SOLOMON

My son and I were sitting at the dock with our rods in the water, waiting. 

The lake was so still, so peaceful. 

I looked down at my son and smirked. He was staring at the water angrily, "Why is the fish not biting yet! This is taking too long!"

"It's all about patience, Milo. If you're patient enough, you'll get a big fish."

He groans, but continues to wait. 

"So are you and Ma aren't fighting anymore?"

I didn't like that he saw his parents always arguing and fighting, saying horrible things to each other. But he's a smart kid, he does have a right to know what's going on in his own family. 

"You're right, son. You're Ma and I are good now."

Milo smiles and nods his head, "Good. I didn't like being away from you for so long. I missed you a lot, Papa."

I felt my heart warm up at his words, "Yeah? I missed you too, Milo. I thought of you everyday."

Milo nods while looking at the lake, "Ma missed you too. She thought I was asleep, but she would cry a lot in her room."

He caught my attention with he just said, "She would cry?"

"Yeah, I didn't like seeing her cry all the time. And sometimes, in her sleep, she would call out your name, I think she was scared in her dreams. Old ken kept visiting her there."

She still had nightmares. I clenched my jaw. I wanted to kill Kendrick so bad. If I ever saw him, I don't think I could contain myself. He has done the worst of the worst to Ayla. I have fantasised of so many ways to end him. 

"You and your Ma are safe now, Son."

Milo looks up at me like I was his everything, "You will protect us, right?"

"Milo, come here." He put his rod in it's holder and turns to me seriously. 

I sigh and looked down at my son, "I love both you and your Ma. I will do anything to protect you both. And if one day something goes wrong and I tell you to run...you run as fast as you can alright? You hearin me, Milo?"

"I will Papa. I'll run. And I'll protect Mama for you."

I smile and kiss him on the head, "That's ma boy."

AYLA

I had most of the day to myself. Solomon was hanging out with our son, which I was happy about. I'm sure it would have been a shock for Soul to know that he had a son all this time. I wanted them to develop a good and strong bond. I wanted Soul to teach him what it meant to be a man, what is means to love and be strong. 

I was happy that Milo finally had his father. The sun was setting over the land. I was sitting at the edge of the cliff, looking at the sky turning from blue to pink. The air was a little cool, but I liked it. It felt fresh as I was breathing. 

I was a little worried. I knew that I was so much stronger than I was when I first escaped. But my head was messed up still. I would think things that I knew were totally wrong and messed up. I would feel things that weren't there. 

I was scared that I would never get better, I would never truly be free of my past. I didn't want to voice what I was feeling because I didn't want anyone know that I was still...broken. I didn't want Soul to know. Maybe he wouldn't want me anymore? He might find it too hard? 

I leaned back and watched the sun go down while thinking these thoughts. I took a deep breath. I needed to try and think straight, I need to focus on my son and Soul. 

"What're you doing out here all on your own?"

I looked over my shoulder and saw Solomon standing there with his arms crossed, "You shouldn't be out here on your own. I don't ever want you on your own. We haven't heard anything from Kendrick," He came walking and sat beside me, "And until we know exactly whats happening, I want you by my side. I need you near me, Ayla. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."

I smirked and patted his knee, "Calm down, Solo. I'm okay. I can handle myself. I'm a tough wolf."

Solomon sighed, "I know, but I still want you with me."

I leaned and said, "If it really bothers you that much, I'll be near."

Solomon relaxes and nods his head approvingly. We just sat there looking at the sun slowly disappearing when I turned to Soul. He was already looking at me. 

I gulped as I felt my cheeks blush at how intense his stare was. I ducked my head down slightly, but Soul gently cups my cheeks and raises my head towards him, "Don't look away," He says. 

His eyes were soft as he says, "I never thought this day would come. The day I get to just hold you."

I cup his cheek and run my thumb over it, "I never thought it would come either. But we got through our battles, and here we are. You're holding me...and I'm holding you."

Soul leans in and gently presses his lips to mine. At first our lips were just touching, and then he started to move his lips against mine. I responded by doing the same. 

His arms left my cheek and wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up and sitting me on his lap. I wrap my arms around his neck as our kiss starts to become more passionate. I heard him slightly groan against my lips as I had racked my fingers through his hair. 

Solomon lifted me up and lays me unto the ground gently. My legs were parted and he was lying in between them as we kissed heatedly. His kisses left my lips, and they were travelling down my face to my neck. My breath hitched when I felt him kiss a sensitive spot.

A strange feeling built in my chest. I frowned in confusion. A burning feeling started to spread in my chest, it felt like...like panic. I open my eyes and they widened when I saw Kendrick was on top of me. He smiled down at me and said, "You will never be rid of me."

"No!" I screamed. I pushed away and crawled backwards away from him. I blinked my eyes and then Soul appeared. He sat there looking shocked.

I was pressed up against the stone wall shaking. His form blurred when tears filled my eyes. 

I wrapped my arms around my knees, hoping to protect myself. 

"Hey, hey, Ayla. It's me. Solomon." He says in a soft voice.

He slowly crawled towards me, making sure I was freaking out. He crouched in front of me and gently takes me hands in his big ones, "You're okay, Ayla. You're not there, you're here, with me, with Milo."

SOLOMON

I was looking down at my shaking mate. She looked terrified. It broke my heart seeing her like this. She looked so broken, so scared.

Her lip quivered as she sobbed, "He won't leave me alone. He will always be there...he will always be in here," she said tapping her head. 

I shake my head. I wrap my arms around her and lift her up on my lap. She curls up against my chest and rests here head in my neck. Her hand grabbed my shirt tight in her fist, almost like she is assuring herself she's with me...and not him. 

I tighten my hold on her and start to rock the slightest bit as she silently cries, "He's not here, Ayla. I'm here with you. As long as I'm here, nothing will ever hurt you ever again. You're safe, little wolf. You're safe."

"When I was in the attic, "She whispered quietly, "when I couldn't sleep, I would fantasise about you," my brows raise in surprise as she continued, "I would imagine you coming to save me, telling me that I wasn't alone anymore, that I was safe, and you would love me and care for me," fresh tears fell from her face, "But then Kendrick would come along and...I felt so alone, I didn't feel safe. I truly thought he was going to kill me. It was torture, waiting for the day he might hurt me a little more...and I wouldn't wake up."

I growled, "I hate that he hurt you. I want to kill him for what he did to you. I want him to suffer just as you had suffered. I want him to pay." Rage was slowly boiling inside me, and once it was ready, I was going to unleash it all on to Kendrick. He will die by my hand. I crave for his death to be on my hand, "He won't come near you Ayla. He'll die before he even got the chance to."

I looked down at her and her lips tip up slightly, "I feels good being protected. I haven't felt protected in so long. It feels good that someone else is being strong for me."

A memory flashed in my head. It was when Ayla was in hospital and she was crying about how she is tired. She was tired of being strong, of being the protector. 

"Ayla?" I said gently. 

She raises her head to look at me as I looked into her eyes. I cup her soft cheeks and I said, "You've done this for so long. Being strong for Milo and yourself, and you've an incredible job of it. You are the best mother to our son. But I can take it from here, okay? I will be strong for both you and our son, I will protect you and Milo with my life. So rest, little wolf. You deserve to have peace, let me do the fighting now."

I saw Ayla's eyes widen before tears fell from her face. Her body sagged more against me, like she was relieved. She gave me a quivering smile as she said, "Thank you, Soul. You've no idea how much that means to me." And then she lays her head back in my neck, as I felt her breath slowly even out.