ELIJAH'S POV:-

　　I stepped out of the car and grabbed all the shopping bags. I was excited to see reaction when she would see all these things I bought for her. I just hoped she would like everything. I walked towards the elevator with all the shopping bags in my hands. I called the elevator and waited. I was surprised to see that the elevator arrived from floors below the parking lot. As soon as the doors opened, that same sweet scent made its way to my nostrils. "Artemis! Is she trying to run away again? But I can sense my pack in the elevator too." I thought as I threw all the bags on the elevator floor and punched the button for the basement.

　　The elevator opened again in the basement. I was right. I could sense Artemis' scent in the basement. I followed the scent and found my own sister, Emma, tying Artemis with the tall pole. Growling angrily, I walked towards Artemis. For a moment, I felt like my anger was controlling my whole body. I pushed every single being out of my way. With the help of my claws, I tore all the ropes Artemis had on her body. I pulled the tape off of her mouth. She pushed a piece of cloth out of her mouth and with that, she threw up everything she ate the night before. She was quietly sobbing as she threw up everything. I was lightly rubbing her back to help her.

　　I didn't even look at my pack members. I was way too angry at that moment. I didn't want to do anything regretful to my pack members while I was angry. But of course, I was planning on punishing everyone who was responsible for Artemis' tears. Once she emptied her stomach, I pulled her in my arms. I stood up and carried her bridal style. I walked towards the elevator. She buried her face in the crock of my neck. As if she was afraid. How could she not. I could see bruises on her body. I even smelled her blood. She took a lot of beating while I was not around. It was indeed my fault. I left her alone at my penthouse. I should have stayed home to make sure she would be okay.

　　She was quietly sobbing. She didn't say anything. She didn't even complain. My heart squeezed just by looking at her. The elevator door opened and I took her straight towards the bedroom. I gently laid her down on the bed and went into the bathroom. I filled a bowl with hot water and grabbed a towel. Then I grabbed the first aid kit and walked back out of the bathroom. I set everything aside and sat in front of her. "Why didn't you shift? You could have fought them. Why did you try to face them in this form? Can you not control your shifts?" I asked her in a low tone as I wiped her tears.

　　Hearing my words, her sobs became louder. I couldn't do much at that moment. I just wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly to comfort her. "Tracy hasn't responded to me since last night. She is not responding. I don't know why. I tried to tell them. They didn't listen to me. They stuffed someone's dirty underwear in my mouth. I still feel like there is something dirty in my mouth." Artemis replied to me while sobbing hard. I pulled away from her and cupped her face with both of my hands. I wanted to say something to comfort her too. But actually it was way harder than I thought it would be. I was never good with words.

　　I pulled away from her and dipped the corner of the towel in hot water. I started wiping her face and her arms with the towel. "Try to contact her again. Ask her why she hasn't been responding to you." I asked her as I gently wiped her body. I sighed as I knew it was not enough. She needed a warm bath to soothe her pain.

　　"I am going to prepare a warm bath for you. It will help you. Try to talk to your wolf. Maybe she will respond now." I informed her as I stood up. She nodded her head while wiping her tears. I walked back into the bathroom and filled the tub with warm water. I was not sure what else I could do to make it right for her.

　　ARTEMIS' POV:-

　　"Tracy, please! Talk to me. Say something. You can't leave me too. I will be alone without you. Just say anything." I thought, trying to contact my wolf. Since the time we were captured, not once Tracy had said anything to me. I was starting to get worried about her. Tracy was a friend who knew me inside out. A d I feared losing her.

　　"Artemis! You are not alone. We are not alone. I am sorry. As we shifted for the first time last night, I was trying to gather more strength. I don't know why I went into a deep sleep." I sighed in relief as I heard Tracy's voice in my head again.

　　"Now you are responding. You got me so worried. I thought I was never going to hear your voice again, or meet you again." I scolded her as I wiped my tears. I couldn't control myself. It felt like Tracy was the only one who cared about me. That's why I was so afraid of losing her.

　　"You don't have to be worried about it, Artemis. You and I are together forever. And now, we have our mate with us. We will never be alone, you know." Tracy added in a low tone. She sounded exhausted. I felt bad for troubling her. But I had no one to talk to. And Tracy was the only one who could have helped me in that moment.

　　Hearing her words, I frowned in confusion. I hadn't known a thing about this world I was suddenly pulled in. And Tracy was the only one helping me understand everything. "Mate! What's mate? Why do you sound excited when you mention this word, mate?" I asked Tracy out of curiosity. It felt like whatever this mate was, it was supposed to be someone important. At least, that's what I figured while talking to Tracy.

　　"I will tell you about it later. For now, just know that you can't be safer anywhere but here. I know you have questions, and I will answer them all. For now, I need to rest. This beating took pretty much all of my energy." Tracy replied to me in a low tone.

　　I was shocked to hear that Tracy also felt that. It made sense. They way they were beating me, I thought I was going to get multiple fractures and many broken bones. But I was surprised that I hardly even felt any pain. It made sense that Tracy saved my butt yet again. "Thank you, Tracy. I know you took the beating for me. I don't know what I will do without you. You can rest for now." I added in a low tone while rubbing my hands on my legs. I no longer had any bruises on my body. It meant that Tracy had already healed me. But she was out of strength due to everything she had been going through just because of me.

　　I gasped loudly as Alpha Elijah stepped out of the bathroom. For a moment, I thought it was someone else. He walked towards the bed. He stuck one of his arms under my legs and wrapped the other one around me. "What are you doing? I can walk on my own. I can go inside the bathroom by myself." I asked him in an angry tone. I didn't know why but my voice went a little too higher than I was expecting it to be. It almost sounded like I was shouting at him. As soon as I was done talking, he turned his face towards me and glared at me. That angry glare was enough for me to gulp hard.

　　My heart was beating wildly inside my rib cage. I narrowed my head as I had nothing else I could do to hide myself from his angry glare. "This is my house. And you will do as you are told to do. Only I can ask questions here. That's how it all works here. I don't want you to get hurt anymore. That's why I am carrying you. I have prepared a bath for you. You can take your time." He replied to me in a low tone. I was expecting him to scold me. Although his words were laced with his anger. But he kept his tone down. I zipped my mouth and just nodded my head. It started to feel like I jumped into another prison from one prison.

　　He gently sat me down on the ground. He patted my head a few times. Then he turned around and left. I was not sure why, but that action of his brought a small smile to my face. I remembered something I read in my mother's diary. "If he is not taking any chances, even though he has a perfect opportunity, he is a gentleman." I never understood that before. I never thought what mom meant in her diary. But Alpha Elijah made me understand that. I zipped my mouth because I knew I couldn't fight him. I thought he would take the opportunity to see me naked. Or maybe that's what I had in my mind for all the men. But he left me alone. Maybe, not all men were created perverts. Like the men my father used to bring home.