---Sean's POV---

Sean! They've been allowed to feed! Lucius is preparing to move her but we'll be moving in sunlight for the next hour or so.

I hissed at the thought and froze, cursing loudly when I heard Cian's mental message. That means they would feed from Paige, and that could prove fatal with the amount Lucius drained earlier this morning.

Paige's mate turned to me with a questioning gaze on his wolf form before I felt his presence in my mind. "What is it?" I growled, pacing in the shade of the trees while I hissed between clenched teeth, "Lucius is preparing to leave; he just ordered his brothers to go and feed."

The wolf shrugged his shoulders slightly, indicating that he didn't understand the meaning of it. I couldn't explain why I felt this urge to protect the shifter; I just had to. I rushed forwards, out of the shade until I stood in front of him. "Don't you see? They are going to feed from her Jacob!"

He growled at the thought but his growl quickly turned into a howl of agony while he sank through his limbs. Shit, shit, shit!

One of the brothers got through; we don't know where he is! Cian shouted in my mind. I hissed louder before I snapped back at him.

I'm aware of that! He has her; her mate is in pain! Probably caused by the venom. Get her out of his claws and protect her; the pack is here!

I heard Jacob howl again in the distance but I didn't focus on what he was howling; right now, we needed to get inside of the stronghold before Paige was drained till the last drop. I controlled my breathing, focusing on the seat of my powers that was tucked away in my brain.

Breaking through the barrier, I applied one of my powers. Slowly raising my hands with the palms down, I forced the earth under the outer wall to move at my will until the wall collapsed, allowing us a way in. My hands were shaking from the exertion but I managed to hold onto my powers until the wall crumbled down. I dodged the first bullet carelessly while I turned around to the wolves, in particular Jacob.

"There are three hostile vampires, one of them has your mate. She's at the lowest level, down at the dungeon's." Jacob snarled slightly, his eyes completely black before he inclined his head. I replied the gesture before I looked him in the eye "Don't lose your Beloved; she's the most precious thing you'll ever have."

Jacob's eyes softened a bit before he darted away. "I know." His soft reply whispered through my mind before he darted away. Longing filled my slowly beating heart; in my 1500 years, I've never longed more after finding my Beloved then now.

---Cary's POV---

A snarl escaped my lips while I hunched low, assessing the movements of one of Lucius' brothers. It was strange that I couldn't place a name on him but then again, he and his brothers were cursed nameless when they attacked a witch clan in their earlier years.

Unknowing to the brother, Cian appeared behind him, a slightly panicked look on his face that made me hiss; I told him to get the other one before he was too far away.

One of the brothers got through; we don't know where he is! Cian shouted out towards Sean. Due to us being twins, I could hear his mental thoughts as well as my own. Sean's reply was short and snappy.

I'm aware of that! He has her; her mate is in pain! Probably caused by the venom. Get her out of his claws and protect her; the pack is here!

A mental image of my parents being torn apart interrupted the message and I growled slightly at my opponent before I blocked his powers, sneering, "That little trick doesn't work for me, you prick!" The brother snarled while he lunged again but I expertly dodged his claws and kicked him against the walls.

Looking at my brother, I nodded towards the dungeon's, indicating that he should get the shifter to safety. Before he could reply, I was thrown off my feat by a ball of fire, which hit me smack in the chest. I hissed loudly, before I used my own elemental power to coat my body with a slim layer of water, effectively dousing the flames.

Cian let out a relieved breath, drawing the attention of brother #1, who turned around at the noise. I quickly lunged, twisting my arms under his and grabbed his head while I hissed, "Go get her!" at my brother. He nodded and darted away while I looked back down at the vampire bellow me.

"Lucius will kill you if you harm me." he hissed, flailing his arms in an attempt to grab hold of me. I snorted slightly, my fangs slowly protruding from my gums when I yanked his head to the side to reveal his throat. "Then it's good that we plan the same fate for Lucius." I replied coldly before I used my enhanced telepathy to paralyze him, followed by quickly lunging towards his throat to feed.

Cary. Don't become like them. Cian murmured quietly while he fought against the mental images that brother#2 was forcing on his mind. I sighed before I snapped the brother's neck; linking back at my brother "He's not worth of your compassion Cian.

I felt him agree while he shrugged the mental image off of him before he replied I know. But we chose to be the better man Cary. So act like it. I took my last gulp before I groaned, knowing he was right. With a flick of my wrist, I started a fire in the corner of the room and quickly disposed myself of Lucius' brother, permanently eliminating this threat.

A little help! Lucius is coming down as we speak! I can't protect her from two pissed off, thirsty rogues!

I snarled again, my eyes darkening dramatically while I dashed away towards the dungeons. Lucius getting down there only meant one thing; he knew of our betrayal.

---Jacob's POV---

Smoke and ashes filled my sensitive nose while I sniffed the air for my mate's scent; Nothing. I growled again, tearing through every hunter that came in my way. I didn't give a second thought about the hunters I left alive in my wake; my pack was close on my heels and I trusted them with my life.

Dad jumped on the first hunter while mom aimed for the one that was pointing a gun towards father's back. I growled at the burning sensation in my veins and took my anger out on the hunters surrounding my family. I bit the older man in front of me, pulling him down at his leg before I finished him off.

I spun a round quickly when a shade loomed over me, only to look straight in the barrel of a gun. The younger man smirked slightly before a shocked expression spread over his face. If it weren't for my sharp hearing, I would have missed the loud 'bang' before his expression changed.

He fell on his knees and tumbled down, blood squirting out of the bullet hole in his back. I looked over to my savior, smirking slightly when I looked at Damon, who tapped the gun to his head as a greeting before he continued shooting, picking his former brothers out one by one.

I glanced around when mom and dad joined me, blood coating their furs while they unconsciously licked their lips clean; it was a wolf thing to do.

Sean ran towards us, killing his opponents in an almost annoyed manner, like it irritated him to move a finger to kill them. I whimpered slightly when the burn in my veins flared up but as quickly as I felt that sensation, the burning disappeared.

I whimpered louder just because the absence of pain; Did that mean that Paige was safe? Or that she was...No, she couldn't, I wouldn't let her!

I tensed when I felt a cool hand on my fur, causing me to jump back with a snarl. Sean moved slowly while he spoke with a soothing voice. "Calm down Jacob. Cian just called back that the brother released her; he's fighting him at the moment. She's still alive."

My hearth soared slightly, still weighed down by the fact that I didn't have my mate in my arms. My gaze shifted slightly before I growled and lunged, effectively beheading the hunter that was attempting to stake Sean. I looked back at him, seeing him move his hand over his slow heartbeat before he slightly bowed towards me; a vampire's sign of honor.

I nodded before darting away, sniffing the air for the scent of my mate. A howl escaped my lips when I found it and my wolf surged forwards, building up speed to jump over a barricade of hunters. I felt Nick and Eric's presence beside me before they barreled into the hunters while I soared over them.

Skidding to a halt, I clawed at the backs of the hunters who were aiming at my pack before Nick and his father pushed me to the side. I looked around, hoping to find an entrance in the stronghold without having to force my way towards the heavily guarded doors. My eye caught a small movement; a drape hanging out of an opened window.

"Go!" Nick shouted while he mauled one of the hunters, "We're fine!" I nodded my head slightly while I took a running leap and shifted midway so I could heave myself up the window. I rolled inside, my senses on high alert while I shifted back.

I took a brief look outside, overviewing the battlefield; hunters were manically shooting at every wolf in sight while the witches were casting spells everywhere. Thunder roared in the sky while the heavens darkened and started to pour down, giving us the advantage due to our heightened senses.

Anna was standing at the edge of the forest, her arms held in the air while she looked down, her lips rapidly moving while she chanted her spell. The twins were besides her, aiming at the hunters with a bow when they got too close to their grandmother.

A smirk appeared on my lips, knowing that my pack was making short work of those hunters outside. I moved forwards, my claws clicking on the marble floor. Inside, the stronghold was eerily quiet; the only thing heard here were the echoes of my claws resounding from the walls and the shouts and snarls from the battlefield.

I moved from room to room, tracking down my mate's scent. The air was heavy of it, along with her blood, mixed with a vampire's scent. I growled, scraping my claws over the ground while my wolf saw red; this was the scent of the vampire that drained our mate!

Suddenly, a loud shot pierced the silence and I jumped away, barely missing the bullet that clipped my shoulder. I snarled and turned around, coming face to face with a smirking Kale.

"Well, it seems that the vampires lied and they haven't wiped out all traces. No matter; I'll love to put a bullet in that small brain of yours." Kale cocked his head to the side while he licked his lips. "Or maybe, I'll just keep you alive so you'll feel it when I force your-" A snarl escaped my lips while I lunged forwards, snapping my jaws around the gun he raised.

I tossed it aside, the hiss flowing out of my muzzle holding a dark promise of pain and death. Kale's face was slightly pale but the arrogant smirk was still evident on his face. He whipped his hand from behind his back, revealing a series of silver daggers.

He threw one of the daggers at me and I simply dodged it, the hiss turning into a mocking growl. Kale growled at me and I smirked, easily moving out of the way of the next dagger. Kale frowned slightly before he started a series of intricate battle moves, swinging his blades back and forth. I simply dodged him, yawning as I did so. "Stop toying with ME!" he roared before he jumped towards me.

We exchanged blows for a while; Kale has lost his hold over his daggers and just threw punches or kicks at me while I growled and used my claws. I wanted him to die but I wanted it to be as slow and painful as possible, making him regret the day he decided to go after my mate.

I lunged forwards again, scraping my claws over his back before I darted back, slightly growling when a blade nicked the edge of my ear. Kale was panting by now, blood slowly dripping from the fresh wounds while he shot me a deathly glare.

"I'll kill you, you filthy MUTT! I am the son of the lead-hunters! I was born to be an Alpha before this stupid curse took my wolf away! I will not bow down to a pathetic weakling like YOU!" he roared, shivering all over his body. I snorted at him before turning around and showed him my behind with a clear mental message.

"Kiss my ass you misfit of nature. You really-" Kale interrupted my taunting with a roar, lunging forwards again. Hah, clearly it worked! I dodged him before I ran up from behind, smacking him into the wall when I jumped against his back.

He grunted, sliding down the wall and landed in a pathetic, shivering heap. Suddenly, a loud crack filled the air, followed by another snap. I winched at the sound of breaking bones and stared at Kale, whose face was a mixture of shock, hope and longing before it turned in a sick grin.

"Seems I don't need to mate that bitch of yours!" he shouted out laughing. Another pair of bones broke while his manically laughter filled the air. I sniffed the air while I growled and noticed something was off; if he had regained his wolf, why didn't he smell like a werewolf?

"Because I do not longer wish to be connected with him." An old yet strong voice echoed through my mind. I noticed that Kale's laughing stopped and was now replaced with grunts of pain while he clawed at the marble.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I snapped, raising my hunches while I curled my lip up, exposing my canines. An exhausted sigh echoed before the voice spoke up.

"I am Kale's wolf. For years, I have watched and waited, hoping he would earn back the right to regain control over me. He never did though, instead trying to gain me by kidnapping your mate in an attempt to force himself to her." A growl rumbled through my head while the wolf shivered in disgust.

I frowned slightly, looking at the partly shifted body of Kale while it turned back and forth between human and wolf. "Didn't the curse kill you?" I asked hesitantly. A sigh was my only response for a few minutes while Kale's wolf thought about his next words.

"It did. But because Kale marked a shifter, therefore gaining some of her blood...the strength, the raw power in it brought me back to life, only partially." A snort was heard before Kale screeched in pain. "And now, he'll pay the price; he will shift but it will cost us our lives."

Sadness filled me; not for Kale but for his wolf. It didn't seem evil at all. A low chuckle resounded before he spoke again. "I've got plenty of time to ponder over my actions while I was a spirit. I've realized the error of my ways. Sadly, my human didn't." I felt a mental nudge before the voice broke slightly, becoming softer.

"Get your mate and live your lives. Guard her carefully because the hunters and vampires will want her blood." I nodded, lowering my head in respect before I darted out of the room, leaving Kale's crumbled and screaming body behind. He was doomed to die.

---Paige's POV---

I lay on the ground, shivering from the effects of the vampire's venom; yeah, I was drained, again. My vision blurred and returned while I looked at the wall where the unknown vampire had dropped me. I was surprised that one of the other vampires had turned on him; it looked like the guy that blindfolded me.

Hisses and growls were echoing from the walls, alerting me of the two vampires fighting. I wanted to turn around so I could make a break for it but my limbs felt so heavy. And I was tired. I blinked again when I heard something behind me; the next thing I knew, I was dangling in the air, my back pressed against the wall.

Lucius was smirking at me, showing me his fangs while his eyes focused on the blood trickling down from my neck. I gasped when his nails dug into the skin of my neck as I growled weakly, trying to gain control over my body. Lucius just snorted, shaking his head in amusement before he tossed me across the room.

I rolled over the floor like a ragdoll, my arm stuck under my side while I took deep breaths to control the pain. Lucius snarled behind me before I heard another sound of a fight starting. My hands shook and I slowly closed my fingers, feeling a little spark of victory; I could move them!

My thoughts went back to when I healed the mark; closing my eyes, I focused on the puncture wound in my neck, focusing my energy there. I took deep breaths, slowly pushing the air out through my mouth while I tried to ignore the fighting behind me.

I could feel it when my gift started working; it felt like a couple of ants were crawling over your skin or how you'd feel when you've had a cast for a couple of weeks; it itches like hell but you can't scratch it.

My vision focused and it didn't blur again, something that I was grateful about. Okay Paige, think fast; there's a couple of vampires in here, fighting for the right to drain you dry. Do I slowly crawl out, hoping they don't see me or do I try to shift and use one of my forms to escape?

I tried shifting in my wolf and it worked. But I was so exhausted from the constant draining that I couldn't hold onto the form and shifted back again, panting like I ran a marathon. Suddenly, someone stepped over me, causing me to growl lightly; no matter what, I wouldn't go down without a fight.

"We've had enough of your ways Lucius. She's not yours, she has a mate for crying out loud!" one of the guys shouted while the one above me shifted slightly, adding his opinion to the conversation "You've done enough damage. How would you feel if someone went after your Beloved?"

Lucius laughed, causing the pair of legs in my sight to tense. "Oh, but I would never leave my Beloved vulnerable. You see, mine wears an enchanted necklace that only I can remove. Anyone that has planned harm for her gets killed on the spot." He snickered again. "I just want the shifter as a pet for myself. And I have to say that her blood is a plus as well."

Another voice spoke up, although he sounded pained, his breathing ragged. "I got to agree on that Lucius. Her blood was," he stopped, smacking his lips slightly, "Delicious." The pair that protected me growled loudly at that and crouched even lower, keeping me behind them.

Silence was all that was heard while both sides assessed each other's strengths and weaknesses. Just when they were about to lung for each other, the doors busted open with such force that they cracked with a resounding smack when they hit the walls.

Wolves poured in, grabbing the unknown vampire and tore him apart. I managed to roll to my side so I could look at what happened; both of the vampires protecting me raised their hands, showing they weren't a threat while the wolves killed the vampire off. Lucius smirked slightly before his eyes darkened. His body became engulfed in shadows and then...he was gone.

A loud growl ran pleasant shivers over my body before warm fur pressed against me. I sighed when a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped around me, spreading tingles and sparks all over my body.

I looked up into Jacob's hazel eyes and smiled softly. He grinned at me, slowly caressing my cheek. "Hey." He said, planting a kiss on my forehead while he took deep breaths of my scent, probably calming his wolf; I noticed that I was doing the same, inhaling his soothing scent until it filled the tip of my toes.

"Hey." I croaked before I cleared my throat. "Took you long enough." Jacob's lip quivered slightly before he buried his head in my neck, shivering hard. "I'm sorry. I should have checked on you before I resumed the attack. I shouldn't have let them take you."

I sighed before I slightly turned my head and kissed Jacob's cheek. "It's not your fault." I murmured before I closed my eyes for a moment. "I'm tired." I mumbled inaudibly, causing Jacob to chuckle.

I felt myself being lifted from the ground and pressed against a rock-hard chest. Jacob nuzzled my neck lovingly before he pressed a kiss on the tip of my nose. "Rest then. I got you."

Frowning, I shook my head slightly. "Kale?" I asked, too tired to say the full question. Jacob understood either way, because he answered while he started walking. "Death. Caught between shifts."

I nodded again, resting my cheek against his chest. A low appreciative growl rumbled through his chest before his grip tightened. "Go to sleep." He whispered in my ear. A sigh escaped my mouth while I snuggled deeper in his hold and slowly sank away in a dreamless sleep.

I knew I would be talking to Jacob first thing in the morning.