All the things I didn’t know.

Sleeping arrangements (Cohens POV)

If we’re being completely honest, I didn’t totally believe that Charlie’s wound was self inflicted but since she clearly didn’t want to make a big deal I decided to drop it.

We made it back to the dining hall never letting go of her hand. It didn’t take long for her dad to pry her away from me to introduce her to more people. It was clear how proud of her he was, you could see him beaming when he talked about how she graduated with honours, how she was a exceptionally skilled runner or how she would be getting her wolf in a matter of days. As much as I wanted to steal her back, take her up to my room and just hide out in our own blissful little bubble, I couldn’t take this away from either of them. I loved Charles like a father, he was the closest thing I had to one. It made me wonder if my own parents would have been proud of the man I have become. I know they would have been thrilled that Charlie is my mate, they adored her when we were little. Sometimes it seemed like they loved her even more then me. Who could blame them? I excused myself and went to the bar to get a drink, while I waited I admired her from across the room. I silently thanked the Moon Goddess, it was as if Charlie had been custom ordered for me. She was perfect. And she was mine.

I got caught up talking to James, the head warrior about stepping up training as we had heard rumours that the pack to the North, Black Creek had been toying with the idea of trying to take over some of the northern part of our territory to expand their pack. They could try but our pack is one of the strongest and largest, not to mention we have the most intense training regime of any other packs I knew. James was a hard a*s and it paid off. After James left I was pulled away again by our financial advisor wanting to talk about another business opportunity, we as a pack we own dozens of different businesses, essentially we owned all of the town of Jade River. Charles had recently expanded into hotel ownership and Regan our CFA wanted to know if I wanted in. I told him to put something together and I would look it over tomorrow. My brain wasn’t focused on business right now. Hunter was getting impatient he wanted to find Charlie right now.

I excused myself and scanned the room but she was gone. I found Ella but she was so wrapped up in Sean that she had no idea where Charlie was. I mind-linked Alpha Charles. ‘She spilled her drink on her top so she went up to change. But that was about 15 minutes ago. Mind going to check on her?’ My anger spiked immediately ‘what the f**k man! You sent her off on her own? She barely knows her way around this place’ he looked at me from across the room and just shrugged.

I took off, Hunter insisted that I need to find her and fast. I took the stairs 3 at a time and barged into her dads house calling out for her. Nothing. I did the same in my house but still no answer. I ran back downstairs and was about to go put my warriors on alert when I smelled her. It was faint but she had been there. I followed the trail noticing she wasn’t alone. I smelled someone else. A man. My blood started to boil and panic set in. I raced through the hallways until the trail led me down to the basement training centre. Why on earth would she come down here? That’s when I heard her, “I really need to get back, my dad and Cohen will be worried about me.” She sounded terrified, I tried to find her but her voice was faint and it was dark.

“Don’t worry little girl, no one will miss you. They’re just going to think it was all too much and you ran.” a disgusting man’s voice grumbled at her. “Once I’m done with you you’re going to wish you were dead. Maybe if you’re a good girl I’ll be nice and out you out of your misery. Now get on your knees” the sound of his voice was vile but familiar. I rounded the corner and there in the back corner beside a stack of gym mats was my whole world about to be violated by a man who was as good as dead. Hunter took over and we moved as fast as my legs could take me and barrelled into the mother fucker. I flipped him around, Dimitri, a loud guttural growl escaped from my lips as he began to fight back. I had his neck stretched out ready to rip his throat out, “how dare you try to take what is mine?” I roared out before my claws extended and I raked them across his throat. Letting his body fall limp to the ground. I wiped his blood off on the back of his own shirt and took a deep breath trying to compose myself. Charlie had slid down the wall and was sitting in the corner hugging her knees to her chest, tears silently falling down her cheeks. I crouched down in front of her, she looked at me her eyes full of fear. I wrapped her in my arms before picking her up bridal style and carrying her away. She wrapped her arms around my neck and silently sobbed into my shoulder. I could feel her tears soaking through the fabric of my dress shirt. I didn’t even bother taking her back to the dining hall. I mind linked her father and told him I had killed Dimitri. I have no remorse, none, not a shred. I had known Dimitri since I was a pup and he was a loyal warrior but even disrespecting your Luna, future or current was a punishable offence. Attempting to sexually assault a Luna, no one has been stupid enough to attempt it before but in my mind it was an immediate death sentence. Alpha Charles was livid but I convinced him to allow me to take her home and we could reconvene once I had her settled.

I placed her down on my bed and she immediately grabbed a pillow to hug. As she breathed in my scent she began to calm I came to sit beside her and rubbed circles ob her back. Neither of us had said a word since I had found her. “Baby, are you okay? Did he hurt you?” “No” she muttered between sniffles, “not really, but my wrists hurt a bit” she held her arms out and you could see bruises forming where he had put his disgusting hands on her. I placed my hands over them, partly to soothe her and partly for the benefit of Hunter and I. He wanted to go on a rampage destroying anyone who had anything to do with that fucker. I did my best to keep him at bay but I will need to let him out to run soon.

“What happened?” I asked softly. “How did you end up down there with him?”

She gulped, “ I had spilt on my shirt and I went to go upstairs to change but all those girls who clearly don’t like me were standing on the stairs talking, I turned to find an alternate route and Dimitri found me” my blood boiled at the mention of his name. “ he told me there was a separate stairwell from the training centre and I stupidly believed him” tears welled in her eyes again and began to softly fall on her cheeks. “Once we got down there I saw there was no other way out. I tried to tell him that I was your mate and that I was the Alphas daughter but he told me once he was done with me none of you would want me anyway”. She began to sob, like whole body heaving, struggling to breath sobbing.

I brought my hands to both sides of her face “Charlie, look at me. There is nothing in the entire world that would make me not want you. Nothing. Do you understand me?” She nodded but she didn’t speak, her crying slowed as I held her and she drifted off to sleep.

Not wanting to disturb her I mind linked her father.

-‘Alpha, she’s alright, she’s sleeping’

‘What the f**k happened Cohen?’ He boomed in my head.

‘That fucker Dimitri had her trapped in the basement trying to…’ I couldn’t bring myself to tell her father that a man had tried to r**e his only child ‘take advantage of her. I took care of him. Please have someone get rid of the body it’s in the training centre and someone will have to inform his parents’.

‘Fine, will do. I will come and collect her shortly’ he was clearly upset as was I.

‘Not a chance, she’s staying with me. Her sleeping arrangements are going to change from here on out’. I knew this would anger him but I didn’t give a s**t, she was staying by side every moment of forever if I have my way.

‘She’s my daughter, she stays with me’ he responded clearly agitated.

‘Yeah and she’s my mate. But leave her with me for the night, tomorrow she can choose where she wants to be but come Saturday when she’s 18, you won’t have a say. She will belong next to me.’ That came out much harsher then I had intended. I tried to smooth things over a bit. ‘Charles, Charlie means everything to me. I would gladly give my life to protect her. I love her.’

He didn’t speak for a long moment. ‘You’re a good kid Cohen, I love you like my own, truthfully I can’t think of anyone else I would choose for Chuck. We’ll talk later.’

We ended the mind-link.

I laid down behind her wrapping my arms around her and breathing in her scent before drifting off into the best sleep I had ever had. If I thought I wanted to protect her before it had increased tenfold. If anyone wanted to get to her they would have to kill me first.