Carlisle.

　　A loud thunder shakes me out of my thoughts and I stare at the sky as rain drops begin to hit my forehead and hair. Instantly, a fresh wave of tears escape my eyes and stream down my face to mix with the rain drops which are slowly increasing in intensity.

　　I look around me and the forest suddenly looks a lot darker. In alarm, I realize that I have been in this spot for over an hour and I break into a sob. "Why did you do this to me?!" I scream into the air but the only answer I get is rain dripping from leaves and trees around me.

　　I try to shut my eyes but all I see is Damon lying on top of the stripper and my heart breaks into a million pieces. No matter what he did to me, I didn't expect that he would go and find relief in someone else. I start to remember all the sweet words he told me and his plans for us living together as mates. How he promised to be faithful and loyal till the end of our lives.

　　I yell loudly and silently curse him for the pain he's putting me through. As more tears fell from my eyes, I wondered why he had to do it in the clubhouse. Where he knew I would catch him and I shook my head. Maybe he wanted to punish me for all my rejections and escape tactics.

　　I curl my fist in anger and open my eyes to stare up at the night sky. Damon refuses to see that I'm doing all these for our well-being and I don't want him to get hurt when my mother's plans for us begin to take shape. Instead, he repays me by making out with another woman and to make it worse, she is a total stranger who is available to anyone. I shiver at the thought and wrap my arms around myself, trying to calm down.

　　I close my eyes and slowly count to three after which I let out a huge breath and squint my eyes at my surroundings. All around me is darkness, huge trees and puddles of water scattered in all directions. There is no single light in the sky nor on the ground for me to retrace my steps. Offering a silent prayer to the goddess and whoever else is watching, I try to summon light but nothing happens.

　　I sigh and try to focus more on the energy but still, I'm faced with darkness. At that moment, I vaguely remember my dad explaining that my abilities couldn't work in the rain and I began to mutter curses at the uselessness of my powers. They don't work when I'm weak, under the rain or in chains which leaves very few choices for me.

　　A shiver runs through my bones again and I begin to slowly rock myself as the reality of my situation sinks in. I am lost in the forest, cold and with nowhere to go. Suddenly, I begin to think about Damon and the memories we had. We laughed, ate together, talked with each other and I realized that those times stopped immediately when I got back from my mother's place.

　　I'm aware that the plans of my mother changed everything for us, but I never expected our love story to go sour in such a short time. I hug myself tighter and try to comfort myself with the fact that he will come to find and rescue me. However, that thought soon evaporates as the memory of him and the stripper floats into my mind. I'm angry with him but I also miss him badly.

　　I miss his touch, his laugh and how he looks at me with so much admiration. Now, I begin to rethink my decision to reject him. Even if he finally decides to let me go, I have nowhere else to go and a part of me hopes that he finds me here. As I'm thinking, I hear a soft crunch of leaves behind me and I freeze.

　　With fear in my heart, I turn my gaze to the space behind me but all I can see is more shrubs and trees. "Hello? Is anyone there?" I call out with a hope that someone is around, but there is no response and a tingle runs down my spine. I offer another prayer that nothing bad happens to me in this forest and with it in mind, I bend my head and cover it with my hands.

　　I hold on to the thought that if the rain stops, someone will come for me but as the minutes pass by with no hope of it pausing, I begin to lose hope. Maybe, this is where my life will end: huddled up in the middle of nowhere and frozen to death. I sigh loudly and close my eyes tightly as the weakness and cold engulfs me.

　　•

　　•

　　Damon>

　　The rain beats down on my head and runs down my face, but I barely notice it. All my thoughts are consumed with my mate and I still can't focus. I am tempted to go out for hunting again, just to relieve my mind but it's too late and I know my beta would refuse. So, I slowly rock the garden bench back and forth as I stare into the dark night.

　　I cannot get over the fact that Carlisle and I were so good together. My mind is filled with our late night talks and how we fit so perfectly. She was an epitome of beauty and a bundle of joy, which made it so easy for my heart to warm up to her. My mother continues to remind me of how I was never trusting of people, yet when she came along, all my doubts vanished. Aside from the fact that she is my mate, Carlisle gives me peace and happiness.

　　That is exactly the reason why I can't fathom her leaving me. Once again, I regret my association with the stripper and wish that it had never happened. I shake my head and chuckle slowly when I remember how I went to the pack's switch some hours earlier. I was so desperate to find a solution to my problems that I asked whether she could turn back time.

　　Now, I realize that it was a stupid request and could never be done, but my heart aches at the reminder that my mate had to witness my act of stupidity. In the middle of my thoughts, I hear a familiar sight behind me and I turn to face my beta who is staring at me with a frown on his face. Unlike me, there is a large umbrella shielding him from the harsh effects of the rain. I already know what he wants to say, yet I indulge him and spread out my palms in a question.

　　"Damon, are you still thinking about her? Can't you notice the rain?" I shake my head and turn away from him in the hopes that he will let me be, but he walks forward to stand in front of me. "You need to get your thoughts together and stop beating yourself up. The mistake has happened, but you can't continue to feel sorry about it."

　　I glance at him and shrug. "I hurt her feelings, Kieran. Just let me stay under this rain and try to wash away the guilt that's eating me up," I respond and he shakes his head with a forlorn expression on his face.

　　"I understand what you feel, but that doesn't mean–"

　　I cut him off with an angry chuckle and fold my arms as I fix him a glare. "Understand? You don't understand my situation. You and your mate have had it rosy since you met each other. You didn't have to undergo rejection or try to keep her with you all the time," I explain and suddenly, a stormy expression runs through his face. He looks like he wants to say more, but he only bends his head down for a moment and then shakes his head.

　　"I know you want to be left alone, but I hope you know that what is yours has a way of coming back to you. Carlisle will surely return to the pack and the both of you will be together." He clasps my shoulder and pats it twice before he turns to leave. "Goodnight, Damon."

　　A shiver runs through my body at that point and I almost want to ask him for his umbrella, but by the time I turn, he's already far gone. I sigh and bury my head in my hands as I resume my regret-filled thoughts. What I told my beta is far from the truth because I don't believe the rain can wash away my guilt. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget how my mate looked at me when she saw me with the stripper.

　　Her eyes turned into a storm and instantly filled with tears as she gazed at me with anger, sadness and a trace of jealousy. I know I hurt her badly and I offer a silent prayer to ask for forgiveness and hope because I need a lot of those right now.

　　Just as I finish my prayer to the moon goddess, I notice a dark figure coming towards me from the opposite direction. A tingle runs down my back and I fist my hands to prepare for the person I still cannot recognize. I squint my eyes at the person quickly approaching but it is only when he gets close that I realize who it is.

　　I heave a sigh of relief and lean forward as he stops in front of me with an umbrella also above his head. I watch as his eyes quickly run through me and instantly, he covers me with the umbrella. I push it away from me and stare at him with a blank expression which he quickly understands and lets me be.

　　"Is there a problem? Why are you back here?"

　　"Alpha, I found your mate in the forest just behind this pack," he begins and my ears widen in anticipation at his next words. "She was crying a lot and I think the cold is really affecting her."

　　His information brings both relief and sadness to my heart. I assigned Nicholas to look for my mate and keep an eye on her which he successfully did but I'm sad that she is in so much pain. I have no doubt that her tears are as a result of my negligence towards our well being. My heart wrenches at the thought of Carlisle crying under the rain. However, I have to set aside my feelings and act in her best interest.

　　If my mate stays under the rain much longer, I have no doubt that she'll become very sick and I cannot afford that. I focus on Nicholas who is staring at me with an expectant expression on his face. That is one of the reasons why I prefer him, he is always willing and eager to work.

　　However, one question nags at my thoughts. "Are you sure she'll still be there when you get back?"

　　"Yes, Alpha. I made sure to create a small spell that would keep her asleep and in the same position till I go back." His words are encouraging and I give him an appreciative nod.

　　"That's good. Now I want you to approach her and take her to my penthouse in the Oakfield pack. You know it, don't you?" I ask and he swiftly nods so I continue. "Take her there and make sure you give her everything she needs to be alright."

　　He nods and turns to go, but I grab his shoulder and he halts mid-action. He turns to me again and I add, "She's quite powerful and can easily detect scents. So don't forget to mask yours."

　　He responds affirmatively and quickly dashes away from where I am and back towards the forest. I sigh loudly and turn to go into the pack house, feeling grateful that Carlisle is safe. I make a quick plan to visit her immediately the day breaks while I hope that she'll accept my explanation.