Wow, um. Hi?

I know it's been awhile, but hey! I graduated and I survived my senior year (by some miracle). As such, I have taken several weeks off to just relax and recover as well as focus on me. Good news: This story is finally coming to a close! Can you believe it? I wrote the original story a lonnnnnnnnggg time ago when my writing still needed work and developing plot was still work-in-progress, but it's finally ending with this masterpiece that I'm extremely proud of. Been quite the journey, I'm sure for y'all as well, but don't worry! A sequel will be in the works and I hope to publish that within a few months time!

Anyway, I also realized that I left y'all on a cliffhanger and I apologize for the long wait. This chapter is also a lot longer than the others (I tried), so I hope you enjoy!

~Delyth

"I was not a pet, not a doll, not an animal. I was a survivor, and I was strong. I would not be weak, or helpless again. I would not, could not be broken. Tamed."—Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Mist and Fury)

Chapter Ten

Survival

Ari lay slumped in her prison cell in a growing pool of blood that soaked through the blue shirt and black sweat pants like a sponge. As if the material of her clothes could bring the lifeblood she was steadily losing back into her bloodstream. She didn't know how long sweet darkness had pulled her under its numbing waters, but all she knew was the bastard who'd shot her wasn't anywhere in the room. The gun he'd pulled out on her had been a .45 and the three slugs he'd shot were in a cluster around her left shoulder and chest.

He'd been aiming to kill her and yet she wasn't sure if a werewolf could die from an injury like this unless the bullets were made of silver, which there was little doubt about that as her chest erupted in a burst of flames the minute she thought about it. She'd been too weak to really stand on her own without supervision before being kidnapped, and with three silver bullet wounds that had to be lodged in her flesh and bones somewhere, there was a low chance of survival.

As the fire spread from her chest and shoulder to the surrounding area, her vocal chords let loose a shriek of utter agony and frustration. She'd been so close to truly tasting freedom and regaining some control in her life again once all of this was over. Dreams of hopefully finding her sister, rekindling communication with her family, and returning to school again were crumbling to ashes right before her eyes. Her hand reached up to press down on the closest wound in a vain attempt to stop some of the bleeding. She didn't want to die like this—not in this Godforsaken cage that had nothing but terrible memories of fear, blood, and crushing depression.

She couldn't just roll over and die—not after meeting Mercy, Adam, Jesse, and members of the Pack. Not after she'd tasted freedom for a few days and the hopes for the future were dangled in front of her. Not after Warren had given her hope to meet with her family again after four long years.

Her breath hissed between clenched teeth as she rolled onto her shoulder and bit back the second scream as pain radiated up and down her spine. Ari couldn't—wouldn't let Dr. Wallace's son end her life like this. She deserved more than this. With her blue gaze hardening to determined sapphires, she focused on the chain attached to a metal hook embedded in the wall. It took her a few tries before she was able to tear the metal plate screwed into the stone out, and by the time she was able to sit up, her vision began to darken as agony continued to spread the more she moved.

Teeth still gritted to the point of grinding, Ari hissed air through her parted lips in barely controlled bursts as she used the wall as a base to center herself. Slowly, she was able to push herself up into a standing position. The only problem now was walking without falling back to the ground in a heap. Just leaning against the wall was making her legs quiver with exertion and she hadn't even taken one step yet.

She looked up at the camera that was probably still monitoring her progress and with narrowed eyes, her will reached out and crushed the CCTV until it spewed wires and spasming circuits. With a moan, she clamped her right hand to the wound over her heart and prayed she'd be able to at least make it out of the room before the silver destroyed her from the inside out, or she passed out again from blood loss.

Her legs worked as well as a newborn foal's first steps, and the fabric of her bloodied shirt was the only thing separating her from the silver bars from her shoulder after she stumbled into them. Ari used the bars as a temporary crutch as she took one painstakingly small step after the other toward the cell door. She prayed Dr. Wallace's spawn hadn't locked the door back and her eyes filled with tears when she shoved it open with a bare foot. There wasn't any resistance as it squealed on its hinges and she would've collapsed in joy alone at the fact had it not been for her wolf's impatience to keep moving. There was little time to celebrate anything since she was literally bleeding out and had three silver slugs in her body that were spreading its poison through her bloodstream. God only knew how much time she had left before her heart began to fail let alone the rest of her abused body.

Ari stumbled into the wall that was just outside her cage's door and she continued the same pattern as before. The wall acted as a support while she took one step at a time toward the next door—just one more step toward freedom, though she wasn't sure what kind of freedom she meant anymore. If she survived this then all those hopes and dreams would be reborn again, but if she didn't then at least she didn't die in that fucking cage.

The metal door was too heavy for her to push open, and she again relied on her telekinetic gifts to break it off the hinges and into a pile of crates that were stacked well over her head. They teetered from one side to the other before tumbling backwards and into the next tower of wooden crates in a domino effect. So much for stumbling around half-dead without alerting anyone. Despite leaving the prison cell and returning to the labyrinth of wooden crates that often plagued her nightmares, Ari had to lean heavily against the nearest wall with a wheeze. It was becoming hard to see without blinking several times to clear her vision, and she felt even more weak and tired after using her telekinesis on three occasions. Her mind may have been stronger than her physical body at the moment, but even she had difficulty when she was struggling to focus.

Gasping for more air, she strained to keep her legs from folding underneath her. She could do one more step, that would be easy. Her right foot moved an inch forward and with some more encouragement from her wolf, Ari was able to walk down the cluttered hallway. The progress was gradual and grueling in such a way that there were times her consciousness slipped away for brief periods before she'd come to again and realize she was in a completely different part of the compound.

We will survive just as we have before, her wolf intoned with a stubborn growl by way of explanation when Ari asked if she'd taken over during those small blackouts.

Grateful for her help, Ari continued the painful journey for as long as she was able until she reached what appeared to be a loading dock of some sort. There wasn't a soul around after she spread her waning senses out as far as she could. The loading dock had a set of metal stairs that led to a second story balcony which overlooked the three black SUVs parked side by side. There was another door in the far-right corner that smelled of the brisk winter air and two metal garage doors that were closed shut with padlocks. As she surveyed the room, her legs finally had enough of Ari pushing them to their limits and collapsed. On the way down, she bumped her head against the metal plating of the garage door and she landed on the thick chain still attached to her collar.

She coughed, blood trickling down her pale lips and chin. Her body jerked and twitched as pain travelled from every crevice of her entire being as the silver spread its disease from her chest cavity and shoulder. Already her muscles stiffened and slowly became numb as her vision began to blur. Her ears roared in tandem with her erratic heart as she struggled to breathe.

Dimly, Ari could hear startled shouts trickling into the loading dock after one of the upper deck's doors slid opened briefly. In one heartbeat, there was a startled gasp that quickly followed several footsteps rushing down the metal staircase.

Air shuddered from her mouth and she could barely make out the desperate call of her own name. Someone was touching her neck, pushing the metal collar up until it pinched her skin, and she could hear distant murmurings again. There was a cold nose sniffing near her ear and followed the line of her jaw to her cheek to her mouth where it paused. Through the thick fog surrounding her senses and pushing her further under the numbing waves Death offered, Ari felt connected to the wolf (because what else could it be?) as it brushed the thick, blood-soaked strands of chocolate away from her pallid cheek. Even her wolf, who was struggling to keep them both from disappearing into oblivion, perked at the scent as it washed over them.

Her mind struggled and strained against Death's embrace as the wolf licked her cheek and whined. It was like he'd become a tether between her and the world that had been cruel to her since becoming a teenager. She fought and kicked at the numbing blackness swarming at her vision—fighting to the surface and toward this string of light that hadn't given up when it was clear that Ari almost did.

The closer she swam to the numbing ocean's surface, the clearer her mind and senses became. She could make out fractured sentences, could feel someone's warm and calloused palm touch her cheek, could smell several people around her—people who'd fought for her and helped her despite the mess she'd brought them. Her lashes fluttered against a pale cheek and she looked blearily through a small slit—the largest opening her eyelids could handle—to meet Adam's concerned face. He said something she couldn't quite make out and when it was clear that she had little strength to remain conscious for long, he picked her up like he hadn't been hurt at all and carried her.

Dimly, she realized that a bruised, frightened Jesse was on her father's left side while Mercy and a redhead human male took point. On Adam's right was the red wolf who'd acted as her tether back to the real world. She struggled to remain conscious, but everything came in and out of focus no matter how hard she tried. Her eyes slid closed as a rush of warmth and sunshine and vitality seemed to flood her system, giving her the strength to stay alive for a little while longer.

There was an exchange as someone took her from Adam's arms and placed her on the ground near a truck of some sort. She could feel them ripping her shirt in half and, too weak to really struggle and panic, a pair of hands began to meticulously press and poke and prod at her wounds around her heart and shoulder. The cool, night air sent goosebumps along her bare torso and a clear, gentle call whispered in her ears—one that she recognized once a month on a single night. She realized belatedly that not only was she outside but there was a full moon, which filled her with a calming and soothing strength, and Doc was creating makeshift bandages to halt the bleeding until he had access to medical tools again.

"You're going to be alright, Ari," he said, his voice brooking no argument as his hands flitted around her upper torso. "If you can hear me, squeeze my hand." He grabbed her right hand and she did as he asked with as much strength as she could.

"Thatta girl. You stay right here, and you keep on fighting like the survivor I know you are." Doc patted her hand before letting go and walking away, but she wasn't alone for long as one of the pack members stood in front of her.

There was that word again. Survivor. She'd always been good at that despite the terrible cards Fate had dealt her. The numerous hardships she'd faced in her young life and the pain, the low self-esteem, and the loss she'd experienced have only showcased how stubborn she was. Even when she felt like giving up, there was always someone to drag her back from the edge and remind her that she could take the continuous punches life threw.

Even as a rush of power settled around the entire compound and her wolf rushed to the surface to feel the moon's call, Ari willed her eyes to open. Blearily, she could make out several pack members shifting as Adam and Doc stood in a ray of moonlight, eyes closed and faces tilted upward. Lying on his side just a few feet away was the red wolf, and off to the side, her eyes completely fixated on Adam, was Mercy. One arm was placed in a makeshift sling from someone's shirt and the walker didn't move from her spot as several men in various stages of the Change crawled or walked out of the compound. Was it because of this overwhelming call of the moon that brought these werewolves out or did it have something to do with Adam and Doc?

Her head swam with fatigue and she felt compelled to Change, but her body just couldn't handle the physical strain if she attempted it. For now, Ari closed her eyes and canted her head back toward the moon. She felt at peace as she allowed the moon's beautiful lullabies and gentle whispers fill her broken body. Despite the blood gurgling in her throat and the increasing strain to breathe, all she felt was free.

Even as her mind struggled to stay above unconsciousness's waters, she heard the same voice that had uttered the words that condemned her to death. She tried to stand, to get as far away as possible from the man that not only tried to kill her but had used her as a pawn for his schemes. There was very little chance that she would be able to go anywhere in the condition she was in, and once she realized that her torturer was no where near her, Ari ceased her attempts to stand. However, his voice continued to explain his actions to his accusers and executioners for why he tortured and killed so many innocents all for the sake of his father. For the purpose of allowing Dr. Wallace to completely combine the two halves of his soul together by challenging the Marrok.

Ari heard someone ask Adam something that she couldn't quite catch, but she sensed his stare as he glanced her way. From one brief moment to the next, she knew he was crouched in front of her and took hold of her hand gently. Her ears weren't as muffled this time as he asked, "Do you wish to ask Gerry a question?"

Burning sapphires melded with deep indigo as the wolf peered through her gaze. She met Adam's gentle stare with a hatred so deep toward the man that kneeled beside Doc that it practically choked her. Somehow, she was able to say her sister's name despite the raspy and gurgled syllables that sounded like a foreign language to her, but Adam simply nodded his head.

"Gerry, where is Lily?" The command in his voice was clear and allowed no escape for the bastard to evade.

Despite the return of her hearing, she couldn't make out everything that Gerry said and there was a decent amount of an explanation as hardly anyone spoke or interrupted him. When this was over and they executed the son of a bitch, she could ask Adam, Doc, or Mercy to pass along the message.

There was a slight pause as the Alpha asked whether Gerry was his wolf tonight or Doc's, and while she didn't hear the reply, there was a deafening snap that sliced through the air with a finality. Despite the strength from the full moon and her own wolf's stubborn will to remain awake, Ari couldn't bring herself to fight against the fatigue and welcomed it. She'd heard rather than saw the man who'd turned her life upside down die, and at this point, that was good enough for her. Someone could take hold of her life and keep her breathing—she was too tired to continue without outside help.

Ari took as deep of a breath as she could before allowing her consciousness to fade away.

~o~

The brunette she-wolf only felt more pain as Doc's voice surrounded her roaring ears. He sounded like he was above her, and Ari could only wonder why the leather beneath her prone body vibrated. Not to mention that there was a harsh, heavy weight pressing on her chest in a firm rhythm—CPR. There was no telling how long she'd been under or where they were heading to right now, but Ari moaned and raised a weak arm to swat at the doctor's hands. Anything to get him to stop because her ribs felt like they might break.

"Ari?" Warm hands that instantly dwarfed hers grasped the brunette's fingers in a tight hold. As if squeezing the life from her hand could keep the she-wolf from dying.

Weakly, she squeezed Doc's hand to show she heard him and that could he please stop trying to break more ribs? He must've understood the message because he released her fingers and shifted around until the sounds of plastic being ripped open reached her ears. She peeked through her eyelashes long enough to confirm that they were in a car with Darryl driving again and a male she'd never seen before watching her with curiosity and mild worry as his dark brows furrowed, creating miniature canyons along his forehead. When he realized she was peering at him, he became perfectly still and lifted his gaze from her to someone just behind her.

"Easy, Ari, this is an old buddy of mine," Adam said from somewhere near her head. The second she came to the conclusion he must've been back there to help somehow, Doc suddenly invoked such a terrible, horrible pain inside her chest that she shrieked and tried to pull away with a burst of energy. Adam pressed her down, his hands gentle but firm, while Doc worked doing God only knew what to her beaten and broken body. "We have to get the bullet near your heart out, Ari, otherwise, it'll continue to spread more silver."

She didn't have the mind nor the voice to say she understood why Doc was pulling what felt like a giant hunk of jagged metal from her insides because she was already trying to break free of Adam's hold again. Death seemed like a better idea the longer Doc dug around in her chest, and she clawed at the seats with white fingers and lengthening nails. A Change was completely out of the question, but nothing was stopping her from struggling to end the pain that had awakened inside her. Couldn't they put her under—anything to spare her from more pain?

Pain means we are alive, the wolf growled.

Her wolf wasn't putting up much fight like she had the first time she met both Charles and Doc. Instead, she was sitting in the field of orchards that were gradually rising from brown and dying stems to the beautiful, vibrant pinks, blues, purples, and yellows she'd come to associate with her mindscape. Despite appearing to be relaxing, Ari knew her other half was still fighting to keep their shared body from breaking down further.

"Yeah, but I'd appreciate a break from all the stabbin' pain that's become my permanent state it seems," Ari thought tiredly.

Even so, you must allow the Marrok's son to work. It is as you said, we need help in order to survive these injuries. The wolf shook her fur and met Ari's frightened gaze with cool eyes. As her form solidified in the mindscape, her wolf stood and walked to the teenager with slightly wobbly steps.

Ari reached out for the soft fur and wrapped her fingers around the scruff with icy terror fueling her blood. She may have mentioned that death would've been better than living in this pain for another five hours or five weeks, but she wanted to live. Desperately. There was still a chance that she could meet her family and find Lily. She'd survived long enough to make it out of the cage, to collapse in a spot where Adam and the gang could find her, to listen to the execution of the monster who'd taken almost everything, and to wake up with Adam and Doc fighting to keep her alive when she was ready to quit. What was one more day of pain? What was one more time spent struggling to live? She could do it. No matter what, she was going to meet her family—see her parents, Aquilo, and Auster—and find Lily to show her that there was still time to live.

Outwardly, she stopped trying to fight Adam's hold and continued to clench the leather seats until her knuckles were close to ripping through her skin. Air hissed between her bared teeth and Doc removed whatever instrument he'd been torturing her with long enough to pull his prize out. She heard him place it in some bowl before preparing to dive right back in again. She felt like the claw machine in old arcades, except instead of fluffy, stuffed toys, he was pulling out bullets.

When she didn't try to move away again, Adam loosened his grip on her shoulders and hovered nearby in case Doc might need him. Though, at the rate he was working, the Marrok's son may not need any help from Adam at all.

"There are still two bullets lodged in you—the one in your shoulder hit bone and the two in your chest barely missed two of your major arteries and aorta. If that's not luck then I don't know what is," Doc said conversationally while he continued to open the wound a little bigger to see better. She really hoped he wasn't going to try and operate near her heart while in a moving car.

Adam must've sensed her worry or maybe she'd said it aloud because he reached down to grab one of her clenched hands and patted it. "Samuel is only opening the wounds to assess the damage the silver has done."

She'd rather not focus on the fact that Doc was still cutting her open while in a moving vehicle going who knows how fast down the road. Instead, she needed someone to talk to her—anything to distract from the fact that the injuries she'd sustained had decided to burn hotly again instead of cooling numbness. Adam didn't remove his hand from hers and she took the offer to squeeze his hand instead while she rasped, "Jesse?"

"Warren has her at his place but," Adam explained, not at all bothered by her crushing grip, "he should be heading to the house with her soon. I told him to wait until we knew the extent of your injuries."

She closed her eyes. God, somehow, they'd all made it out alive (though, in her case, somewhat breathing). Luck, indeed.

"Ari, you need to stay awake." Doc pressed a soft piece of gauze against her shoulder and ordered Adam to help her sit up while he wrapped Ace bandages around her entire upper torso.

Her eyes opened to take note that she was still bare from chest to stomach, and the air from the car made goosebumps rise along her arms as her brain realized that her scars were center stage. She wanted to hide and cover them—she never wanted to see the thin silver scars anymore than she had to. Especially when a stranger was watching the entire interaction with observant eyes that reminded her of Adam's intense stare. He mentioned the man was an old buddy of his and if that was true then it could only mean that this was the army comrade that had been turned around the same time as Adam. What was his name again?

"David Christiansen," the male wolf in the passenger seat said softly. Her gaze flicked to his immediately and she cursed inwardly for her inability to keep her thoughts to herself right now. Even in the darkness of the night, she could make out the deep hue of his skin which was such a dark brown that there were highlights of purple. The combination of dark brown and purple against the glowing moonlight of the country dazzled her eyes as she took him in. Like Adam, his hair was well-maintained and military short.

As she struggled to breathe upright and Doc continued to wrap what felt like a never-ending roll of Ace bandages around her upper torso, Adam explained what happened while she was fighting to stay alive. She missed a lot of action according to Doc, and Ari agreed as she listened in both horror and fascination as Adam and Mr. Christiansen took turns telling her about the 'rescue mission.' Gerry had kept Adam in a catatonic state with the drug to prevent him from killing his men and placed him in the same room with Jesse who'd been treated fairly well as a kidnapped victim could get. No man—human or wolf—was allowed to touch her like they'd gleefully done to Lily and Ari, thank God. Mr. Christiansen and his men—his substitute pack of humans—disapproved of Gerry's methods the second he ordered them to go to Adam's house and kidnap Jesse.

So aghast that they'd been on the wrong side, Mr. Christiansen went to Mercy after Adam and Ari were taken. With Doc's help as well as the rest of the Pack on standby, Mercy and Mr. Christiansen created a plan that would ensure Adam and Jesse would be rescued safely.

"If I had known you were still alive, Artemis, I would have gotten you out sooner. You may not be in such bad condition if I had thought to double-check your death after Gerry informed me." Mr. Christiansen shook his head sadly, the guilt was well-hidden in his voice, but she could see it in his gaze.

Ari swallowed, her entire body stiff with pain. Yes, if he had thought to make sure she was a hundred percent dead, then she wouldn't be half-dead right now. However, it wasn't his fault—the only person who should be held accountable at all for this entire ordeal was the monster who'd pulled the trigger. "Not your fault."

He opened his mouth to argue, but she beat him with a harsh rasp that did little to appease the rise in fury from both herself and the wolf. "You didn't torture me and my sister for four years. You didn't take away my sister and allow your men to do what they pleased. You didn't recapture me and deliver me to that monster. And you weren't the one who pulled the trigger."

The other half of her soul peered through Ari's eyes, turning the rippling blue to a burning purple and indigo galaxy. No one spoke for a moment as she concentrated on taking deep breaths as Doc finished tying the Ace bandage over her shoulder. If it wasn't for Adam holding her up, she would've collapsed in a heap on the floor of the car as Darryl hit a particular sharp curve that had all unbuckled occupants bracing. Just how fast was he going?

Better not knowing that—it'll only scare me.

Finally, Doc said in a gentle tone, "Gerry wasn't always the monster you knew, Artemis. He was losing his father to bone cancer and he convinced Carter to Change in order to be healed. The bone cancer disappeared and Carter was reborn, but he struggled with the wolf—he was a healer not a killer. Gerry blamed himself for Carter's lack of control of the wolf."

"Doesn't give him an excuse," she growled, eyes still glowing in the darkness of the car.

Doc shook his head, a small sad smile on his lips. "No, it doesn't. But, in Gerry's eyes, maybe he thought by killing you it would prevent another person from suffering."

After a second brief silence filled with only the purr of the engine, Mr. Christiansen continued where the story left off. She understood that he was doing so to keep the tension from reaching claustrophobic levels, and maybe she was being a brat for refusing to forgive the monster who'd done this to her, but there was too much hurt already inflicted with an apology that was much too late. Gerry had no reason and no right to decide whether she deserved to continue to live after all was said and done. The trauma she experienced and the risks of her exposing their kind to the rest of the world was his fault. None of this would've happened in the first place if she had refused to take the shortcut in the park that night and if Gerry Wallace hadn't decided to use the twins as a means to an end. Only a small part of her actions was her fault, but everything that happened aside that one mistake was his.

Nothing would make her forgive him—no amount of sorrow for his past or the fate of his father. She. Didn't. Care. If she hadn't been so weak or terrified of him—if her wolf had surged to the surface and given her the courage—she would've killed him herself.

~o~

It took Adam, Darryl, Mr. Christiansen, and eventually Warren when he arrived with Jesse in tow to hold Ari down while Doc worked. She tried not to move or jerk away from the doctor, but he had to dig and remove the remaining bullets from her chest and shoulder as well as cut any and all tissue that had been poisoned by the silver. Weak and exhausted as she was, Ari's telekinesis was becoming a growing problem as more than half of the furniture in the safe room floated in the air.

The minute Adam had carried her downstairs to the basement, her entire body seized at the sight of the giant cage in the middle of the room. Her terror-filled mind had deduced that they were going to keep her locked up just like Gerry did, but Ari knew they would never do that to her. Never place her in a cage like this unless there was an absolute logical reason for it. She'd found the strength to wrangle herself away from Adam and to the nearest wall with a wheezing gasp of breath. There wasn't any way out of the basement without getting passed a more than capable former Marine like Mr. Christiansen blocking the way let alone Doc and the Second.

Her legs quivered and shook as they strained to hold her up. It took a combined effort from Doc and Adam to calm her back down—they explained the cage was to keep members of the Pack from hurting anyone if there wasn't a wolf dominant enough to help them control the wolf. The only reason why they'd brought her here was because Doc needed space and there was better equipment available for him to use while he worked. All of which would be ten times harder to move and Ari didn't have the time to allow any of that.

After the shock and terror faded, the small amount of strength she'd found while half-alive left her in one breath of air. Doc had caught her before she fell after relief rushed through her and the pain roared to the surface again.

Originally, Mr. Christiansen was going to standby at the door in case she tried to bolt again, but it became abundantly clear that Adam and Darryl wouldn't be able to hold her still alone. Which not only baffled all four men in the room but Ari as well until she came to the astounding conclusion that there were several moments in her life where she should be dead, yet she'd survived. There had to be a better explanation as to why she'd lived through the countless days spent as a guinea pig for Gerry, and why she hadn't kicked the bucket immediately that final night in her cage. Maybe she was overthinking again, but even werewolves had a breaking point and she felt like she'd reached that point—on multiple occasions. She'd been shot with three silver bullets that had plenty of time to spread throughout her organs and tissues, and yet she still had the strength to make three (eventually four once Warren joined) fully grown male werewolves who were much older than her, once you combined their time spent as wolves, strain to hold her down. Did this have something to do with being an Omega? Doc and Warren hadn't really explained any more than the basics, but if it wasn't that then what could it be? A conversation from what felt like decades ago with her parents about the strange gifts she and Lily had surfaced again: When you're older, we'll explain more about how special all of you are.

Would they tell her the full extent of her genes? Of this unique power? Or would they reject her after finding out about her werewolf status and the trauma?

Air hissed through her teeth as she squeezed her eyes shut and another growled shriek escaped her throat in a single wail. The men strained to keep her from yanking her left arm free while Doc continued to dig and snip away. Once Warren had come downstairs to see the commotion, he'd jumped in to hold her legs still and speed up Doc's progress. Even when Doc spoke in gentle tones about random topics in an effort to keep her mind focused on anything else, Ari could only concentrate on the pain and torture of being awake throughout the whole process. She didn't know how long they'd been going at it—didn't care to know because her entire body begged for peace and quiet and painless oblivion. Falling into unconsciousness would be so much better than living through this operation while awake.

Her knuckles were bleeding—the bones having split open from the amount of squeezing and clenching until her skin finally gave away. She'd shredded the linens on the bed in the middle of the cage with her nails, and she was almost certain that her blood wasn't the only thing drifting along the air either. One of the men holding her down probably got cut when they tried to stop her from causing more damage to the bed or herself.

Tears leaked from her eyes and streamed down her temples, mixing with blood and the sheets beneath her. She didn't know how much blood she'd lost since coming here, but there was no telling what werewolf healing could do in terms of replenishing blood. She hadn't bothered to ask Doc about that—everything had happened so quickly from the moment they'd arrived at the house to the shock of the cage that she'd forgotten about it. Either way, if she wasn't dead yet from blood loss alone then she'd probably be okay.

"Okay, we're almost finished, Ari," Doc said soothingly as he pulled the last slug from her chest. She nearly sagged in relief alone, but he was already snipping away at the poisoned tissue that was infected.

Adam and Darryl struggled to keep her arms from ripping free when a particular snip had her seeing stars and sent a jolt through her entire body. Another scream left her heaving for breath as her back arched off the bed and all four males tensed from their respective positions. How was she still awake? The one time her brain refused to pull her under unconsciousness's waters and it was during the worst agony she'd ever experienced in her life.

Suddenly, her vision blackened and her body fell limp on the mattress. She couldn't hear anything as the world faded in and out of darkness—one moment she could see Doc pulling a light out to shine in her eyes and the next blurry image was Adam leaning over with a tight expression. Frightened and unsure what happened to cause her body to decide now was the time to knock her unconscious, Ari turned to her wolf for answers only to find that she was utterly alone in the mindscape. Had she been placed there by the other part of her soul to protect her? Or maybe she was there because her wolf wouldn't fight and struggle as much?

Then wouldn't she be able to see and hear what was happening? She tried to swim partly back to the surface to test this theory, only to be shoved back down to the mindscape's beautiful meadow. Ari blinked, thoroughly confused. Just what was going on?

Her answer came with a gentle albeit stern voice—one she'd recognized and associated with her wolf since the first day they met. You asked for release from the pain, sweet one. I obliged.

"Oh," Ari flushed, sitting down on the overgrown grass that was still a mixture of brown and green—a representation of her physical state. "Um, a little warning next time? I got a little worried there."

In all her graceful and proud glory, her wolf appeared from the dark nothingness that separated the mindscape from the rest of her everyday thoughts. The wolf padded over to her and took a seat beside the teenager, content despite the possible agony she must be in after taking Ari's place in the driver's seat. Ever the protector, and Ari was completely grateful for that as she grabbed a fistful of the giant wolf's fur in her fist.

"Did you tell—" Ari began only to be interrupted by the she-wolf.

They are aware that you've been pushed to the side for now. This will only be temporary, she explained and leaned into the brunette's scratching fingers.

"How come you're doin' this now?"

You were preventing me from taking control.

Ari frowned. Had she been doing that? She didn't remember intentionally preventing her other half from giving a helpful hand.

Sensing her confusion, her wolf said, Bracing for the worst pain often makes you do so from the inside as well.

"But, if that's true, then how did you take control of our body when I was trying to make it out of the compound?" Ari closed her eyes and leaned against the reassuring body beside her. For the first time in the last few hours, she felt at peace and completely pain-free.

You were much weaker then—too weak to hold me here without help from the Alpha. We also had a common goal—survival.

"We're pretty great at that, huh?" She joked half-heartedly. Now that she'd been pushed away from the physical world, her mental form relaxed and dosed against the wolf. Ari had been fighting for so long—had struggled against everything that there was hardly a time she could just sleep without memories or nightmares plaguing her. Even as she listened to the soft, reassuring purr from the wolf within her soul, she slept so deeply that waking up in the real world left her bewildered before she realized what happened and where she was.

Between the short time she conversed with her wolf and falling asleep in bliss while being shielded from the painful experience, someone had removed what was left of her bloodied clothes and placed a pair of pajamas on her. Ari's brows furrowed as she glanced around the sparse room that had a few chairs as well as a small nightstand, which was baffling in of itself since this room was for wolves who couldn't control themselves. Wouldn't this furniture just get broken and destroyed by a rampaging werewolf?

Ari didn't bother to try and lift herself to a sitting position, instead, she shifted warily around until a figure caught her eye. At first, she wasn't sure she'd seen anything until a flash of silver, almost platinum blonde hair caught the light. Standing in a corner with his left shoulder resting against the wall was a tall, lean, and almost fragile-looking man staring at her with curiosity and mild irritation. He was attractive—eye-catching with his straight nose, pale looks, and strikingly beautiful, bright blue eyes. They seemed to sear her with its icy fire that flickered and glowed in the light of the room. His expression could be considered indifferent except there was a slight downward tilt of his lips and a wrinkle in his nose that prevented him from appearing impassive. She couldn't decide if the irritation was directed at her or not, yet the way he looked at her clearly proved that not only was he intrigued by her, but he was disgusted as well.

Before she could form a sentence to ask him who he was or accuse him of disliking her for no reason at all, the man turned his attention away from her and called for Adam in a toe-curling British accent. She didn't think she had a thing for men who had a distinctive accent, let alone a wolf who had a British one.

Her ears could barely make out two sets of footsteps heading down the stairs before Adam and Doc came into view. Ari could only imagine what she looked like after spending God only knows how long sweating and screaming and struggling while covered in blood. She desperately wanted a bath then—anything to scrub her skin completely of the entire night. Or had the day already passed and it's been almost two full days? Her inner clock was so screwed up that it would take several weeks before it was back to normal.

"Ari?" Adam asked, voice cautious as he waited for her response by the cage's entrance.

They must think my wolf is doing the talking and moving or whatever still, she thought. When she talked, her voice was severely hoarse, and her sore throat was added to the already long list of bodily malfunctions. "Yeah?"

Doc relaxed along with Adam as he unlocked the door and entered with the doctor following closely behind to check her condition. As soon as he reached her side, the Marrok's son shined a light in her eyes, making them water a little, before going through a series of questions that made her more baffled than the last. Did she know where she was? Yes, in the basement at Adam's house. Does she remember why she was brought here? To take the three silver slugs out and cut away any infected tissue. What about the trip back from the old lumber factory? She'd been kidnapped, shot by Gerry Wallace, and dragged her body to the loading dock where Adam and the others found her. Everything else after that was a little fuzzy from blood loss, pain overload, and almost dying.

"Um, Doc," Ari asked tentatively when he paused in his questions to assess the bandages underneath her shirt. "Why does it feel like I'm bein' interrogated?"

He raised an eyebrow at her choice of words but didn't stop what he was doing. Beside him, Adam crossed his arms and answered, "You were unresponsive for nearly two hours. We thought it was due to the procedure, but it became evident that your wolf had taken the reins and pushed you under."

Doc continued with a snort. "She has a knack of making an experienced doctor such as myself nervous whenever he treats a patient. One moment you were fighting and the next you went completely limp and silent. Nearly gave us a heart attack, that one."

She flushed slightly and looked away. "She only does it whenever I've had enough."

"In general or only when your life and mind are in danger of breaking?" Doc asked, more inquisitive than accusing while Adam looked over to the blonde man watching the interaction unabashedly with those same curious and hard eyes.

"Ben, head upstairs and grab a few packs of meat and a cup of water for Ari," Adam ordered, and she watched the blonde werewolf nod without another word and headed up the stairs. Did he think that this Ben was making her uncomfortable? She hadn't felt…frightened by the other werewolf rather the opposite—she wanted to know more about him and slap that semi-disgusted look off his handsome face at the same time. Which both surprised her and made her interested in the mysterious Brit.

Ari cleared her throat, a vain attempt to keep her voice from cracking. "Second one. She only takes over when its clear I can't handle the situation. But, there're a few times she's…helped out? Not take complete control but lend an extra hand? I don't know how to explain it."

Both men were satisfied by the answer and Doc continued his check-up with experienced hands. When he was satisfied her wounds weren't bleeding too severely, he asked, "How do you feel? Any pain?"

"Umm…" She twitched her arm and was promptly rewarded with a sharp stabbing in her shoulder that radiated toward her chest. Wincing as the burning increased at her motion, the she-wolf replied, "As long as I don't move, I'm a-okay."

The Marrok's son nodded, his eyes showing he clearly expected as much just as two more sets of steps descended to the basement. Adam looked over his shoulder and shook his head in fond exasperation as Warren and a bouncing Jesse who was holding a tray of raw meat and a glass of water came into view. Ari blinked owlishly at the botched haircut the girl was sporting with little care. When she glanced at Warren with inquisitive eyes, he only offered a sheepish shrug and a small grin in reply. She'd have to ask for the story behind that one later—if she remembered and didn't fall into a coma after eating.

Jesse greeted her cheerfully as she practically skipped to the older teenager's side and placed the tray on her lap once Adam helped Ari sit up. It required a lot of effort and it hurt like a bitch, but at least she was up and could eat without needing much help. As Jesse explained how Warren completely failed at cutting wads of duct tape from her neon-styled hair, Ari listened with one ear while she gobbled down every portion of that raw meat with relish. By the end of that particular mishap, the girl began talking about how Ari should stop giving Jesse and everyone else a heart attack because she was worried that the wolves would develop gray hairs. Which ensued a few chuckles and Ari cracked a smile since the thought of laughing made her entire body ache, but it was nice to see that Adam's daughter hadn't lost her spunk after a few nights of hell.

"Seriously, though, I think you might need to be wrapped in bubble wrap, Ari," Jesse said, watching her sip from her glass with barely contained fervor.

Ari sighed, "You and me both."

Warren laughed, "I doubt there's enough bubble wrap to keep you from getting hurt, sweetheart."

"You need a bubble." Doc shook his head, that warm and mischievous grin still on his face.

Jesse snapped her fingers, her face brightening in an 'aha!' expression. "A giant hamster ball! That's what we need to get for you!"

"Uh, I don't know if that'll work too great. I don't really like small spaces…" She didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings, but Ari was perfectly fine just remaining in a room on a nice comfy bed for the next few months to sleep and relax.

Adam's daughter frowned, suddenly realizing that Ari had spent a majority of her early adolescence locked up in a confined space and opened her mouth to apologize. Ari reached out to pat the girl's arm with gentle eyes. "It's fine. I'm gonna be confined to a bed for a while I'm assumin'," she glanced over at Doc who nodded, "so, you can keep me company 'til I get to walk on my own again."

Appeased by that prospect, Jesse left with Warren again after saying goodnight to them and promising Ari she'd come and visit when she was awake again.

Shaking his head with a fond smile, Adam said, "I hope you know what you've just signed up for."

"Better to have someone to talk to while I'm stuck here, right?" Ari tried to shrug but only cringed as her body reminded her that every little movement meant pain. She inhaled deeply and nearly dropped the glass of water if Doc hadn't caught it in time.

Adam frowned and waited for her to catch her breath before informing the brunette she-wolf, "You're not required to stay down here while you heal, Ari. We would take you to the guest room upstairs, but Samuel doesn't want us to rip any stitches."

Relieved that she didn't have to spend her entire healing process here, she sagged against the headboard and closed her eyes. "How long?"

"A week—two tops," Doc answered, and she could hear the grin in his voice. "Depends on how long it will take your body to heal since you were already low on strength and didn't have much energy to begin with."

"Eating regularly and sleeping will help," Adam added, meeting her gaze once she reopened her eyes.

"Okay," she murmured, fatigue already setting in and making it difficult to keep her eyes open.

Noticing her drooping eyelids and fluttering lashes, Adam helped her lie back down while Doc grabbed another blanket from a closet to place over her since she shredded the other one. Once settled for the night, Adam and Doc bid her goodnight as well and she was asleep before they reached the stairs.