HIS FATHER, MY MATE.

Matthias smelled her before he saw her.

At first, he thought it was just a figment of his imagination. It had been days since the incident, but he still woke up some days with the taste of her on his tongue, and her scent in his nose.

But this, this was different. Her scent hit him like a physical blow, exactly how he remembered it. Crushed violets, honey lavender, and something that was just her. And his wolf howled, calling for its second. Matthias froze. She was here.

Raine was here.

His head snapped up. And then he saw her, standing at the far end of the aisle, her scent wrapping around him like a noose. Matthias breathed it in like a lost man at sea. He had been starved of this, both he and his wolf. Their eyes met, and held. Matthias saw the exact moment she decided to run.

He would be a fool to let her slip away again. And so he crossed the distance between them in two slides, pulling her back against him and pressing her into the shelves, his much bigger frame practically caging her in.

Raine stumbled, flinching violently like he had hit her. And so he stepped back a fraction, giving her some space. He took in the sight of her. She was too thin, too pale. The oversized hoodie she had on practically swallowed her, and her lush dark hair was tangled like it hadn't seen a brush in days.

And she stared at him wide gutted eyes, wary and scared, her shoulders hunching like she was bracing herself for a punch. Matthias felt his stomach sink at the sight. She looked like a cornered animal, waiting for the final blow.

He reached out to touch her, but Raine jerked away.

"Don't," she whispered hoarsely, stumbling back.

Matthias lifted his hands in a slow, deliberate motion, showing her he meant no harm. "Easy." He said, voice soft.

Raine swallowed, eyes shifting around the store. The stale scent of panic rolled off of her in waves. Matthias' wolf paced agitated, wanting nothing more than to comfort her. He pushed the urge down. She looked like she was one wrong move away from bolting. Touching her was not what she needed.

"Raine." His voice was low as he called her for the first time since he'd seen her.

Raine trembled as a violent tremor went through. "Don’t," she whispered again, shaking her head. "Please, Alpha. Just, let me go."

Matthias felt his heart crack open at the absolute misery in her voice. His wolf howled mournfully. He could feel the ache in her wolf through their bond. "No, I can't. I need to know what the hell happened to you."

She shook her head, darting her gaze away from him. "It doesn't matter. Please just let me leave. I won't tell anyone what happened, I swear."

He felt a stab go through his chest at her words, as well as an unwelcome stab of arousal as he remembered what happened that night. He cleared his throat, feeling like the worst kind of pervert as he pushed those thoughts away.

"Raine, its not about that." He growled, stepping closer. "You left the pack, I didn’t even realize when. Now you're here, looking like you haven't eaten in days. You smell like you're dying, Raine. Tell me what’s going on." She clenched her jaw, turning her head to the side and remained stubbornly quiet. He pressed on. "Raine, who did this to you?"

He kept his voice deliberately gentle, and yet she still flinched like he had struck her. For a moment, she remained quiet, and it seemed like she wasn't going to talk. But then she did, in a voice so soft he almost didn't hear it, she whispered,

"Your son."

Matthias's body went rigid. The silence between them stretched, thick enough to taste. He knew she couldn’t have been talking about Silas. She had nothing to do with his first son. So of course, she was talking about Ronan. Matthias knew his son could be cruel. Ronan was the last gift from his mate to him before her passing, so Matthias had spoiled him, indulged him, given him too much leeway. Using the fact that he was the second born and would never inherit the pack as an excuse.

But this? He had gone too far. Last he checked, she'd been his intended. They were to be mated. But not only did he break things off, he also exiled her without his father's permission, leaving her to starve and fend for herself?

Wolves were pack animals.

They didn't survive as solitary individuals.

Matthias was angry, fuming with rage. But he fisted his hand by his side so he wouldn't punch something. "Come with me." He said, it was a command.

Raine whined softly, shaking her head. "Back to the pack house? I'm sorry, Alpha. I can't. Ronan already threatened to hurt me if I came back."

Matthias growled, his wolf rising to the challenge. "Ronan doesn't make the rules." He snapped. "Only I do."

Raine flinched slightly, taken aback by the sharp tone of his voice. But then she nodded slowly, pushing away from the shelf after a long pause. He led her to his truck, and they drove to the pack house in silence.

It had been years since Matthias had felt so out so control, since his wolf had been so agitated, so restless. He felt like a young man again, catching sight of his mate for the first time under the full moon. With the way his heart kept pounding.

Once they got to the pack house, he ordered her to take a shower, and layed out some of his old clothes for her to wear when she got out. A decision he immediately regretted when she stepped out, looking small and fragile in his oversized shirt, the hem slipping from her shoulders.

She perched on the couch, staring at the plate of food he placed in front of her. Her hair was wet, and tendrils of it curled behind her neck as it dried.

She barely touched the food, and Matthias cleared his throat as silence stretched between them, the tension between them almost suffocating. He cleared his throat, about to speak first, but she beat him to it.

"I'm sorry about the other night. I know it seems like I seduced you, but I swear it was an honest mistake."