Stay For Me

Chapter 4

DECLAN

He held her closer, wanting nothing more than to know the cause of her tears. He whispered sweet things in her ears as she cried into his chest. Her beautiful red hair smelled faintly of blackberries. The tears seeping into his shirt felt like acid. It was horrible, his precious mate wept while her wounds were serious.

Her hiccups slowly subsided. She sniffled, and pulled away from him. His heart told him to pull her back into him. He smiled at her, and Colton howled with pride when he saw her smile back. It was incredible. Then he noticed the rest of her face.

Her eyes were haggard and blackened. Her lip was red raw. She looked just as bad as she did when Declan had found her, only cleaned up. "Who did this to you, Rani?" He asked, struggling to keep Colton in check.

Ranielle only ducked her head and refused to speak. "Rani, I can't help you if you don't talk to me, baby!" he grabbed her hands and realized that she was shaking.

*You're scaring her*  Colton growled.

*You mean YOU are scaring her. She's probably used to that bastard's wolf coming out when they beat her...*  Declan took a deep breath. "Ranielle, I will never, never EVER hurt you in any way, shape, or form. Okay?" His voice was pleading. Without meeting his eyes, she nodded. He pulled her back into his chest, and kissed the top of her head. Then, he got an idea.

He lifted her off the bed as if she weighed nothing. She whimpered and struggled, whispering, "Put me down, Declan, please put me down."  He simply shook his head. He carried her out of the room, right past Nik, Matt, and the other three men.

Janice lifted her head from the desk and smiled warmly. "Take care of her, Alpha, and if something happens to her bring her back here immediately." Declan grinned back at her and looked down lovingly at his little mate nestled in his arms. She had stopped struggling and had drifted back into sleep. Her bruises were beginning to fade, Declan noticed. *She's so beautiful...I wonder what her wolf looks like?* Colton asked.

*Blaze said she was only half wolf, and an Omega. She might not have one,*  Declan inferred. By then they had reached Declan's room. He opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was massive, and it took Declan a minute to get to the bed to lay Ranielle on it. He gently covered her with a blanket and was about to lay down beside her when a guard rushed in. "Alpha, there's a call for you in the study. It's Frostbitten Pack, sir." He left as quickly as he had come.

Declan growled. He summoned Nathan, another member of his council and hissed, "Protect my mate at all costs, even if you have to give your life."

Nathan grabbed Declan's shoulder. "Declan, man, you know I would give it in a heartbeat if it meant protecting the Luna. Don't worry. She'll be fine." Declan nodded. He trusted Nathan, who was a family man himself.

He burst into the study and yanked the phone from Lila, his secretary. "Declan."

"Alpha Declan, so nice to hear your voice."

"As is yours, Blaze." Declan grinned. He and Blaze were allies.

"Look, my pack's Omega seems to have gone missing. Have you seen her on your territory?"

Declan stiffened. "No, I haven't. I will let you know if I do."

"Thanks man." The click signaled Declan to run.

BLAZE

Blaze paced the office. That pathetic excuse for a pack member had run off. He was almost certain that she was in Bloodriver's territory. It was the closest pack. But he had no proof.

The truth was, Blaze had a thing for Ranielle. She looked so much like her brother, who was Blaze's bestfriend. But after Julien and his parents, Marie and Christopher, had died after eating a meal that Ranielle had prepared, the newest Alpha was livid and pain-ridden. Julien was scheduled to be inducted as Beta that night.

That was when Blaze had realized that he liked Ranielle. And in order to avenge his friend's death and get over her, he stripped her of her pack title and reduced her to Omega. It only helped that she was half wolf.

"Blaze?" Jackson, his and Julien's other friend, poked his head in the door. Blaze looked up from memory lane. "Yes?"

"I want her just as bad as you do. That thing, who isn't even worthy to be called a wolf, deserves to die." Jackson's teeth bared as he, too, succumbed to the rage he had built up over the years.

Blaze scowled. "Prepare the men. We are paying Bloodriver Pack a little visit."

DECLAN

As soon as Blaze had hung up, Declan made a speedy beeline to his bedroom, where he skidded to a stop. Nathan knelt over Ranielle, pressing a cloth to her head.

"I've called Janice, she's on her way!" Nathan shouted over Ranielle's screams of pain. SHe was writhing on the bed, her body contorted in horrible positions. Her long, red hair was damp with sweat, and her brow was beaded with drops.

Declan howled. At that moment, Janice burst in frantically. She froze, and visibly relaxed. Declan yelled, "Do something, Janice! She's dying!"

Janice simply laughed. "No, dearie. She's shifting."

Declan felt time slow down. He stared at her, not comprehending what she just said. "She's shifting?"

"Yes, dear. She's shifting for the first time. By this, she should be done soon. Take her outside and give her space."

Declan nodded and scooped her up in his arms, taking off at breakneck speed into the forest behind the house.

RANIELLE

The pain was excruciating. She could feel her bones rearranging themselves. She shivered, and as quickly as the pain had come, it stopped. She opened her eyes, and the world was sharp and clear. She stood up, wobbly on four feet. *Hello?* She called out into the night, not realizing it wasn't heard aloud.

*Hey! I'm Miley. I'm your wolf!* A voice yipped happily in her mind. Ranielle took a few steps forward and stumbled, crashing into the dirt face-first. *Not that way, silly !*  Miley giggled. Ranielle turned around to see Declan staring in awe at her. "Rani, you-you're-"

What? Ranielle tried to say, but all that came out was a bark. "You're silver, Rani. You have royal blood in your veins."

Ranielle looked down at her feet. Sure enough, glittering silver paws were what she saw. *Don't be scared, silly!* Miley yelped in her head. Ranielle stumbled forward another few steps before Declan caught her and scratched behind her left ear. "Shift back, my darling." Declan's voice rang through her ears as she cocked her head at him quizzically.

He laughed. "Picture yourself as a human," he whispered. Ranielle braced herself for the pain, but it never came.

Declan gasped, and her eyes snapped open. She screamed and covered herself. But Declan had seen the damage. She looked up at him to see tears running down his face, black eyes struggling to hold his wolf back. She grabbed for her torn clothes and dressed as fast as possible. It took her less than a second to do what she did. Ranielle decided to run, ignoring his cries.

The wind whipped her hair into a frenzy. Her body was frozen from the cold air and the wind she generated. Tears began streaking from her eyes and eventually she hit a tree. Her eyes were so clouded in tears that she was unable to see.

The ground felt good under her back and she lay there, stunned and sobbing. Her big violet eyes were now stained red from the tears.

Ranielle struggled to rein them in. Then a voice made her blood run ice cold.

"Hello, Omega."