Chapter 2

• Asher Smith
• Her eyes wide and terrified and alert. I watched as she took her hands off the hood and darted into the woods.
• I opened my car door and stepped out. "Wait!" I yelled after her.
• Her legs carried her away fast, I can see and smell the fear practically dripping off her with every step. She was shaking violently, her head whipping around to see how close I was to her.
• Taking big steps trying to catch up, she turns around and looks at me panic in her eyes. Her chest heaving as she attempts to run quicker. Her feet dogging the tree roots on the ground.
• Managing to get level with her, she looked up at me in shock and stops right in her tracks. Her clothes are dirty and torn like she had been neglected.
• I stopped in from of her and she took a shaky step back. Her foot treads down on a stick and it creaked under her. She loses balance and falls down onto her back, a quiet hiss left her lips.
• Instantly rushing to help her she scurries away from me, stopping when her back hits a tree. Her eyes glistened with tears which fell down her cheeks, against her pale broken skin.
• "P-please don't hurt me," her quiet voice begs.
• I bend down to her level she flinches at how close we were, she shields her face behind her knees. "I'm not going to hurt you little one," I tell her softly, my tone trying to sound sincere.
• Her breathing becomes harsher, as she continues to try and push herself away from me. Her green eyes wondering over my face and watched my moves very carefully.
• "Please, please just let me go," she begs as I feel her body shake with fear.
• Noticing her tears falling endlessly down her face from her terrified eyes. Afraid that I would do unspeakable things to her.
• "Your clearly in danger and hurt. Please let me help you. I'm not going to hurt you," I pleaded with her, but I understand how hard it must be for her to trust someone with the state she was in.
• There wasn't anyway I was going to just let her go, not knowing if she is safe or if people are after her.
• She shakes her head. "I'm not going anywhere with you." She cries out and tries to shake the grip I have on her.
• Leigh, I need your help right now. I demanded from the mindlink.
• Yes, vampires can mindlink with the whoever we share blood with.
• Looking back down at my mate, her big green eyes staring back at me. Her chest was heaving and her breathing loud. "I'm not going to hurt you." I said to her in a quiet voice. "I could never hurt you."
• She slightly raised her eyebrows at my words and pulled back from me. "I don't trust you." Her voice quivers.
• What's wrong? Where are you? Leigh's mindlinked me back.
• Taking in my surroundings I tell her where I am, telling her that she will see my car on the side of the road.
• Okay, be there soon. She rushes.
• "That's okay, you don't need to trust me right now." I said gently, trying not to sound patronizing. "But one day you will trust me."
• "Why are you saying this? You don't know me!" She said sounding confused.
• Her words screamed distressed and I didn't want to think about the things she had gone through. "I know you don't know me, and I don't know you, but it will all make sense soon you will be safe now." I told her.
• "Please, I just want to get away, please." She begs again, her voice raking with sobs.
• Asher, we are here, is it safe?
• Yes.
• Leigh and Zack emerged from the woods.
• "What's going on? Who is this?" Leigh asked as she rushes to my side and eyed the girl that I have a grip on.
• "I'll tell you everything later." I mumbled to her. Turning back to my mate, she was eyes Leigh and Zach with uncertainty. "This is my sister and her boyfriend." I said to her.
• "We want to help you, please let us help you." I told her, my fingers moving slightly up her arms.
• "Get off of me!" She screams before realizing what she said and quickly shields herself from me.
• My heart shatters as I think about how she expected me to hit her. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you." I said.
• I turned to my sister "sleep," I whispered not loud enough for my mate to here and Leigh nods her head.
• Wait, wait wait!" My mate screams as Leigh stands in front of her. Leigh closed her eyes and waves a hand over my mate's face.
• Leigh has the power to heal, in which she could put someone to sleep with a spell almost like telepathic sleeping gas, it has come in handy many of times.
• I watched my mate's eyes fall droopy and I quickly caughted her limp body before she hit the ground. She was tiny tiny compared to me and she looked like she needed a decent meal and sleep. She felt like a bag of bones and it was the worst thing to see.
• "Will you tell me what the hell is going on here?" Leigh yells at me. I looked at Zach who is also looking at me confused.
• "Just get in the car, we'll talk at home." I grumbled as I carry my mate to my car.
• Once we were back at the coven. I carried my mate up to the guest bedroom. Putting her gently down on the bed, she was so fragile and I was scared of what she had been through.
• "Asher?" Leigh gets my attention, she tried to be quietly but her voice came out loud. "Are you going to tell us what the heck is going on?"
• "She's still sleeping." I whispered, pressing a finger to my lip.
• I watched as my sisters eyebrows raised at me with a hand on her hip.
• She's my second chance Leigh.
• Leigh's eyes went wide at my words. "Excuse me?" She said out loud, not even caring that my mate was sleeping.
• "Shhh." I shused harshly.
• She's your mate?
• Yes.
• How?
• I don't know but she is, I know she is.
• Leigh's eyes wondered down to my mate.
• "Do you know her name?" She asked, and I shook my head no.
• "I'm not sure, we really didn't get to that point." I sighed as I watched my mate sleep, her breathing became more ridged and harsh. "But I do know what ever she had been through, it was hell."
• My fist began to tense and I grinned my teeth in anger at the way that she had been mistreated.
• I looked back at Leigh "when she wakes up, can you be here? She's scared and maybe seeing another girl will calm her down." I said, my voice full of hope because that's exactly what I needed.
• Leigh nods her head, "of course." She wanders over to the bed and gently sits down.
• She reaches and hand up towards mine and gently squeezed it. "I can't believe this, this is just insane." She said looking at my mate.
• "I know, me either." I whispered.