I Will Save You, My Princess

An Attack

Luca

I was awoken by my dad's grating voice in my head.

Rogue attack! North quadrant, near the mill. Our patrol is dead. Sending you and Charles with backup headed your way. He cut the connection.

I sprung out of bed. Rogue attacks were rare since my dad took over, but not unheard of. I ran for the front door, not bothering to dress. I shifted as soon as my feet hit the grass, my skin seamlessly flowing into Alaric's gray fur.

I was surprised the rogues were attacking from the north. It's the furthest part of the territory from the pack house. I noticed Charles's wolf Nether running behind me. Nether was strong, as befitted a Gamma, but not quite as strong or as fast as me, and this wasn't a situation where I could slow down to let him catch up. Pack members had already died, and even one loss is too many.

Even though I needed to focus, I spared a thought for Rhiannon. I hoped she was okay after last night. I didn't have any reason to think she wasn't, but still, I worried. I didn't want her to regret anything and it seemed like something she could easily come to regret.

~o0o~

Rhiannon

I awoke feeling rested for the first time since my captivity. I felt truly serene, down to my bones. If this is the feeling of the morning after a night with your mate, I might become addicted to him. The thought didn't scare me like it should, probably because Keia was yipping in my head about how in love she was with Alaric. I was happy for her. I think I loved Luca too, but I wasn't ready to admit that yet. Examining my feelings was too stressful a task, so I sat up, assessing my body. No pain from the s*x, thankfully, but my ribs and my head still ached. It was dull, but prominent enough to be annoying.

I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I didn't look any different. I knew, logically, that losing your virginity didn't change your appearance, but I felt different somehow. I felt more. When he was inside me, it made me feel whole, and some of that feeling stayed with me even after he left.

My bruises still looked nasty. I know Luca said not to feel bad about my appearance, but something in me was still embarrassed that he hadn't seen me looking my best.

He loves us anyway! Keia barked happily, He--

I heard a rattle, and then--

DANGER!

~o0o~

Luca

There were five rogues, and at that point, only Gamma Charles and I were there to fend them off. I was very cognizant that any injury to me would also hurt Rhiannon's already battered body, so I focused more on defense and protecting myself than I did on attacking. Usually, I'm more of an offensive fighter, but I'd take defense every time over hurting my princess.

The strange thing was, I kept getting hurt anyway. I'd get a sideswipe of claws at my midsection, usually something my thick fur fended off really well, usually something that would be barely a scratch, and instead I was having pain radiating down my side. I dodged an attack, and still felt some pain in my head anyway.

I jumped and pain lanced down my groin. I must have pulled something or . . .

I felt pain, wrongness, revulsion, invasion.

Alaric howled a long, strangled, bloodthirsty howl and launched himself at the nearest rogue, snapping his neck in an instant.

I wheeled around, feeling blood-drunk, turning towards the packhouse, towards Rhia, towards my princess, but another rogue jumped on my back. I shook him off without a thought, wrenched my head around, and ended his life as quickly as I had ended his comrade's.

I ran for the packhouse. I could hear Gamma Charles questioning me, ordering me back to the fight but I didn't care that I was leaving him three to one. I didn't care that backup hadn't arrived yet. I only cared about getting to Rhia.

I ignored Charles, something that would normally come with a sharp price since he is technically my superior in the pack, but I had Alpha blood, and he didn't. He can't use his aura to force me into anything.

And right now, it wasn't rogue blood I was after.

~o0o~

Luca

The first thing I saw of her were her pale little legs peeking out of the bathroom door. My dad had gone, leaving her lying there like she was dead. I knew she wasn't dead, I would've felt it, but goddess, the sight of those pale legs sticking out through the doorway would forever be engraved on my brain.

I rushed to Rhiannon's side. She was crying, but I think she sensed me, because she reached her arms out blindly. I grabbed her arms, dropping to the floor next to her. She let me pull her to a seated position and I engulfed her body in mine, wrapping her up tightly in my hold.

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't say anything. How to you express regret, sadness, guilt, horrible self-hatred, and more all at once? 'I'm sorry' certainly didn't cover the depth of what I needed her to know, but it was all I had, so I said it anyway.

"I'm so sorry, princess, so sorry," I repeated it over and over in her ear, along with "I'm here" and "You're okay now."

Was she okay? Of course she wasn't. There was a small pool of blood between her legs. Her body had new bruises on top of the half-healed ones. She had a cut along her cheekbone and a bloody lump on the back of her head. She was naked and there were claw marks down her chest and over her breasts.

That bastard had his claws out while he raped her.

My anger began welling up again until I was shaking with rage. She noticed and pulled her head back to meet my gaze.

"I'm sorry," She was crying harder, gasping over her words, "I tried so hard. I tried to stop him--"

My heart broke even more. "Shhhhh," I buried my nose in her hair. "Don't think like that."

She hiccupped, too overcome to say anything.

"Listen to me, Rhia. It is not your fault."

"It's not yours either--" she started to say, but I didn't pay attention. There was a noise at the door.

I lunged to my feet, claws coming out, snarling, ready to defend my princess with my life. Part of me wished it was my dad at the door just so I could tear him limb from limb.

Gamma Charles entered, his hands above his head in a surrender posture, a wary look on his face. I backed down a little.

Charles looked from me to Rhiannon, who was also in a defensive posture behind me.

"She's your mate," he said, sounding resigned.

I nodded slowly. No use denying it, not when I'd put on a spectacle of running straight for her.

Charles shook his head, "I knew that Bane--I knew what he wanted from her." He cleared his throat a little. Rhiannon shuddered at his words, and I glared at him. He continued carefully, "I just can't believe he would do this while we were being attacked. While pack members were dying." Charles looked me in the eyes. "If you wish to challenge your father over this, I will support you."

I froze, looking from him to Rhiannon. I wanted to kill my father. I'd wanted to for years, but that was nothing compared to the rage that was overtaking me.

I let out a sigh through my nose. "I can't. Not now. I have to get Rhiannon back home, get her out of here."

Charles nodded understandingly. "I thought you might." He held up a key on a short chain. "This is for her collar." He tossed it to me.

Satisfied that he wouldn't lunge at my back as soon as I turned it, I knelt beside Rhiannon and finally unlocked her collar. She hissed as it fell to the floor. Her neck was blistered and raw where it had sat. I'd had an uncomfortable choking feeling around my own neck since she'd been wearing it, but I couldn't imagine how much pain the blisters were actually causing her. I couldn't imagine the pain she was in at all, not after everything.

I turned to thank Charles, but he was gone.

I bent down next to Rhiannon once again. "We need to get out of here."