Max gently laid the frail body on the infirmary bed. The doctors immediately swooped in and started tending to Kylie and the other injured women. Cayden quickly ordered his betas and gammas to find out the whereabouts of these women and send them back to their packs if they wished.
"Let's go; we have to petrol the property. They will take care of her." Cayden said to an agitated Max.
Cayden and Max ran to the edge of their property, then circled the entire perimeter. Max knew Cayden was ready to stop, but he could have kept running for at least another hour. They were back at the manor, though, and Cayden had to get back to Selena soon. The two men shifted back and picked up their clothes.
"I think I needed that," Max said.
Cayden panted and nodded at him. The two dressed in silence.
"Thanks to those boys, we could destroy another camp," Cayden commented. "And my hunch was right."
"About what?" Max asked.
"Marcus," Cayden said. "He was Michael's beta. I knew he was running an underground mafia group dealing in drugs and women. Glad that the bastard is dead."
Their attack had taken Marcus by surprise, and before he could have called Alpha Michael's warriors, they had decimated the camp.
"Speaking of women, what's happening between you and Selena?"
"She isn't rejecting me," Cayden explained. "I can see her struggling with it. It's almost as if I can sense a part of her yearning for me as much as I do for her. It flashes in her eyes for a split second before disappearing."
"I heard she tried to run away again." Max interjected. His sisters were hysterical when they called him.
"It has to have something to do with her dad," Cayden said. "She said she ran away because she was confused and scared, but I think she was lying."
"You mean, is she colluding with him?" Max asked incredulously.
"I am not sure; that is why we have to increase the security around the perimeter. And I have people monitoring her. "
"What if she betrays you? Then what?"
Cayden looked thoughtful.
"If she betrays me, I will kill her." He said simply,
His words were cold and devoid of emotion, leaving no doubt in Max's mind that he meant what he said.
"Have you considered simply marking her?" Max inquired. "That could work against whatever is going on."
"I have," Cayden admitted. "But it's too dangerous. Would you have been successful in marking Kylie against her will?"
Max smiled and shook his head.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm dangerously close to crossing that line," Cayden added.
"I wouldn't worry. You cannot hurt your mate. Your wolf won't let you if it ever comes down to it. Go to her now. I am going to check on Kylie."
Cayden nodded and walked off towards his room.
**********
After Cayden had left, Selena was back in her room. Her wolf was agitated, as always. Whenever Cayden left, she felt the need to be around him. She heard some rustling and turned around.
"I didn't hear you come in," Selena said.
His hands reached out before she could finish her sentence. He interrupted her. They grabbed hold of her shirt and brought her closer to them. At first, Selena was startled, but after a moment, her natural reaction was to flee the scene. Hawk made a grab for her and turned her around so she was facing him. Selena's adrenaline was kicking in.
"What are you doing?" she asked. She struggled to pull her wrists out of his grip.
"You were supposed to tell me what was going on here? Do you want to see your mother dead?" Hawk pulled both of her hands behind her back and secured them with one fist.
She struggled against him, trying to wiggle out of his grasp. An evil grin crossed his face, and his eyes glowed red.
"Stop," she said, the panic rising in her voice. "I do not know what you are talking about."
"Cayden destroyed Michael's camp. Why didn't you tell me he was planning an attack?"
"I…. I didn't know. He had locked me up in the dungeon after I returned. I didn't know what he was planning."
"Hawk narrowed his eyes. Then how come you are back in his bedroom?"
She didn't reply.
"You whore! You can sleep with him, but you can't get any information out of him. You are as useless as your mother!"
He tightened his grip on her throat. Selena struggled to breathe as she tried to break free from his grasp. She wondered how someone could be so cruel and wished she was not his daughter.
"I… I am sorry, but I have other information." She spluttered.
"What?"
"Cayden's beta found his mate. A human girl, and they are planning more attacks. I will let you know the precise location when I find it out."
Hawk looked at her for a moment, and his image wavered, and Selena felt her neck suddenly free.
"Damm it! The magic is waning." Hawk grumbled, and Selena realised he could not remain for long.
"Next time, you must tell me more."
To escape the room, Selena took advantage of his momentary distraction and ran. She cocked her head to the side to check and see if Hawk was following her. She didn't see him, but before she could look straight ahead, she felt her body run into a wall. Her body reacted by bouncing back, and she ended up on the ground.
Arms reached down and clutched Selena's shoulders. Someone was going to save her; she wasn't alone. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts, but her sense of security vanished when she realised who had discovered her. Cayden clutched her arms. She tried to retreat, but he knelt on the floor.
"What happened?" he asked.
His expression was filled with genuine concern. She wiggled free of his grasp and landed against the wall.
"Did someone hurt you?" he asked.
Selena pressed her back against the wall as hard as she could. Her breathing was becoming more rapid, and she felt as if she were hyperventilating.
"Please tell me what's wrong?" He asked.
He reached out his hand to place it on her shoulder, and Selena almost fell over to avoid his touch. Selena returned her gaze to Cayden. He had lowered his hand and was sitting on his bended knees. His lips were slightly open, and his brow was wrinkled. He was unaware of her betrayal. Selena sobbed uncontrollably and threw herself into his arms. He appeared surprised at first, but quickly wrapped his arms around her. She kept sobbing into his chest. He ran his hand up and down her back as her shoulders shook.
"You're safe," Cayden assured her. "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."
He kissed the top of Selena's head. She squeezed him tighter, convinced that she could never be too close to him.
"Please," he requested. "Please tell me what happened. I can't help you unless you tell me."
"I'm sorry," Selena apologised. "I had a nightmare while sleeping. I'm all right now." Selena was flooded with all the emotions she had been missing. She wished she could stay in his arms forever.
"I can help with that; I know how to deal with nightmares." He whispered softly in her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. He would not be so kind if he learned of her betrayal.