I was locked in a room in the basement. It was stripped of practically everything.

I tested the wall, just to be sure.

Punching, slashing, kicking, nothing damaged it.

I hate being caged.

I prowled around the room. Smells of engine oil, metal, gas. Old smells.

It was once used for storage.

The cuffs are strong. Very strong.

I tried to calm down and focus on breaking the lock. I thought of her standing next to me, telling me to do it, that she'll be here with me. Gotta get a claw over to the lock. I might need to dislocate a finger for a while to get the job done.

I wanted to hear her tell me she loved me before. My dream-Tessa laughed at me. Idiot. You should have told me, if that was what you wanted.

Tessa? I was amazed. I had nearly gotten my left index finger over, but I saw I would need to dislocate it. I did, wincing. Wish that healing factor of ours also was a pain dampening factor.

I heard you from two floors up. You're in pain. What did they do to you?

Heh. Someone getting angry for me because I was hurting. It felt kinda strange, but good. Weird.

I put my finger back in place, feeling it heal with a groan of protest. Nothing.

Nothing? She sounded outraged.

Same kinda nothing you felt before, sweetheart. I waited for an explanation.

Oh. She paused, but wouldn't tell me what had hurt her. We're coming to get you out. We're leaving.

The door opened out. I held back, watching as Tessa came in first. Smart move. She held the cuff keys in her right hand. Summers was outside, sweating like crazy.

His scent was on her arms. He had touched her. I started a low rumble in my throat.

He touched my Tessa.

She noticed and paused, reaching out and grasping my hand as I got ready to leap at the man who'd touched my lover. "What?"

I snarled. Her hand was warm. I closed my eyes and inhaled her scent. "He touched you."

She nodded, slow. "It didn't hurt. It was okay."

Faint scent of blood. "Turn around."

She tensed. "I am all right. Don't worry. We're going to get out of here and everything will be fine."

The rumble building in my throat revved up to a full roar. "Turn AROUND!"

Rigid, posed like a doll, she turned for me. I saw the small holes in her costume, the drop of blood falling from one of the six points he'd pushed into her skin.

Logan had touched her.

That made Summers fade away.

Logan had hurt her. He had hurt my Tessa.

No! Victor, you can't. You won't. I won't let you.

Try and stop me. He had drawn her blood. Red rage flared up as I let go of her hand. The runt had gone too far this time.

I wasn't moving. I wanted to. She stood there, hard as iron, turned back around, hand out at her side, using that damned mind of hers to stop Summers from coming any further while she took control of my muscles from me and pleaded with me.

Victor, listen. It didn't bother me. He didn't really hurt me. He wasn't challenging you.

She had a knack for getting to the heart of a matter. How do you know?

Will you stay and listen if I let you go?

I didn't want to promise, but she wasn't letting me loose without it. Fine. But it better be good.

Summers stood in the doorway, talking into a communicator. Geek. Probably joined partly because he'd get one. And the uniform.

"Victor. I provoked him. I was angry." Her clear blue eyes looked into mine. I felt the heat rising from her skin. "You could feel how bitter I was. I used you as a threat. He reacts to you the way you do to him."

I wanted to rip the runt's throat out. Regenerate that, boy. But her face was pleading with me. She didn't want me to.

Damn all women.

I closed my eyes and let the fire within die down a little. The fire outside, though, rising from her skin, was inviting. I had to choose one or the other. Go after the runt, or wrestle with her.

Guess which one I chose.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her up to my face by it. Her pupils grew wide and that sexy little smile I loved curved her sweet lips. "Gotta make sure everyone knows who you belong to, then." Her other arm wrapped around my shoulder and I felt her nails prick me as I savaged her mouth, drawing blood as I nipped at her. Her mind purred through mine. You know they're coming.

Yeah. The X-freak isn't talking to himself on that thing. Is he?

She began giggling into my mouth. I got the funniest image, Scott trying to communicate with himself. "Hello? Hello? Am I there? Is this thing on?"

They all ran in, of course, fired up and ready to go, Logan among them. I deliberately held her closer and ran my large hand over her tasty posterior. Stop laughing. We need to be serious now.

Probably was a good thing I was, though. I think Scott would have fired and the others attacked if I hadn't laughed. Her breath caught as I wrapped her around me, tight as my skin. She bit my tongue again.

I love this woman.

She pulled far enough away to whisper, "I belong to you, Victor, and you'd damned well better remember you belong to me."

Possessive. I like that.

The others make odd noises, gasps and groans. Someone begins clapping. What the hell, I put her down, gently, and take a half-bow, keeping her body pressed to my left side.

Summers? Summers was clapping?

Some redhead was looking daggers at him. I let out a whoop of laughter. He was so gonna be in trouble.

So I left that day with my Tessa at my side. She'd be going back sometimes. Fine with me. I knew now she'd be coming back.

Especially after our trip North. But that's a tale for another day.