Mark cradled me in his arms after Dare left. He was rocking me gently in his big warm arms which were surprisingly comfortable. He gave me small kisses on my forehead, and stayed with me until the rest of his pack entered the cave.

"We're going to take you back to La push, alright?" He murmured, and I simply nodded into his chest.

I was still so exhausted. He chuckled.

"You look so innocent." He murmured. "I can see why he refrained from doing anything rough with you. Don't worry though, we'll take good care of you, my lovely mate."

At that moment I didn't really care who I was with. I felt numb after the horrible heart ache I experienced when Dare left. I merely hugged him and sighed as he lifted me up and we went off into the cold night. I shivered a bit and snuggled against him as we entered a heavy duty truck that looked new, had comfortable back seats, and the best air conditioner I could have asked for in a car. He laid me on his lap as his pack piled in, they each let my rest my legs on their laps. They turned on the radio, but really low so I could sleep. Still I was only the kind of half-asleep you felt when sleeping in a car.

"Dude, how did you get her to sleep with you?" Someone mumbled.

I heard Mark chuckle and felt his chest rise as he took in a deep breath.

"Well, I told her the truth." He murmured as he touched my head, making my head tingle with goosebumps, it felt so I good I mumbled into his chest and snuggled closer to him.

He stroked my hair lightly, and I sighed lovingly only half aware of what they were saying.

"She's mine now so I don't want any of you touching her. Alright?" He snarled jealously.

"Yeah." I heard disappointed answers from his pack.

"Good. I'll find you mates." Mark said. "I promise." He murmured and continued to stroke my hair tenderly.

The ride to La push seemed so fast to me, probably because I was sleeping, or maybe because I was enjoying Mark's comforting.

"Run on ahead, and get a bedroom ready. For the both of us to stay in." He commanded of the members of his pack, and they all obeyed.

By this time Mark was picking me up in his arms as I blinked sleepily.

"Sorry." He whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you." He murmured apologetically as he kissed me forehead.

I smiled up at him, still a bit drowsy.

"It's alright." I murmured, and somehow I felt like I belonged with him.

It was like I knew him, when I only ever spent more than a few hours with him. His smile was so beautiful, genuine, real. He was like... I couldn't remember the name I was looking for. Mark made me forget. I touched his chest with my fingertips, tracing his muscles and I felt him shiver with pleasure. I stared up at him, and found him staring at me as if I were the most interesting thing in the world.

"Mrs. Hardwood has a room ready!" I just faintly heard someone calling to us, but the words were all jumbled up in my brain and I couldn't make sense of it.

"Mm." Mark mumbled in acknowledgment, but it seemed like he didn't hear them either.

I blinked and then smiled, and then the most beautiful smile I ever saw on anyone's face suddenly came to rest on his lips which looked so perfectly soft, warm, and loving. It seemed impossible that he was even looking at me like he was, and yet... before I knew what I was doing my fingertips were touching his lips, and he needed know further excuse to smash his mouth completely against mine. The world suddenly tumbled away and then...

"Mark!" The teasing sort of voice boys used when messing with each other ringed in my ears, and the moment completely shattered.

"Aw, look at you two!" I heard Mrs. Hardwood clap her hands together and I suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed in Mark's arms.

"Alone. We need to be alone." I surprised myself by suggesting this, he nodded, but his head was turned away from me, he was looking at... Mr. Hardwood.

I grew stiff in Mark's arms. An irrational fear of this man bubbled to the surface and I cowered against Mark. He was waiting. They were all waiting, as if... as if they waited for this moment for a long time.

"Mark..." I whimpered, and he held my head to his chest.

He smelled of the forest, of sweat, and of sex. I clung to him desperately as he began walking towards them. My whimpering grew louder, but Mark gently shushed me and I grew calm.

"Mark." I heard Mr. Hardwood say. "And Ashley." I immediately froze. "Glad to see you've chosen Mark." I wanted to say over who? But then I remembered Dare.

A painful ache began in my chest similar to that of which I felt when Dare turned away from me, gave up on me, abandoned me... I moaned painfully and I was crying before I could stop myself. I sniffed into Mark's chest, and then I heard a bit of shuffling.

"I apologize if it was something I said." I heard Dare's father say.

"Glad to have you home, son." He murmured and I saw his hand on Mark's shoulder.

"Thanks." I heard Mark mumble and he moved again, up a somewhat familiar flight of stairs, and into a bedroom perfect for us. Spacious, with it's own master bathroom, huge closet (filled with clothes I might add), and a full length mirror.

"Anything and everything you want I will provide for you." Mark murmured when he laid me down carefully on the huge bed which was now ours.

He stroked my hair carefully, then my cheek and kissed my lips softly.

"Can we shower?" I whispered. "I think I smell like..." I didn't have to finish my sentence.

"Like the love making we did?" He asked with a slight chuckle. "Milady wants a shower, she shall get it." He said, in a mock old English accent. "Or..." He put on a huge grin and used a low, sexy, rumbly voice. "We can bathe together." He said as he went into the bathroom and then came out grinning wider. "Master bath, bubbles, and a brush for me to use on your hard to reach places."

I laughed at him.

"You're pathetic."

"Desperate you mean?"

"Why would you be so desperate, for me even."

"Because I've waited for you a long time." He murmured. "Because... I fell in love with you before Dare did, when I first saw you." His eyes stared into my own and seemed so utterly sincere that I realized he couldn't be lying.

He had no reason to.

Dare

The moment I stepped away from Ashley I regretted it. Completely. Sarah was a controlling manipulative bitch. The only thing she did well was... well let's just say I took quite a few rides in her bed. Hey, I'm not perfect. From what I could recall Sarah and I had broken up, then there were blanks, huge blanks, and then I went to Sarah at night out of nowhere (the time I cheated), and the rest was blank until the point I woke up to Ashley. And Ashley... was so different. She was so... amazing. I drank her in the first time I saw her. I was ready to pull her in my arms right away and then she cried, for me. Because of me, and cried more, and more. I couldn't make her happy. She'd never be happy with me. I didn't deserve her, I deserved Sarah. Sarah wanted me bad, perhaps I thought of her every now and then... God, it was my fault, all my fault.

"Damn." I muttered into the air.

I alone made Ashley cry, more than anything. She would be better off without me. But I... I would be a wreck. I went back to the cabin Ashley and I stayed in. I moved slowly, brushing the counter, staring at the spot on the couch when I first saw her. The bed room... Ah it smelled like the deed was done here, which it had been. I chuckled and then I shook my head, and sighed. If only I could remember... On the way out of the bedroom I stared at a dent near the bottom. Where I had apparently hit my head. If only I could... No, throwing myself at the wall was a stupid idea, but...

No. My mind growled.

You'll only hurt yourself more if you remember her.

But my stupid self didn't listen. I ended up waking on the floor, at the base of the stone fireplace. I remembered it all then. As all my memories flooded back to me, I realized... I never once thought of Sarah. It was only Ashley. Until... I remembered our fight. I was being stupid. I'd been to forward, my needs had nagged me until I gave in, left Ashley's and went to Sarah. She was more than happy to please me.

"Ashley..." I moaned, my lips trembling.

My own stupidity drove Ashley to my only rival, my most hated enemy. My Dad's favorite pack member, his new favorite 'son', Mark.