed.

"I think I fucked up," I say to Saint.

"Yeah. Well said, dummy."

Kas's POV

I wake up in a large comfortable bed. I take in my surroundings. The room around me is light and airy. The furniture is mahogany and the linens are made of silk. I'm definitely not in the Silver Moon packhouse. I'm not in a hospital room either.

Uhh...where am I? I need to think. I remember Beta Lenora's scent. Also, coffee and dark chocolate. I make myself think back further. I had a nightmare. It felt so real. Nurse Diane was trying to help me. I was in a car. None of the details form in my mind. So frustrating.

"Lex, are you here with me?"

"I am. Are you feeling better? You really scared me, Kas."

"Yeah, I feel better. Do you know where we are?"

"We're safe now. We're in the Blood River packhouse."

"Blood River?!? Lex, how is that safe?"

“Well, no one has tried to kill us yet. So we have that going for us.”

“I suppose. Is Beta Lenora here somewhere?"

"She must be. Let's get something to eat then we can go find her," she assures me. I slide to the edge of the bed and try to stand but my legs give out.

"Damn, I'm still too weak," I murmur under my breath.

From around the corner, I hear someone moving.

"H-Hello?" I call out quietly. My voice is dry and hoarse.

Alpha Bronx appears from around the corner with a huge knife in his hand. My heart clenches. If I scream, he's just going to kill me faster. I have to get away. I try to stand again but fall. I scramble on the floor, trying to escape. I don't know where I'm going, I just have to get away. I look up and he is on the floor right in front of me.

“Lex, they tricked us! He's going to kill us!" I cry out.

“We are a warrior, not a wimp, Kas! Hit him!" Lex growls.

WHAT?!” Clearly, she has lost her mind. I can’t hit an Alpha wolf.

“HIT. HIM,” she says more forcefully.

“Lex, he’ll kill me!”

“Ugh. Fine. I’m taking control,” she gripes.

Without warning, I’m pulled back from my own consciousness and watch as Lex thrusts the heel of my palm into Alpha Bronx's nose making blood spurt everywhere. As soon as he’s distracted, I squeeze my body under the bed, getting as close to the middle as possible. Lex moves back and I am in control again.

I hear Alpha Bronx call my name, making a growl to escape my mouth.

I don’t think so, mister Alpha wolf. It isn’t going to be so easy to kill me.