Lyndis lay in one of the guest beds that was far too small for the number of bodies that now lay atop it, but it hardly mattered with how close they were all jammed together. They needed the comfort.

Lyn's heart broke just a bit more at how they all cried themselves to sleep. And it hurt even worse that she had no words of comfort for them.

So she let them cry.

And she just laid there and listened, letting their anguish fuel her hatred and anger.

Lyndis glanced to the window. It had gone quiet, even though she could clearly smell the enforcers that were posted outside the house, they weren't making any sound.

She glanced to the clock when she finally heard the front door open downstairs. It was 3:12 a.m.

Lyndis grit her teeth.

She was too buried in warm bodies to even think about getting up right away, so instead, she quietly listened to him move around. She didn't need to hear his pacing to know he was distressed. She felt it in their bond. It occurred to her then; he must be feeling hers as well.

Somehow, that gave her some sick comfort. She was angry at him; she wanted him to feel her pain. But that same anger seemed to make her chest hurt all the more.

In all the deaths she suffered through... all the heartache she had to endure throughout the years...

It paled in comparison to what she felt now.

She'd never felt so emotionally broken as she did at that moment.

...but she'd never had a mating bond before, and she'd never been betrayed by her mate.

Finally, she could stand it no longer. The ache was threatening to drive her mad. Lyndis gently detangled herself from her sisters.

She shuffled their bodies as gently as she could into more comfortable sleeping positions, but not one of them woke. Their small bodies had reached the limit of emotional fatigue. Lyn doubted they'd wake for anything right now.

Lyn moved to the doorway and hesitated for a moment. She felt reluctant to leave them, but she forced herself out and closed the door gently.

Slowly, she made her way back to the room she shared with Gaius to change clothes. She was still wearing his shirt, and she suddenly didn't want to be. She dressed in her own clothes and glanced to the bed.

She didn't want to be in there. It still smelled like Gaius and her. Everything felt so strange, so surreal. She felt numb.

Lyn couldn't believe only a few short hours ago; she had been happy. That happiness seemed so far away now.

Slowly and quietly, Lyndis descended the stairs. Gaius was standing there, waiting for her. A thick, awkward silence followed. He was reluctant to meet her eyes.

"Where's my cell phone?" Lyndis demanded. Gaius took a slow breath.

"Not here." He said vaguely. Lyndis grit her teeth in anger. She was trying hard to keep herself together. The ache in her chest worsened. God damn this mating bond.

Finally, she could stand the silence no longer. She took a slow breath.

"Did you know about this?" Lyndis asked in a tone she had meant to sound fierce, but it came out broken. The emotion fully hit her then. Gaius finally met her eyes.

"Yes... I mean, no, it's not what you think, we are on the brink of war, we can't have them here now, they'd be in the middle of it out there. You heard him, my father fully intended to allow them to stay the full length of what he promised, but he has to suspend it for now because of the issues we're having, he has every intention of following through with it when things settle down... he'll allow them to come back." Gaius said. His voice sounded stressed. Lyn grit her teeth.

"Why the hell would they come back now? After what he did!" Lyn growled. Gaius glanced backward to the front door. She knew he was trying to gently hint to her there were ears nearby. But at current, she didn't give a fuck!

"He had every intention of speaking to your father about it... to which I can't see that he would have refused," Gaius spoke quickly now as if he was trying to get out what he wanted to say before she interrupted him.

"They will have a much better life here... a chance at a normal pack life, with good mates. My father will ensure they'll have the best-" Gaius tried to keep going. What little of the rage she had managed to quell surged back full force.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! You have NO idea what you've done to my family... what kind of life we've led up until now... my family was already in a vulnerable state, and he further tore their hearts out-" Lyndis snarled.

"You made my point for me! The life you led is no life for them. Without females in their group... they will be safer. You said it yourself... how dangerous it is out there. It's safe here, they can-" Gaius continued.

"Safety is just an illusion. Our pack was three times the size of yours... and we still fell. Nowhere is safe, not truly... so what matters in this life is being with the ones who make you feel safe, no matter how short a time that may be. My pack sisters belong with their family... my parents, my uncles, and cousins. You have no idea what true horrors we have been through, and what you have done to them taking away what little of what they have left. What your rat of a father did was cowardly! Taking advan-" Lyndis was cut off by a hand firmly over her mouth. She tried to shove away from him, but he quickly wrapped his other hand around the back of her head and held her tighter.

As she tried to pry his hand away, she met his eyes and glared, but the look in his own was pleading. He gently shook his head. Lyndis relaxed a bit, but he didn't release her. He leaned in to tenderly nuzzle against the side of her face, and it flared her anger all the more.

She didn't want him to touch her right now, even though she knew he was just trying to calm their agitated wolves. She shoved against him again, and he finally released her.

"Don't touch me. Stay away from me." Lyndis growled.

The look that crossed her mate's face at her words, she doubted she'd ever forget.

Shattered.

"Give me my phone," Lyndis demanded as she fiercely ignored what she felt from the mating bond. She couldn't help the worry; she needed to know they had made it someplace safe.

"I can't," Gaius said, his voice was pained.

"Then give me your phone," Lyndis demanded. Gaius simply stared at her. Lyndis ground her teeth.

"Give me any phone!" Lyndis shouted. Gaius suddenly looked pained.

"I can't do that," Gaius said. She was nearly trembling with the anger now.

"Then don't bother talking to me until you can." Lyndis snapped. She turned and made her way back to her sisters and didn't look back.

The moment she was out of his sight, she braced herself against the wall and crumpled against it on a slow descent to the floor.

The pain that burst from her bond in her chest was almost unbearable. She felt the hot tears start to stream silently down her cheeks.

The only comfort she got, was knowing he could feel it too.

_

Ten days passed.

It was torture.

Lyndis had never experienced anything like it before.

The mating bond felt like it was slowly killing her. Her inner wolf was hurting, and she felt his hurt too, but Lyndis wouldn't let herself forgive him.

She couldn't; for one reason alone.

Her pack sisters were inconsolable. All they did was cry. Despite whatever pain she got from denying her mating bond, it was their tears that were hurting her the most.

None of them wanted to get out of bed. It was a struggle for Lyn just to get them to eat. Her heart ached for them, for her family. The worry for the others was eating at her too. She wanted to know that they made it somewhere safe.

The Alpha bond she had with them was her only true consolation. She took strength from it.

Lyn never thought she had so much hate in her heart, but the very thought of Vitor made her blood boil and her wolf practically claw at her skin to get out. She never wanted to tear someone's heart out and feel the heat of their blood in her mouth as much as that wolf.

No... not a wolf, a fucking monster.

Aside from the enforcers that were posted outside their home, no one had bothered them.

Gaius didn't even come home for the first five days. She was left completely alone.

And that somehow made it worse.

When he did finally start coming home on that sixth day, he did try, once to talk to her through the closed door. She never answered, and he gave up. He took to staying away during the day and would return only at night. Not that Lyn saw him.

She avoided him at all costs.

They slept in separate bedrooms. When he came home, Lyn made it a point to not leave the room her sisters were hauled up in. She didn't even want to see his face.

And she felt his pain because of it.

Despite it causing her added discomfort, Lyn couldn't help but take a bit of sick satisfaction from it.

He deserved it...

Lyn was abruptly brought out of her thoughts when she heard the slight whimper.

Currently, she sat on the floor with her back to the wall of one of their guest bathrooms. Adalyn and Sophie sat in the bathtub. Lyn frowned at the their wilted demeanor. Normally they were so playful.

They weren't even two yet, they were still babies, and she had hoped at least they wouldn't be as downhearted as the rest.

But she was wrong; they could feel everyone's raw emotions. Lyn knew the entire house felt horribly gloomy.

"Mama," Adalyn mumbled sadly in French. Sophie started to slowly sob beside her. Lyn didn't think her heart could possibly break more. She felt tears in her eyes as she stared at their two sad little faces.

"She's not here. But I'm here." Lyndis said firmly. Both girls started to wail in earnest now. Lyndis grit her teeth and glanced away from them. She wanted so badly to tell them they'd see them soon, but she didn't know if that was true, she couldn't give them false hope.

With every tear they cried though, the resolution was setting firmer and firmer in her mind.

She would find a way to get them back to her family. Lyn was bound to Gaius, she could never truly leave him, but none of her sisters would be forced to stay here.

She didn't care what it cost her... She would get them free.

_

Lyndis was silent as she made dinner. Adalyn and Sophie sat on a blanket beside the couch. Neither one was making any noise. It bothered her.

She glanced toward the stairs. None of the others had come down. Lyndis knew she needed to get them out of that room. It was not good for their wolves to be cooped up. They hadn't been in fur in over a week... it was starting to truly worry her.

And it would only make their emotional state worse.

Lyndis frowned deeply at that thought and put everything in the oven to bake. It was then that the fatigue washed over her. She took a moment to rest her forehead against her arms on the kitchen counter.

She hated that her body felt so shattered. That all she really wanted to do was lie in that bed and cry along with them, but she wouldn't let herself. Lyn knew she was functioning right now by sheer determination.

She felt him before she caught his scent. Lyndis shot up from her slumped position and cast a sharp glance to the door. Her heart started to thump at the pull of her mating bond. He hadn't been coming home this early. He'd always wait until after dark.

Panic seized her chest.

She didn't want to see him. She didn't think she could resist running into his arms right now. Lyn hated him at present, but she couldn't deny the ache to feel him against her.

These past few days had truly been torture. Lyndis glanced to the pups sitting on the blanket. They were looking toward the door as well. Lyn knew she'd never get them and make it upstairs in time before he came into sight of the windows. She wasn't about to let him see her run from him.

Lyn evaded her eyes as he approached the house and forced her body to stand upright. The door opened soon after, and she could smell his calming scent. She both hated and loved that it felt so soothing right now. Her whole body felt the throb to go to him.

Her wolf desperately wanted to.

He paused after shutting the door, and it went silent between them. Lyn refused to look at him, even when she felt his eyes on her. She didn't trust herself.

Finally, she felt his eyes leave her, and Lyndis released a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

His footsteps instead went for the living room where the two pups were sitting. She knew Gaius had always been good with her family, but after everything that happened, the thought of him approaching the most defenseless of her pack sisters made her suddenly uneasy.

She frantically glanced up, only to see him kneeling down in front of them with a bag of toys. Lyndis furrowed her brow.

He set everything out in front of them, and when they didn't immediately reach for anything, he goofily tried to coax them. Soon, both girls were grabbing at the toys and started playing with them. Lyn just stared at them in wonderment, especially as she heard Sophie giggle.

He grinned and gently ran a hand over the tops of each of their heads and through their soft hair. Just seeing him smile made her heart hurt all the worse. She ached seeing him be so gentle with them. Lyndis took a deep breath through the tightness.

Finally, he glanced up again, and she met his eyes, despite herself. His grinning expression fell slightly, and Lyndis quickly looked away.

An awkward silence followed.

"I... need their sizes," Gaius said in a strange tone. Lyndis made slight fists against her thighs. His voice sent a tingle through her. She hadn't heard him speak in days.

"They'll need clothes..." Gaius continued when she didn't immediately reply. Lyn knew they had nothing for them. Everything they owned had been left with her family. She had just been washing their same outfits over and over when she was able to get them out of their clothes.

"I'll write them down," Lyn replied weakly. She had tried to make her tone cold but failed. He stood then, and Lyndis turned away. She heard him sigh. A deep and troubled one.

"Lyn... please, you have to understand-" Gaius began.

"I don't care to hear any more excuses for your-" Lyndis snapped. Gaius quickly cut her off before she could go further.

"You cannot speak ill of him." Gaius snarled. Lyn shot him a glare at him defending the monster. The sorrow inside her turned to anger.

They stared each other down for a moment until Gaius' hard expression softened. His gaze shifted to the stairs, and Lyn knew what stole his attention.

She could hear them; they'd started crying again. It made her stomach twist unpleasantly. Lyn grit her teeth and glanced away from him again.

"They can't keep staying in the house. It's not healthy, and it will make them worse." Gaius said after a moment. His tone was gentle now.

Lyndis glared harder and cast a glance to the windowed wall of the front of the house as if to emphasize her point. The enforcers were clearly visible at the tree line. Gaius sighed.

"They are assigned to be your escorts until you are full members of the pack, they will remain with you to ensure you are protected and don't leave pack grounds. They aren't here to keep you in the house." Gaius replied gently. Lyndis scoffed. Like that made it better?

They were still no better than prisoners.

And as for being 'full members of the pack,' she knew he meant declaring their loyalty to that pathetic excuse for an Alpha. Lyndis doubted she ever could again.

"My sisters aren't ready to go out," Lyndis said firmly. It was silent for a moment before Gaius slowly nodded.

"My mother has agreed to give you all another week... but after that, she expects you to continue with your pack duties. Tutors have already been assigned for them; they'll be here Sunday..." Gaius said, his tone a bit strange.

Lyndis grit her teeth in anger. The thought of Carina pushing that on them thoroughly pissed her off.

"A week? That's generous of her." Lyndis said mockingly. Gaius expression tightened. Another tense silence followed.

"Lyn... I know this is hard now, believe me... I feel everything you're going through, and it's killing me. We will give you all time, but it will get easier if you just accept-" Gaius began.

"I will never accept this. What he's done to my family is unacceptable." Lyndis snarled. Gaius stared at her for a time, and Lyndis forced herself to look away. The look on his face was doing things to her she didn't want to feel.

"You are my mate... you belong here. Please just... try to forgive him enough to give your loyalty back. I promise you... life for you all will be good here. Just... give it a chance." Gaius said, his tone was pleading.

Lyndis didn't bother looking at him, not even when he approached her. He was only a few feet away now, and she felt the physical ache to reach out and touch him. Lyn glanced to his hands; she could see them clenching and unclenching. She knew he likely felt the same ache. But Lyndis refused to give in.

"Is that all you had to say?" Lyndis asked. She hated the weakness in her voice. Gaius was quiet for a moment.

"Yes," Gaius said. Lyndis gave a slight nod.

"Good... then leave," Lyndis said firmly. She felt the effect of her words through their bond, and Lyndis fought hard not to let the tears fall. Without another word, he turned and left, shutting the door quietly behind him.