Moon Dancer - Hidden Wolf 1

Finley

We trudged through the forest, slowly making our way back to our house. It wasn't that far from Grayson's hidden home. I looked down at her, still holding her close to my chest. She had passed out earlier, from exhaustion or hunger or pain I wouldn't know. Maybe all three.

We had looked around her house before we left, looking for any clues to why a gypsy would be so interested in her. There had been no food whatsoever left in the house. At least that explains why she seemed so lightheaded today.

Her red-brown hair fell down in waves, her naturally dark lashes brushing her cheeks as she slept. Warm freckles fell across her nose and cheekbones, casting her in an almost ethereal-looking picture.

Sunlight filtered through the trees and fell on her face, making me think one thing over and over again. Grayson was beautiful.

Stunningly beautiful.

And she had a mate.

I pull her even closer to me, holding her as delicately as I could. Ryker had asked if I wanted to take turns but I couldn't imagine letting go of her. I couldn't bare the thought.

She had a mate.

This might be the only time I got to hold her this closely like I so badly wanted to.

Jagger, however, had been a couple of paces behind us, his eyes cast to the forest floor. Something had happened between him and Grayson, and the guilt was eating him alive.

Ryker groaned and stopped, turning around and facing him. "J, enough with beating yourself up. Just tell us what happened. Talking about it will make you feel better."

Jagger looked up from the ground, his eyes glassed over with gut-wrenching guilt. He just shook his head and made to keep walking. But Ryker grabbed his bicep and pulled him to a stop. "Jagger."

With a small exhale, Jagger directed his eyes up at the sky. "I pushed her too far. She is never going to trust me again. I- I forced her to answer that phone call, and I had been so angry at the things he was saying to her and the way she just let herself go limp in my arms, like she was accepting everything he was saying. So I talked into the phone, and he definitely heard me, and I can't keep thinking that he... that he raped Grayson today because I had said something."

His admission made me sharply inhale. "J, you can't blame yourself for that."

"Yes I can, and I will. Everything that is happening is because I didn't do something before." He shakes off Ryker's hand, and moves his gaze from the sky to the sleeping Grayson. "But I'm done doing nothing. We'll put her in the guest bedroom and call Logan to look at her. And while we wait for him, we'll need to fill Ares in."

Ryker shuffled his feet. "I get why you would want Logan to take a look at her, but what about what Grayson wants? I think we should wait until she wakes up to call him."

Logan was Ryker's half brother, and like Ryker, he was Air class. His skill allowed him to both physically and mentally heal to an extent. His skill combined with his doctor license made him one of the best healers. Logan was raised with his mother, away from The Society. He had unwavering loyalty to his half brother and we knew we could depend on him.

Jagger looked directly into Ryker's eyes. "This isn't up for debate. This is her health."

Ryker was silent for a moment. "I think she's already been forced-"

"Look at her, Ryker!" Jagger shouted.

Ryker's eyes flick to Grayson, a splattering of bruises visible even in the sweatpants and short sleeve shirt. His eyes stay on her bandaged forearm for a moment longer.