Micheal was drawing short at every turn.

He was a Lycan, a pure blood, and the second in command of a well established and respected pack.

Yet he was absolutely powerless against whatever trauma his mate was facing.

They had been doing better, Bambi was occasionally looking at him, and writing to him.

Until he was forced through the Alpha command to ask Bambi what the letter his Luna received in the restaurant meant.

It was a full blown investigation, and Lucien- someone he knew to never lash out recklessly- was in a full blown destructive rage that even blood wouldn't cool.
Maia had gotten a strange note directed at her, promptly had a panic attack and fainted.

No scent was left in the restaurant- all personnel who had entered and left were questioned through the Alpha command- and still nothing.

When Micheal questioned Bambi, she just sat frozen, and when Micheal tried to touch her- she screamed. As if he harmed her. As if he could ever do such a thing.

She and Maia were hiding something- it was beyond normal circumstances.

That was why Maia's grandmother was being escorted to their territory.
For any type of clue they could possibly get to understand what the hell was occurring.

Micheal paced the room, Bambi lay limp and nearly lifeless if not for her steady heart beat and gentle breathing, in the bed. Silent. Unmoving.

She wouldn't eat. Wouldn't do anything unless cry if Micheal touched her.
This wasn't normal. The mate bond alone should've been enough to make her comfortable, but she trembled and cried when she felt it.
Why?

Why wasn't he getting any answers? Peaceful coercion wasn't working, patient wasn't working, nothing was working. He was nearing the breaking point of his sanity- he hadn't left to run in days since the incident, hadn't left Bambi's side unless to make her eat and drink water, or shower at night.
She hadn't written a single thing to him, no clues, nothing.
He knew Bambi's condition wasn't medical, this was relayed by his Luna, it was because Bambi wouldn't speak.

Micheal ran a hand through his hair in frustration. His wolf was on edge, agitated, and his mate's scent was pushing him to fuck her until she does speak- if only to beg for more.
The close proximity was killing him, yet being away from her was killing him too.

Pack work had nearly completely fallen on Payten, and the soon to be father with a mate about to pop, was becoming increasingly violent as well. It wasn't good for pack dynamic, and soon the pack members would expect their Alpha and Beta to get their affairs in order.
Stealing a quick glance at a listless looking Bambi, Micheal was ready to snap.

"Bambi" Her eyes didn't even flicker towards him, as if he hadn't spoken at all.

Was this simply defiance? He knew that the woman in his bed was a bad start to their bond- but trying to end her life and becoming a limp doll once she heard some small phrase from a note Maia received- that wasn't ordinary. It screamed trauma.

She's arrived, we are meeting in my office

Micheal received the command from Lucien, and glanced again at Bambi.
He knew he couldn't leave her alone.
Not here at least, and some itching feeling in his senses screamed there was a threat.
His wolf was clawing at his control- wanting to equally claim Bambi, as well as hide her from the world for safety.

I'll be there soon

Micheal replied through the link, moving around his room to gather his things. Apparently some old woman was going to explain all this away? He's no idea, but if snapping an old hags neck meant keeping Bambi safe, he'd take no second to hesitate.

"Baby, we are leaving. I need you to get up" Micheal tried a gentle approach, not touching her or moving too close.
Her soft green eyes flickered towards him for a moment, and this time they weren't dull like they'd been for the past few days.

Hope flickered inside him for a moment as a small smile tilted his lips.

Until her sweet eyes narrowed in a glare and her hand quickly reached the note pad to scribble out her defiance and obvious need to challenge him like a brat.

No

Micheal was already on edge, already close to blowing up. He wasn't level headed like Lucien, mature and brooding.
He was not about to allow this tiny thing- beautiful or not- disrespect him so easily.

Before Bambi could draw out anymore words, she was flat on her back with a hand threateningly wrapped around her neck.
He was extremely warm, and while his large and calloused hand around her throat wasn't squeezing hard enough to cut off her oxygen and blood flow completely, she felt lightheaded.
It didn't held that the tingles his touch created shot straight through her body and core, or that his scent became heavy around her like a blanket around a campfire. It didn't help that seeing his large form looming over her, broad shoulders and pure muscle pinning her down, messy hair and stubble, was all too beautiful.
Micheal leaned down close enough that Bambi could see flakes of gold and red in his brown eyes, his pupils spreading until she knew his wolf had control of his body.

She was ready to cry now, because this version of Micheal was one she had not seen yet.
She was used to the patient and goofy mate, and while she had gotten over the issue with the other female quite reasonably, she was indeed taking out her own issues on Micheal.
It was because of him, all of it was his fault, and Bambi has never wished someone to die as horrible as she wished him. He just waltzed back into their lives by throwing a note at Maia and he got the exact response he wanted.

Panic and fear.

Now her mate- her mate's wolf- was in control because she selfishly pushed him to this.

Maybe she wanted to be hated, despised like she deserved. It might ease the guilt she feels, and while childish, she just wanted to feel okay again.
Like she felt the first night he held her when they met. How he panicked because he forgot he had no clothes on, it nearly brightened her mood.

Until he snarled, teeth bared and canines extended painfully.
Bambi tried to struggle and whine away, cry out, but the hand tightened around her throat a little more and she was forced into submission and stilled.
Micheal leaned right next to her ear, and she realized this was the first time she was meeting his wolf.
The animal side.

"I'll only be telling you once, mate, if you insist on defying me... I will run out of patience. Do you realize? That I've waited to claim what is already mine? I will strip you bare now, fuck you until you forget your name, before I sink my teeth into your neck while I rip orgasm after orgasm out of you. Is that what you want?"
She was floored. Petrified, horrified, and mortified because she was absolutely aroused.

She couldn't stop the whimper of both fear and anticipation, as much as she hated to admit it.
The thought of the sexy man above her doing those said things indeed made her panties wet.
The vulgar way he said them too... she began to question her own preferences at this.

His wolf gave a throaty chuckle, but it was dark and full of promise as he forced her head to the side to run his teeth along her neck. She felt a bubble of pleasure rise, and with so little experience with males, she was defenseless in hiding her moan.
"I think you do want that, don't you?" He growled, and it had her trembling beneath him, still caught by her scruff at his hands.

He was dominating her- and she realized too late to put up any resistance.

He pulled back a little to stare down at her with eyes that dared her to try and struggle, to run, because his eyes were completely black.
This was a predator- and while she knew he wouldn't really harm her... she had no doubt he'd go through with his earlier words.
The devilish smirk also let her know he wanted to go through with them.
Her thighs clenched together but it didn't diminish the smell of her arousal coating the air as he threw his head back and visibly inhaled with a groan.

"I'm going to give you five minutes to dress and be ready to leave before I decide to give you something cry about, am I clear little girl?" She did her best to nod, realizing only now she had her vision blurred by unshed tears.

Whether they were from frustration or disappointment he wasn't going to ravage her as he mentioned... she wouldn't know.

Micheal's eyes slowly returned to their original color, his pupils normal and his control returned, but he still took his time narrowing his eyes dangerously at her and slowly withdrawing his hand from her neck that was likely ringed in red marks.

"Good girl" He praised, and when he leaned down to brush his lips against her own, he only pulled away and chuckled when Bambi unconsciously tried to press her lips deeper onto his.

"Five minutes" he warned before moving from the bed and leaving the room.