"One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone."
~Shannon L. Alder
***

Anna

One month later...

It felt weird being back in Wyoming after staying at the Shadows' compound for almost a month. We did so to help them recover, repair, and rebuild after the battle. It also allowed us to recuperate ourselves, especially Elsa, Kara, and Carson. The latter two had been imprisoned for almost six months, and their emaciated bodies proved as much. They were still wary of the Shadow kids, but they trusted my pack immediately. They gravitated towards Elsa, I think, because of their shared trauma.

Elsa, as good as she was at hiding from everyone else, couldn't hide her inner troubles from Spencer or me. Multiple times, we'd found her curled in a ball in a corner, her body convulsing after being slightly shocked from static electricity, the slightest spark bringing back horrible memories.

Spencer told me that she was waking up from nightmares every night. She'd whimper and whine and cry, but nothing he could do would wake her up. So instead, he'd just hold her until it passed or until she woke up on her own, silent sobs wracking her body as she relived her torture. I hated seeing my sister like this, and I'd do anything to help it go away, but I had no idea what I could do, nor did Spencer.

Through me, Dom knew everything going on with Elsa and the saint that he was, he listened to me repeat my concerns and fears over and over again, just like he was doing now.

"I don't know what to do, and I hate it! I hate that I can't help her!" I hissed, violently shoving a pair of jeans into my suitcase. "I wish I could call Melinda. She's a psychologist. She would know how to help Elsa."

"You didn't leave on as bad of terms with them as Elsa did. Maybe Melinda would be willing to help still," Dom suggested, sitting on the edge of my bed next to my suitcase.

I shook my head. "No, I still left them for Elsa, who they view as a traitor. I'm probably as bad as her in their eyes."

"Don't know if you don't try."

I looked at him quizzically, silently debating it. If it meant helping my sister, wouldn't it be worth it?

Before I could stop myself, I grabbed my phone and dialed Melinda's number, pacing up and down the room with the phone on speaker. It rang and rang, and I started to lose hope until an inquisitive but perky voice asked, "Hello?"

An idea suddenly struck me. Who said Melinda had to know it was me? In a thick, Georgian drawl, I said, "Is this Melinda Hess?"

"Yes, this is she. May I ask who is calling?"

"Uh, my name is Lizzie Winchester. I met a former member of your family, a, uh, Anna Laroche?"

Melinda's tone sharpened. "What? When did you meet her?"

Shit. Please don't hang up, or worse, get my parents on the phone!

"Yes, ma'am, a few weeks ago. She saved my sister's life. Puttin' it simply, my sister, Felicity, she was tortured somethin' awful by these people called the Shadows. She discovered about you Shifters, and the Shadows thought she knew more than she did. She's been having trouble with the trauma, and Anna said you might be able to help her since you're a Shifter and all, and my sister wouldn't have to hide anything from you."

"I- oh gosh. Um, this is complicated. I don't know if I should because it's a long story, but I also took an oath to help people." Melinda sighed, and her silence suggested she was weighing the pros and cons of this decision. "I'll help your sister. I can drive out to where you are and talk to her-"

"No!" I exclaimed, hastily adding, "Sorry, she's not seeing anyone other than me and her boyfriend. She's terrified of strangers. She doesn't even know I'm makin' this call, but I'm desperate. Would it be possible to do it all over the phone?"

"It wouldn't be the best or most effective way, but I'm sure it could be done. But in order for me to do that, I need you to tell me where you met Anna Laroche."

"It was in Chicago," I lied. "After the battle, she saw my sister have one of her panic attacks, and that's when she gave us your name."

"Was she with anyone else?"

"Just a man."

"What did he look like?"

"Tall, dark-haired-" I glanced over at Dom, smirking- "Handsome as the devil."

Dom grinned in return.

"Do you know his name?" Melinda prodded.

"No, ma'am. Sorry to disappoint. Listen, I have to go because my sister is coming, and I need to convince her to accept your generosity but thank you for all your help, Mrs. Hess! I'll find a way to pay you for this."

"Pay me with information about Anna Laroche. Long story short, it's my alpha's daughter who left without notice, and we're desperate to find her."

"If I hear from her again, I'll let you know. Goodbye." I hung up before Melinda could continue the conversation and get more out of me. I felt like I'd already divulged too much.

"You did great," Dom said, standing up and pulling me into a comforting embrace.

"They're looking for me. That's concerning," I mumbled into his chest.

"How come?"

"Because if they're looking for me, I'm putting the rest of the pack at risk of being discovered."

"Then it's probably a good thing we're going out of the country."

"Now, I just need to go convince Elsa to talk to Melinda under an assumed name, so she can get the help she needs."

"Want any help?"

"No, I think this should be between me, her, and Spencer. I'm sure she knows I'm already telling you about this stuff, but since Spencer and I are the ones who officially know everything she's going through-"

"I understand," Dom said, kissing the top of my head. "I'll be here when you're done talking to her. I want to discuss something with you afterward."

"Everything okay?" I asked, looking up at him worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Go talk to Elsa first. Her health takes priority."

I cupped his face and pulled his lips down to mine, trying to show him my appreciation for his thoughtfulness and understanding in the gesture. His fingers dug into my hips, pulling me tightly against him in return.

"We might not just be talking when you get back," he said huskily when I broke it off. "Not if you kiss me like that again."

I pecked him on the lips. "Sounds very tempting and like something I'd definitely be interested in doing when I return. I'll be back."

Smiling to myself, I strode out of the room, afraid if I let myself stay any longer, I would end up continuing what I started with Dom rather than convincing Elsa to talk to Melinda. I still wasn't sure what Dom and I were. We weren't fuck buddies by any means, but we weren't boyfriend and girlfriend either. I kept meaning to talk to him about it, but I chickened out every time I thought about bringing it up, worried if I did, that it'd stop whatever we had.

I found Elsa in her room. She and Spencer were packing their bags, smiling and chatting about the upcoming trip. It was the first time I'd seen her genuinely smiling ever since her torture, and I hated to ruin the moment, but I told myself this one moment in time was just that: one moment. I wanted Elsa to have more and more days like this, talking more about everyday things and thinking less about her ordeal.

"Hey, Anna," Spencer chirped when he saw me in the doorway. "What's up?"

"Not much. I wanted to talk to Elsa about something," I answered, stepping all the way inside the impeccably clean master bedroom.

"I can leave you two be. I can go see-"

"Actually, I wanted you to be here for this too."

Both of their faces fell. Elsa inquired, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I shut the door and then took a seat in the armchair on the far side of the room. Elsa and Spencer sat on the love seat across from me. I took a deep breath, wishing I'd brought Dom along after all, if not just for the moral support. "So please don't get mad at me for doing this, but I can't stand here and do nothing when I see you struggling every day with the aftermath of what you went through."

Elsa blanched. "What did you do?"

"I talked to a psychologist. They, uh, they know about our kind, and they're willing to help."

"How do they know about us?" Spencer asked, his brow furrowing.

God, I wish he hadn't brought that up yet. "Because they're a Shifter."

"Anna, you didn't," Elsa said, her voice cracking. "Please tell me you didn't call her."

"I used a fake name, if it helps, so they don't know it's you or me. They think it's the Winchester sisters."

Spencer's eyes flicked between us. "Who is 'they'?"

"Melinda Hess," I replied. Elsa started to open her mouth to argue, I could tell, but I refused to give her the opportunity. "I was desperate, Elsa. No other psychologist can help you because they'll think you're nuts if you tell them you're a Shifter or give you to the government if you show them you are. Melinda was none the wiser that it was me, and she won't know it's you if you use your fake name." I continued to explain my conversation with Melinda in detail, emphasizing that she believed us to be humans who knew about Shifters and that Elsa had been captured because she possessed this information. "All you have to do is pretend you're Felicity Winchester, speak in a thick Georgian accent, and let her help you, so you don't have to keep suffering."

"Anna's right," Spencer said softly, resting his hand on Elsa's back. "What you went through, it's not something you can come back from unscathed. She and I have both seen the toll it's taken on you, and you're not weak for getting help."

Elsa bowed her head, staring at her clasped hands. Spencer and I shared a look, both unsure of what was running through Elsa's mind. I got up and knelt in front of my sister. "I know you've stopped me from feeling what you're going through now that you're more in control of your emotions, but that's how I know it's bad. You never used to hide any of that from me. I know it's Melinda, and I know your feelings towards our family aren't what they used to be, but if she doesn't know it's you as Elsa Laroche, then what's the harm in talking to her if it means you can help yourself overcome this?"

She didn't say anything, only kept her head bowed. Spencer wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Elsa? You with us?"

She nodded ever so slightly as she whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Even I could hear my total bewilderment. "What on earth are you sorry for?"

"Everything. For making you run away from home to come rescue me, for making you feel the pain I did, for causing both of you more pain after the fact. For not being strong enough to overcome this..."

"Elsa, look at me," Spencer ordered firmly yet not unkindly. My sister hesitated before obeying. My heart dropped to my stomach when I saw her flushed cheeks and tear-filled eyes. Spencer cupped her face. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I know I speak for both Anna and myself when I say we would go through it all again if it meant we would have you sitting here in front of us like we do now. We will do whatever it takes to help you, now and in the future because that's what sisters and mates do. If you want one of us or both of us to be here when you call Melinda for your sessions, we will gladly do so. If you don't, we'll do that too. We will support you either way, and we will help you get through this."

Elsa nodded shakily. "Okay. I'll- I'll do it."

Spencer kissed her brow. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs and looked over at me, asking, "Do you think Melinda would be free now?"

"I'm sure she would be if it means she can get more information about me and the mystery man I'm traveling with," I said, trying to joke a little at the end so I could rid my sister of her tears if just for a moment. I pulled out my phone and handed it to Elsa. "Here. It's the first number."

With trembling hands, Elsa took it from me. "I- could... would you two mind staying here, so I don't chicken out on this? I know I need help, but this involves talking to the pack that-"

"We will be right here," Spencer promised.

I heard Elsa gulp, and she hit redial. Melinda picked up instantly. "Hello?"

"Melinda Hess?" Elsa asked in a thick Georgian drawl.

"Yes?"

"My name is Felicity Winchester. My sister, Lizzie, said you were willing to help me, and I-I need it. I don't know if now's a good time or-"

"I'm free now," Melinda said, her tone softening significantly. There was some rustling of paper in the background. "All right, let's get started. Let's start with how the capture happened."