“You don’t even know me.”

She snorts. “And why would I want to? Look at you.”

“VERONICA!” Raven comes running towards us. “You best not be fucking around with my brothers mate!”

“Raven,” she sneers, “I’m just introducing myself.”

“Weren’t you told to stay away?” Raven snarls

“Like I said, I just wanted to meet our Alpha’s new mate.”

“You mean you want to size her up. Dane doesn’t want you, why don’t you get it through that thick head of yours.”

Veronica clenches her teeth and glares at Raven. “You don’t scare me. You tried that once, and look how that turned out. Maybe Dane needs a reminder of how meddling his baby sister is.”

“Ladies?” Beta Eric strides towards us. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No.” Raven snaps. “Veronica is just leaving!”

“For now.” Veronica smiles at Beta Eric. As she turns to walk away, she tells Beta Eric that she is sorry to hear about him and his mate.

“Just go.” He waves her off as I look around for Alpha Dane. I knew he could feel my panic and yet he hadn’t shown up. Had he sent Beta Eric to check on me?

“Veronica started it.” Raven mutters as she glares at Beat Eric.

“I don’t doubt it.” He shrugs his shoulders as I scan the grounds to see if Alpha Dane was on his way. “Dane is with Klaus, researching.”

“Okay.” I whisper quietly

“Shall we go inside?”

I don’t get a chance to answer as Raven grabs my arm and tugs me in through the back door, muttering how Veronica was a piece of work and that Alpha Dane should have killed her years ago.

“Are you okay?” Beta Eric asks as he fills a glass of water and places in front of me

“That stupid cow needs to learn to stay away!” Raven grumbles as she falls into one of the chairs.

“I agree, but maybe you could rise above it, Raven. Dane has made her position in the pack quite clear. And you know as well I do she won’t be the last to fawn over Dane. Learn to ignore it.” He mutters at Raven. “You are better than this.”

“She was taking the piss out of Neah.”

“Have you not noticed she does that when she is jealous. She has to or otherwise she would realise how desperate she sounds. As much as I despise the woman, she is digging herself a hole. Let her carry on.”

“What do you mean?” Raven asks

Beta Eric’s eyes focus on me. “He has made his decision quite clear.”

It was supposed to be easier here, simpler, so Alpha Dane had told me. But everywhere I turned lately, there was a new problem.

“Why don’t you go,” I hear Beta Eric tell Raven. “I can sit with Neah for a bit, keep her company.”

“Are you sure?”

“The boys are with their grandparents for the night. I have nowhere to be.”

“I can stay if you need me too.” Raven whispers to me.

“I’m okay.” I whisper back, giving her a small smile

“If you need me, I will be at the hospital.”

She heads out as Beta Eric takes her seat. “You are a terrible liar.”

“I know.” I mumble quietly

“Why didn’t you tell her you weren’t okay?”

“Too….too many people are in this mess.”

“If Dane had an issue with you being a Lycan, you wouldn’t be sitting here, talking to me.”

“Am I dying?”

“Hopefully not.” He shoots me a wink. “Devon has said multiple times that there is something different about you. An anomaly.” “You believe him?”

“I believe what I see. When I first met you, I wondered how you were even alive. You were nothing more than skin and bone. Your face was gaunt, like you were in your final days. Arms like twigs that looked as though they would snap at any moment. Even your heartbeat was so slow, barely beating, like you were hanging on to life by the thinnest of threads.”