Hey thanks so much to those of you that have left comments and reviews, it means a lot and since this is my first story on here I don't have many comments so big appreciation to those who have reviewed, you know who you are ;).

A low rumbling of a motor cycle engine broke into his trance.

Dev started and looked down into the street at a motor cycle, he saw a lean womanly body encased in black leather and a helmet was sitting astride it, her upper body twisted round to stare up at him and beneath the black visor, Dev was sure their eyes connected. Sera gunned the engine and took off down the road. Shit!

The sickly fear that coated his mouth and made his heart stop faded away to amusement as he watched her make her escape, he gave her a five second head start before flashing himself fully dressed down to the garage. Dev chuckled to himself as he slide leisurely on to his bike, yeah, he was right, things about that girl did not fit at all. But he was looking forward to finding them out, it was hard for him to think of her as human now that she was mated to him. His kind could never mate to a human, it just wasn't possible. And if it was, it would make it a lot more difficult for him to get her to mate with him but he would try never the less. If he didn't claim her by going through the mating ritual were hunters had, which was the equivalent of a human marriage only much more meaningful, Dev was left impotent for the rest of his life. Dev involuntarily cringed and revved the engine of his bike harder gaining more ground as he chased after his mate who was already fighting her fate.

Whatever Sera was he didn't care at the moment, he would find out what he needed when she was back safely tucked at his side, where the Fates destined her to be. Dev flew after her, her intoxicating scent fresh on the wind, Dev caught sight of her rounding a bend sharply and felt a flicker of irritation, if they didn't mate the only thing she'd have to worry about was never having kids if she was were hunter, which Dev was beginning to suspect more and more since he had seen the mark. He on the other hand would remain Mr. Limp for the rest of his life until she died and if she outlived him, which was a common statistic nowadays, he would die without ever being laid again, without ever feeling the touch of a woman again. Dev did cringe now and he whimpered, speeding up, he sensed she knew he was behind her, and the scent of her body and her fear was perversely turning him on and made it uncomfortable to straddle the bike properly. For that alone she was going to pay.

Dev gave chase for so long the sun had fully risen and the sweltering New Orleans heat was cooking him inside his jeans, jacket and helmet, steamed bear for breakfast anyone? They raced down a wide, deserted road lined and overshadowed by trees, shielded from the blazing sun Dev sped up so he was nearly coming up beside her. With his eyes fixed diligently upon Sera's back, Dev only noticed that a large brown bear had lunged at him from the side of the road when he was flat on his back holding the bears jaws away from his throat. His back, from neck to ass was on fire having been scorched by the road, as he was distracted at the time the bear had gotten the upper hand on him and torn into the flesh of his chest. Blood flowed freely from his wounds and Dev instinctively shifted forms to his natural and stronger bear form, his attention entirely focused on protecting his mate, that he knew had stopped to look back at the fight. Dev scented the air and growled ferociously. Arcadian sentinel, he hated these crazy bastards, this guy had picked the wrong day to tangle with a bear like him, Dev laughed in his mind, no one came up against a Strati and lived.

Sera's heart burned in her throat as she watched the furious fight ensuing before her eyes. She had heard the skid of the bike and the crash and had stopped and turned to see a huge male Arcadian attacking her mate, instinct roared to life and Sera was off her bike and running towards the bears.

Stop!

Dev's voice in her mind halted her immediately, did he know what she was? Or was he just taking a chance that she would do what he said? Either way she was deeply offended by his commanding tone, as if she were gong to obey him! Sera watched in amazement as Dev flashed into bear form and throw the Arcadian from his body with such force the Arcadian hit a tree. Ok, so maybe he didn't need her help after all …

The Arcadian flashed back to human form which would be his strongest unlike Dev, the Arcadian was tall and beautiful like all their race, with shortly cropped black hair and a neatly trimmed beard, but he also had a crazed gleam in his eyes. One Sera knew only too well, the kind you saw in fanatics and crusaders, he wanted Dev's blood not for vengeance or justice, not for retaliation but simply because Dev possessed an animal heart. Even while injured and bleeding profusely the skill and ferocity that her mate displayed made Sera's breath catch in her throat but what frightened her even more was a sudden flash and another, equally as deadly looking, Arcadian sentinel approached Dev.

"Look out!" Sera tried to scream out a warning in time.

The new Arcadian approached Dev from behind and shifted in to bear form, he launched himself at Dev before Dev could move fully out of the way and raked his claws though Dev's wounds. Dev threw back his head and roared, trying to break the Arcadian's grip on him enough so he could dislodge him and get at his throat.

"Hold him still, Alex," the original attacker barked, manifesting a sword out of thin air. "Turn his head up so he sees his death on this blade as I cut his throat."

Sera's eyes narrowed and the bear she had restrained on a very tight leash for a whole year roared free, demanding its right to protect her mate. She manifested a dagger out of thin air and let it fly at the one holding the sword, it hit him hard in the chest, the momentum catching him up and throwing him once more against the tree, the blade buried deep in his heart guaranteed he wouldn't get up again.

Dev almost stopped struggling as he watched Sera turn her eyes on the remaining Arcadian, the bear holding him down gave a roar that was more bravado then real bravery, before pushing his claws deeper into the flesh and fur of Dev's neck and ripping open a deep and fatal wound. Dev tried hard to block out the pain and stay awake, he couldn't leave his mate alone unaided in case more turned up; it didn't occur to him that he was not only useless to help at that time and that he wasn't needed.

Dev watched through hazy vision as Sera raised her arms slightly at her sides and in he hands appeared a pair of Sai, he admired her taste in weapons. The bear holding him down with needless effort threw himself back and flashed to his base form, picking up the fallen sword his comrade had used. Sera worked the Sai with expertise that gave the would-be assassin pause, she didn't wait for him to make the first move but flipped high into the air and landed on her feet before the Arcadian. Even in his dire weakened state Dev felt a surge of pride for his mate, she caught the blade of the sword with one of the Sai and with the other slashed and gabbed with deadly precision at his abdomen. Her hands worked so fast they became a blur as did everything else around Dev, he felt the ground reverberate under the weight of the Were and it was accompanied by a very audible thump.

The Were gave Sera a look of pure loathing before he flashed out of there with one of her Sai still embedded in his stomach and a nasty gnash across his face. Dev felt Sera's hand in his fur and immediately felt comforted by her presence, he heard her violent heart beat and her incessant breathy muttering of "oh Gods, oh Gods!"

Its okay, Cher.

Dev's voice in Sera's mind made her want to cry even more, she couldn't believe the strength and bravery of him, he was comforting her when he was pumping out his life blood. Sera ruthlessly pushed back any sign of tears with a undignified sniff, she placed pressure on his worst wound while speaking in a soft but firm voice to him.

"Dev, I'm going to flash you back to Sanctuary. Okay?" It was a rhetorical question because it seemed to fit her sentence but she wasn't waiting for his consent, she paused while gathering him into her arms when she heard his faint voice in her head.

Why didn't you tell me, little rose?

Sera felt her lip tremble and shook her head but gave in to the impulse to bury her face in his fur, blood stained and sweaty but she didn't care. She wanted his scent. Dev found that one act utterly adorable and so endearing it brought an ache to his throat, Dev suppressed a chuckle, she was adding more aches to an already damaged body; what a handful she would be and what a relationship they would have.

I couldn't. Sera spoke back to him telepathically, not trusting her voice not to quiver and give her away.

You won't leave me. You'll stay in my room until Carson has healed me.

It was a command and it set Sera's teeth on edge but she ignored him and gathered him closer.

"The cheek of it! I don't do so well with orders, you should know that now," Sera grumbled and heard Dev's laughter in her mind and it warmed her despite the seriousness of the situation. She had to get him to safety, they were out in the open, easy targets for attack from both humans and Weres.

She felt him wince as she shifted him in her arms and it tugged cruelly at her heart, she flashed them to Carson's office in Sanctuary. Carson was behind the desk and almost fell over in his chair where he jumped so badly.

He caught the front of the desk with his hands and steadied himself, staring her in disbelief.

Oh well, I might as well give him a heart attack and expose myself fully, Sera grumbled in her mind. Sera felt Dev's weight get heavier and realised with a jolt of panic that he had passed out.

"Carson! Quick, Dev's hurt real bad. We were attacked by Arcadians!"