KARA/CAROLINE

There were no more shop lights this far down the tunnel, but I could see the sunlight beckoning me from a point beyond and kept moving.

When I could see far enough, my heart overflowed with hope because just outside were wolves!

I tossed Melvin's body and his oxygen tank and started to run to them.

"William!" I called through the mask when I finally recognized his wolf and then flicked the whole cap off my head and let it clamber to the ground behind me.

Stop! It's Kara! And then he started leaping to me still in wolf form.

We caught each other in the middle, my arms wrapping the neck of the hulking wolf.

I was so scared.

"Me too."

His form changed under my grip and where once was soft fur, held human skin and his arms wrapped my back.

A whole minute we stayed in the close embrace, until someone cleared their throat and handed Will some jeans.

Will chuckled and grabbed the pants from a human Jeremy, quickly putting them on.

"Come on Love, let's get out of here." He grabbed my hand and pulled me out the cave entrance into blinding light.

I blinked a few times, letting my eyes adjust and then noticed Eric in his human form, him and Jeremy both in just jeans, surrounded by about ten other wolves.

Eric came over with a probing eye on Will. "William, may I give your mate a hug?"

Will tightened his hold and then shook his head a little to himself. He released my hand and nodded.

Eric's arms came around me tight. "Glad you're alright Kara. You gave us quite a scare."

"Sorry about that," I snickered and after a reciprocated embrace, stepped back.

Jer hit my arm. "Glad you're okay, little monster."

I hit him back, smearing a punch of blood across his bare shoulder. "Thanks Bare Bear Jer."

He made a face and tried to wipe the blood off with the side of his hand. "I'm getting you back for that."

Will stepped back to my side and wrapped an arm at my waist. "Come on sweetheart. You need to go home and rest."

Garrett was now in his human form, just sweatpants low on his hips. "Wait. What happened in there? Where's Lawrence?"

William stepped protectively in front of me. "She needs to rest first. She's just been taken hostage."

I placed my hand at his shoulder blade. "I'm alright William." He turned and stared down to me. "I'm alright, really."

He looked like he wanted to explain that I was covered in blood and definitely not okay, but he closed his eyes soft and nodded stepping to my side.

Pointing back to the cave, I started. "Melvin's right there. His oxygen tube was cut in the brawl, so he's not doing well. He needs to get to medical professionals asap to get him stable."

Garrett eyed two wolves who changed to nude men a second later and I turned my eyes from them. Garrett's hard glance came back to me. "What about the guards? What should we be ready for?"

I pulled the three magazines from my back pocket and handed them to him. "They have large assault rifles. I don't know if they're loaded any more than this, but he called them glassalloy bullets infused with silver and wolfsbane. I am able to heal them just like regular bullets though." I wiped over my bloodied forearm where one of the bullets used to be lodged. "There were three guards. One I put to sleep, the others are trauma forced unconscious. The room is still full of wolfbane smoke." I looked over to the cave opening. "That oxygen mask I dropped was working for me though."

"And the werecreatures?" He asked.

"I don't know about them. I think they're okay." I bit my lip and looked down. "There's one wolf though. Melvin brutalized him before I was there. He looked terrible. Melvin did unspeakable things to him. He's on the table in there. Please, if you can figure out who he was, let his family know."

Garrett softened and nodded. "We'll do that Kara."

Will's arm went lovingly around my back again. "Why don't we get you back home so you can rest."

I shook my head. "I have to help the men in the cavern first."

He stepped to my front and caressed warm hands over my face. "Sweetheart I know you want to do it now. But Alpha David is getting them placed into a secure location and they'll be ready for you tomorrow."

"I don't need to rest, really. The ring. It worked. It's my token, isn't it?"

He nodded, a smile on his lips. "I thought it might be."

"So, see? I don't have to rest. I can do them all. They don't need to stay sick."

"If you don't want to rest, what if we let you try out that tub you were so excited about, instead? You can wash all this blood off and we come back tomorrow."

I grinned, gazing up at his adoring face. "I like the diversion tactic." I nodded. "Okay. Bath tonight. Creatures tomorrow. Melvin said they wouldn't wake up for two days anyway."

"Two days?" Eric asked intrigued from the side.

Pulling from Will's hold on my face, I nodded his way. "Yes. He said he put enough smoke in to keep them under for two days."

"I better relay that to David." He pulled out his phone and started texting.

Only Jeremy was left, the other wolves must have gone into the cave.

"Will they be okay?" I asked, looking to the entrance.

"They'll be fine Love. You want to go get that bath now?"

I smiled an acceptance.

Jer added with a smirk. "You need it girl. You may not have cave muck on you, but you still reek of it."

"Rude," I snickered and then rubbed my bloodied arm all over his bicep.

His brow furrowed in disgust as he looked at the red on him. "That really is gross, Kara."

I rolled my eyes. "Then go jump in a river, wolfman." I touched his arm and pulled his wolf form out, shredding his clothes.

Kara! He barked. Go shower brat.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

Okay, so it was pretty gross, but he was bringing the eight year old out of me again.

He took off on paws, probably for the nearest waterhole.

Eric placed his phone in a clothing bag and tossed the straps around to fit it in front. "David wants my help with the men in the cavern. You two okay to find a way home?"

"Absolutely," William answered.

"My car is around here somewhere," I mentioned. Though William's fancy nose was probably going to have to be the one to find it for us.

Eric winked and started to take off his pants. I looked to the surrounding trees.

He chuckled. "Enjoy that bath, Kara. Let's plan on a meeting tomorrow morning." I wasn't looking so I wasn't sure, but I think he leaned to Will's side and whispered. "This time, bring her."

Will sighed. "I plan to."

We found my car and made it back to the pack. We were quiet on the road back and I kept having to shake myself awake. The soft car ride was making me feel exhausted now that the adrenaline rush was over.

We took the elevator this time and Will guided us to our door, where there was a cardboard box waiting in front.

"What's this?" William spoke to himself, bending to it. Then he chuckled, handing it over to me.

I took it from his outstretched arms. "What is it?"

"Just look," he smiled and then opened the door.

Opening the top, I pulled out a beautiful giftbox full of all things bath smelly: oils and bombs, soaps, bubbles, and loofahs. "Funny." I let the cardboard fall near the front door as I held onto the box, and a note fell with it.

William grabbed the note and read.

To Beta Female Kara,
Glad you're safe. Heard you might need these.
with love,
Tech Crew

I giggled. "That's so sweet."

William wandered into the bathroom and I followed. "Tarin was on control. Eric probably relayed where we were headed. She's the woman that was there when we first met in Eric's office."

"Oh," I said remembering. She was the one with the beautiful long black hair.

He started the tub filling, with a hand down in the water. "How warm?"

I grinned. "Lava."

He laughed and turned the heat up. "You might regret that. We keep our water heater hotter than the average human apartment."

"I guess we'll see."

He looked over the giftbox still in my hands. "Bubbles?"

"Obviously," I handed him the bottle and he poured a good helping in.

"And what about this thing?" He grabbed the pink sphere.

I sat on the tub side with him. "Yes, that too. It's a bath bomb," I beamed. "It fizzes and puts Epsom salts in."

"Oh nice," he spoke and tossed it in, plastic coating and all.

"Will!" I laughed. "You're supposed to unwrap it."

He smirked and took the giftbox from me and set it on the counter. "I'll unwrap something." Then he pulled me onto his lap, hands shimmying up my waist.