Chapter 0172

The moment I step back into the room and see my mate awake, Dorian starts rumbling in my mind. The sudden vibration makes me pause. "What the hell, Dorian?"

"She's ours. Flawless. Divine."

Fantastic. My wolf's already obsessed with this fragile girl. I'm not there yet. Too many unanswered questions.

Her IV's been ripped out. Typical. I've been fighting to keep her alive, and her first act is sabotaging my efforts.

Her refusal to let me heal her pisses me off more. Not that it should. Who knows how long those bloodsuckers kept her? The scars suggest years. Maybe the whole damn coven fed on her simultaneously.

"Angel," she says when I ask her name. Fitting. At least visually. 'Our angel,' Dorian coos. Annoying bastard.

Key discovery: She wants nothing to do with her pack. Worse, she's determined to leave mine. Not happening. Even without the mate bond, the bounty on her head would force me to keep her here. Her pallor when I tell her she's staying concerns me. Did her old pack drive her out?

A knock interrupts us. I snarl instinctively. The door cracks open. "Alpha?"

Food aromas drift in. Angel's stomach growls loudly. Shit. How long since she's eaten? "Enter, Nathaniel."

He freezes upon seeing her awake. His smile at her makes my canines itch. "You're awake," he observes.

She clutches the blanket to her chest. Right. No clothes. Starving and exposed. 'Brilliant caretaking, Sebastian,' Dorian mocks.

+15 BONDS

I'd been so focused on interrogation, I forgot basic needs.

"Nathaniel, fetch clothes for Seraphina." He glances between us before nodding to her.

"Seraphina. Suits you. I'm Nathaniel." She gives a tight nod. When he moves to place the tray on her lap, my growl stops him mid-motion. I snatch it away.

"Clothes. And bring another portion."

"Yes, Alpha." He exits swiftly.

Turning back, I reassess my mate. So damn petite. Is the Moon Goddess playing games? Yet she survived vampire captivity. There's steel beneath that fragile exterior.

Rejecting her isn't an option. Dorian would turn feral instantly. Besides, I've waited lifetimes for this. The alternatives? Going rogue or settling for an unworthy Luna. The Goddess chose her. That's enough.

'Damn right,' Dorian snaps. 'I'd shred you from the inside if you tried.'

The image chills me. Dorian unrestrained would require execution. Only Adrian or Evelyn could stop us.

'Relax. Just theorizing.'

'Stop theorizing. Never happening.'

I adjust the tray on Angel's lap. She sniffs cautiously before tasting. Time for questions between bites.

"Did you leave your pack voluntarily?"

She swallows. "No. My parents took me."

Interesting. Rogues by choice.

"Where are they now?"

Her throat works. I know the answer before her whisper: "Dead."

I nod, giving her space, but press the fork back into her hand. "Eat. How old?"

"Sixteen when they died."

"Vampires?" A tear slips down her cheek. Dorian rages in my skull.

'You insensitive prick! Let me handle her!'

'She needs this. Probably never processed their deaths properly.'

"How long ago?" My voice stays soft—uncharacteristic for me. She's so small. Could pass for twelve, but she said sixteen when orphaned. Is she even legal?

Her frown deepens. "What year is it?"

When I tell her, she gasps, hand flying to her mouth. Tears cascade. Dorian's snarls fill my mind. Fuck. Exactly how long did those parasites keep her?

I take her hand. She might not want comfort, but she's got no one else. I know that isolation well.

"Seven years," she breathes. "It's been seven years."