Carlisle

　　Damon? How is he here? He was taken by trolls, was he not? Or had the witch just said that to scare me? I whip my head around to look at the witch and there’s an expression of shock on her face and my mother’s face.

　　“Damon, I was told you were captured, how are you here?”

　　He comes towards me and wraps his hands around me. Kissing my hair, his breath is shaky and he sniffs me all around, as if making sure I am okay. “I’ll tell you everything when we get back to my kingdom.”

　　Wrapping my hands around his waist, I hold him tighter than he’s holding me and breathe him in, knowing that when we get back, I might break his heart by refusing to be his mate. I cannot let my mother use whatever child we’ll have as a pawn. Even if the only way I can avoid it is pushing Damon away, I’ll do it.

　　Turning to face my mother, this time, she’s staring at me and pleading with her eyes, oh so now she wants to not avoid eye contact? Ignoring the message she’s sending with her eyes, I focus on what I want to say.

　　“It was nice meeting all of you but I'll be leaving with my mate now and no, I refuse to do what my mother wants. I will not be a pawn for anyone and if anyone tries to follow me, I will end my life. Are we clear?”

　　Silence follows my words. I stare at my mother with raised eyebrows, she nods at me with a look of defeat. Good. My message has been passed across

　　I grab Damon’s hands and start dragging him out of the throne room with me. We are stopped by my mother’s voice behind us.

　　“I know you hate me right now but please take Camille with you so she can protect you. Now, you will be in danger from the attention of the supernaturals in attendance here.”

　　“Is that it or you just need to plant a spy in my mate’s kingdom?”

　　“I promise, I just want your protection. You may not believe it but as your mother, I love you a lot and all

　　This is also for your protection.”

　　I throw my head back to chuckle, she couldn’t be serious right now.

　　“Well yes. You are right, I do not believe you. Nice try though.”

　　I hear her gasp as I resume pulling Damon out behind me. “Good riddance” I murmur to myself.

　　Damon

　　Carlisle was acting differently, she was colder and her smile seemed cruel. This was nothing like the timid Carlisle I’d saved. What had happened to her in the few days she was here? She’d grabbed me from that room like she was ready to beat up anyone that tried to stop us, I hadn’t even had the chance to actualize the plans I had made with my men for her rescue before she’d basically saved us both.

　　Fuck! I’d been grossly underprepared for the amount of people in that room. If they’d attacked, my men and I would have been down in a minute. Pulling Carlisle to a stop, I roam my eyes all over her body, making sure no harm has been done to her. As if she can tell what I’m doing, she smiles at me and stretches up on her toes to kiss my forehead.

　　“I’m fine Damon. We should go before they think of attacking us.”

　　She tries to grab my hands again and I stop her, shifting into my wolf form, I ask her to climb my back and howl at men to join us as I race out of the troll's palace and back to the bush we had used to sneak in behind the trolls.

　　Carlisle grabs onto my coat, the feel of her resting on me makes my wolf purr in happiness. Feeling our mate this close to us is making my wolf dance happily.

　　We finally make it out of the land of the trolls unscathed. Carlisle jumps from my back and crouches down to the floor, feeling the earth as though she is looking for something.

　　“Did you lose something?”

　　She smiles at me, “no, I just feel magic in my veins and I’m testing out a way to get us out of here faster.”

　　“How?”

　　She smiles sheepishly at me and continues to feel the ground.

　　“Teleportation.” She murmurs.

　　“Teleportation? Only the witches can do that. You need magic for that.”

　　She grins at me and for a second too much, I’m lost in her smile, “You forget Alpha, I am half fae, magic runs in my veins. Also, as half guardian, my mother told me I have the gift of teleportation.”

　　“Oh.”

　　“Yes Damon. Now call the men to gather around. We are getting out of here.”

　　Howling in my mind to alert my men of our location and also to avoid the trolls finding out where we were, I wake for a minute before we are surrounded by my pack. Carlisle begins to swirl and as she swirls faster, the wind around us picks up till we are all surrounded in it. I close my eyes to fight against the strength of the wind and when I open my eyes, we are outside my pack home.

　　“Welcome home, Alpha.”

　　She says before her eyes flutter close and she collapses.