Mates Don't Love

Why Do Men Always Hurt Me?

Vlad’s POV

It’s been a month since I had shimmered my way into the townhouse where Lucia was staying with that asshole named Anthony.  One month since I had seen her battered and bloodied body that made my cold blood turn even colder.  Thankfully I could shimmer and got her the hospital quickly then shimmered to Amber and Ronnie to tell them where we were.  She was unconscious and her mother was here.  Her brother wanted to be here but with everything going on he couldn’t leave his pack.  I understood that perfectly.  There was a battle coming and it was imperative that Lucian’s pack came out the victor.  Lucia was crucial to this as well.  Ronnie had informed Lucas as to what was going on and to say that he and his wolf Ranger were pissed would be an understatement.  They were out for blood and were going to kill anyone that got in their way of exacting revenge on those responsible.  We needed to figure out the pack that Anthony was working with so that we knew who to stop but that was going nowhere fast.  It seemed that Anthony possibly didn’t use his real name.  I was able to search Lucia’s memories while she was laying in bed hoping to garner any information that would help us.  It seemed that the only time Lucia heard this man talking to his Alpha was the night before she was almost killed.  I saw the beating in from her persecpective and had to smile a bit at her spunk.  She was facing a monster and still had the ability to not show him any fear.  I must have smiled at that because they all wanted to know why I had smiled.  I told them what she had said to this Anthony guy and how she didn’t give up or show any fear.

Lucas’ POV

To say I went through the roof when I found out about Lucia would be putting it mildly.  I wanted to kill everyone I came into contact with.  Ranger was out or blood as well. Ronnie and Amber had some serious explaining to do.  How was it I didn’t know that she had been dating let alone living with someone else?  Why the f**k didn’t they tell me she was pregnant with my pup?  I would have went to her immediately and made her come back with me so that I could protect her whether she wanted it or not.  “That is exactly why your comrades didn’t tell you. Had you went all cave wolf on her she would have totally turned against you.  Up until the day that she found out the baby belonged to you she was still hating you for what you had done to her.” Vlad was not one for mixing words and his truths hit me to the core.  My beloved hated me up until the day before she was put into the state.  “I would love the opportunity to call you friend Alpha Lucas and I can tell you that your little Luna here is a fighter and when she does wake up all hell is going to break loose.”  I looked at Vlad and said “I think considering everything you have done for me and my Luna being friends is the least we can be.”  He smiled and said “you know she’s forgiven you.  She even feels that she could fall in love with.  She was pulled to you that day at the club and hurt her to her very core when you raped her.”  I hung my head very low.  Ranger and I were still very ashamed of that action.  Even more so when we had learned of how her first mate had rejected and then almost killed her. 

We had called for the royal guards.  Some were assigned to keep vigilance at the Luna’s room to ensure that nobody but those that were approved got in.  They were also helping in the search for this Anthony and his Alpha.  We had sent several of our warriors to the Alpine Woods pack to aid Alpha Lucian in protecting his territory.  We knew of the urgency to get Lucia to wake up and to get back to those pack lands and protect it will all we had.  It seemed that these lands and this beautiful woman and her family were critical to the survival of the supernatural species.  Thinking of my beautiful Lucia I just couldn’t help the longing in my heart to see her beautiful eyes once again.  I must say that along with the pudge in her stomach where my pup was growing her body had changed for the better.  It could be that before all this her wolf was starting to come to surface.  I only hoped that this didn’t set her back any and when she woke up we would be able to reach her wolf.  “I can sense her wolf just beneath the surface, she is protecting our pup with everything she has.  It’s all up to Lucia to wake up.”  My wolf Ranger told me then receeded to the back of my mind.  Vlad put his hand on my shoulder and said “Ranger is right.  Her wolf is here now it’s just a matter of Lucia waking up.”  I sighed and just hoped that when she did wake up she would be willing to at least give me a chance.

Amber’s POV

While my dear friend and charge was laying in this bed hooked up to many monitors and things we were preparing for a battle.  The battle was going to take place in Utah at the pack grounds and we all knew the ramifications if we failed.  Vlad had reached out to all the vampire leaders and had secured the pledge from several to render us aid.  The battle was going to be epic.  We even had witches and many other supernaturals that were going to be there.  Vlad told us all that Lucia could wake up any time but that she was mentally hurt.  Her body had already healed thanks to her wolf helping.  He also said that we would have to take it easy with her when she finally woke up.  But that when she did she was going to have her full wolf and full powers.  I watched this last month as her belly had grown with Lucas’ pup.  I was proud and envious at the same time.  I wanted a mate.  I wanted to have my belly growing with his pup.  Hopefully when this was all over I would find him.  I was honored to be on the royal guards and be the one assigned to protect Lucia but I had also failed.  My superiours and even Ronnie had told me that I hadn’t failed her. Things had taken place that were out of my control.  With that being said I knew in my heart that I had a lot of making up to do with my dear friend.  If only she would wake up.  Lucia’s mom was here and hadn’t really left her side.  She would go for brief moments to take a shower or grab a bite to eat.  She didn’t trust anyone with her daughter and would only go if I was sitting next to Lucia. 

During one of mom’s showers is when it happened.  Everyone else was in the conference room making plans for the upcoming battle.  Lucian was in on the conference call as he was in Utah and we were all in Nevada.  The royals wanted Lucas and the rest of us to go to Utah but he refused to leave his precious.  I smiled at that.  I knew that they had gotten off to a bad start but I knew that he would do everything in his power to make it up to her once she woke up.  Just then some of the monitors attached to her started to go off and the nurses came rushing in.  My thoughts immediately went to the worse thing possible, my friend was dying.  But a nurse looked at me and smiled “she’s waking up.”  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  She was waking up.  Lucia was really waking up.  Just then I was gifted with the most beautiful site.  Lucia opened her eyes and looked at me.  “Am I in the hospital?”  She asked with a raspy voice.  I grabbed her a glass of water which she eagerly took from me.  “Slowly, Luna, slowly” one of the nurses said to her.  Lucia sipped slowly and then c****d her head looking at me she said “what does she mean calling me Luna?  That’s my brother’s mate not me.”  I sat down and said this is a long story.  After I was done telling her about how she and Lucas were destined to be mates and how they were all destined to carry out the battle of all ages she went a little pale.  “Lucia do you think you can ever forgive Lucas?  He didn’t mean to hurt you like he did.  When he met you he knew that you were a werewolf and that you were his destined mate.  What he didn’t know was that you had been rejected and almost killed but the fucker Brian.  When he saw you with Vlad that night he lost control of his wolf and reacted wrongly.”  She looked at me and then touched her stomach.  I saw a small smile form on her lips and she said “Mystic told me that he didn’t mean to hurt me.  She told me how much he loves me because she has been talking to Ranger.  He wants nothing more than to make it up with me and treat me like I should be treated.  It’s going to take some time to trust him again but if I would have had Mystic when we first met I would have understood better.  For the sake of our pup I owe it to Lucas and Ranger to try and get past this.  But I just have one thing that I can’t wrap my head around.”  I swallowed back my tears, looked her in the eyes and said “what is that my friend?”  She looked me square in the eyes and said “what is so wrong with me that men just want to hurt me?  First Brian tried to kill me, then Lucas raped me and finally Anthony almost killed me and my pup.  What is so wrong with me that they would do that to me?  Am I not enough for them?”  I couldn’t help the tears that fell from my face at the pain in her words.  I also didn’t miss the gasp coming from the door.  I turned around and saw Lucas standing there.